The Bedford Area's Best Pumpkin Patch: Layman Family Farms

Our area of Virginia includes many fun "pumpkin patch" ongoing fall festivals for kids.  Two of the best are Jeter Farm, winning the Roanoke area, and Layman Family Farms, winning the Bedford area. Region-travelling families could actually take a nice weekend and drive 460, spending time at both. This year, we took in opening weekend and teacher appreciation day at Layman Family Farms first. It was a great blast from the past:  K and J went on a date to their original corn maze at their previous site, and we have great memories over the years of our tiny kids visiting this type of attraction, like these of young E at Layman's just a few years ago.

Vast and full of little amusements, Layman Family Farms includes a variety of fun attractions for elementary-aged kids in particular, including a corn crib "sandbox," a train of "cows" pulled by a tractor, hayrides, a corn maze, a treehouse-type playground, an "underground" slide, a farm animal "zoo," a set of short zip lines, and more.  General admission gets you in--and gets you a few chances on some of the attractions that are sort of "ticketed."  These attractions include one of our kids' favorites, the jumping pillow.  Other attractions do not require any form of tickets and include E's pick, the Bee Line zip lines, and G's pick, the corn crib--but don't worry: you can purchase more tickets as needed if you like other areas more.  We smiled with pride, though, as our kids enjoyed some of the simpler things to do, including also a ball toss game that caught E's attention (no prizes, but lots of fun).

Layman Family Farms is likely the area's largest such pumpkin patch site.  Active kids can spend a long time here, especially when the site is not terribly crowded and their adults are willing to indulge them with lots of time on the jumping pillow, on the zip lines, and/or in the corn crib.  We've found less crowding early in the season (September) and later in the season (November), making it easier to spend a little more time on these attractions.  Take time to admire the views, especially from the hayride and "pumpkin patch" area.

If you go, dress to play and be comfortable--and be set to get dusty.  If you are doing photos on site as lots of families do, consider doing them first before you start serious exploring and get a little messy. Take some money for fair food available at the farm; we very much appreciated the lemonade and twisty fries.  Deal hunters should follow the Layman Family Farm Facebook page seasonally for advance purchase and season pass savings; many others can save on special admission days for educators, first responders, and others as advertised on their website.  Early season admission tends to be less expensive as well.  Layman's is home to a small gift shop-type store, and you can, of course, buy Pumpkins.  And definitely review them on TripAdvisor--they just got added!

One of the Best for Every Kid in a Park: Booker T Washington National Monument

It's delightful to live where there are so many treasures nearby.   We had part of a Saturday open ahead of a graduation party and decided to strike out to the Booker T Washington National Monument, a beautiful National Park Services site not far from Smith Mountain Lake, Bedford, and Roanoke, Virginia.  Incorporating a small gallery-style museum, a working farm site with animals, and an expanse of land for exploring, this is a National Parks Services site that can captivate a whole family, including kids of varying ages.  E, age 8, definitely came away with improved understandings of African American history, educational history, and agricultural history.  This site always reminds K of what a privilege it is to be an educator.

E, G, and K set off primarily to earn another Junior Ranger badge while J was giving a tour of Lexington to students.  E is so enamored with the Junior Ranger program that he now says that any day that he earns a Junior Ranger badge is one of the best days of the year.  If you are unfamiliar, persons of any age, but primarily kids age 5 to 13, can become Junior Rangers at most National Park Service sites by completing a few activities. Most are provided in a small booklet you can ask for (or download in advance from some park websites) and include a variety of activities like scavenger hunts and topical word games.  They really do help cement the understandings of young kids on site at various important places, and the Booker T. Washington Junior Ranger booklet does a particularly good job of incorporating a good variety of activities and providing space for children to record their own thoughts. If you are new to the Junior Ranger program, this is a fabulous site to begin your adventure.

When you arrive, check out your Junior Ranger booklet and take in the orientation film--it is definitely worth your time and is narrated by a grandchild of Booker T Washington himself.  Then, spend some time in the interactive gallery with exhibits, a helpful place to discuss the realities of life before the Emancipation Proclamation in particular.  In the interest of time, K had to pull E and G along to the outside--we spent over 45 minutes in this area.  As regular blog readers know, we Haltermans are serious about our museums--and it was great to see the kids so involved in learning in this space.  Outside, there are several interesting plantation buildings including barns and multiple places to observe livestock; we saw ducks, horses, cows, and a very bossy turkey.

If you go, know that admission is free, the rangers are friendly, and the parking is ample. There are generous picnic grounds and two hiking trails that can be tackled with kids.  There's also a small gift shop.  Check the event schedule, perhaps by calling the park and/or checking their Facebook page, as there are many intriguing events for kids and others, especially in the summer. You are also about five short miles from locally-famous Homestead Creamery for ice cream--check and see if Laker magazine has any current discounts.

Pumpkin Patch

Justin and Kim have appreciated visits to Layman Family Farms since we were dating and visited their first corn maze in Botetourt County.  Now relocated to the Montvale area of Bedford County, the farm makes a great fall family outing.  This year, Elijah (2) seemed to "get" the concept of enjoying the hayride and picking a pumpkin.  The site itself is very child-friendly, and he found features he appreciated like a kid-sized map of the farm.  There's also a corn crib that functions like a sandbox, a big hit with children on the day of our visit, and there's a "child size" corn maze Elijah was able to "run" on his own.
We like this fall festival farm for its other activities, too, including a jumping pillow and a "cow train," a ride pulled by a tractor.  Elijah appreciated reading Little Critter's The Fall Festival and was able to connect his visit to the text.

Of course, there is a large corn maze for those interested.  If you go at night, don't make the mistake of not toting along a flashlight!

If you go, consider planning a side trip to Bedford, about 20 minutes east on 460.  We've visited the farm at various points in the season, and if you aren't interested in the Haunted Maze running at nights near Halloween, early November is a great, less crowded time to go.

An Especially Wholesome Adventure

Post-Halloween and pre-holidays, we wanted to do something that said "fall" even as the malls were saying "winter." Layman's Family Farms in Bedford County fit the bill. Their corn maze (maize, if you prefer) was the first in Virginia and makes for an excellent family trip. Before Halloween, there is a haunted maze, but through mid-November, the farm is a fall playland with animals to view, a corn crib "sandbox," hay rides, and a "cow train" to ride as well. The large corn maze remains open, and while we didn't tackle it, we did enjoy the child-sized maze and viewing the fantastic photos of corn mazes past and present in the produce shop. Those pictures felt special, as Justin and Kim, still dating, visited the first Layman's corn maze back when they were in Botetourt.

Our tips for a trip? Plan to spend a few hours and maybe enjoy a "snack meal" of festival food like fries and carmel corn. The event is great for kids of all ages, and the farm is able to host church groups, birthday parties, and the like. If you go at night, remember flashlights! To make a weekend or a full-day trip, know that the farm is very near Reba Farms Bed and Breakfast, a good site for a horseback ride.

Reference Links:
Layman Family Farms
Reba Farm Inn

Another Labor Day in Bedford

For two years in a row now, Justin and Kim have gone to bed on Labor Day Friday with intentions of driving to Richmond on Labor Day Saturday. Each time, Saturday has become an opportunity to sleep in with a day trip to Bedford instead. This year, we took Don and Nita to the D-Day Memorial and to Liberty Station for lunch. Kim is not usually one on gardens, but the flowers--and the accompanying butterflies and bees--were beautiful at the memorial this year. At present, the controversial Stalin bust remains installed as well, providing an interesting stop for conversation. If you are in Bedford, Liberty Station is always an appropriate stop for lunch. Kim recommends the quiche of the day or the fried green tomato BLT. After lunch, do an antique shop or two in Centertown--Bob's is the best local stop for postcards, and Bella Books has some reasonably-priced books creatively displayed with some serious collectibles.

Following Bedford, Justin, Kim, and Elijah drove out to Downtown Moneta. Downtown is actually a new, upscale-looking mini-mall with the typical small businesses. The Mayberry Antique Mall there includes an outpost for one of our favorite dealers When Toys Were Fun and also has an area featuring Black Dog Salvage.

Keep driving a bit, and you'll find the Booker T. Washington National Monument. Elijah thoroughly enjoyed the grounds here, especially the very large pigs on the site's farm. The interpretation at the site is set for an upgrade, as the visitor's center is being improved at present. If you are interested in tourism history like Kim is, do some research on how this site came to be preserved, comparing and contrasting to Mount Vernon and Monticello.

If you are in the area for very long, Trinity Ecumenical Parish, one of Kim's favorite churches, is nearby, home to a Presbyterian-Episcopal-Lutheran congregation. We hear the Westlake Country Club Friday night buffet is back--and yummy--as well.

Related Links:
National D-Day Memorial
Booker T. Washington National Monument