The Celts called the land of eternal youth Avalon, from the Gaelic word for apple, and with good reason. There's nothing more pleasant on a crisp autumn day than the sight of a small child relishing a ripe apple in the open air of a hilltop orchard.

We've been to March Farms in Bethlehem, Connecticut, three times this autumn. Alone as a family or with different sets of beloved cousins, the trip is always marvelous because it brings out the kid in all of us.

This family-run orchard hosts a corn maze that is the exact right size for kids (of all ages) to feel like they can solve puzzles rather than be overwhelmed by them. The pumpkin patch is big and grassy and surrounded by hay bales to keep kids safe and even somewhat clean.

The hayride is a big enough loop around the hill to put "God's country" in a meaninful place in your vocabulary. The laden trees offer up fruit for every hand. Then there are the hay bales where the kids can play, the congenial goats, the shop full of cider and Indian corn and cider doughnuts....

This trip to the orchard--a watered-down modern version of the harvest--makes being outside with friends and family fun and easy. For a short ride and a few dollars, you see heaven first-hand, fill your lungs with clean air, and play outdoors. Funny, isn't it, that autumn is about dying and returning to the earth, yet all we can do is go outside and play like a bunch of kids.

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