This is always our kids photo shoot. Kids in pumpkin patches just look darn cute. It’s a fairly precise operation after 4 yrs of going. We’ve been rain or shine. This year, we got overcast, no rain. We had no other folks with us this year. We left Seattle at 9am and arrived at Gordon Skagit Farms at 10:10am, right when the festival started. The crowds had not yet arrived. We were disappointed not to be able to pick apples from the orchards because they weren’t quite ready. Laura actually threw a fit about that. I would have, too, except I’m supposed to be mature. We took a cart and headed to the pumpkin patch. We each picked a pumpkin. Laura picked a cute small one and carried it to the cart herself. Both the girls looked like farm girls in their boots and hats. Laura stayed in the cart, “talking” and singing to her pumpkin while Sara tromped thru the corn maze. We watched the over 500lbs pumpkins being loaded onto their stands with lifts. The kids fought over who got to play on the tractor first. We even got a decent family photo. We chose corn, gourds, small pumpkins, apples, cider while snacking on a cookie and hot chocolate. We even sampled some squash sushi. The kids were breaking down a little at this point.
By noon, we retreated to the McLean Firehouse spaghetti lunch. It’s a welcoming place with good, comfort food spaghetti, salad, and drink for $7. Most importantly to Laura, bathrooms that aren’t porta-potties. We bought brownies from the bake sale.
1pm. Off to the Golden Glen Creamery. Pet calves and goats, play in hay, enjoy a hay ride, milk pretend cow Laura dubs Todd. She proceeds to milk Todd 5 times throughout the visit. Back to hay. Make nest. Look for toys hidden hay as part of game. Get face painted. Pet more calves (Laura calls these Todd’s sisters). Wayne procures dairy goodness: gouda, goat, honey butter, and chocolate milk. Laura yelps for joy at the chocolate milk. We leave by 2pm and both girls conch out.
Necessary tools: tarp in back on van, cooler with ice, cutters and work gloves. Successful trip.