Halloween is almost here and what better way to set the mood than going to Lambs Farm’s Haunted Harvest! We arrived after dark and immediately knew this would be a definite change from our regular “day” trips to the farmyard in Libertyville. The ghosts and goblins were out!

As you walked to the entrance, you were greeted by Scooby Doo and other characters, selling some snacks and drinks to keep you warm. Yummy caramel apples and cider! We bought our tickets from a spooky character and headed off on our adventure. General admission was $15 and the individual attractions were an additional $3 - $5 each.

There were many activities to choose from; we decided to take a ride on the Enchanted Carousel first. What an experience to whirl around on decorated ponies against the jet black of the night. Exciting!


We walked through the farmyard on the CreatureWalk. You never knew what you would find around the next barn. Many of the animals were awake; however when you came upon those that were sleeping, it added to the eerie experience.

We walked through a blow-up haunted house, over a bridge that had its own four-foot wooden troll and then we saw it…the ghost in the barn. The “Jason” mask adorned a veil and moved around…very realistic, with hollers and screams and other sounds of the creepy season.


Two mice greeted us at the entrance to the goat and sheep area. We were able to go into the pen and pet the animals. Many climbed onto their platforms so they were at eye-level! Again, against the dark of the night, the Halloween music throughout the farmyard and all of the creatures, it gave you the goose bumps.

While we were there, we found out that there was a Little Goblins Gathering earlier that day as well! Activities included spooky crafts, costume contests for kids AND the family pet.

But for us, the Train of Terror was the highlight of the evening! As you walked up the ramp to the platform, a Grim Reaper slowly raised his outstretched arm, directing us toward the train…all aboard for the ride of your life! The train ran around the outside edges of the farmyard and creatures and scary characters jumped out to give you a fright from left and right. Lots of thrills came at the end of the ride while traveling through the Galter Choo Choo station.


After the train ride we decided that it was time to leave. We were sad to miss the other attractions like the Graveyard Golf and Monster Midway. We know there will be more time next year!

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Fall is not complete without a trip to a local pumpkin farm. We took a trip to Didier Farms near Lincolnshire for their Fall Pumpkin Festival. We went on Columbus Day when many kids were out of school, including mine. I thought it was going to be crazy busy. There were a lot people there and a few school buses, but it wasn’t crowded and there was ample parking. I was pleasantly surprised.
We began with a visit to see Lucy the pig and her new babies. The kids were fascinated by the mommy pig and babies! We then went to buy some tickets for rides and crafts. Tickets are $1 each and most rides and attractions take 3 or 4 tickets. They have some fun mechanical rides – scrambler, dragon train, mini cars, big strawberry ride, big slide, etc. We tried them all out and the kids loved it.
We then ventured over to the petting zoo. I am usually have reservations about petting zoos, but Didier Farms had a very well kept and clean area for the animals, very nice. There are also plenty of farm animals for viewing. The kids laughed at the goats up on a big platform and then they would run across a little bridge to their house, it was cute.
By now it was getting time for a snack and a beverage. We got some popcorn and lemonade in take a home pumpkin cup and straw. There was plenty of picnic tables inside and outside for us to sit for a few minutes and have a snack. The big pumpkin jumper was next – what a great way for the kids to burn off some energy!
It was getting pretty late and we needed to head home soon. We wanted to go through the corn maze and on a hayride to pick our own pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, but we’ll have to save that for our next visit. We chose some pumpkins from the rows and rows of them they have scattered throughout the grounds. We also wanted to take part in some of the fun craft projects too, but simply didn’t have enough time. We then went into the big barn to pay for our pumpkins. They have a wonderful bakery and shop inside. You can get anything from caramel popcorn to donuts to apple cider. It all looked very delicious. Lots of fun Halloween décor as well!

Overall, I was very impressed with Didier Farms. Well kept, clean, ample parking, very friendly and helpful staff and an awful lot of fun to be had! We were there about four hours, but could have easily spent all day.

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Fall has arrived, which also means fall festival season has arrived as well. This year, instead of going apple picking, we decided to head out to the Long Grove Apple Festival two weeks ago to check it out and enjoy the fall weather. Long Grove Apple Festival is a huge festival taking over the streets and shops of Long Grove with a lot to do and see.

We spent a lot of time in the kids area. They had pony rides which were a lot of fun for Reese along with several other rides like a train and a carousal. They also had 3 of the big blow-up jump tents. One of them was a huge slide which was a big hit. The kids ran around and seemed to get a lot of their energy out which was great for us! In the kids area there were also a lot of booths set-up selling kids items like hand-knit sweaters, jewelry, hair accessories, t-shirts, games, etc.

Long Grove has the best selection of food during their festivals. This one had Chinese food, BBQ, hot dogs, burgers and sandwiches. They also had booths with smoothies, lemonades and sweets. We settled on eating BBQ pork sandwiches which were delicious.

While we were there we also wanted to check out some of the shops. I've shopped in Long Grove before, however, the festival makes things more exciting and busy which I actually enjoy. There were some good sales and I was able to check out some stores I hadn't been into previously. They have great stores for even just browsing because a lot of the stores have fun little knick knacks and great gift ideas.

My favorite part of the day was dessert. I've heard about these apple donuts from some of my friends but had never tried one. Apparently they have apple donuts year round so I will definitely be back for more. The donuts were so good that we got a batch to take home too!

After spending several hours at the festival we called it a day. We had a great time and are still enjoying the bag of apples we bought before leaving. Picking apples is a lot of fun, however, this festival is definitely a great way to celebrate fall with the whole family and we plan to return next year as well!

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This past Friday I took a trek northwards to Spring Grove to visit the fabled Richardson Corn Maze. I wasn't quite sure what to expect...I had heard that the maze was huge, but aside from that I knew very little about it. I arrived in the late afternoon, and, after a brief orientation from a maze guide, I found myself stepping into a labyrinth woven of eight-foot stalks of corn.

What I had heard about the maze beforehand was immediately confirmed - this thing was indeed enormous. I strolled past the pumpkin patch and petting zoo, and watched as kids rolled around a small-scale racetrack on go carts. Looking ahead, I stepped through the archway and was swallowed up by the monstrous vegetation. The theme of this year's maze is the 2008 election, and my map showed an aerial view of the maze pattern - a cartoon donkey and elephant trying to reach the White House. Luckily for me there were numbered check points throughout the maze corresponding to those on my map, or I might have felt like one of the lost hikers from the Blair Witch Project. Consulting the map, I made my way toward one of the elevated foot bridges and climbed it for a higher view.

The bridges were definitely a nice touch - from the elevated platform I looked out across the tops of the plants, and was able to orient myself amidst the winding paths. I soaked in the panoramic view, from the big red barn and 50-foot lookout tour to the west to tiny houses off in the distance to the east. The maze itself wound for several miles, so I was in for some good exercise if I was to complete the entire stretch and visit each checkpoint (each checkpoint holds a hole punch with a unique imprint, and to properly complete the maze one needs a stamp from each location as proof of visitation).

Climbing back down into the maze of maize, I wound my way through the donkey towards the White House. Voiced drifted in and out of earshot as groups of explorers crossed paths and traced opposite sides of the rows. At times I felt like Alice in Wonderland wandering the rose bushes as the tops of the ears eclipsed my view, and, as someone six feet tall, I could only imagine how enchanting the maze would be to a youngster. I worked my way around the trunk of the elephant and took a rest on top of another bridge to gain some perspective.

After an unknown length of time ( I left my phone in my car), I wound my way determinedly towards my starting point. Perhaps stoked up by the hiking, my appetite crept into my thoughts and I found myself thinking about corn bread and corn chowder. I made my way back out of the maze and decided to climb the lookout tower for a higher view. The view from up top was sensational, as I was able to take in the full panorama of the surrounding area and bear witness to the colorful hues and long shadows cast by the setting sun.

Climbing back down, I stopped by the petting zoo and fed some grass to a quartet of gats, who seemed to enjoy being petted and scratched on the head. I walked through some pine trees and discovered a huge rest area of picnic tables and fire pits, all permeated by a natural pine scent courtesy of the surround trees. My first trip to the Richardson Corn Maze left a positive impression on me, and I reflected on my way home that the farm is one of the few places I could think of offhand that offers fresh air, natural beauty, and recreation for people of all ages.

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