Although fall started off with various weather changes, Augie students are still trying to get into the mood for the seasonal change. One way to get into the spirit is through several fall activities in the Quad Cities such as apple picking, going to pumpkin patches and visiting haunted houses. Coffee houses also seem to be an important stop for students: not only to finish homework but also to attend special events.
Sophomore Kyle James recently visited Taste Buds in Rock Island. Taste Buds does much more than just sell coffee. They have a wide variety of gourmet popcorns, candies and other snacks sold in single servings and in bulk. “The atmosphere is pretty chill. They have a section where you can color, 25 flavors of tea and about 50 different types of coffee,” explained James.
Senior Briana Lee, also suggested a coffee shop to get into the mood for fall.
“For creative writing, we’ve gone to Theo Java’s Club a lot for open mic nights. The owner – Theo himself – is pretty quirky,” Lee said.
Theo’s has a pumpkin spice latte made with real pumpkin if you want to get your fix for the classic seasonal flavor.
While coffee shops are popular fall hangouts for many Augustana students, others suggest additional classic fall adventures. Senior CeCi Crown suggested Stone’s Apple Barn located in East Moline. “They have apples, chickens, bunnies, donkeys and goats. They also have fun fall goodies to buy. It’s cash only and only 20 minutes away from campus,” Crown said.
Stone’s Apple Barn also offers hayrides through the orchards as well as a wide variety of snacks in their market. Some snacks include caramel apples, pears, local honey, homemade kettle corn (weekends only), and of course homemade apple cider.
Along with these suggestions from students, there are many other local fall activities. Country Corner Farm Market and Pumpkin Patch located in Alpha, IL, is a 40-minute drive from campus that’s worth the trip. They sell locally grown produce and even have a corn maze. They also have several upcoming dates in October for a flashlight maze and zombie paintball event.
While fall is often a short-lived season in the Midwest, there are still lots of fun seasonal activities in the Quad Cities: you just have to find what you like to do in your free time.