If you’ve lived in Minnesota during the fall, you know that there might not be a more beautiful place to be in the month of October. Obviously, I’m incredibly biased, since I’ve lived here my entire life, but can you really blame me?

Photo by: http://www.northshorevisitor.com/

With the amazing vibrant colors come many intriguing activities to do outside, and if you’re like me, this is a great time to unplug and enjoy time with the family. The last couple of years we’ve been trekking out to the suburbs of the Twin Cities to check out a variety of pumpkin patches, corn mazes and apple orchards.

Pumpkin Patch

To our surprise most of the different farms and or patches you go to have a wonderful selection of adventures you can do once you arrive.  Some of my family’s favorites include:

• Pumpkin picking
• Corn mazes
• Kids’ rides
• Petting & feeding farm animals
• Apple picking
• Crafts
• Face painting
• Food & beverage
• Family hay rides
• Bounce houses and slides

Corn Mazes

I think if you were to ask my boys what they enjoyed the most — and if both could actually talk (the youngest is 7 months) — I’m confident that they would say the corn mazes. My oldest is just over two years, so he’s still learning words and phrases, but he quickly figured out his favorite was “wrong way” after we got lost no less than a dozen times.

Apple Orchards

Our family loves apples, and I especially crave apple pie. Thanksgiving can’t get here soon enough! So we make sure to mark a date on our calendar to get out to an orchard and bring home some fresh, locally grown apples. We’re especially fond of Minnetonka Orchards, which not only has a great variety in apples but also has pretty much every activity I bulleted out above. If the kids get tired of picking, we just walk over to the kids’ rides, pet a few farm animals or see who can be king of the hay-bale mountain first. During their harvest season, you will be fighting some crowds and enjoying a line or two for the rides, but it’s all worth it when you get home with a bag of their delicious apples.

A Pumpkin Patch or Corn Maze Near You

You’re in luck: You’ll be able to find either a pumpkin patch or a corn maze in almost all areas of the Twin Cities. It’s one of the perks of being able to drive 25 minutes to farming communities in any direction from downtown Minneapolis. Take a look below:

Our favorites

My family and I have had the opportunity to check out a half-dozen different places now, and while all were awesome memories, here are a few that we’d recommend you experience:

• Eveland Family Farm – Andover, MN
• Minnetonka Orchards – Minnetonka, MN
• Severs Corn Maze – Shakopee, MN