So, I’ve always loved Fall (favorite season for sure) but this time it is a little different… I’m living in Northern California and Fall is not what I’ve been accustomed to in the last 5 years… why? Because it is so much warmer than Washington state where I used to live!
Let me rewind… I grew up in Washington and didn’t really care for it at the time… So I went to college in the Bay Area of California and LOVED it. After my first “adult” job in California, I decided it was time to move back to Washington to be closer to family. It turns out, I fell in LOVE with Washington and never thought I’d move. As they say, sometimes you don’t realize how great your home is until you’re away for a while. Fast forward almost 5 years and I met my boyfriend (Haroon) who I’ve mentioned briefly in a few posts. So here I am, back in the Bay Area where he was living.
What screams Fall more than Pumpkin Patches? Almost nothing. Of course, we had to go. Unfortunately the day we went happened to be 87 degrees (I’m not even kidding, it was SO hot) and it didn’t quite feel like the typical experience. If I’m to go “Pumpkin Patching” I want to wear a cozy sweater and scarf, maybe sip some apple cider, hold on tight to Haroon to stay warm, you know… all that cheesy Fall stuff. That was not our experience. I’m actually jumping for joy today because it rained last night for only the second time this season, and it is a cool-ish 68 degrees out. WOOOHOOOO!
So instead we arrived in our temperature-controlled-air-conditioned-vehicle thinking it was a nice day but not too hot… sunny but mild. YEAH RIGHT. After about ten steps in the dirt parking lot we were sweating.
We specifically chose this patch because they have a world record corn maze, so it had a lot of intrigue and room for fun. The short story is… we stayed for maybe 45 minutes (that includes the walk to and from the car and stumbling through the corn maze as quickly as possible) because there’s nothing romantic about being lost in nearly 90 degree weather with dust and dirt kicking up everywhere. We were so over it by the time we were done we didn’t even stop to buy a pumpkin or two… call us lazy, but there’s something seriously terrible about the assumption that a very Fall experience will feel a certain way and then having it feel like the actual desert.
Here it is, my honest to goodness thoughts on “Pumpkin Patching.” If you have kids, you have to go… I mean it is such a cute Fall activity. If you’re trying to go on a cute seasonal date, fine you should go too. BUT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, wait until the weather isn’t a billion degrees. We waited for weeks and were actually unsure if cooler weather was ever going to come so we finally just decided to go… but it looks like we could have waited until perhaps… now… and enjoyed it. The picture ops are great, and if you’re going to actually purchase pumpkins, the variety at the patches are way better than at the grocery store. Halloween is over (yay! Time for the holidays!), but Thanksgiving is still on its way! If you haven’t gotten enough pumpkins, gourds, or squash to decorate your entry way or table scape, head to a patch and take some cute pictures!
Oh and I guess I should comment on the corn maze idea… I think it is cuter in theory than in practice. Like is being lost ever actually fun? I think if you’re under the age of 15 you might enjoy this… in the dark… with flashlights… and snacks so it feels a little spooky. I will personally never step foot in a corn maze again.
And if you’re on the fence about going, feel free to to pretend you enjoyed the great Fall experience of “Pumpkin Patching” by viewing the never ending pictures in this post and most likely throughout your Instagram feed… because sometimes make believe is better than the real thing 😉
