Wanderlusting: Pumpkin Picking

“When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised change, I feel something stir inside me. Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness? Whatever it is, it’s welcome.” ~ Kristin Armstrong 

Where are you Autumn? (Why can’t I find thee?)

To soon? Bonus points if you know what song I just quoted changed.

While Autumn is taking the slow meandering approach of actually arriving with cooler temps, it has not kept me from doing all the Fall things I adore, even if I have to do them in a T-shirt and shorts. Actually let’s be honest, it might be seventy and I might be sweating my derriere off, but I sure as heck am going to rock the leggings and boots. It makes the Fall vibes more authentic anyway.

Despite the seventy degree temps I made my way Upstate to do some Pumpkin picking with my sister and her family (shout out to my oldest nephew who has joined the WordPress blogging community!) last weekend.

Hahn Farm 

Since moving to the city it has become an annual tradition going to Hahn Farm with them. My sister’s family will pick out pumpkins, we will pet the animals (okay the kids will), and venture into a hay maze, or do the wagon ride. It is the perfect way to channel Fall, especially when you are stuck in the Concrete Jungle and the foliage has been so dismal this year.

Hahn Farm was established in 1798 and the eighth generation is currently sowing the land. (get it?) Originally a dairy farm, this year round farm has since expanded, and now has over 500 acres of farmland that grow a wide variety of produce, which includes Christmas trees, corn, and of course pumpkins.

The Fall Festival was created for families to enjoy a bit of farm life whilst picking out Pumpkins and other produce. They have a word corn maze, where you try to figure out what the husks spell, countless animals to pet and feed, a hay maze, and hay fort where kids can climb and jump around. They also have a wagon hay ride that takes you through the farm and where you might run into some interesting and at times spooky characters.

Nature’s Serenity 

I finally arrived in Poughkeepsie after suffering the train ride from hell. No joke, it was so ridiculously crowded, I felt like I was transported back to the time I took it mid morning on Thanksgiving Day (word to the wise if you miss that first morning train just stay home!). After I survived thanks to copious amounts of coffee, my family picked me up and we drove to Salt Point, New York which is only a few miles from Hyde Park and where the farm is located. We tend to go in the middle of October, and it is usually Autumn weather with Jack Frost teasing just a bit. In fact one year it even started to snow. This year though, it was very definitely Summer, but that did not stop me from channeling Fall with my wardrobe.

While the kids went to pet the animals, I strolled around the farm snapping some pictures.

The farm has a huge assortment of animals.

Including a collection of alpacas that have been around for years and have aged quite gracefully. WHAT is their secret?

While I might be a city girl, I can’t deny that at heart I still channel my country roots. The peace and serenity I get from wandering amongst nature is therapy for the soul. Fall is the one time that no matter where I am, I always think of home, and with it fond memories of childhood, that always make me smile.

While it wasn’t like it this year, Autumn really is Mother Nature’s Runway.

Some Hay Fun 

The kid’s picked out pumpkins, and we then played in the hay maze and fort. It is always a fun activity even for adults who like to channel their inner child…Not that I like to do that or anything…much. They always switch it up, and this year there were three ways to get out of the maze. I also snapped some (or a thousand) pics. And watched as my nephews terrorized played with my niece as they scrambled over and around the hay fort.

After getting some energy out, it was time for the hay ride which is always a fun bumpy ride, with its ghostly characters that artfully hang from trees and are hidden amongst the shrubbery. It is scenic, and while this year the foliage was lacking (how many times can I say that? I swear I am not bitter!), it was still insanely beautiful. One of my favorite parts is riding through the Christmas trees and smelling the piney scent reminding me that soon we will be “Decking the halls.”

Good-bye Autumn

I always think of this as my swan song to Autumn. There is something about this farm that melds the Fall and Christmas vibes together. Perhaps it is usually because we are freezing our tookuses off, and the pumpkins remind me of pumpkin pie and Thanksgiving, but I always start to get excited. The Summer like temps couldn’t even dampen the taste of Holiday spirit I got. The Holidays are coming and I am super excited for them!

How is your Autumn going? Have you gone pumpkin picking? Are you starting to get excited for the Holiday season?