Old Mcdonald's Farm 2016

I'm sure I have said this before, but I kind of love how having children has opened us up to new experiences and opportunities that we didn't take advantage of before kids were a part of our lives.

Not to say that we couldn't do these things, but that we didn't do them. Life was good before kids, but there were some things we were missing out on.

Granted, memory making is not always a walk in the park, and life with little kids can pose challenges (poopy diaper or the occasional potty training accident in the middle of an outing, anyone?), but the joy of the experience outweighs the inconvenience.

Two years ago we visited Old Mcdonald's Farm in Sale Creek and we had an ok experience. Truth be told, there were a lot of people, the lines were long, the weather was uncomfortably hot for the end of October, I was pregnant, and Jack needed a nap. Perfection it was not. But looking back at the photos from that year, I am glad we went.

Last year we were a bit jaded and opted to make the drive to Ellijay, Georgia to visit to Burt's Farm in the middle of the week and enjoyed a more low-key experience without all of the lines.

We didn't have a set plan for a trip to a pumpkin patch this year until some friends asked if we wanted to go to Old Mcdonald's with them. We almost said no, but we knew our kids would have fun so we agreed to the plan.

This time we went on a Saturday and arrived as soon as the farm opened. Since we arrived early in the day, we were able to walk in and ride the pedal-propelled go carts right away (no line). We actually got to ride three times before there was a line and we moved on to something else.

We only waited a few minutes for the wagon ride and were even able to go on the actual hayride this year. Timing is everything at a place like this!

The kids had a blast on the big barn slides and playing in the corn bins. Initially Isaac hated the corn, but I got in and had him sit in my lap and he warmed up to the experience.

After lunch we visited the petting zoo, wandered through the hay maze and Jack and Daniel tried their hand with the pumpkin sling shot.

We still aren't brave enough to take our kids into the corn maze (I don't want to get stuck with a fussy toddler), maybe we will try it next year.

We ran into several friends, so I guess that means we are officially "local."

If you are in Chattanooga and looking for a good pumpkin patch to visit, Old Mcdonald's is great, as long as you plan on going early in the day (expect it to get busy after lunch). Cost is $12/person and kids 2 and under are free. Pumpkins less than 5lbs cost $2 and 5-20lbs cost $5 (or something like that, I can't remember the exact sizes, expect to pay $5 for a decent size pumpkin).

Our previous trips to the pumpkin patch:
Burt's Farm 2015 ⎮ Old Mcdonald's Farm 2014 ⎮Crow Creek Pumpkin Patch 2013 ⎮ Crow Creek 2012 and Burt's Farm 2012