Our Trip(s) to the (3) Pumpkin Patch(es)

On Saturday, we decided to go to a pumpkin patch.  Tyler and I both really wanted to go to a real pumpkin patch, not a place that sells pumpkins. This proved to be a little difficult. We looked  up some pumpkin patches online and found that there were quite a few in Salt Lake County.  Most of them were down in South and West Jordan and thus a thirty minute drive. We found a few that were a little closer. We first went to the Historic Wheeler farm (only maybe 10-15 minutes away).

Elanor and Tyler at the Historic Wheeler Farm

 They advertised that they had "U-Pick" pumpkins, tractor rides and a hay maze.  Sounds pretty great, right? Wrong. The farm was cool (neat old barns, pretty farmhouse, a lots of animals), but they were charging $8 for adults for the whole pumpkin/hay maze/tractor ride. We decided we would do it as the other pumpkin patches were quite a drive. Bad choice. The "pumpkin patch" was really just a little fenced off area covered in hay with pumpkins set out on it. The pumpkins came out of the big, cardboard boxes that you see at the grocery store. No vines, no mud, no pumpkins of all sizes. In fact, they were all tiny. The hay maze was small and really only for toddlers. The tractor ride (we did not go on it) was ran by a guy with an awful mullet. Point is, we were pretty disappointed and felt like they had advertised it all wrong and we were over charged. We asked if we could get a refund (we had not picked a pumpkin yet) and the girls at the pumpkin patch decided we could and sent us back to the little store at the front where we bought the tickets. The guy (dressed like a scarecrow) told us that that was "a lie" (his words) and we could not get a refund. He told us we could pick out some stuff from the store. There was not much to choose from and we got some jam and licorice. We left feeling a little ill-used.

Elanor did love seeing all the animals (geese, cows, horses, rabbits)--but that was free.

We are all happy exploring the farm here before we went over and saw their ridiculous "pumpkin patch".

However, we were determined to go to a pumpkin patch. There was supposed to be another near the Wheeler farm. We drove up an down the street and could not find it. So, we went further south to Sandy and went to another one. Same sort of thing with pumpkins laid out on the grass, but at least we could just drive by and see that, so we continued on our way. Finally, we drove past the South Jordan Temple, and the Oquirrh Mountain Temple and came to the Petersen Family Farm.  It was exactly what we wanted. A real pumpkin patch complete with mud and vines and all. It even had a FREE little corn maze. We had a lot of fun and we will be coming back here next year. The pumpkins were a good deal and they also had so many varieties of pumpkins and gourds that it made my heart happy. 

 Now, that is more like it!

 Elanor with the little pumpkin she "picked out".

 The patch

 A little closer, and you can see the Oquirrh Mountain Temple on the hill in the background.

 Tyler and Elanor in the corn maze.

 My face is ridiculous, but everything else looks good...

All in all, the day was a success and we had a lot of fun at the last pumpkin patch.

Pictures of our pumpkins to come later when we carve them in a few weeks!