Things to Do in Council Bluffs

The shifting seasons bring beauty and bounty to Ditmars Orchard and Vineyard, from the baby buds and bursting petals of spring to the branches heavy with peaches, apricots, cherries, and apples during summer and autumn. In 1994, the Ditmars family laid 300 trees into the ground as a family project, but slowly expanded their hobby into a full-time orchard, now cultivating almost 4,000 trees.

In the summer, fat juicy strawberries nestle in rows ready to be picked, and in fall, fields overflow with acres of bulbous orange pumpkins ready to become jack-o’-lanterns or a horseman’s fancy new hat. Amid fiery foliage and crisp autumn air, families adventure through the onsite corn maze and attend fun fall festivals that feature face painting and hayrides. Kids can clamber over tractor tires and whoosh down slides in the orchard’s large playground. Guests reenergize at the country kitchen, where lunch selections include apple cider, frozen fruit pies, and fresh-made chicken-salad sandwiches, as well as native Iowa wines available by the bottle or glass.

A par-3 municipal course owned and operated by Omaha Parks and Recreation, Steve Hogan Golf Course fosters short-game improvement over nine holes of stress-free golf. Jealous drivers will be best kept in the golf bag, for the course is relatively short at 2,674 yards and favors precise short-iron play and putting prowess. All revenue taken in by the course goes directly to The First Tee of Omaha, helping to impact the lives of young people by making the game of golf and its values more accessible.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par-27 course
• Total length of 2,674 yards from the farthest tees
• Three sets of tees per hole:m]]

The doglegs and putting greens of Milt’s Golf Center's nine-hole executive course have been challenging Omaha golfers for more than 30 years. The family-owned business is run today by golf pro Mark Ordway, whose brother Mike designed the course and made the wise decision to not include lava pits. Instead, the fairways snake around a ball-snatching lake, as bunkers stand at the ready to tack extra strokes onto players’ scorecards. Before hitting the links, golfers can warm up their woods and irons at the driving range, and those interested in professional guidance can schedule lessons.

Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par-27 course
• Length of 1,170 yards
• Course rating of 22.0
• Slope rating of 80

As a boy, Jeff Bledsoe anxiously awaited autumn, when the pumpkins he planted each year warmed to an orange hue along with the falling leaves. Eventually Jeff also bloomed, married wife Maria, and spawned five pumpkin-planters of his own. But he never lost his childhood fascination for all things autumn, namely the events that come alive every year on October 31. At Skinny Bones Cornmaze & Pumpkin Patch, he, Maria, and their brood have converted Jeff’s interest into their lifeblood. Jeff personally maps out and plants the 10-acre corn maze with 10-foot stalks each year, according to an Omaha.com feature, but he leaves Saturday-night spooking up to the staff of scarers that haunts the field after hours. After meandering through the maze, guests can pick their own pumpkins, enjoy hayrack rides, or make lifelong friends with goats that rarely talk back at the petting zoo. That’s in addition to the haunted-barn maze, Mad Cow ride, bounce house, and Nerf-gun war zone that also offer entertainment on crisp fall afternoons.