Jaunted

Fall Travel / Outdoor Travel / Events / California Travel / → All Tags

It's That Time of the Year Again: Corn Maze Time!

It's the middle of September! Do you know what that means? We can smell autumn in the air! Or perhaps it's just the scent of decaying corn in the world's largest corn maze. You'll find the 45-acre labyrinth in at Cool Patch Pumpkin Fams in Dixon, California, and it's getting ready to open for the season.

While wandering around the fields of green, you'll spy several branded rest stops in the maze, all platforms which rise above the fields. We'd classify that as cheating, but apparently Starbucks, Ford and Ducati don't think so, since they're the companies who've sponsored the rest stop lookouts.

The first official day of hell-hazin and corn-mazin is September 17, and it closes down on November 7. Admission to the maze is $10 per person, and hay rides are $3 while getting into the massive pumpkin patch is completely free (ostensibly because they hope you'll buy a pumpkin). Oh, and if you make it to the top of their climbable straw mountain, you can make that your fall Facebook photo. Right? Ok maybe not.

[Photo: Cool Patch Pumpkins' Facebook]

Labor Day Travel / Summer Travel / Music Festivals / Middle America / → All Tags

Labor Day Travel: Banjo Bonanza in Missouri

If your Labor Day to Missouri don't inclue sumo wrestling, then you're probably headed to the 40th Annual Bluegrass Pickin' Time. (Hard to believe that it's already been 40 years!) About 130 miles outside of St. Louis, the small town of Dixon is definitely ready for this year's fun.

Things kick off on Wednesday evening before the holiday weekend with a fish fry, and you're even encouraged to bring a dish to share. Starting Thursday night, the festival will start kickin' with the Bluegrass Pickin' Time Band. After that, things start around lunchtime every day and don't stop until about 10 pm.

In addition to all the music, there will be craft vendors scattered about the park and even a quilt show. [Ed.: Now *that's* Midwestern.] Instrument workshops will also be held so you can get some tips and tricks from the pros to improve your own bluegrass skills. Tickets for the full four days will run you just $35.

Related Stories:
· Bluegrass Pickin' Time [Official Site]
· Labor Day Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of the 2007 Event: Bluegrass Pickin' Time]