Tunners Orchard at 740 State Route 40, Speer, IL 61479 (309.493.5442) is one hour drive from Quad cities and offers a unique farm experience for visitors. The farm, the picking and the activities make it worth visiting every September.
Apple Picking
Apple picking is a different experience in the Fall. The fat and cholesterol free fruit is the favorite for many of us. Children can easily pick the fruit as the trees are short and the fruits are easy to reach. After picking them, handle them gently and store in a cold place. Apple picking tips must be followed for enjoying the fruit.
Tanners Orchard
Tanners orchard, since 1947, are in the apple business. The drive to the farm in the country side is pleasant. You get to see many barns and windmills in the route along with wide and open fields. I wonder how much energy the windmills produce and after how many rotations.
The farm has ample parking and restrooms. They do not charge the entry fees, but you need to buy a bag for $10 before entering the truck. The covered truck takes you to the apple farm, pumpkin farm and corn farm. You can get down at different places to pick. The apple farm has the apple trees lined up and full of apples. You can find green, red and yellow apples. The farm is full of bees and mosquitos. Depending on the weather you may have to choose the appropriate dress and shoes.
Once you are done with the apple picking, you can wait for the truck to come and take you to the pumpkin farm. After the pumpkin farm, the truck drops you back at the start point where you find the corn farm. The orchard staff have organized a corn maze game. To enter the corn maze, you have to pay an entry fee of $7 for adults and $5 for children.
Children’s Play Area
The entrance fee for the children’s play area is $7 for children and $5 for adults. 50% of the fee directly goes to the local emergency fund. Children can play a wide variety of games inclluding the T-Ball, Mini golf, Slides, Swings, School bus games, mini rides, pony ride, barrel train ride and so on. Adults can ride a pedaling bike with large tyres on it. I was exhausted after 6 rounds. 🙂
Different goats and other farm animals are on the show in the orchard. You can feed the animals by collecting their food from the nearby machine. The pony ride and tree house are good to watch.
Store
The store is my favorite place where you get yummy donuts, cider, frittles (egg-less), pies, jams, pickles, sauces and so on. They have a bakery where you can buy coffee or icecream. Different decorative items are on display. Also seen are large pumpkins and mums on sale. Overall, the trip leaves a good memory for all especially for children. 🙂