Growing up in The OC, we got our pumpkins just like we got our Christmas trees: in the parking lots of grocery stores and malls. Sure they'd try to make it into some charming little pumpkiny fantasy land with hay rides around the strip mall and hot cider to ward off any chills on a perfectly sunny, 75 degree day. But its still a mall parking lot. I always thought it was kind of strange, like a lot of things are in The OC.
So, the first time Jeff brought me to Pine Tree Apple Orchard in White Bear Lake to walk through acres of apple trees, corn mazes and real live pumpkin patches, I was pretty excited. And soon discovered my obsession with pumpkin patches. Not quite on the same level as whales and fields of sunflowers, but I like them. A lot. This was like 9 years ago and we'd come all the way from SF just to visit friends and peep leaves for my bday every year. I discovered the apple donuts they sell in the bakery and have been hooked ever since - I have to go there every fall to stock up on apple candles and an array of baked apple goods, and while I'm there usually take a stroll through the pumpkin patch, delighted to see them growing..maybe I think a fairy godmother will suddenly appear to turn one into a carriage or something. Not sure. But I am excited to take my little baby bean next year - he/she will be 6 months old and most likely stuffed into a cute little pumpkin Halloween costume, possibly with photos in the patch.
Pinetree Apple Orchard is just a few miles down the road from Stillwater, so we went there for a nice little dinner of warm goat cheese salad and penne with chicken at Marx wine bar, then walked along the water and around the town until we were half frozen and went to warm up by a fireplace. A perfect fall day.
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