Fall is upon us, y’all. Well…maybe not upon us. But it will be…soon. We’re just excited, okay! Here at Nan’s, we can’t wait to be part of apple season out here in the New England countryside. For our Nan fans who live a good distance away, we wanted to put together a fun little itinerary for a day trip (including accommodation recommendations if you want to stay a bit longer) to guide you through your time here. Written by a local, of course.

1. Start your drive into Apple Country: Grab some Dunks and a breakfast sandwich and enjoy your drive out to Central Mass. The scenery will start to morph into woods, ponds, rolling hills and quaint little towns. Put on some Fleetwood Mac, Kacey Musgraves, or the “Your Favorite Coffehouse” playlist on Spotify (linked here) to soak up the good vibes. See something you like? A boutique, lookout, or bookstore? Stop in- this is your day trip. Grab the bull by the horns!

2. Your first stop will be an apple orchard of your choosing right here in Stow, MA. We have many for you to choose from, but our personal favorite is Honeypot Hill Orchards. Honeypot has cider slushies, the BEST apple cider donuts, hay rides, a corn maze and so much more! Their classic New England design will transport you out of your day-to-day life and into nature. We also recommend orchard-hopping, or even doing a cider donut crawl (sampling donuts from each orchard in Stow and deciding on your favorite.)

3. Lunch time! Obviously you know what we’re going to say….Nan’s is waiting for you. We’ve got a great outdoor set up for you to enjoy your chicken sammies, smoothies, grain bowls (or all of the above.) Come in and stay a while: we’re so happy to have you.

4. If you have some time to kill in the afternoon, we highly suggest checking out the shops in Downtown Maynard (just down the street!). Our suggestions? Kind Goods Maynard (ok, maybe we’re a little biased. If you know you know.), Oliver’s Wizarding Wands and Wares- a Harry Potter store, the Maynard Outdoor Store, and so many more. Fall vibes.

5. Dinner and Drinks: Sobre Mesa, anyone? Our sister restaurant opens on September 15- just in time for apple season! After a long day of exploring, relax with a craft tequila cocktail and some nourishing, good for the soul, traditional Mexican food.

6. Accommodations: To get the full central MA, quaint country, classic New England experience, we recommend a traditional Bed & Breakfast. Here’s some of our favorites.
   

   Hunt House Inn
   Hawthorne Inn
   North Bridge Inn
   Inn on the Horse Farm
   The Fitzhugh-Beers House