Fall fun guide with Donna Bozzo

LOCKPORT, Ill. (WLS) -- Celebrate fall with fun and affordable activities for the whole family. Lifestyle expert Donna Bozzo, a.k.a. "The Lady with the Alligator Purse," has some suggestions!

Wrigley Field Maze at Siegel Cottonwood Pumpkin Farm in Lockport

Siegel's inside created a Wrigley Field cornfield maze in honor of the Cub's 100th anniversary. What a fun thing for families to tackle on a fresh fall weekend!

There are 12 acres of maze -and this is how it works. As you wind your way through the maze - you can sure get lost in here -

As visitors wind their way through the 12-acre maze, they will Cubs and Wrigley Field trivia questions at 10 stop points along the way. Answer correctly, and they'll go the right way. Answer incorrectly, and they'll head in the wrong direction.

Need help? The folks at the farm sell a little cheat sheet map for a buck. Zombies will also give free advice on how to get out along the way. Don't worry, they aren't scary. Lean in close for a fantastic photo opportunity. It takes most folks about an hour to tackle the maze.

The Wrigley Field maze is open 10 a.m. - 6p.m. with last entry at 4:30 p.m. every weekend and Columbus Day through Nov. 1. It costs $14 to get into the farm on weekends and $12 during the week - but the maze is only open on weekends. Guests can save $5 if you order your tickets online in advance. They can also purchase a bounce back pass on their way out, which allows them to visit again for only $5. Grandparents get in free with a grandchild during the week.

Besides the maze, there are lots of other things to do at Siegel's Cottonwood Pumpkin Farm. There are 40 acres of what they call "affordable family fun" with 20 attractions. There is a smaller corn maze designed for children; lots of animals to meet at the petting zoo; a story-telling Pumpkin Fairy; gem mining; even a low-fright haunted barn for the little ones. There are hayrides out to the pumpkin field where you can pick your own pumpkins and pony rides for $5 a child.

To find out more, visit www.ourpumpkinfarm.com or call 800-304-3276.

Apple Picking at Royal Oak Farm in Harvard

Royal Oak Farm in northwest Illinois grows 30 different kinds of apples in an 80 acre orchard - about 16,000 trees. They have plenty of apples for picking this year. Admission to the farm is free. Guests pay for the apples they pick. A family of four can pick a bagful of apples - about 10 to 12 pounds - for $20.

Royal Oaks Farm also has a free petting zoo with calves, lambs, goats, rabbits, chickens, ducks, roosters and Guinea Hens. Visitors can also learn a lot about bees and honey making. The farm boast 60 hives and an observation hive in their Harvest Barn. They also offer train rides and orchard tours for $2.50 a person.

To find out more, visit www.royaloakfarmorchard.com or call 815-648-4141.

Hiking the Indiana Dunes in Chesterton, Ind.

Fall is a fantastic time for a family hike, which is a great way to get out in nature with the kids.

There is nothing like the cool sandy lakeshore of the Indiana Dunes in the fall. There are fewer bugs and color abounds with both the blue of the Lake Michigan and the beautiful changing leaves of the tree covered sand dunes. From the 5-mile Cowles Bog Trail - known for excellent fall color - to the 1.5-mile Miller Woods Trail, there is something for every family.

The National Park Service's website is a good resource to find out which trail is best for your family, as well as driving directions, trail maps and good overall descriptions of what each trail has to offer.

Indiana Dunes State Park is 55 miles from downtown Chicago on Indiana Highway 49.

To find out more, visit www.nps.gov/indu or call 219-926-1952.

Zombie Hunting in Carol Stream

The Carol Stream Park District is calling all zombie hunters as dusk falls on Hampe Park on Monday, Oct. 13.

Learn the essential skills for surviving the zombie apocalypse. You will be trained on how to identify if your friend is a zombie and how to fight and/or outrun a zombie. Then families can test their zombie hunting skills in the new zombie maze.

There will also be prizes for the best zombie hunting costume.

To find out more, visit www.csparks.org or call (630) 784-6100.