Dale’s Destinations: FALL Fun with Doppler Dale

By Dale Bader

With the summer heat ending, we begin to experience cooler days as we head into the fall. My wife and I love this season because it allows us to begin to decorate with natural items such as leaves, corn stalks and pumpkins. Fall is also a wonderful time to be able to spend quality time with your children in the great outdoors. Remember, in just a few months the chill of winter will be here, and the days of spending time outside will come to an end for a few months. Now is the time for you get out and enjoy outdoor activities. In this edition of Dale’s Destination’s, I will provide you with some places you can visit with your little ones all across the Tennessee Valley.

Pumpkin Picking

What better way to welcome fall than with a big pumpkin. Kids, and especially my twins, really enjoy riding on a hay ride or trailer pulled by a big farm tractor into the pumpkin patch and then seeing the big orange gourds. Here are some great spots where you and your little punkins can enjoy this fun, too:

Little River Canyon

For those of you not wanting to head to the farm for some fall fun, I strongly recommend the 11 mile drive through the Little River Canyon National Preserve in Ft. Payne. During this time of the year, the Canyon is at its best with beautiful colors of the seasonal foliage. Fall foliage begins during the first week of October here in the Valley. The peak coloration arrives during the first week of November. Don’t miss out on this FREE event. To learn more simply visit http://www.nps.gov/liri/.

Old MacDonald’s Petting Zoo

Pack up the kids and picnic basket and enjoy a relaxing and interactive visit to Old MacDonald’s petting zoo. It is here that your little ones can feed and pet a variety of domestic and exotic animals. For more information, visit their website.

I wish you and your family a very blessed Fall Season! What will this Fall bring to the Tennessee Valley in regards to weather? Feel free to check out the WAAY-31 Storm Force Fall Outlook at: www.stormforce31.com. Stay tuned to WAAY-31 for your 2009-2010 Winter Outlook during the month of November as well.

Dale Bader is a Storm Force 31 Meteorologist with WAAY-TV. You can catch him every weekend on WAAY 31 Weekend News. To learn more about Doppler Dale, visit his website at: www.dopplerdale.com and also check out the www.stormforce31.com weather blog.