Outdoors with Don Q: The fall season is a special time of the year

Fall is that time of the year when there are a multitude of all kinds of interesting outdoor activities in this general area of the Far West. Here is a listing of some of the fall activities that might be of interest:

Apple Hill, California.
Basque Festival in Carson City.
Candy Dance in Genoa.
Celtic Celebration in Reno.
Closing of the 2014 fishing seasons at Fort Churchill Cooling Ponds, Hinkson Slough, Hobart Reservoir, Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area, North Pond and Topaz Lake in Nevada.
Closing of the 2014 fishing seasons in Mono and Inyo Counties and the applicable streams and rivers in California.
Closing of the 2014 season for mountain resorts at Lake Sabrina, Lundy Lake, South Lake, Upper Twin Lake and Virginia Lakes.
Color Me Rad at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Corley Ranch Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze in Douglas County.
Eldorado Great Italian Festival in Reno.
Fall colors at many different locations.
Ironman at Lake Tahoe.
Kit Carson Trail Ghost Walk in Carson City.
National Championship Air Races in Reno.
Nevada Day activities in Carson City.
Opening and closing of Nevada big game hunting seasons for pronghorn antelope, mule deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Rocky Mountain Goat, California Bighorn Sheep, Desert Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep and Mountain Lion.
Opening of the Pyramid Lake Lahontan Cutthroat Trout fishing season.
Opening of Nevada upland game hunting seasons for grouse (Blue and Ruffed), chukar partridge, dove, Himalayan snow partridge, pheasant and quail (California and Gambels').
Opening of Nevada waterfowl hunting seasons for ducks and geese.
Santa Pub Crawl in Reno.
Silver and Snowflake Festival of Lights in Carson City.
Street Vibrations Rally in Reno.
V & T Train Rides in Carson City.
Wine Walk in Carson City.
World Championship Outhouse Races in Virginia City.
Among all of those activities, these are our personal, Fall favorites:

1. Apple Hill, California:
It is easy to reach, all you have to do is drive for two hours from Carson City to the Carson Exit on U.S. 50, just east of Placerville. Just remember: Carson to Carson.
If you are interested in fall fruit and vegetables, this is the place.
Apple Hill is not a specific hill or a specific location; on the contrary, it is a large geographic area in California.”
Apple Hill is a California Growers Association of some 50 farms, ranches, orchards, wineries and vineyards featuring all kinds of fruits, vegetables, bakery products, cider mills, arts and crafts shops, wines, picnic areas, pumpkin patches, Christmas tree farms, a micro-brewery and even a Rainbow Trout fishing pond.
For information, call the Apple Hill Association Office at (530) 644-7692 or go to the Apple Hill internet website at www.applehill.com.

2. Fall colors at many different locations:
Our all-time, four, favorite Fall color locations are:
A. All of the different kinds of trees and bushes right here in Carson City, especially those on the older west side of town.
B. The Quaking Aspen tree leaves along S.R. 88 in Hope Valley in Alpine County. C. The Quaking Aspen tree leaves along Bishop Creek west of Bishop, California. but you better hurry, they have already begun to turn color.
D. The Quaking Aspen tree leaves in the Virginia Lakes area, which is six miles west of Conway Summit on U.S. 395, they are also turning color.

3. Eldorado Great Italian Festival in Reno:
It is a great way to spend Saturday, October 11 or Sunday, October 12 or both, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of a giant street party in downtown Reno.
Among our personal favorites are: The huge crowds, the various bands playing Italian music, eating fried Calamari, the grape stomping contest and being photographed with the street entertainers on their giant stilts.
For information, call 1-800-879-8879 or go to www.eldoradoreno.com.

4. Nevada Day Activities in Carson City.
There are a whole host of different activities, but the one we enjoy the most is the annual Nevada Day parade with all of the colorful parade entries.

And, our favorite location for watching the parade is sitting in the grandstand at the Carson Station (now known as Wyndam) Hotel and Casino. If you go, you better go early to get a good seat.
For information, call 1-866-683-2948 or go to www.nevadaday.com.

Finally:
There you have it, a lot of choices for having an enjoyable fall season.
Pick one or more to enjoy and be sure to take plenty of photos.
And, while you're at it, pray for lots of winter snow, we desperately need it.

Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you about our all-time, favorite location for enjoying the fall colors of the leaves of the Quaking Aspen Trees.
If he grins and says, "Their favorite location is just off the dirt road that leads from California S.R. 88 in Hope Valley to Crater Lake," he has been there with us.

Note:
That area is also a great location to enjoy a leisurely picnic lunch in the middle of spectacular colors. It doesn't get much better than that!

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now. Don's wife, Elaine, is the Outdoor photographer. They live in Carson City and can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com.