Pumpkin Patch Fun!

I'm still trying to figure out what direction I want this blog to be going... Should it be less personal and filled with all my (hopefully) great ideas, or should it be a big jumbled mix of everything? I guess if it's going to truly be my blog, it will be a reflection of myself. So brace yourself for some random craziness!

One of my favorite things to do in the fall is visit the pumpkin patch. I could care less about Halloween, but I LOVE pumpkins! The last couple of years we visited a cute little pumpkin patch in Woodland, WA called The Patch. It's a small family owned business and we always came home with a TRUNK-FULL of pumpkins. They have an amazing variety and you aren't stuck fighting big crowds.

My little Pumpkin's first visit to the pumpkin patch 2010



This year I wanted to find a pumpkin patch with more activities since Jenna is older (19 months) and we didn't have to push her stroller through a maze of pumpkins this year because she can walk! On the recommendation of a friend, we tried out a pumpkin patch in Vancouver, WA called Bi-Zi Farms and it was so much fun!

The Corn Bin

Hay Maze - Jenna found a little friend to get lost with... I'm pretty sure she just wanted her kitty boots though!

Petting Zoo

There were a lot of activities that younger kids could really enjoy... And of course, stuff for the big kids too!

Cory trying his skills at the pumpkin launch

They have an area where you can watch them press apple cider and then of course, taste it! You also get to try your hand at shelling & grinding corn. When you are finished, you can take it to the animal area and feed it to the chickens or turkeys!

Shelling the corn

Grinding the corn

Speaking of corn... If you decide to do the corn maze, keep in mind that it is rather large. You may want to make sure you don't drink a bunch of water and wait until you are only a third of the way through before realizing they don't have conveniently placed bathrooms in the middle of the maze. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything... I also found out that 19 month old children find that it's very important to touch every corn leaf and say "corn" as they pass by. Let's just say I ended up awkwardly carrying Jenna in my arms so that her boots didn't get mud all over me and ran through the maze with Cory behind me with the map shouting out directions. We must have been quite a sight!

Corn Maze

We saved the pumpkin patch for very last and by the time we got there, we were getting pretty tired! To get to the pumpkin patch you can decide to walk (BORING!) or take a ride on one of the hay wagons. Because we went on a Saturday with beautiful weather, it was pretty busy by the time we were ready to go on our hayride. Don't let the long line fool you though, they have several tractors running at once and we didn't have to wait long at all!

The Pumpkin Patch

Jenna picking out her pumpkin

Admission is $8 per person (kids under 2 are free) and that included one free pumpkin (any size!),  hay ride, corn maze, corn bin, petting zoo, duck races , two tries at the pumpkin launch , straw bale maze, straw bale pyramid , corn shelling & grinding, and 1 free hot drink (hot chocolate, hot spiced cider, or coffee).

Disclaimer: I'm just sharing our pumpkin experiences... I have been in no way reimbursed for sharing this information, I just want you to have the opportunity for fun too!