Fall Day Date Ideas

Please note that this blog was written in October 2020.  Please check with each stop on itinerary to ensure their offerings, hours of operation, safety protocols and availability. 

We really couldn’t ask for a better day for our day-date around Windsor Essex. A warm fall day that felt like summer, the sun cloud ratio was on our side, and the leaves were just starting to peak with their bright greens, yellows and reds. Chris and I just finished a crazy season (#8) at Urban Surf and needed a day away to have some old school fun.

Let’s just say you can’t do fall without a visit to Thiessen Orchards. Ha, I say this as I if I am a vet to Thiessens, but I’ll be honest it was my first time there and I am kicking myself for missing out all these years. Our first stop of the day was this county gem that has been around for many years!

Everything about Thiessens made me feel like I was in one of those heartfelt made-for-tv movies when they’re at the fall fair and you just wish you where there too. The smell of apples baking, tables of smiling families scattered across the property, and live Celtic music playing. You just can’t replicate the vibe you feel when you’re there, and I am honestly proud to say that they are here in our own backyard.

Chris and I sat and just took it all in, watching people feel at ease and like things were just like the good ol’ days after so many months of change. It felt so good and really fed our souls. Oh, and there is just something about picking your own fruit from the tree that it grew from that makes you feel like you’re really connected to the earth.

We grabbed some apple caramel corn for me and their epic apple fritters for Chris, our bag of hand picked apples and we hit the road. Next stop was Cindy’s Home & Garden as it’s just down the road in neighbouring Kingsville, and we wanted some beautiful mums to freshen up our porch at home. Cindy’s is a great little spot to grab up your potted plants or a great unique gift for your mom. The size of their mums are massive and deciding on what colour was definitely the hardest part. Moms…mums…Cindy’s has you covered. :)

Now I’m in a shopping mood and I have been dying to get out to The Local Maker, which just opened in Kingsville this September, to see what all the hype is about.  Our GPS says it’s only 4 minutes up the road so off we go to discover some great #YQGmade items!

I am a sucker for local artisans and The Local Maker did not disappoint. Tucked right in along Main Street in Kingsville, this shop is full of love and hard work. The moment you walk through the door you can feel this energy from each item that is placed just so. I wanted everything!! All the jewelry was right up my alley, same with the handcrafted pottery and the art work too. Not to mention I got to see the owner who might be the brightest little light I have ever met. I am definitely doing my Christmas shopping there!!! I bought some OG earrings from Novembers Eve, Chris got Red Lantern’s Coffee beans and off we went to carry on this fall adventure.

Our next stop was Allsop Farms!! It’s our third time here this season. and yes the season just opened a week or so ago.

OK, back story – with our 3 your old twin girls, Chris and I are pretty much park connoisseurs. We do parks and we do parks aplenty! Allsop Farms is top on our list right now for jungle gym hangouts – the twins won’t stop talking about the big tube slide and the huge straw stacks. (A super sweet man at Allsop told us that they are actually called straw stacks not hay stacks, so there’s a fun fact for you.)

Their corn maze is a riot, so we had to go back and do it ourselves, plus we wanted a bunch of pumpkins and Allsop in my mind has the best assortment for the best price. The owners are a super sweet retired couple who do this out of love. You can feel it all around the property as they are right in there with you enjoying all that they offer.

I have a ton of favourite parts to this day-date but one big highlight was just the drive alone. We were heading to GL Heritage brewing Co. from Kingsville and the drive through the concession roads  totally gave Chris and I California vibes. Sounds crazy I know, but if you have ever driven through the farming community in Cali you will know what we are talking about. I love our county, sometimes we just get in our car and drive out there, finding lonely dirt roads to explore, but this stretch caught us off guard. Winding driveways to beautiful homes mixed between old vintage and modern barns. White horses dropped here and there and big chunks of forest that has been left to thrive.

Windows down, cruising the speed limit on a natural high with excitement to hit the patio at GL Heritage Brewing Co.

We pull up and bonus! Nona’s Food Truck is there and her pizza’s are the best. We both order a flight to sample all of their beers, cause come on how do you really just choose one? We grabbed a basil pizza and a perfect spot at a picnic table under an umbrella.  Some would say this is heaven I am sure!

GL Heritage’s signature Apple Jack’d has JUST LAUNCHED (limited supply starting October 2nd) so we were stoked to get an advance tasting!  It’s the perfect combination of their beer, local apples and whisky from Wolf Head Distillery. The taste… well I have no words for it, but everything from the smell, to when it touches your tongue and then the lingering after taste was delightful. I guess people actually cry when it goes out of season in the new year. Who knew…but I will say I have grown to appreciate craft beer like a good wine.

Over the years as I have experienced perfectly crafted beers at our local breweries I have learned that there is so much more flavour and structure to real beer. My flight at GL Heritage was a rainbow of fall colours, each one with different notes that hit my pallet in a different way. Wow, I sound like I know what I am talking about haha. Danielle the exquisite beer drinker!

6 samples down and half an Apple Jack’d later and I am feeling cozy, ya cozy even with the thought of Scare House, which we plan on hitting as our last stop, lingering in the back of my head. Eeek! Let’s worry about that later.

Off to our next stop on this date…heading north to Ottawa Street in Windsor for the most epic burger ever, at.. Mamo Burger. They have the top rated burger in Canada right now – so you know it’s gonna be good.

An old school date is not done right without an Old School Burger! Mamo Burger has nailed every part of what a burger represents, from the beef to the sauce to that epic bun. If you have yet to indulge in Mamo’s burgers then well you my friend are not a true Windsorite and you need to get there ASAP.

Stomach full, and a bit nervous about scare house, I need to allow some time so I can digest, or this burger may end up on someone’s shoes in that scare house. We head downtown, I heard the Arts Fair is going on right on Ouellette, a perfect time to walk through and see what the scoop is before we sacrifice ourselves to Giggles the Clown.

Can’t hit Downtown Windsor without popping into Craft Heads Brewing Co.  to grab a cold brew from 30mL Coffee Co. If cold coffee isn’t your thing then grab a 6 pack of beers to go, they have epic beer flavours including their Pumpkin Spice which is literally flying off the shelves at this time of year! Did you know chocolate peanut butter beer is a thing? It is…and it’s freaking awesome. The artwork on each bottle is super rad too, I can honestly say I tend to choose my wine and beer by how cool the label is.

There is no more stalling, I’ve had the most epic day date, it’s time to feel proud and conquer this Scare House Windsor. Let me preface this by saying that I get startled by someone turning the corner in the mall. I am not one for these things but I really want to finish this day off with a bang.

We pull up to this creepy old industrial factory on McDougall Ave, park and head in. There are 3 different options at Scare House and to do them all seemed crazy to me but that was the plan and we stuck to it.  Truth be told, IT WAS AWESOME!!!!

I’ll be honest it was freaky scary, I must have jumped 3 to 4 feet at least 10 times. It’s totally creative, well constructed with a ton of thought put into each scene, maze and creeper. I am still in awe of the whole experience and am even considering going back and dragging my mom as I would love to see her reaction in there. The blacked out maze had me a little out of my comfort zone but when I made it out alive, I felt liberated and it was a great way to end our fall date.

I am constantly blown away by all the innovative attractions our locals have created, I love crafting up a great date especially when our city and surrounding areas make it so easy. So if you are looking to have your own Fall Day Date or adventure make sure to give this itinerary a try – you will not be disappointed!

Original blog published by Chris & Danielle of Urban Surf & AxFit and published on September 28^th, 2020

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