We love pumpkin patches. I mean we really, really love them and usually visit 3-4 each year (I remember visiting 7 in one month a few years ago).There is just something about the combination of hay rides, muddy pumpkin fields, corn mazes and crisp fall afternoons that we all enjoy so much. Plus, we only get to do it once a year, so that makes it even more special. This year we ended up going to 4 different patches, and as it worked out, they were all back to back visits within a 4 day span of time. That ended up not being the best choice, but with Killian's days off from school, and all the other things we had going on this month its just the way it worked out.
Our first pumpkin patch was on Thursday - the kids and I took Jeanne down to the Wooden Shoe Tulip farm. They do a huge tulip festival every year, but this is their first year opening a pumpkin patch. The way they set it up was so fun, and easy to navigate. These huge "pumpkins" were lining the parking lot and the kids thought they were the coolest things ever:
Since it was a weekday, we were pretty much the only people there. That was awesome, because the kids didn't have to wait in line for anything and they got to do all the activities that were offered. They used a giant slingshot to fling gourds into a field, had rubber ducky races, and rode a cow train:
They tried some big tractors on for size:
And checked out the coolest hay maze I have ever seen:
They went through a corn maze, and posed with more gigantic bales of colored hay - this time a Frankenstein!
Killian roped a cow:
And they both rode ponies:
They posed for pictures with Jeanne and I:
And we all took a turn at paintball!
We weren't there to buy pumpkins, but the one thing that was disappointing about this place was that they didn't have a field to pick pumpkins out of if we had wanted to. They had a bunch laying around to choose from, but that's just not the same. So we wont go back next year for pumpkins, but we will certainly go back again for fun!
The next day we went out to Sauvies Island to the Original Pumpkin patch. We met up with my friend Sarah, and her four kids. I realized I had forgotten my camera when I was about halfway out there and it was too late to go back for it. It was kind of nice not having to tote it around, but I did wish that I had it to capture all the fun the kids were having together. This is the same pumpkin patch that I used to go to when I was little (its been around forever!) and its neat to see my kids doing the same things I used to do. There was the animal barn to check out, and hay pyramids to climb on. We took a quick break for hot chocolate, and then loaded up on the hayride to head out to the fields. The kids and I each got a small pumpkin - the deal was that they had to be small enough for the kids to haul back to the hayride, but somehow I ended up carrying them all....not sure how that happened! Sarah and I took a spin around the farm store, and each hauled away some beautiful squashes, destine to become delicious pies sometime in the near future. As always, we had a great time hanging out with them and we both left thinking that we should definitely get together with more often!
Saturday afternoon we headed out to Scappoose to hang out with all our family in celebration of Matthews brother Dustins birthday. Michelle cooked us up a delicious lunch (and a phenomenal dessert!) and we had a great time catching up with everyone. I really wish that we got to see our family more often, with everyone living so far apart and having different schedules it seems like we don't get together nearly as much as we used to. They are all wonderful people, and I miss them! We got to spend a good part of the afternoon and early evening with them, and then at 5 Matthew and I packed up the kids and headed out to Sauvies Island to one of our favorites places, Krugers. We have been there a few times over the last month or so, and have always had a blast. We were expecting the same fun time that night, but we had failed to note one significant difference. In the past, we have always gone out there on a weeknight...its been crowded, but nothing too bad. This time however, it was crowded in the all the worst ways...in the waiting forever in line, in the nowhere to sit, in the squished like a pickle in a jar on the hayride sort of ways. Not. Good. We tried to stick it out by avoiding the main crowd in the food/music area and heading over to a field where the bonfire was set up (but not lit) and there was a hay pyramid for the kids to climb on. Killy and Rowan were having a good time rolling around, despite the mob of kids climbing all over the place:
I caught Rowan in a moment of stillness - she looks so pretty in the glow of the setting sun:
Matthew and I waited forever in line for a beer, and put on a brave face for the hayride. It wasn't that much fun, as we were really squished on there and had a group of very enthusiastic teenagers practically sitting on our laps. It was not a total loss though, because we were treated to a beautiful sunset on the way out to the field:
Buuuuut...it wasn't pretty enough to make us stay. We headed home pumpkin-less, with empty stomachs, and thoroughly disappointed that we hadn't had the night we had expected to have. Little did we know what was in store for us the next day.
Sunday we woke up after sleeping in and had a nice leisurely breakfast. We were all looking forward to our plans for the day, which was to head out to Grand Island (outside Dayton) to Heisers pumpkin patch. We had discovered it last year, and had such a wonderful time that we were all super excited to go back. As soon as we pulled in, we remembered that someone had mentioned that the patch would be in a new location this year. It was only about 1/2 a mile down the road, but it made it feel like a totally different place. They did have a few new activities, like a train ride that the kids thought was a lot of fun:
And they were still doing the firetruck ride, which was one of our favorite things from last year:
The pumpkin cannons were there again, which was probably what we were most excited about seeing again. There is just something about pumpkins flinging through the air and exploding that my guys love!
Only problem was the way that they had it set up this year, the cannons were at the bottom of a steep hill. To see the action, you either had to get there early enough to secure one of the few spots along the ridge (we didn't), or slide your way down and sit on the side of the hill. Not terribly comfortable, and not nearly as much fun as the way it was laid out last year. We did watch for a while, and ooohed and aaahed along with the crowd. Rowan was not impressed though, and after enough pestering from her, we decided to look for something else to do. We ended up taking the long way to get back up to the food area, and on the way Killian stopped to check out his car. Amazing the damage that a few squash can do!!
The kids were starving and we went to go get something to eat but the lines were SO long that we quickly gave up that idea. Things really started to fall apart about this time - the kids were getting cranky and bored, and it was starting to really get crowded. We saw a hayride unloading people, and decided that a quick trip out to look for pumpkins might be what everyone needed. The driver motioned us towards the pick up spot....where, I kid you not, at least 50+ people were waiting to get on the hayride. No...it was probably at least 75. It didn't matter though, because that was the last straw. There was no way we were going to stand in a line like that with 2 hungry and cranky kids, just to come back and stand in an even longer line to pay. It really sucks when places you love are discovered by everyone and their mother (and sister, second cousin, boss and mailman). After a quick conference with the kids, we decided to bag it and head home for the day. Another huge disappointment, and the reason I think 4 pumpkin patches in 4 days may not have been the very best idea after all. Cause we were all just DONE. Next year I think we will spread our trips out a little better, find a few new places to check out, and we will most definitely be avoiding weekends at all costs. We have learned our lessons, and are going to be fully prepared to have the most amazing pumpkin patching experiences ever next year!
Our first pumpkin patch was on Thursday - the kids and I took Jeanne down to the Wooden Shoe Tulip farm. They do a huge tulip festival every year, but this is their first year opening a pumpkin patch. The way they set it up was so fun, and easy to navigate. These huge "pumpkins" were lining the parking lot and the kids thought they were the coolest things ever:
Since it was a weekday, we were pretty much the only people there. That was awesome, because the kids didn't have to wait in line for anything and they got to do all the activities that were offered. They used a giant slingshot to fling gourds into a field, had rubber ducky races, and rode a cow train:
They tried some big tractors on for size:
And checked out the coolest hay maze I have ever seen:
They went through a corn maze, and posed with more gigantic bales of colored hay - this time a Frankenstein!
Killian roped a cow:
And they both rode ponies:
They posed for pictures with Jeanne and I:
And we all took a turn at paintball!
We weren't there to buy pumpkins, but the one thing that was disappointing about this place was that they didn't have a field to pick pumpkins out of if we had wanted to. They had a bunch laying around to choose from, but that's just not the same. So we wont go back next year for pumpkins, but we will certainly go back again for fun!
The next day we went out to Sauvies Island to the Original Pumpkin patch. We met up with my friend Sarah, and her four kids. I realized I had forgotten my camera when I was about halfway out there and it was too late to go back for it. It was kind of nice not having to tote it around, but I did wish that I had it to capture all the fun the kids were having together. This is the same pumpkin patch that I used to go to when I was little (its been around forever!) and its neat to see my kids doing the same things I used to do. There was the animal barn to check out, and hay pyramids to climb on. We took a quick break for hot chocolate, and then loaded up on the hayride to head out to the fields. The kids and I each got a small pumpkin - the deal was that they had to be small enough for the kids to haul back to the hayride, but somehow I ended up carrying them all....not sure how that happened! Sarah and I took a spin around the farm store, and each hauled away some beautiful squashes, destine to become delicious pies sometime in the near future. As always, we had a great time hanging out with them and we both left thinking that we should definitely get together with more often!
Saturday afternoon we headed out to Scappoose to hang out with all our family in celebration of Matthews brother Dustins birthday. Michelle cooked us up a delicious lunch (and a phenomenal dessert!) and we had a great time catching up with everyone. I really wish that we got to see our family more often, with everyone living so far apart and having different schedules it seems like we don't get together nearly as much as we used to. They are all wonderful people, and I miss them! We got to spend a good part of the afternoon and early evening with them, and then at 5 Matthew and I packed up the kids and headed out to Sauvies Island to one of our favorites places, Krugers. We have been there a few times over the last month or so, and have always had a blast. We were expecting the same fun time that night, but we had failed to note one significant difference. In the past, we have always gone out there on a weeknight...its been crowded, but nothing too bad. This time however, it was crowded in the all the worst ways...in the waiting forever in line, in the nowhere to sit, in the squished like a pickle in a jar on the hayride sort of ways. Not. Good. We tried to stick it out by avoiding the main crowd in the food/music area and heading over to a field where the bonfire was set up (but not lit) and there was a hay pyramid for the kids to climb on. Killy and Rowan were having a good time rolling around, despite the mob of kids climbing all over the place:
I caught Rowan in a moment of stillness - she looks so pretty in the glow of the setting sun:
Matthew and I waited forever in line for a beer, and put on a brave face for the hayride. It wasn't that much fun, as we were really squished on there and had a group of very enthusiastic teenagers practically sitting on our laps. It was not a total loss though, because we were treated to a beautiful sunset on the way out to the field:
Buuuuut...it wasn't pretty enough to make us stay. We headed home pumpkin-less, with empty stomachs, and thoroughly disappointed that we hadn't had the night we had expected to have. Little did we know what was in store for us the next day.
Sunday we woke up after sleeping in and had a nice leisurely breakfast. We were all looking forward to our plans for the day, which was to head out to Grand Island (outside Dayton) to Heisers pumpkin patch. We had discovered it last year, and had such a wonderful time that we were all super excited to go back. As soon as we pulled in, we remembered that someone had mentioned that the patch would be in a new location this year. It was only about 1/2 a mile down the road, but it made it feel like a totally different place. They did have a few new activities, like a train ride that the kids thought was a lot of fun:
And they were still doing the firetruck ride, which was one of our favorite things from last year:
The pumpkin cannons were there again, which was probably what we were most excited about seeing again. There is just something about pumpkins flinging through the air and exploding that my guys love!
Only problem was the way that they had it set up this year, the cannons were at the bottom of a steep hill. To see the action, you either had to get there early enough to secure one of the few spots along the ridge (we didn't), or slide your way down and sit on the side of the hill. Not terribly comfortable, and not nearly as much fun as the way it was laid out last year. We did watch for a while, and ooohed and aaahed along with the crowd. Rowan was not impressed though, and after enough pestering from her, we decided to look for something else to do. We ended up taking the long way to get back up to the food area, and on the way Killian stopped to check out his car. Amazing the damage that a few squash can do!!
The kids were starving and we went to go get something to eat but the lines were SO long that we quickly gave up that idea. Things really started to fall apart about this time - the kids were getting cranky and bored, and it was starting to really get crowded. We saw a hayride unloading people, and decided that a quick trip out to look for pumpkins might be what everyone needed. The driver motioned us towards the pick up spot....where, I kid you not, at least 50+ people were waiting to get on the hayride. No...it was probably at least 75. It didn't matter though, because that was the last straw. There was no way we were going to stand in a line like that with 2 hungry and cranky kids, just to come back and stand in an even longer line to pay. It really sucks when places you love are discovered by everyone and their mother (and sister, second cousin, boss and mailman). After a quick conference with the kids, we decided to bag it and head home for the day. Another huge disappointment, and the reason I think 4 pumpkin patches in 4 days may not have been the very best idea after all. Cause we were all just DONE. Next year I think we will spread our trips out a little better, find a few new places to check out, and we will most definitely be avoiding weekends at all costs. We have learned our lessons, and are going to be fully prepared to have the most amazing pumpkin patching experiences ever next year!