Three Kids and a Dog: Apples and Corn Mazes in Michigan

We didn't make it until early October to pick apples due to our "busy" schedules so we didn't get to pick any Honey Crisp apples but we did get some delicious Empire and Mutsu apples.

My kids love apples, especially Hailey, so we didn't want to miss the apple picking season, therefore, after all our games were complete on a Saturday morning we hurriedly piled in the car and drove to Michigan to get in our apple picking before it got dark and closed. We bought probably 5 pounds of apples and are still eating them even after Tom made the best apple pie (new recipe) and it was delicious! Not sure if it was the apples or the new recipe or Tom's great baking abilities!

Tom and I have been going to the same orchard in Fennville, Michigan, before kids or maybe it was when Austen was really small but we wanted to keep the tradition going with apple picking and then a nice break for some apple cider and donuts outside their pie pantry even during this COVID year.

When the kids were little (and pre-COVID) they used to have hay rides and a cow train that the kiddos used to ride in. Some loved it more than others and it was bumpy as hell when the adults would have to ride with them because they were so small but it got us laughing.

Since the kids have gotten older we've started doing the corn maze instead of the rides. It's huge and each year it's a new pattern (this year the image was honoring our essential workers/health care heroes). We didn't have time to do the corn maze the same day as the apple picking because we're always running from one game to another so on a different Saturday during this month of October we were able to squeeze in the corn maze. We chose to go through the maze questions twice - one for Halloween questions/trivia and one that was TV and movies. There are 10 numbered sign posts that you have to find and when you get to those sign posts, you have to answer a question and then select the answer from a list. Your selected answer will tell you which way to go until you get to the next sign. If you guess the wrong answer then you are stuck in the maze for awhile. We were pretty speedy completing the first maze in about 30 minutes and the second one in about 20 minutes (although we were still the last ones to leave and Peyton started growing a little panicky!).

Still a fun tradition for our family to continue each year even during the pandemic (since it was all outside).