Last weekend, we decided to take have our annual pumpkin patch excursion. In Maryland, we always went to the beautiful and very authentic Sharp's Farm (located, appropriately enough, on Jennings Chapel Rd.) But we weren't sure what to expect here in Oregon. So we randomly picked a patch from an ad in the paper, based mostly on it's name - Pheasantfield Farm. And here's the break down:
Drive to the patch
- MD - a leisurely 45 minute drive through rural Maryland, breath-taking, Robert-Frost invoking vistas of fall foliage.
- OR - a 15 minute drive by way of the Harry & David factory.
Winner: MD
Cost of admission and activities
- MD - free, free, free. All you pay for is the pumpkin.
- OR - free admission but $2 for a pony ride, $2 for a hayride, etc. Cheaper pumpkins, though.
Winner: MD
Activities available
- MD - tractor hayride out to the patch, corn maze, and a few animals for the kids to admire.
- OR - crafts, pony ride, a horsedrawn hayride (much more fun than the tractor), two mazes, animals, snack booth, a big mountain of hay to climb on, and a guy with an acoustic guitar singing "Puff the Magic Dragon."
Winner: OR (I declare Oregon for the kids' sake - they really liked all the fun stuff to do and the place did an admirable job of being farm-like but kid-friendly, and not like a carnival.)
Pumpkin selection
- MD - acres and acres. We went to a different field on the farm each year we went.
- OR - a little field just walking distance from the parking lot. But they had orange wheelbarrows and a lot of great pumpkins. I loved the wheelbarrows.
Winner: TIE
Fellow pumpkin-patchers
- MD - nice, friendly families.
- OR - nice, friendly families that included two friends from Eve's class and her principal and family. Now that's a ringing endorsement!
Winner: OR
Wow, it's a tie! That really wasn't planned at all. Secretly, I'm still very loyal to Sharp's Farm, but I'm glad we found a happy replacement for the years to come.
Making Fruit Loop necklaces in the craft tent.
You've got to love Eleanor's fashion sense. Knowing we'd be taking pictures, I begged her to wear her jeans, but pink leggings and yellow socks won.
7 comments:
Who is that cute 9 year-old on the pony--I CAN'T STAND IT. January is still a long way off.
We went to the pumpkin patch today! I just didn't get around to blogging about it yet. Also Sam is super cute. Also, I love the girls' coats. Caitlin has the blue one. She had the purple one last year. Thank you Costco!
How fun! We're enjoying finding replacements for all our favorite spots in UT too, so far they're comparing pretty well here in MO. Still haven't found a perfect replacement for Gardner Village at Halloween though :( Sam is so cute! He's gotten so big so fast! Glad you guys had a good time pickin the pumpkins.
What a fun time! We have usually grown our own pumpkins, but not this year. We found a pumpkin patch close to our home and had a ball! I am now having the debate of growing them ourselves (which the kids love) or visiting the patch (which they also love) in the future. Tough decision!
short sleeves at the pumpkin patch? lucky you!
Wow! Super fun. I have to say that neither Vegas or Tallahassee even come close to having pumpkin patches that great. But hey, we are still wearing shorts!
Sam is growing up so fast. Adorable!
I think you should always remain loyal to something as splendid as picking a pumpkin in Maryland!! Your kids are adorable and I just want to squeeze them, and I would die for a smile like that from Sam! So cute!
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