Fall is officially upon us. Take a walk through your neighborhood grocery store, and you’ll discover pumpkin-flavored creamers, baking mixes, cream cheeses and more. Your nose catches arousing notes of pumpkin spice while rushing past coffee shops on the way to work every morning. And the leaves – well, they’re absolutely stunning in their final ‘hoorah’ before blanketing the ground.

As with all things stirring and beautiful, nothing lasts forever. Yearning for an authentic ‘country’ experience, a friend and I traveled south to Cox Farms in Centreville, Virginia a few weeks ago.

We had a blast in our autumn-appropriate attire. Pumpkin patches may be child’s play, but adults can enjoy themselves amidst piles of pumpkins, too. Just examining each squash’s textures and colors proved inspiring!

Cox Farms offered several attractions, from corn mazes to hayrides. Albeit the kitschy décor, rummaging through fields of corn and snapping photos with the prettiest of pumpkins was gratifying and totally nostalgic. And the farm animals? Adorable.

With Halloween behind us, a pumpkin selfie only holds so much relevance. Make sure to visit your local patch for some good old fashioned fun and a spectacular addition to your Instagram feed. You can always pick up an orange squash at the grocery store, but nothing compares to a pumpkin picked at the peak of perfection.

‘Til next time,

Jonathan