Sometimes it's ok to get lost

Are you looking for something fun to do this fall... I'm suprised each year, when I mention the words "Corn Maze" to people, just how many people look at me like I've sprouted a third arm... yet those that have joined in on the fun, have had a blast and look forward to doing it every year! So, to start with... I'll get real simple... a corn maze is exactly what it sounds like, it's a maze... in a corn field... there are a variety of themes, sizes, levels of difficulty, and entertainment value to each one. If you're not sure if there is one near you, I recommend starting clicking here to check out a HUGE directory for pumpkin patches, corn mazes and the works!

Now I do have some tips...

* call ahead or check online, to confirm hours & pricing... everything changes...

* wear comfortable shoes, preferably tennis shoes... your feet will thank you

* make sure the size of the maze is appropriate for the people attending, small kids might not be able to make it through a 9 acre maze and you may be carrying them!

*get a group together, it's much more fun with a group of people, and depending on the size, you might get a discount

*don't wear your Sunday best, it's a farm after all... chances are, you'll end up a bit dirty or dusty

*make sure you hit the bathroom before you hit the maze... Read on and you'll find out why!

So, here's my own little tale of this year's corn maze adventure. We decided to check out a relatively new one this year. Kelley Farms did their 2nd annual corn maze... It's pretty big, something like 8 acres, this year it's in the shape of Abraham Lincoln. It's actually 2 different mazes, we were brave enough to try both. We of course headed out once it got dark... because corn mazing is even more fun with a flash light! They gave us a diagram of the maze, so you could figure your way through, we of course took it, but decided we'd just figure this sucker out on our own... We did pretty good. We managed to only go in circles about 20 times (this is half the fun!) in the first maze... Remember me telling you that tip about bathroom visits... very important... one of my dear friends decided she couldn't hold it any longer, so we purposely found a dead end that curved around.... and stood guard while she crept into the dark to pee! Let me just say it's very quiet out there too... so we had to talk kinda loud to drown it out... Sadly, this isn't the first time I've known a friend to have to pee in the corn maze!

Now at one point, I'm sure I personally made parents grab their children a little tighter... See earlier in the evening, as we were getting ready to head out, one of my friends was on the phone, recanting a very funny comment to another friend, and for some reason I got tickled, just as I was trying to take a drink of soda... and unfortunately, while trying to keep from spewing the soda out my mouth (which I was succeeded at preventing!) I managed to spew soda through my nose! I know, not a very pretty picture! Definitely not one of my more graceful moments, that's for sure... So fast forward to about an hour later, in the maze, as I exclaim (and unfortunately, in my "outside voice" )for all the world to hear, "I can still smell COKE in my nose!" At which point I realized that the words tumbling forth from my mouth, might have different connotations to those said parents who were probably now trying to herd their children away from the crazy druggie in the corn maze!

After making it through the first maze, which was dubbed... "Harder" we decided to give the "easier" one a shot... now mind you, there are these little numbered check points as you go through the maze, so you can kind of figure out if you're headed on the right path... so we pass Check point 1 very easily, before you know it, we're onto #2, and in the blink of an eye, #3 is in our sights... at which point, I point out, "Wow, this one is easier"... which as you probably have guessed, was a little presumptive... because as we trudge on... we see another checkpoint...and as we get closer, realize we're back at #2... SUPER, so we backtrack.... and instead of seeing #3, the next one we spy is #1! Somehow, we manage to get our heads in the game, and start back over, of course, through the rest of the maze, the following comments can be overheard by our group "Hey, this is the same hole we stepped over 5 minutes ago!" and "Haven't we been by this row before???" But finally, Victory was ours! We successfully made it out of Maze #2... We had managed to hit all the checkpoints in both mazes (with the exception of C.P. #5 in the first one) and had a bunch of letters to unscramble.... I am pleased to say I solved the puzzle, and we headed back to claim our prize... mini pumpkins & gourds... although each of us heard a different description of the quantity we were supposed to claim... so we possibly stole an extra gourd... if so, I blame Misha!

Here's Misha & Kev as we entered the Maze:

And here is Kevin & Me!

So that was Corn Maze adventure '08 - Who knows where we'll end up next year!