Down on Treinen Farm

We have finally entered the last throes of 2008. All the pretty leaves have fallen to the ground, the air is nippy, and we shall soon be beset by snow. Before things got all gloomy a few weeks ago, I made my first trek out to Treinen Farm with my friend Dogger and his daughter, Miss Regan. While I'd seen ads for it in years past, I'd never been.



It was a nice temperate autumn day and, had it been summer, I'd have been tempted to take a swim in the large swimming hole, the shores of which were littered with small gourds. We were greeted by a small dog which looked rather odd as it had a couple short lengths of PVC pipe strapped to its collar.



We soon found out why as we wandered to the area where we could pet the animals. The pipe kept it from sneaking under the fence and wreaking havoc in the barnyard. The goats were quite friendly that day and were eager to lap up any corn thrown their way.





At one point, the dog grabbed the cob from Regan's hand and ran off with it. It was quite amusing to watch her chase the dog in circles.

Treinen Farm advertises its corn maze as being the largest in all the land. I didn't measure the acreage but it was certainly huge.



We got lost several times despite having a map. In our defense, you got only a portion of the map to start and had to piece the rest of it together.



We must have spent an hour or so wandering around. The maze was that of a dragonfly surrounded by what looked like Celtic knotwork. Were we wandering in its wing or somewhere outside of it? I put Regan on my shoulders to see if she could see above the corn but it was all for naught. By the end of it, the little lady was pooped and I had to carry her out.




Two paths diverged in a yellow wood

Once out of the maze, Regan got a burst of energy and it was off to the slide for a bit before we took a hayride. It was a nice'n'leisurely and we were the only folks on the wagon. The gentleman at the reins was fun to chat with and had a good sense of humor. And so the horses led us down the dale and through the pumpkin patches.



Back at the farm I bought some doughnuts – pumpkin and apple cider. We also noticed a large slingshot which was being used to sling small gourds at an inner tube floating on the pond which explained why we saw so many on the shore when we pulled up.

On the way home, we stopped in Lodi and found a stand selling Chicago dogs. After stuffing ourselves, it was off to Lapacek's Orchard to buy some apples and whatnot. I bought some of their cider and it's among the best I've ever tasted. This is because they pressed a generous amount of tart apples into the mix. The cider has a fairly sharp taste which lends the impression that it's carbonated. Great stuff.

It'll definitely be back to Treinen Farm next year.