Fall is my favorite season and since we haven't had much of one in Austin this year, so I decided we could create that quintessential fall experience by visiting a pumpkin patch on Halloween Eve. After visiting the website of Evergreen Farms located outside of Elgin, TX, I decided this would be the perfect place. The site hyped-up the family-friendly Pumpkin Hunt--"a wagon ride into the Christmas tree fields where mini pumpkins are hidden in the trees." Following the Great Hunt, it's suggested that you "enjoy pumpkin painting on the pavilion along with other activities and games." Evergreen farms also listed these FREE activities: wagon ride around the farm, toddler play area, pumpkin recipes, pumpkin play area, petting zoo, pictures with the pumpkins; and the following activities which cost $2.50 each: pumpkin hunt, pumpkin launcher, pumpkin maze, pumpkin slide, pumpkin train ride, pumpkin golf, pumpkin pond, pumpkin spinner, pumpkin face painting.
After visions of fresh pumpkin bread and warm spiced cider, I was ready to embark on a fun-filled family fall outing (even if it was 78 degrees). So we drove forty minutes outside of Austin past an RV park and through two towns with populations smaller than the University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse. We finally reached County Line Road where we were instructed to take a right at the "new" stoplight that had just been installed at the intersection. We drove a few miles down a country road until we turned onto another country road and drove down it until we saw the sign pointing us to Evergreen Farms. After a bumpy and deafening drive down a gravel road we finally reached our destination.
Take note of the picture below. At first glance you see an excited three year-old running wild on a farm. But look closely. The yellow tarp in the background is the so-called "pumpkin pond" and the tangled web of shipping pallets to the right is the "pumpkin maze."
Take note of the picture below. At first glance you see an excited three year-old running wild on a farm. But look closely. The yellow tarp in the background is the so-called "pumpkin pond" and the tangled web of shipping pallets to the right is the "pumpkin maze."
Alex and the kids are about to board the "wagon" for the great Pumpkin Hunt. My knowledge of farm equipment may not be current, but the wagon looked more like a flat-bed tractor (if there is such a thing) to me. Judge for yourself--more pictures of the wagon below:
Following a 60-second wagon ride, we arrived at the Christmas tree fields. I suppose this is what Christmas tree fields look like in Texas. It's kind of sad, but at least we shouldn't have any problems finding a Charlie Brown tree this year.
Scout was really excited finding her first mini pumpkin. Just don't tell her that pumpkins "hidden in the trees" really meant scattered about on the ground in front of you.
Since I've been a stay-at-home mom, I've come to expect a certain je ne sais quoi about "toddler play areas," and I have to say that this is not what I imagined when I read the description online. I pictured an open area outside with some pumpkins and haystacks and other nature-inspired climbing things for kids. The play area was located inside the pavilion adjacent to the concession stand run by the local church group, where Frito pie is $2. And I'm not sure what that has to do with "Harvest" (or "food" for that matter).
Pumpkin painting, also located on the pavilion, was fine if you wanted to paint your pumpkin green...or black.
It turns out that the most interesting, and entertaining, part of our time spent at Evergreen Farms was the random tether ball set up somewhere between the pumpkin maze and what I can only guess was the "petting zoo" (if a couple of chickens and the family dog count). For the record, I never saw any pumpkin recipes or a pumpkin train ride or pumpkin golf. I'm not sure what pumpkin spinning is, and the pumpkin pond didn't have any pumpkins in it--just a couple of rubber ducks wearing sunglasses.
But as Alex reminded me on the drive home, "You're not just outside of Austin; you're outside of Elgin."
hilarious, but did you have a frito pie? They are quite good!
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