Judy Sells The Shoals

October is here, which means the leaves are changing colors, the temperature is cooling, and fall has officially arrived. It’s a magical season of the senses—a warm cup of coffee in the crisp morning air, laughter and storytelling around a wood-burning fire, sipping spiced apple cider on a hayride, and picking out the perfect pumpkin for fall décor and carving. If you’re looking for the ultimate fun, fall afternoon for the family and a picturesque pumpkin-picking experience head out to McGee Farm.  Open Weekdays 3-6pm, Saturday 10-6pm, and Sunday 1-5pm thru Halloween, it’s on an inviting family farm 12 miles north of Cox Creek Pkwy. Driving up a gravel road towards the entrance you’re met with hay bales and stretches of farmland and forest—you are truly in the country. Rows of red, yellow, and white mums line the edge of the cornfield, stacked on trucks, and set on straw bales, an ideal backdrop for a family photo. Next to the parking lot the main barn is filled with pumpkins...

If you are as big of a fan as I am of The Carriage and Jack-O-Lantern Farms in downtown Florence, then the two weeks they were closed in April to renovate and reopen their new store at 121 East Mobile Street was as hard for you as it was for me. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed The Carriage’s high quality wine selection, fine cheese, fresh flowers, and overall chic atmosphere, as well as Jack-O-Lantern Farm’s delicious produce and homemade goodies until I couldn’t have it. However, it was well worth the wait for the new space they opened at the beginning of May. Since their grand opening, these two unique Florence shops haven’t skipped a beat—frequently filled with patrons eager to relax and socialize with friends and a nice glass of wine, or shopping for their weekly groceries, it’s a wonderful place to run into familiar faces and unwind after a long day at work. Owned by Jason Allen and Caleb Banks, The Carriage opened their doors in Fall of 2014 in Court Street M...