By Sonia Garza
The Pacific Northwest fall is one of the most beautiful around. Embrace the fall with this list of places to see leaves changing and spectacular views.
For me, there’s no better time of the year than fall. The cooler air marks a time to bust out the knee boots and scarves and finally take advantage of the pumpkin spice lattes, foods and smells. I believe this season is one of the most beautiful around. I’ve found nature right in our back door where we are able to preview the ever changing colors.
One of my favorite family activities during October is strolling through pumpkin patches and making memories. South Sound farms offer fresh produce and more than enough locations for picking your favorite pumpkins. In Puyallup Valley farms, gaze up at Mount Rainier on clear days. Grab your boots and your camera and head to these fun locations.
Spooner Farms, Puyallup
This fifth generation farm is truly a family must. This is Spooner Farms’ 21st year celebrating their Harvest Festival and they will be harvesting 49 varieties of pumpkins, gourds, squash and ornamental corn. With an expansive corn maze, kids barn, duck races, a pumpkin sling shot, pumpkin patch, and farm animals, you’ll just know your kids will have a blast.
Make sure to take your family pictures here at the spider hay stack or photo stand. Stroll through the gift shop for more treats or head outside to get a caramel apple, some caramel popcorn or roasted corn. Enjoy face painting on the weekend.
Location: 9622 State Route 162 East, Puyallup, WA
Phone: 253-840-2059
Cost: Free admission. Corn maze $7/person on weekdays, $9/adult and $7/child on weekends, kids 2 and under are free.
Hours: Open daily, Oct. 1–31, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Corn maze open 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends.
Lattin’s Country Cider Mill and Farm, Olympia
For a change of pace, travel further south on I-5, where you’ll find Lattin’s Cider Mill and Farm, serving up fresh apple treats. There you can not only pick fresh pumpkins, but also take part in Washington grown apples straight from the tree. Go hungry because they sell fresh apple fritters (basically fried donuts) hot off the press. You can watch as they make them too. Delight in homemade hot or cold apple cider.
The kids can enjoy bounce houses, a petting zoo and carnival games – one in which you can take home a goldfish if you get a ring around a milk jug. For the hungrier folks in your crowd, there’s barbecue and hamburger food trucks, as well as fresh roasted corn and fresh popped kettle corn. And skip the run to get coffee on the way there because they sell freshly brewed coffee on the spot. Kids can also enjoy an animal barrel train and families can take a tractor pulled wagon ride around the farm. Pony rides are also available. The farm entrance is free, but take cash because parking is $5 and tickets are a $1 each for children activities.
Location: 9402 Rich Road Southeast, Olympia, WA
Phone: (360) 491-7328
Cost: Free admission. Corn maze $5/person, ages 3 and under free.
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sundays
Double R Farms, Puyallup
This third generation farm is located between Tacoma and Puyallup on River Road. During October, this 70-year-old farm features a 5-acre corn maze and a large selection of pumpkins. Try your hand at one of three pumpkin slingshots, including one just for kids, and enjoy tractor-pulled hay rides on the weekends and farm animals for kids to visit. Concessions are also available on weekends.
Location: 5820 44th St. E., Puyallup, WA
Phone: 253-227-5385
Cost: Free admission. Corn maze $5/person, ages 3 and under free.
Hours: Opens the first Saturday of October, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekends, 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays.
Scholz Farm and Garden, Puyallup
Scholz Farm is a fourth generation family farm, famous for locally grown sweet corn and the Pumpkin Palace in October. Visit acres of u-pick pumpkins, free corn maze, farm animals, cute displays, painted pumpkins, gourds, squash & other fall crops.
Location: 14310 128th Street E, Puyallup, WA
Phone: 253-848-7604
Cost: Free entrance and parking
Hours: Fall festival annually in October; A small retail store is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. through October.
Picha Farms, Puyallup
This family farm offers fun without the scary stuff. Enjoy the pumpkin patch, hayrides, pumpkin slinging (win 15 pounds of free pumpkin if you hit the target), and a seven-acre corn maze with a trivia game. If you get all eight answers right, you collect a prize. If you’d like to bring your furry friend along, just keep them leashed. You can also enjoy a latte or hot apple cider, munch on kettle corn or yummy caramel apples, and chow down on gourmet hot dogs from local vendors including Great Northwest Popcorn, Housewife Hotdogs, and Curbside Coffee during the weekends.
Location: 6502 52nd St. E., Puyallup, WA
Phone: 253-841-4443
Cost: Free admission. Corn maze $6/person, ages 3 and under free. Hayride $2/person. Slingshot $1 for two shots.
Hours: Open Oct 1–Oct. 31, weekends 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and weekdays 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Old McDebbie’s Farm / JIM’S U-FISH, Spanaway
Explore the farm and nature trails. Kids can play a not-so-scary Halloween I-spy game that will guide them to look for haunting decorations down a forest trail. Back at the farm, choose a pre-picked pumpkin, ride the ponies ($6) or the train, and and bang around in the musical forest.
Location: 4924 268th St, E., Spanaway, WA
Phone: 253-875-0356
Cost: General admission $6
Hours: Fall season starts Sept.1, Friday–Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pumpkins available Oct. 1.
Maris Farms, Buckley
This farm includes a 5+ acre corn field maze and 8+ acre pumpkin patch. Enjoy the inaugural Pumpkin Smash, the first of its kind in Pierce County. Join the Wolf (100.7 FM) on Saturday, October 31 for a day of pumpkin smashing like you’ve never seen before. You can also partake in Pumpkin Sky Drop, Pumpkin Bowling, Pumpkin Pounding, Pumpkin Relay Race, Pumpkin Chucking and Pumpkin Darts.
Other actives include a jump pillow, tube slide, tether ball, pedal carts, animal barn, tug-o-war, bubble soccer, mechanical bull, safari ride, fishing, hayride, face painting, pony rides, corn cannon zip lines and pig races…just to name a few. With so much to see and do, your family will surely make this farm a tradition for years to come.
Starting this year, Maris Farms will be honoring military with a 10% discount with identification. Milkhouse Cafe offers bottled water and soda, chips and candy. On the weekends, you’ll enjoy an assortment of roasted corn, lemon squeezers, kettle corn, funnel cake, hot dogs, hamburgers, turkey legs and chili. Check the website for more deals.
Location: 25001 Sumner-Buckley Hwy, Buckley, WA
Phone: 253-862-2848
Cost: Free parking. Monday to Friday $7, $6 after 4:30 p.m. Saturday/Sunday $14. $10 after 4:00 p.m. 2 and under are free.
Hours: Monday to Friday 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.