It’s Saturday. It’s 8:00 a.m. I wake up excited. It’s my favorite day of the year. The day we take our annual fall pilgrimage to Wisconsin and travel the same path we have for the last six years.

And here’s the thing. I am not a tradition kind of girl.

Been to a restaurant once? No need to go back. Traveled to a foreign land? Check, no need to return.

But this trip is special. It is different. It is one I wouldn’t go through a whole year without. And I am going to let you in on my secret.  Here is my recipe for the best fall day ever:

Pick the Day

• Stalk this map to find the BEST day where the fall color in Wisconsin is at its peak.

Road Trip

• Hop onto the Great River Road with Stockholm, Wisc. in your GPS. The drive is beautiful. You see the river, the trains, the water — it is breathtaking.

2016

Pie

• First stop is the Stockholm Pie Company for a piece of pie. You can’t go wrong with any choice you make. Our favorites are the chocolate cream and triple berry. Afterwards stroll around this cute town.

2016

2017

2017

Hike

• Then go for a hike up to Maiden Rock Bluff. Legend has it that a women leaped to her death from this high precipice rather than marry a suitor she did not love. The start of this trail is hard to find, which makes it feel like a hidden secret. It is magical.

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Cider

• Afterwards, pick a few apples at the Maiden Rock Cidery and grab a four-pack of “Honeycrisp” & “Scrumpy” cider to bring home.

2015

2016

2017

Dinner

• Finally, make your way to Harbor View Café in Pepin, Wisc. for dinner. Make sure to get there a little early as a bit of a wait is part of the experience. This restaurant is a classic farm-to-table experience and always offers one of my favorite meals of the year.

2013

It truly is a favorite tradition in my family. I hope you love it as much as we do. Now go!