Autumn means settling into a slower pace and enjoying the fruits of your labor — or a local farmer’s labor. As the temperature cools and leaves burst into color, the season also presents the ideal conditions for a road trip.

Here are some unique spots around Minnesota to find the best seasonal produce for your soups, pies, and jack ‘o lanterns.

Sweetland Orchard

Though they offer 100-plus varieties of cherries, apples, and pears, cider is the centerpiece of Sweetland Orchard’s cornucopia in Webster, located about 45 miles south of the Twin Cities. Visit the on-site mill for hard and classic cider samples or make it a whole spread by assembling a picnic of the cheeses, pastries, and bread for sale at the farm store. Round it out by saying hi to the resident chickens and taking a stroll through the orchards. 26205 Fairlawn Ave., Webster

Gilby’s Nursery & Orchard

Farther north at Gilby’s in Aitkin, peruse fall produce or buy your own baby apple trees to take your fall fever to the next level. In addition to offering the standard hay-adjacent kid’s activities and fall decor galore, this orchard has maintained walking trails weaving throughout the property. Don’t sleep on their squash and pumpkin selection either — this year’s harvest includes varieties like Warty Goblin for gnarly-looking jack o’ lanterns, Mystic Plus, which is perfect for pies, and the classic deep-orange Kratos. 30069 State Hwy 210, Aitkin

Fireside Orchard

As cozy as it sounds, this roadside orchard features a picturesque rose garden and pond nestled into the rolling bucolic hills near Northfield. About 40 minutes south of the cities, it’s worth the trip just to walk into the farm store, and breathe in the sticky sweet aromas of fresh donuts, simmering hot cider, and homemade pie. There are 30-plus varieties of apples to choose from, as well as plenty of dreamy spots to sit and savor your treats. 2225 Lonsdale Blvd E, Northfield

Blossom Hill Orchard and Farm

Even further south sits this harvest destination in the Driftless region of Minnesota, characterized by small streams cutting through a rugged landscape that never got scraped by the most recent glaciation. Located in Preston, this family-owned operation offers all sorts of locally-sourced food and craft souvenirs including pottery, pork, syrups, jams, and more. To balance out the sweet with some spooky, schedule a cave tour at nearby Mystery Cave State Park or a stroll through the adjacent restored 1800 townsite of Forestville. 645 US-52, Preston

Deardorff Orchards

For maximum autumnal whimsy, consider this 120-year old farmhouse Airbnb, equipped with a firepit and nestled up next to Deardorff Orchards and Parley Lake Winery. Picture riding the tractor down into the orchard, grabbing some apples, and making a pie with some loved ones. Or perhaps some applesauce? The possibilities are vast. You’ll have to rally 5-10 friends and scrape together $250 for a weekday visit or $500 on a Friday or Saturday night. Deardorff Orchards, 8282 Parley Lake Rd, Waconia, MN

Simek’s Farm

If you’re visiting the North Shore, take a detour to Simek’s for some good ol’ fashioned barnyard fun (think giant silo slide and swings inside the barn itself). Here, they offer all sorts of fall produce including pumpkins, beets, carrots, and squash, along with hot food at their farm cafe. Catch some local Northwoods music — mostly of the acoustic, gospel, and bluegrass variety — every Saturday afternoon. You can also find regular farm concerts at Montgomery Orchard and LuceLine Orchard. Simek’s Farm, 8997 Arkola Rd, Kelsey

Mother, Goose, & Beans

In western Minnesota, not far from Fargo, sits a charming and singular operation called Mother, Goose, & Beans. The humble family-run pumpkin patch produces funky, offbeat pumpkins and gourds, in every shape, size, color, and texture you can dream up — perfect for a quirky fall porch display. Their corn maze — this year’s tractor design is an homage to agriculture — is no joke and takes an average of 45 minutes to get through. Thankfully, freshly popped kettle corn awaits if you eventually find your way out.16607 340th St., Erhard

Stoney Brook Farm

After warming up at a few average-size corn mazes, face the final boss at Stoney Brook, now home to the world’s largest corn maze, as far as we can tell. The maze, located 15 minutes outside of St. Cloud, spans 110 acres with 32 miles of pathways. That nearly doubles the standing Guinness-World-Record-holding 60-acre maze in California. From a bird’s eye view, the massive maize marvel bears the faces of beloved Halloween Villains like Chucky and Jason. If this whole concept reasonably terrifies you, know that there are four mazes of varying difficulty to choose from and an app to track your location — especially helpful if you opt for the 10-plus-mile extreme maze. 989 115th Ave NE, Foley

This feature is part of The Current’s 89 Days of Fall series, helping you enjoy the best of the season with weekly guides to events, entertainment, and recreation in the Twin Cities.