Simply Natural Creamery

The kids and I have been having a blast visiting Grandma and Grandpa in eastern North Carolina. We've visited cool playgrounds, eaten great food, and spent some much needed quality time with family. 

I'm always on the lookout for cool adventures and educational experiences for my kids. So when I found a dairy farm that offered tours... and a free sample of ice cream? Easy peasy.

Located in Ayden, NC the Simply Natural Creamery offers farm tours and fresh ice cream in their store. 

At the front of their property is a playground that the kids enjoyed while we waited for our tour guide. We rode behind a large tractor in a covered wagon. For some reason I didn't take any pictures of this part. The tractor takes you out and around the soybean fields as the tour guide tells you the history of the farm, statistics on crop yield, and the process of creating the cow's natural diet.

Then we would around to the baby section. The cows at Simply Natural are allowed to graze and roam freely once they are of age. Until then they are housed in the nursery. James loved scratching their faces and enjoyed their rambunctious kisses. Elizabeth was being a bit grumpy and didn't share the same experience.

The tour continues to a large barn where the cows are fed and have "toys" to enjoy. We sat and watched this cow enjoy her back massage for a bit.

We also were able to tour the inside of the milking facility. Our tour guide explained the various mechanisms that quickly milk the cows. From there we moved to watch the milk being put into bottles and loaded into crates in their processing facility.

The kids loved the cows and were especially thrilled with chocolate ice cream at the end! The staff were fantastic and we enjoyed the tour. If you are ever in the area, we highly recommend Simply Natural Creamery... or at the very least stop in for some delicious, natural ice cream.

Live Oak Canyon Fall Festival

Ahhh, my favorite time of the year. This year we decided to go down the mountain to Live Oak Canyon Adventure Farm and their annual Pumpkin Patch and Fall Festival. We met up with some friends and enjoyed a perfect day in southern California.

The farm is about an hour and a half from the Hi-Desert area in Yucaipa, CA. The Yucaipa Valley was home to the Serrano Indians for hundreds of years. It's a beautiful area nestled in the San Bernadino Mountains.

The kids marveled at the different shapes, textures, and colors of pumpkins.

They offer an enormous petting zoo filled with goats and sheep. Other farm animals were also on display and available to pet.

There is a whole section devoted to birds that included chickens, roosters, peacocks, pheasants, roadrunners, and more.

We spent a good chunk of time at the carnival. They have forty or more rides and attractions, games, and bouncy areas. The biggest draw was a giant corn pit. Yep, corn pit.

Getting buried in corn!

They have lots of areas set up for fall pictures with different landscapes and props.

The last thing we definitely wanted to try was the corn maze. This one is well done with lots of turns and dead ends. We played follow the leader and had a blast exploring the maze. Bonus! It wore the kiddos out running!

While they do have many pumpkins picked and sorted for purchase, you can also walk through the fields and pick your own. 

It was a fantastic day! We all had a blast and will definitely go back for their Christmas light show. Everything was well done, clean and organized. Happy Fall!