Pumpkin Patch Trips: Three in One Season!

Last Fall, our family took many trips to the pumpkin patch. We started off the season with a trip to Roloff Farm. This is the pumpkin patch featured on the TV show Little People, Big World.

We wandered the pumpkin patch first, looking for the perfect pumpkin. Once we found what we were looking for, it was off to the animals. Yes! Roloff Farms has several animals, some that you can pet, and some that you can't.The first animal area that we came to was the petting section. There were goats, sheep, and a donkey. When we finished up with them, we walked a little further and found the exotic animals. There was a porcupine and a small cat of some sort. Liam was so excited!

There was a pumpkin fun house, where each room displayed a pumpkin family....interesting, but the kids liked it, a haystack pyramid, a snack bar with coffee, hot chocolate, and other treats, and face painting. There is also a gift shop, but it was pretty much a souvenir shop for the show, not very pumpkin patchy. Overall, the kids had fun, but it was too commercialized for me.

Later that week, we met up with some friends to visit The Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm near Woodburn. As the name hints, this farm is best known for their Tulip Festival in the Spring, but they also host an awesome pumpkin patch in the fall. I think that this is one of the best pumpkin patches I've been to for young kids. So much to do!

They have archery, a corn maze, rubber duck races, pedal tractors, potato guns, a pumpkin cannon, two hay rides, and a couple play structures for kids to climb. The gift shop is filled with holiday items and yummy treats and there is a picnic area with a food cart. Unfortunately  my camera started to act up while on this trip, so I don't have a whole lot of pictures to show, but the ones that I do, show some of the fun we had.

The Wooden Shoe is a bit pricier, in that you have to pay just to get in, plus pumpkins, plus anything else you choose to purchase. But if you plan to make a day of it, it really is a great place for the little ones. Liam had a wonderful time and was so upset when we had to leave. But it was nap time, and it was raining (per the black clouds in the sky).

The last patch we visited was our family favorite, Hiser Farms near Dayton. We love this patch because it is very family friendly, has a lot to do, family run, and (until recently) was not overly commercialized. Now there are a few "money-makers" like the helicopter ride and the authentic army tank, but it still has the same old small-town stuff that they had when I was a kid as well.

There is an old barn where they show The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown in the loft, and have a floor full of animals to pet, feed, and observe on the lower level. There is an old fire truck to climb on, and ride (for an added fee), a corn maze, hay stack slide, peddle tractors, a small train, pony rides, hay ride, and of course, the pumpkin patch.

The gift shop/food bar is adorable and filled with handcrafted items and delicious food. The prices are the best we've found (other than the extra activities, which can be a bit pricey depending on how many you choose to do), and the pumpkins were in the best shape of all the farms we visited. As the years go by, and the farm becomes more of a tourist attraction than a authentic farm, we may be on the look-out for another place to purchase our pumpkins.

Coastal Train Ride

Liam loves trains! Well, he loves anything that travels (trains, planes, cars, trucks, construction vehicles, etc). But when we saw a Groupon deal for a train ride along the Oregon coast, we couldn't pass it up. We made a day of it and drove to the beach early in the morning, stopping for breakfast on the way. We took a scenic drive through some of the smaller coastal towns and to a stretch break when we saw a nice beach. It was October, so it was on the chilly side, but Liam still had a blast chasing the seagulls and playing in the sand.

After our play time, we drove to Garibaldi to have lunch and wait for our train to arrive. Before it was time to get onto the train, we explored the historic trains that are on display at the train station. Liam loved climbing up into the engine and pretending to drive the train. There is also a city park with a playground right next to the station, so we spent a little time there too.


When it was finally time to board the train, we climbed on and picked a table to sit at. I have never seen Liam so excited! He was smiling from ear to ear and watched everyone come on board and take their seats. A few minutes later, we were off! The train runs along the coast the whole way, so the views were amazing! It took about a half an hour to reach the other end of the tracks.


Stopping in Rockaway was wonderful! This was our first "trip" with a potty trained toddler, so Liam and I got off the train and walked to the public restrooms that were on the other side of the parking lot. When we returned to the train, there a couple of vendors selling treats outside the train. We bought a bag of homemade kettle corn., which was still warm! The layover in Rockaway was a half an hour, just enough time to check out the town square (which the train station is located). On the way back, we once again enjoyed the lovely view, ate our yummy snack, and met the conductor, who punched our tickets.

After returning to Garibaldi and exiting the train, we played on the playground until it was time for the train to leave again. Liam wanted to see the train chug away, filled with it's next set of passengers. The train blew it's whistle and was off! On the way home, Liam was so exhausted that he snored until we reached our front door. This is a wonderful activity for a train-lover or a little one, and we enjoyed it just as much as he did.

Watching the Train Chug Away

Portland Japanese Gardens/Washington Park Playground

Japanese Gardens

The Portland area is known for it's natural beauty and outdoorsy activities. Last summer, our family took a trip to one of the most beautiful and unique places that Portland has to offer. The Japanese Gardens are nestled in Washington Park, near the Oregon Zoo.
When we first considered going to the Gardens, Joe and I were not so sure it was the best place to take a busy toddler. We thought that he may be bored, loud, or just plain nuts. Boy were we wrong! Liam loved the walking the paths, seeing the fish in the ponds and the waterfalls, and running on the beautiful decks that surround the gift shop and visitor's center.

View of the Portland skyline from the Gardens

When searching for pictures to put in this post, I had a very difficult time choosing, there are so many amazing sites to see. The manicured gardens, the stone pathways, waterfalls, fish ponds, Portland views, and authentically built structures, offer so many things to see. The gardens are quite large and took us a little over an hour to walk through.

Washington Park Playground

After leaving the Japanese Gardens, we drove about 1/2 a mile down the hill to Washington Park Playground (you could easily walk). This is one of the best playgrounds that we have found in the Portland area. It is huge! There are structures for babies all the way up to older kids.

We had a picnic lunch and explored the park. There are swings, a sandbox to dig in, ramps to climb, slides, poles to slide down, bridges to cross, and several wonderful places to sit and relax.

At one point, Liam needed to use the restroom. We walked down a small hill to the building that houses the bathrooms. It was then that we realized that the structure we were standing in used to be the elephant house at the original Oregon Zoo. It was so cool to think that years ago, elephants roamed the area of the park and slept where the picnic tables stand. Across the street from the elephant house is a train station that connects to the zoo, and travels through the forested area.

Both of these destinations are worth a visit. We plan to take several trips back to the Washington Park Playground this summer, and will possibly add a train ride to the day. We had a great time!

Elephant House (old Oregon Zoo)