A crisp fall day filled with floating red and yellow leaves and the smell of fresh-cut hay is sure to lure anyone out of boredom. Patches filled with pumpkins and gourds offer families their own adventure as they search for the perfect soon-to-be jack-o-lantern. High stalks of hay cut in intricate design offer searching feet a path filled with curiosities to explore. And the smell of mulled spiced cider wafts through air as the end of the maze draws nears.

If this sounds like the perfect family outing, then head to Southeast Tennessee this season for an autumn full of exciting activities.

One of this year's most exciting corn mazes can be found in Ocoee, Tenn. The River Maze will allow visitors to travel across the state the way courageous pioneers often did on rivers and traces. Visitors start out in Memphis and "go upstream without a paddle" till they exit at the Ocoee Whitewater Area. Other activities at this site include wagon
rides, picnics on the river, walking trails for hikers, and musical entertainment the whole family will enjoy.

Just south of Chattanooga, Rock City enchants visitors with its rock formations year-round. And in the fall, this world-renowned attraction also operates a giant corn maze at the foot of Lookout Mountain. This year, Rock City wants visitors to get lost in its Enchanted Maze which resembles Chattanooga's new waterfront.

Guthrie's Pumpkin Farm and Corn Maze in Riceville offers families traveling along I-75 the chance to pull off the highway and enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of hay rides to the pumpkin patch where they can pick their own pumpkins, stop at the petting barn, and explore corn, grass and hay bale mazes. The general store has jams, jellies, antiques and collectibles, so mom can shop while the kids play. Groups of 20 or more can enjoy a special evening down by the creek roasting marshmallows and singing songs around a
campfire.

A little bit further up I-75 in Niota is the Mason Maze and Dairy Farm, where families can enjoy hayrides, a petting zoo filled with adorable critters, picnic areas, and farm fishing. They can also visit the 130-year-old log cabin located on the property before or after they pick their own pumpkin from the patch.

In Dunlap, the Cookie Jar Café serves up delicious home-cooked meals all year long. But during the fall season, families can enjoy hayrides and a corn maze, followed by an exploration of "Farmland," a delightful play area occupied by a variety of farm animals. Groups can also arrange a tour of this working dairy farm throughout the year.

Jewell Farms in Dayton is well-known among the locals as the place to go for harvest decorations, fresh-picked vegetables, beautiful flowers, and during the fall, hayrides out to the pumpkin patch. The long drive leading to the market stand is lined with unique creatures made entirely from hay stalks. It's not unusual to find a straw-made horse pulling a wagon being driven by a scarecrow, at least not in this neck of the woods.

Finding that perfect pumpkin is hard work, and after all that searching, visitors are likely to have worked up an appetite for some homemade pie. That craving is easily remedied by a visit to one of several stops on the Southeast Tennessee Farm Trail.

Wooden's Apple House, located in Pikeville, is known for their fried, baked and sugar-free pies, but they also have apple and pumpkin cakes, vegetables, delicious cider, apple souvenirs and crafts.

Visitors to the Apple Valley Orchard in Cleveland can enjoy a glass of apple cider or a fried apple pie, apple fritter or one of the many delicious homemade products in the bakery.

For delicious apple cider, visitors can stop by Fairmount Orchard on Signal Mountain.

And Courtney Apple Orchard in Sale Creek offers an assortment of apple delights, including apple cider, apple butter, dried apples, apple jelly, and apples sold by ½ peck or bushel.

In Dunlap, the Wheeler family has been operating their apple orchard for 14 years, and visitors to the market can find all kinds of jellies, jams, pickles, relishes, and a variety of "butters."

Located in Athens on beautiful Starr Mountain, Shultz Farm Foods is a 5th generation farm which grows and sells 12 varieties of apples, along with homemade apple delicacies. During the fall, they sell many decorations and offer hayrides around the property.

So bring the whole family to Southeast Tennessee and explore the farms and orchards that offer a variety of autumn activities. For more information or to order a free "Out to the Farm" brochure featuring more than 60 farm trail sites in southeast Tennessee, contact the Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association at (423) 424-4263 or go online at www.southeasttennessee.com.