Apple and Pumpkin Picking at Alstede's Farms

It would not be Fall if we didn't go pumpkin picking.  But Zach is in Kindergarten and they also talked about the joys of apple picking and Zach wanted to do that too.   My daughter and I worked through the schedules and chose a day - and it poured rain that day.  Fortunately, our alternate day was the most beautiful Fall day you could ever want.

Climbing the haystack hit the spot after a long car ride

 I did a lot of research to find the place that was right for us.  Here are are requirements:

1.  Only a few places had pumpkins plus apples, and some other fun activities to do.  We wanted all of this.

2.  Some just had a field of pumpkins to pick up but we wanted a real pumpkin patch with the pumpkins still on the vine

3.  Some were only open on weekends and since Zach gets out of school at 12:30 we wanted to go on a weekday.

4.  Since we were getting a late start we wanted to to have not much more than an hour's drive.

That doesn't look like that hard or long a list but New Jersey is the garden state and it took about 4 hours of research to find just the right place.  And we did!  If you are in NJ,  I can highly recommend Alstede Farms in Chester, NJ.

It is an authentic working farm.  While you are waiting to buy your tickets - or before or after you pick pumpkins, apples or more there are a whole host of activities.  Kids of all ages loved climbing on this giant haystack shown above.  There were rides and farm apples and wine tasting for adults.  After our hour long car drive Zach enjoyed climbing on the haystack before we headed over to the hayride.

There is a long hayride  with four stops through various fields and each stop is marked with the fruits/vegetables/flowers available at that stop.  Stop #2 is "Pumpkins and Apples."  Just what we ordered and right next to each other!!!!!!!  There are rows of apple trees marked either ready for picking or Not ready for picking.  I don't have any pictures of us picking apples because I was holding down branches so that Zach could pick his choice of apples.  I have never been apple picking before but I think this was even more fun than the pumpkins.  Here is Zach with his Mom in the pumpkin field. 

Zach and his Mom - Pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere....

There was too long a wait for the pony rides but this tractor train ride was just as much fun

Next year we will be back at Alstede Farms.  I can't wait.  It was a great day - next I hope to have more pictures.

Marion

P.S.  This weekend I bought a cute paperback picture book at our Church rummage sale - Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell and I can't wait to read it together with Zach on babysitting night.  It covers visiting the farm, picking apples from the trees and pumpkins off the vine, making a jack-o-lantern (we are going to do that) and trick or treating on Halloween.  They have it on Amazon and so I thought I'd show the link here: