So picking apples is a different experience in North Carolina than in Michigan, because in NC, if you’re serious about getting the best apples, you probably need to go in August. For Rachel and I, who are used to visiting orchards in sweatshirt weather, packing sunblock and water bottles for the orchard trip is an adjustment.

That said, Skytop is our favorite orchard option here, well worth the 90-minute drive into the mountains. And because we’re not apple snobs, we don’t mind going in mid-September, even if the pickings are slimmer.

Skytop offers the usual stuff … donuts, cider, hot chocolate, pumpkins, jams, jellies, baked goods and every kind of apple you can imagine. It also offers fantastic scenery, bringing out Rachel’s inner photographer.

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After some waffling, Rachel and I took the kids to their first real concert in September. It was also an informal introduction to tailgating. I’m calling it a rousing success even though it was a country band, and on a school night no less.

We rolled with Bojangles chicken and biscuits, cold beverages, my custom-made Detroit Lions cornhole set (hat tip to Steve Sutherland), and a football. The weather was perfect, and the Zac Brown Band put on a respectable show.

I think Nathan enjoyed everything about the concert experience except the music, but it’s a great memory all the same.

Update: A few months later, Vivian and the rowdy Lucas girls were treated to a Taylor Swift concert by the moms. Nathan and I were, regretfully, unable to attend.

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