I am sad summer is ending, obviously.
I’m also SO EXCITED summer is ending, because the Hudson Valley in autumn is like a kid who’s been practicing for a performance all year long and finally gets to put on his costume and go on stage. I’ve now become one of those people who actually reads Westchester Magazine and calendars upcoming events in her iPhone (although that is the only Westchester Mom stereotype I will concede to…aside from, perhaps, a not-so-hot understanding of exactly what is going on with the highways and parkways and throughways around here and how one might learn how to navigate them within this century), and one of the events that I calendared way, way back was this one:
Cornucopia.
It’s one of the annual events hosted by Philipsburg Manor (others include a very fantastic Haunted House thing that I will be attending/writing about shortly), and – other than the extremely, extremely detailed water mill tour that very nearly put me to sleep on my feet and turned my two-year-old into a For The Love Of God Let Me Out Of Here Tasmanian Devil – was adorable.
There were games.
Corn dogs. (Do you know, I don’t think I’ve ever had one of these before in my life? I’m aware that doesn’t make sense and sounds like a lie, but corn dogs are delicious enough that I feel like I’d remember the experience of having previously eaten one.)
Cornfield mazes!
Sheep roaming in pastures!
And…the best part…a huge pile of old clothing that you were encouraged to root through in search of an outfit for your very own scarecrow.
Mine obviously required a little accessorizing.
Next up in this weekend’s Summer Activity Marathon: a trip to Field Station Dinosaurs, in Secaucus N.J., with a bunch of friends and their kids.
I had heard about this “Dinosaur Safari” thing, but I did not understand.
It’s crazy.
It really does feel like you’re wandering around in the movie Jurassic Park, complete with rustling branches, weirdly atmospheric music, and children who start the day freaking out in joy and then end up kind of overheated and grumpy and wanting to get off the ride now, please.
When all else fails, just allow your offspring to root around in the dirt and place rocks in each others’ hair.
Or find a really, REALLY big dinosaur. That works, too.
Click here for more information on upcoming Hudson Valley events, and here for all things Dinosaur Safari.
