You probably drive by it every day, or at the very least, every week. And you never even notice it. We’re talking about Pumpkinland, folks. You’re asking yourself, “Pumpkinland? Where in the heck is that? What in the heck is that?” Set aside your concerns and head for the patch while you’ve still got the chance. This very child-friendly, affordable little pumpkin patch sitting between Geneva Road and Interstate 15 will likely become an annual tradition once you’ve had your first experience.  A big part of that is that it feels old. Old as in old-fashioned. It’s a throwback to earlier, simpler days. Your kids will get it right away. And don’t worry, mom and dad, you’ll catch up.

First, the what and where. You’ll find Pumpkinland at the Vineyard Garden Center on Geneva Road in Orem. If you’re coming from I-15, you’ll take the Orem Center Street exit (whether coming from the north or south) and drive west (towards Utah Lake.) Once you reach Geneva Road, turn south (left) and keep motoring until you reach the nursery at 435 S Geneva Rd. They are open Monday-Saturday 9:30am-6:00pm. Entrance fee is $3.00 per person (for those 3-99, as Farmer Grant tells us) and this is definitely one of those “get more than what you pay for” kind of deals.

Light Alley:
This very kid-friendly (meaning not scary) spot is a fun little escape with a touch of simple magic to it. The Disneyland Main Street Parade it ain’t. But for the same cost as a straw and napkin at Walt’s place, you’ll get magic nonetheless. Not to mention that there’s a children’s play area (complete with picnic tables) right before you enter the Alley. That’s right, a play area. You remember playing? I thought so.

Corn Maze:
Something about rustling corn stalks with mountains in the background just does the trick for me.  See if it will do the same for you. You might even point out to the little ones that this is where plants come from (you know, corn and pumpkins, etc.)

Farm Animals:
As the end of the maze you’ll find an area where various animal friends are waiting to congratulate you on solving the maze…Okay, maybe not, but there are turkeys, goats, rabbits, chickens, and other farm friends who seem to be happy about something. “No putting fingers in cages, please,” Farmer Grant kindly reminds us.

Pumpkins (and other corna-copic delights):
It’s not called Pumpkinland for nothing, friend. They pick ‘em for you and let you  and the little ones have the fun part. And as a reminder, you’re at a nursery, so of course there are vast varieties of flowers, plants and other gardening goodies to be had. Plus these people actually know what they’re talking about (no big-box names will be mentioned here…)

So set aside that long list of boring to-do’s and find your way to Pumpkinland. You’ll leave with a smile and sweet memories, I promise. (And when have I ever failed you?)

The week prior to our adventure was busily filled with shopping trips and planning. The South Towne Center shopping mall in Provo provided us with tiaras, silk gloves, and diamond jewelry. (Icing, while boasting the better quality of tiaras, was pricier than its sister shop Claires, which offered cheaper, but still elegant headwear.) A few of us ventured into the discount dress shops in hopes of scoring some great deals. Others journeyed to DI, but its raised prices made us wary. One of the girls had bought and altered a wedding dress to resemble Giselle’s dress from the movie Enchanted. It was ridiculous with the poofed sleeves and giant skirt, but it made her the star of our escapade!

Saturday afternoon was filled with bobby pins, hairspray, curling irons, and makeup as we busily looked our best before we snapped a few pictures and headed out. We reserved a table for ten at Bombay House, a favorite restaurant only a couple blocks away. The flexible atmosphere, quality food, and specialty drinks made it an appropriate choice for the evening. The hosts and waiters had a great sense of humor upon our arrival, joking a little through the course of our meal, so prepare a few witty, but classy remarks beforehand to ensure an amazing response and respected welcome. The children in the restaurant weren’t hesitant to gaze in wonder at the spectacle, and even a few adults commented on our creativity!

To finish the evening, we hit the theaters. There was simply no end to the smiles as we waited the 45 minutes for our show to start. Everyone we met was thoroughly amused and the little girls were simply “enchanted” with being able to talk to real princesses! We were able to get a few people to take pictures of us to fill a few frames later on.

Taking part in this evening was so immensely enjoyable! We had a great time preparing and really enjoyed watching people gawk and laugh as we paraded around, glorious and stunning. The beauty of this idea is in its versatility, be it a themed birthday party, random celebration, or simply a memorable night with friends. Undoubtedly, we had a fantastic time.

The more ridiculous the costume, the more fun you will have and the better the response will be to the people you encounter! Feel free to get creative and make some memories!

It was really cold the day we went, but if that’s the case when you go just dress accordingly, grab some hot chocolate to warm your bones, and keep moving. There are vendors serving delicious treats and a bunch of fun activities such as a jumping pillow (plus a smaller one for pint-size jumpers), Cornbelly Mountain (a giant hay stack with slides–super fun), Kiddie Corral (another play area), a cow train, a hay ride, go carts, and a haunted dinosaur (for daddies, according to my daughter). There are little shows throughout the day; we were there for the pig races, which are just adorable (no need to call PETA!) There’s also a very cool jack-o-lantern tree with hundreds of boo-tifully hand-carved pumpkins.

If you’re looking for that perfect pumpkin, you have two options. You can wander through the pumpkin patch and pick your own, or you can sort through piles of pumpkins already picked for you. There are also three different mazes to wander through: a simple-to-navigate Kiddie Maze where little ones can search for easy-to-find Halloween eggs filled with treats; the creepy Cornophobia Haunted Maze with spooky surprises lurking around every turn; and the 12-acre David Archuletta corn maze where you can get lost inside his head searching for the one and only exit!

Cornbelly’s Maze and Pumpkin Fest at Thanksgiving Point is open from September 26 to November 1, 2008:
Monday-Thursday: 4-10 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday: closed
Also open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Oct. 16-20 for the UEA weekend
Parking is free

Admission: A Cornbelly’s bargain pass costs $10.50 for ages 3 to adult (kids under 2 are free). A combo pass, which also includes the price of haunted attractions, costs $16. Check the Cornbelly’s website for details. You can also register to receive a coupon good for $1 off one admission.

*Princess Carraige Rides cost $3, and are available on Saturdays only from 3-6 p.m.

The pumkin fest is held on the grounds of Thanksgiving Point, west of the Village Shops. When you get off I-15, head toward the shopping and farms, rather than the gardens. For a map and directions, click here.

Cornbelly’s weather hotline: 801-794-3276

You can buy the books for $20 at Michael’s, on the aisle where they have sketchbooks (it’s the 11-inch x 14-inch one), or you can buy them from Tidal Wave Books, a local company owned by the parents of the roommate who introduced me to this. They have a giant journaling blog, which gives ideas for new pages and tips and other useful things. (You can also buy a booklet they put together with even more ideas and tips for $7.95. You can buy this separately or with the giant journal, and you can order either or both from the lefthand sidebar on the blog.)

You can use anything you want in your giant journal—markers, colored pencils, crayons, paint, ribbons, buttons, construction paper, magazine clippings, movie tickets, programs from events you’ve been to, photographs, scrapbooking paper, fabric, and literally anything else you can think of. Craft stores like Joann, Michael’s, and Robert’s (all have locations in Provo and Orem) have all these supplies and more, and you can also find tons of things at stores like Walmart and Target (both in Orem). And if you’re interested in kind of a different idea, there’s a scrapbooking/craft store in Pleasant Grove called Fidjiti that has a studio with stations where you can work on your crafts. The studio has a really adorable setup and stations can be rented for $8.00. This would be a really fun place to go with a couple of girlfriends and spend a few hours giant journaling or scrapbooking.

These are some of my favorite giant journal pages. My girlfriends and I love to get together with all of our stuff and sit around on the floor, talking or watching a movie while we giant journal together. It’s a great thing to do alone, too, when you have some time to yourself. Supplies vary depending on what you what you buy and where you buy them. Anything you use for scrapbooking will work, and you can even make just a collage from magazine clippings. Everyone I know who’s tried it has gotten addicted to it, and I guarantee if you try it you will too.

What gives the Bean Museum an edge over the zoo, is that the animals hold perfectly still. This offers the museum patron incredible access to details: scratches on the face of a lion, knobs on duck ankles, fur on tarantula skin. I spent the most of my time admiring a charcoal colored pygmy hippopotamus. Pygmy hippopotamuses are the size of a large pig and live only in the swamps of a particular region in Africa. According to legend, members of this rare species wander at night and carry a diamond in their mouth to light their way. I gave the hippo’s mouth a once over and found no trace of a diamond— leading me to wonder if the night watchman’s wife received a luminescent anniversary present this year.

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For anyone going to the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum here is what you need to know. The museum is located at 645 East 1430 North in Provo, Utah on the campus of Brigham Young University. To get there take the University Parkway exit off of I-15, and head east for several miles. Turn right on 600 East, left on 1430 North, and left into the parking lot. You’re there. Admission to the museum is free. Parking is also free, but you must get a parking pass from the front desk of the museum and hang it from your rearview mirror. BYU parking enforcement is not shy about doling out tickets, so don’t skip this step. The hours of operation are 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. and on weekdays and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Call to check for holiday hours

The Bean Museum is very family friendly. The bathrooms have changing tables. Near the restroom, is a nursery that has animal toys and a rocking chair. This room is available to the public if it has not been previously reserved. Food and drink are not permitted, but there is a grassy front lawn where you may sit and picnic. Here are two final tips. Take a few dollars to spend. The museum shop is surprisingly inexpensive. Tiny starfish can be purchased for ten cents, a bargain even Wal-Mart can’t promise. And lastly, don’t forget the camera. This is particularly important for Napoleon Dynamite fans who will be tickled to know that the Bean Museum even has a liger (half lion, half tiger) on display.

Pop quiz! Name the first museum ever built in the state of Utah for the visual arts. Not sure? Try this: What Utah art museum houses over two thousand original works of art in its permanent collection, 1,500 of which were created by Utah artists? Still unsure? Okay, last one: This museum, built in 1907, also houses one of the largest modern Russian art collections anywhere outside of Russia itself. No clue?

You art lovers out there probably know I’m talking about the Springville Museum of Art, right in the heart of downtown Springville (also known as “Utah’s Art City.”) This amazing treasure is just minutes away from most Utah county cities, and what’s even better, it is one of the most family-friendly art museums you’ll ever visit (no ties, no wine, and no cheese, thank you!)

It’s time you discovered this internationally recognized yet very accessible museum of art. And definitely bring the kids!

The easiest way to learn about what’s going on at the Museum is by visiting their website: http://smofa.org. It offers information on current exhibits, hours and directions, and access to many of the images in the Museum’s collection.

As far as the family-friendly thing, the Museum takes that very seriously. On the first Monday of each month (excluding holidays) they host a family and community night beginning at 6 p.m. These include guest artists, lots of games and fun activities for kids of all ages, as well as featuring musicians and other creative members from the community.

Did I mention that all of this is free? Yep, absolutely gratis. Because of support from both the community and state, all of this is yours for the price of a half-gallon of gas.

Some recent exhibits have included such diverse offerings as a tribute to Utah children’s book illustrators (wow! Do we have some talent here at home or what?), a wonderful group of new paintings from Provo painter J. Kirk Richards, and some amazing quilts! I mentioned diverse, yes? FYI, the illustrator’s exhibit will be up through the end of the year, and includes many of the books these artists have contributed to (and a comfy couch to read them on!)

The museum is stroller-friendly and has one of the friendliest, most knowledgeable staffs I’ve ever met. Most of them are volunteers! Free guided tours are also easily arranged. If you’re driving from the north, take exit 260 east. Continue on 400 South for two miles. The entrance to the Museum is on the East side of the building. You can also call 801-489-2727 with any questions.

I love, love, love the museum and tell everyone that I can about it. You don’t have to be an art lover to have a great time. Just enjoying seeing amazing images painted by amazing artists is enough to make it a fun time for all. Give yourself at least an hour in order to enjoy all three spacious floors. I promise you’ll love it and will become a patron of the arts without even realizing it. See you in Springville!

The Shops at Riverwoods is an outdoor mall right on the corner of University Avenue and 4800 N, which turns into Orem Center St. There are lots of stores and restaurants there–there are clothing stores, like Abercrombie & Fitch, the Buckle, Victoria’s Secret, and Kaleidoscope (none of which are cheap stores, for the record); there’s a yoga studio called It’s Yoga, an art store, Bath & Body Works, a children’s clothes store, and lots of other retailers; there’s Macaroni Grill, Happy Sumo (a fantastic Asian restaurant), Tucano’s Brazilian Grill, Bajio’s, Subway, and a few other restaurants, and a Hogi Yogi across the parking lot from the theater. Sometimes we’ll see a movie at the Wynnsong theater, too, which has been recently redecorated inside.

There’s a biking trail running through the Riverwoods that goes up to Provo Canyon, so you’ll see lots of people riding past as you walk around the eastern side of the mall. The Provo River also runs past the west side of the mall, and there’s a gorgeous walking path along it.

After snowsuit shopping, we headed over to Jason’s Deli in Layton for a hearty winter lunch. I love this cafeteria-style restaurant. The food is so good, mostly healthy, and much of it organic. We ordered hot sandwiches (a crisp Reuben for my husband, a chicken pesto panini for me) and a hearty chicken noodle soup for my daughter. With warm, full bellies we then headed toward home to venture out into the snow.

We made a quick stop at Fox Hollow Park and Arboretum in Clearfield, where we’ve spent lots of snowy winter days sledding down the gentle slopes. It’s one of those quiet neighborhood parks that never gets too crowded. (The photo is actually from last year, since I didn’t have my camera with me.)

By the time we headed back to our house, the afternoon sun had warmed the day enough so that blades of grass were poking through the blanket of snow left by the season’s first snowfall (as it happened, we didn’t need that snowsuit after all.) So, dressed in tights, jeans, a turtleneck, and warm jacket, my daughter and husband (who was NOT wearing tights) headed outside…to build a snow-pumpkin! After all, it’s nearly Halloween!

I know the snow isn’t here to stay (yet!) but it sure was fun to have a little autumn preview.