Long Acre Farms

This past weekend, we were in Marion for the annual alumni game. Despite the game being a few weeks later than it usually is, the weather was the best it's ever been. On Saturday morning, Dan and I, along with Dan's brother Jake, took our kids and niece, Emma, to a nearby corn maze and pumpkin patch, Long Acre Farms. The last three years, we have gone to a corn maze near our place... but have always been a little disappointed by how small it is (especially because Dan and I went to Long Acre Farms for the corn maze both in 2000 and in 2003). This year, we hadn't gone to our corn maze yet, so it was perfect to get to go to a bigger farm.

Just as we remembered, the maze was a lot of fun! Thankfully, it didn't take as long to get through as it had when Dan and I had gone by ourselves years ago. Of the groups that started at 10:30 that morning, we were the first ones out (in only 39 minutes), despite 4 kids and a stroller.

The farm has grown a lot since we were last there. Besides the wooden pirate ship and goats that are before the corn maze entrance, there is also another whole section (which is called the Back 40) which had enough to keep all the kids happy and busy after we had finished the maze.

First, there were duck races with old fashioned water pumps.

There was a huge jumping "pillow",

an enormous slide,

a "cobweb" to climb around on,

and some slingshots (where the dads had just as much fun as the kids).

Also, Emma, Aiden and Seth got to race around on little cars before we all had ice cream and headed back to Grandma & Grandpa's house.

It was a great way to spend a nearly-80 degree day in October!