Great County Farms
Bluemont, Virginia
After giving blood at the Nats Stadium early Saturday morning on Labor Day weekend, we came home and looked up fun activities to do during the glorious weekend weather we were having. Both Tyson and I came across this farm in our search and knew it would be best to go now while the weather was cooler, but not freezing like last year.
We picked the perfect activity!!!!!
Those twisty steep slides were no joke! Super fun and a bit scary at first for Taryn who said it dropped her really fast.
There was so much for the kids to do and the farm was huge! So big in fact that we had several friends who happened to be at the farm during the time we were there, and we didn't even know it.
Taryn and Haddie were so excited to explore every inch.
One of our favorite parts were the animals that were scattered around the farm. Around every corner there were baby goats, bunnies, chickens, turkeys and so much more for the girls to observe and feed.
The farm wasn't just for young kids. Tyson enjoyed this maze with Taryn. It took them a bit but eventually they used their smarts and got through the maze to the look out tower.
I love how they conquered it together and didn't give up!
Haddie grew tired of the maze fast so we ended up in the corn bin :)
The slides were incredible. Made from normal farming equipment, these slides were big, long, and not too fast. Taryn would lap Haddie climbing up the long staircases but each of them giggled all the way down.
A sample of our view from the top. Tyson and I couldn't let the girls have all the fun. We joined in on the sliding action too!
That's me and Haddie at the top, looking so so tiny.
Pure joy!
Taryn does everything full force. Play is definitely included in that.
Before we had even stepped foot on the farm, Tyson and I talked about eating Apple Cider Donuts. We had both tried them for the first time last year at Cox Farms and fell in love. This year didn't disappoint. I want to start off each fall with those glorious donuts. Totally worth giving up our "sugar" point for the day in our Health Challenge Tyson and I are doing.
There was a corn maze, a Lady Liberty Corn Maze to be exact. I was instantly terrified to step foot inside with two little kids who were close to meltdowns. I kept telling Tyson I was scared of getting lost. A mom and her teenage daughters had just walked out of the maze, saying how they got very lost and that the maze was very hard. It did not sound like fun. Tyson knew it too. So we compromised and walked a bit of the corn maze (because we both wanted to go inside ) but we made sure to go through for only a few minutes and turn right around.
We made a really good decision.
Not moments later of us deciding to turn around, Taryn started getting scared of being lost, the girls had to go to the bathroom, were thirsty, and tired.
Tyson and I both said that we would love to do the corn maze together or when the girls were older. I normally don't like limiting ourselves with activities just because we have young kids, but we both knew that it would make a fantastic trip turn bad real fast.
Again, we had made the right call.
There was a live guitarist playing on a small stage where we ate our donuts. It was such a great atmosphere. The girls made little shakers out of bird seeds, baby water cups and colorful duck tape. In this picture, they just couldn't hold back from dancing alone to the music :)
I loved this spot on the farm. So picturesque.
The farm was so well tailored to all ages of children. Tyson was mainly with Taryn as they explored rope swings, mazes and bigger slides. Haddie and I had a great time on this creative horse swing made out of tires, playing in the corn bin, and watching the animals.
I loved how the girls watched the animals move. They were so interested.
But Haddie was not impressed with the pigs. When she saw the giant pig, she said he was too dirty and smelly. Haha!
Part of the farm is made up of orchards of apples, peaches, grapes for wine and more. We each picked and apple that we would eat as a snack on the road home.
Who shows this girl how to pose like that !?! She's killing me with cuteness!
"Daddy, I got my apple!!!!" running up to Tyson on the top of the hill to show him her prized apple she picked.
Taryn thought it was a fun game to throw her apple in the air and try catching it. That's when we had to explain to her that the more the apple dropped after unsuccessful catches, the more bruises it would have and therefore it would be mushy. Taryn is always creatively thinking of how to turn whatever she's doing into a game :)
The tractor ride back to the main farm.
We had run into our friends briefly and they offered us the rest of their animal feeding pellets. We couldn't find a working feeding pellet machine so the fact that the girls were going to have a chance to feed the goats made them super happy (as if the farm hadn't already delivered endless smiles!)
Taryn talked about how the baby goats really liked her and how they must be really hungry.
I was really surprised at the girls confidence in feeding the goats. Months earlier we had seen a boy get bit by a donkey, trying to feed the donkey apples. But these two sisters loved every second of sharing that feeding pellets and holding their little hands out for the goats to nibble at the food.
We came home covered with farm dirt but so very happy that our spontaneous farm trip had gone so incredibly well.
This was our start to the Fall Bucket List and so far, it's off to a great start.
No comments:
Post a Comment