My kids were very disappointed when they learned the Fruit Loop we were exploring last weekend was a lovely tour of Hood River County’s agricultural bounty, and unrelated to Froot Loops, the sugar cereal they’re not allowed to eat at home.

I think I may have convinced them, though, that apples can be better than artificially colored, fruit-flavored cereal.

The Fruit Loop is a collection of 32 farms along and near the Hood River Valley’s state highways 35 and 281. The roads traverse a rough loop, with the town of Hood River anchoring the north end.

These farms are located in one of Oregon’s richest swaths of farmland and the nation’s largest pear-growing region, according to the member farms. There are also farms that specialize in apples, cherries, chestnuts, blueberries and even alpacas.

But this time of year, it’s the apples and pears that are the main draw. Most varieties are harvested in October, and growers in the Hood River Valley offer heirloom and rare apples unavailable at your average grocery store, as well as a wealth of Anjou and Bosc pears fresh from the tree.

Aside from the fruit, the Fruit Loop features some of the most beautiful rural landscapes in Oregon. Drive it in October (it’ll be your last chance this year, as activities cease at the end of the month) and you’re bound to see eye-popping fall color, orchard-draped hillsides and, if you are lucky, incredible views of Mount Hood.

We weren’t so lucky in the weather department, as our trip coincided with a daylong rainstorm that left the mountains obscured by clouds and the hillsides covered in mist. But even wet and gray weather couldn’t dampen the beauty of the Hood River Valley.

Because we’d traveled from Portland that morning, we started our trip along the Fruit Loop at the north end, passing through the quaint town of Hood River before dropping down state Highway 35. Stop at any farm along the route (they are well-marked with signs), and pick up a map of the Fruit Loop. The map will describe each farm on the loop and may help you determine which you’d like to visit.

We started at Rasmussen Farms, which boasted at least a dozen varieties of apples, plus more fruit, a pumpkin patch, corn maze and more. Most of the farms will let you sample fruit you may not be familiar with, which is how I fell in love with the Tokyo rose apple. We also purchased a bunch of winter banana apples, an heirloom variety that’s especially good for applesauce.

My sons had their eyes on some caramel apples, and we indulged them. Seemed like a great idea until my 8-year-old, Harry, realized he couldn’t bite his caramel apple with his loose and missing front teeth.

Our next stop was a chestnut farm, where I discovered that chestnut pods look like nothing more than Tribbles, those furry critters of “Star Trek” fame. But once the pods split open and release the chestnuts inside, they can be gathered up from the orchard. My husband procured two pounds of these nuts for his Thanksgiving stuffing.

Next, we went to an alpaca farm, where the boys fed the Peruvian animals out of their hands, the alpacas’ soft lips nibbling at the food pellets. Alpacas — not to be confused with llamas — are beautiful in a long-necked, alien kind of way. We saw baby alpacas nursing and browsed through the farm’s yarn and knitting store, which carried many products made from alpaca wool imported from Peru, plus a small selection of items made from their own alpaca wool.

I became the proud owner of a hat made of alpaca wool. It’s warm (three times as insulating as sheep’s wool, claimed the shop worker) and very, very soft.

There are few places in Oregon where you can get as varied and interesting an insight into agriculture as the Hood River Valley, which is what makes the Fruit Loop such a fascinating excursion. And one thing I noticed at each place we went was this: These farmers love to share what they know. So ask questions. Learn about what the farmers do and why they share, opening their farms to visitors each year. Try an apple you’ve never heard of.

I passed out slices of Tokyo rose apples for breakfast the other day, and even the kids admitted they were better than Froot Loops.

If you go

What: Hood River Fruit Loop

Getting there: From Bend, drive north on U.S. Highway 97, then west on U.S. Highway 26 toward Government Camp. Turn right at state Highway 35 and descend into Hood River Valley. Pick up a Fruit Loop map at any of the participating farms.

Cost: Free to browse

Contact: 541-386-7697 or www.hoodriverfruitloop.com