One more thing about the Phoenix area, there are not an overabundance of corn mazes in the fall. Granted there are cornfields here. There are mazes (escape rooms), too. However, there are not cornfield mazes aplenty.

Fall and/or Autumn reminds me of gloomy, cold weather, and cornfield mazes.

My first one was Saturday, October 8th, 2016. When I’m asked about my first experience, I usually describe it as “the Blair Witch Project meets Legend of Zelda“. Growing up in the city of Mountlake Terrace didn’t afford me many opportunities to have corn grow. Let alone grow enough to provide a maze of it. So when I was old enough to drive myself to the outlying towns of Snohomish, and Arlington, I wasn’t interested in adventures in corn mazes, #letsbehonest

Ever since I moved from the city of Bothell to the “city” of Lake Stevens out where I’ve described it as the “sticks” or “Canada” because of my distance from a majority of my friends, it’s been easier to find country life activities such as corn mazes, hay rides, outdoor paintball, and firing apple cannons.

My first year working at the Woodinville Costco was a time of learning and observing. Along Washington Highway 9 especially between Clearview and Snohomish there are expansive farm fields on either side. Therefore the advertising isn’t difficult to notice and read. One was (still is) a billboard sign for Thomas Family Farms enticing you to turn left (westward) to their place to enjoy fresh picked apples, corn, kid’s activities, and of course their main draw – Adventures In Corn Mazes – Their corn maze!

I mentioned this to my little sister, Charrina, one afternoon, “Ya know, it’s on my Bucket List to tackle a corn maze.”

Her facial expression was priceless, “Wait. Hold up. You’ve never been through one? Not like with Marty, or Art? Or even Chris?”

“No, ma’am. I just never made it a priority as a teen, or young adult. Now? It seems muddy, cold, and without merit or reward. Yet it is still on my list of experiences I want to have.”

She sits up, and says, “Ok, big brother. Pick one corn maze, and a date or two, and I’ll do it that with you.”

Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs

Many of y’all know this about me, but I absolutely love chicken fried steak and eggs! So much so that it’s my first choice on any breakfast menu. By the time 2016 rolled in, I had completed enough vertical tastings to create a Top 5, Top 10 Ranking of Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs in Washington State, or at least, Western Washington.

Thankfully, the Number 1 Restaurant to enjoy CFS was Wendy’s Country Cafe on California St in Everett, Washington. I wrote that because I was living in Lake Stevens, which was a few minutes drive across a bridge, then *bOoM* you were there.

The owner / operator was the only server as well: Wendy. The name Wendy conjures a sweet face, welcoming aura, and short in stature. She was none of those attributes. A tall, slim or almost wirely, older woman that had seem some things, with rich brown hair, and soul piercing eyes, with a sarcastic demeanor that reminds me of a truck stop diner waitress named Flo that smoked a pack of methanol cigarettes and downed a whisky.

Of course, I can’t confirm that but my mind works like that.

Her chicken fried steak and eggs was the END-ALL-TO-BE-ALL with real sausage bites in the ground beef, country gravy smothering the chicken fried steak.

WCP and I wanted, perhaps needed, a heart breakfast before experiencing a cornfield maze.

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Thomas Family Farm

Thomas Family Farm is a compound. I loved it, too. At least from what I experienced of this agritourism and event venue farm. There is many activities to do beyond the corn maze (daytime) such as pumpkin patch, gem mining, super slide, pro karts, kid paintball blast, Monster Truck rides, and my new favorite, apple cannons! They also offer nighttime activities of zombie paintball, Nightmare on 9 Haunted House, and flashlight corn maze.

That particular Saturday, (October 8th, 2016) was the day of days! We rolled up to the maze super early in the morning to leverage the little bit of light punching through the fully clouded-over sky.

Children of the Corn

After purchasing our admission tickets, we were given maps, and some hints. As geocachers, we were so amped to completing this challenge in a record minutes. WE. DID. NOT.

The “bridge” was halfway through this seemingly impossible maze. We felt like were out-of-shape runners from the movie franchise, Maze Runner. However, turn after turn, we managed to find a campfire, signage, and bridge at halfway.

We had a renewed feeling of confidence to finish the maze. And we did!

We were triumphant!

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FIRE IN THE HOLE!

People say “fire in the hole” to warn others that an explosion is about to happen in a confined space. The phrase originated with American miners who used it to alert their fellow workers that a charge had been set. It’s now used in many contexts, including: People often use the phrase humorously as a general warning, especially when throwing something.

OH, MAN! I fired one apple from the cannon closest to me, and I was hooked.

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a popular English proverb that means eating an apple every day can help keep you healthy. The original version of the proverb was “Eat an apple on going to bed and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread” and first appeared in 1866 in Wales. The current version of the proverb became popular around 1887. 

I honestly don’t know if that applies to a projectile apples. However, I had a blast [pun intended] with the apple cannons.

After that, it was time for VICTORY BEERS! Thankfully, they were serving alcohol to adults in the smallest room possible which meant it was easy to heat up.

We happily enjoyed our beers, so it was time to select our Halloween pumpkins to carve up from the pumpkin patch.

… and kids? That was a wrap! A few more photos before bouncing.

Tell me, Spaceship Earth and Seattle, have you rocked a corn maze before? If so, where did you do it? Nearby, like Thomas Family Farm? Or the Midwest? The South? I’m uber curious!

Until next time though, be good like you should, and if you can’t be good, be good at what you do!

Mic drop *bOoM*