Rockville is at peak fall color right now so it’s a great time to get out and fill your day with orange, yellow, and red.  My two favorite places are:

Comus Market in northern Montgomery County, about a 20-30 minute drive north of Rockville.  At the corner of Old Hundred Road (109) and Comus Road across from the Comus Inn is a small shed surrounded by tables and bins filled all sorts of strange and wonderful pumpkins and winter squashes, like Blue Hubbard, Sweet Dumpling, or Long Island Cheese.  Although these unusual varieties are now appearing in grocery stores like Trader Joes, what you don’t experience is the drive out in the country and a chance to meet David Heisler, the farmer that grows them. A bit further up Comus Road is Sugarloaf Mountain (a short hike for a family) and Sugarloaf Winery (bring a picnic).

Lake Bernard Frank on Avery Road on the east side of Rockville. It’s actually a water reservoir that feeds into Rock Creek but it’s also a park for walkers and hikers. One side of the lake is a paved trail and on the other an unpaved one. Even on Sunday afternoons it’s so quiet that you might only encounter a dozen people.  No playgrounds, playing fields, boating, or restrooms but there are picnic tables near the parking lot.

Many of my friends love visiting Butler’s Orchard in Germantown because they have children who like the pick-you-own experience. Apples, tomatoes, raspberries, cherries, peas, potatoes, and flowers have passed but you can still pick you own pumpkins and enjoy a dozen different pies from their bakery (including such unusual flavors as apple caramel walnut, blueberry lemon bucket, and strawberry mango).  Weekends gets far too busy for me but your kids will love it.

If you have a favorite place where you enjoy fall in or around Rockville, please share it in the comments below.