Category Archives: Uncategorized

Best Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze in the Boulder Area

by Sarah | Leave a comment

pumpkin patch-38Feeling fall festive? Visit a local you-pick pumpkin or apple farm! Our family albums have years and years of apple and pumpkin-picking portraits, and it’s always a fun game to try to remember where and when we roamed the fields. Photo captions, who needs ’em? Us. These were taken three-ish years ago, and even I had a hard time remembering the name of this epic pumpkin farm outside of Boulder, but lucky for me, the name is in the photos. Katie and the kids have already made their annual pilgrimage this year, but I was too embarrassed to ask Katie the name because that would remind her that I still haven’t published this years-in-the-making post.

pumpkin patch-6This is where I implore you to take a trip to Anderson Farms. Anderson Farms is located about 25 minutes northeast of Boulder, Colorado, 15 minutes from Longmont, and about 20 minutes from Lafayette. Anderson Farms is basically a festive fall wonderland. Anderson Farms is open for another three weeks – every day except Tuesday.

We liked Anderson Farms because there are a bunch of activities included in the general admission price, plenty of photo-taking opportunities, and lots of room for your kids to roam and run. We especially loved the corn maze, the wagon ride to the pumpkin patch, and taking breaks to play on the play structures. Even though Anderson Farms draws a large crowd, there is plenty of space to spread out, eat a snack, and gear up for more fun.

The corn maze is a true adventure for all ages! Before entering the maze, you’re given a photo and map of the maze. There are also several exits if you’re ready to leave the corn and head back to pumpkin land.

pumpkin patch-22

pumpkin patch-25

Anderson Farm does a good job of making it interactive for younger kids with activities called Farm Scene Tracks and Farm Scene Investigation – work together to find clues and solve the mystery to help Farmer Joe as you move through the maze. Gamifying the maze holds the little one’s attention and helps you keep the whole crew moving along.

A tip or two for the corn maze:

Katie and I wore closed-toe shoes, and I remember us being grateful for them. It can be dusty in the maze and depending on when you visit, I’m sure that dust will turn to mud. It was plenty sunny during our Anderson Farms visit. We wore hats, and sunscreen, and refilled our water bottles several times. Pee before you enter the maze, there are no bathrooms inside. Pro tip: look to the mountains and the large pumpkin silo to orient yourself on the map.

pumpkin patch-23 pumpkin patch-8

After wearing ourselves out in the maze, we headed to the Wagon Ride. This offered a nice break to sit back and look at the beautiful farm scenery. The wagon is set up for safety and was quite delightful. Once we made it to the pumpkin patch we all spread out in different directions to find the perfect pumpkin. The hard part is choosing only what you need. Don’t fret if you can’t carry all your beloved pumpkins, there are hundreds more waiting at the farm store near the parking lot. I recommend finding a special one or two in the field and then waiting until reaching the store to grab a wagon to really load up.  pumpkin patch-32  pumpkin patch-40 pumpkin patch-42

Bonus points if you dress up! I put on a traditional Schu family Halloween costumer (can you find me among the pumpkins in the second image?), while Katie went for the cutsie scarecrow look. I can’t remember if we realized her scarecrow resemblance before leaving the house or not..

pumpkin patch-2 pumpkin patch-7

Need some more pumpkin inspiration? Here are a few favorite posts:

pumpkin patch-29

See the Larches at Blue Lake + Washington Pass Lookout – North Cascades

by Sarah | Leave a comment

We often detail day hikes – check out our full archive here.

live seasoned blue lake hike-26

If you live in Washington, it’s time to pencil in a weekend to see the larches! If you’re not familiar with larches, they’re the bright yellow pine trees in the photo above. Larches are deciduous conifers meaning they have needles instead of leaves and although they are conifers, larches are deciduous trees that lose their needles during autumn. Pretty neat!

I hadn’t seen a larch until I moved to Washington state. They are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south. Larches are among the dominant plants in the boreal forests of Siberia and Canada.  In the U.S., you can find larches in Oregon, Idaho, Montana, here in Washington.  In Washington, you can typically count on larches being in bloom at the end of September and the beginning of October. The vibrant color varies each year and is different depending on the time and elevation, so your best bet is to get out there early and often. Larches can grow to be big boys – sometimes reaching 150 feet tall.

If you’re looking for a nice walk with bright autumn color, any old hike will do ya, but I highly recommend hiking to Blue Lake. Note there are at least six lakes named ‘Blue Lake’ in Washington (and another Blue Lake that Kate visited in Colorado!). I’m referring to the one just off of Highway 20 in the North Cascades. Blue Lake is an amazing Seattle weekend getaway destination. This beautiful 4.5 mile out and back hike features towering granite peaks, evergreen forests, meadows and slide areas with wildflowers and foliage, and of course the most beautiful blue mountain lake.

If you’re traveling from Seattle, it will take you about two hours and forty minutes to Blue Lake. Blue Lake is a sparkly gem surrounded by sheer granite peaks and it would not be a stretch to say it’s the most beautiful lake I’ve ever seen and way up there on my short list of best hikes. That’s no giveaway coming from someone who has been hiking and backpacking since the age of eight. Someone who has hiked across mountain ranges in Nepal and through jungles in Thailand, this hike was freaking amaze balls. If you’re within a three-hour radius, grab your boots, drive to Blue Lake, and start walking.

live seasoned blue lake hike-17

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say we also caught Blue Lake at the best possible time of year. Before setting out on this hike (back in 2018!), I had no idea the larches were in bloom. I actually had no idea what larches were, but now I plan weekend adventures around these beauties. You have to catch them when they change color before the needles fall. You’ll be ooing and aahing every step of the way. Just for reference, this hike to Blue Lake was during the last weekend in September, on the 29th to be exact.

Continue reading …

32 Things to Eat, See, Drink, and Do in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill

by Sarah | Leave a comment

Let me be clear, this is mostly a list of awesome breweries, bars, and bites to eat in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. This list is not comprehensive. This is my list that I pass on to people who are visiting the area. I lived in Chapel Hill for about five years. I loved every second of it and you won’t catch me saying anything negative about the triangle. It was truly a really pleasant place to live. Here are my favorite eats and drinks – enjoy!

Raleigh

  1. Beasley’s Chicken + Honey https://ac-restaurants.com/beasleys/ So tasty! A must-try. I like the chicken biscuit and the classic chicken, yum!
  2. Death & Taxes https://ac-restaurants.com/death-taxes/ Upscale. Amazing. Great at local sourcing. Menu changes daily! Dishes made by my favorites at Haand.
  3. The Pit https://www.thepit-raleigh.com/ The Pit http://thepit-durham.com/ really taste barbecue and nice atmosphere.
  4. Whiskey Kitchen https://www.whiskey.kitchen/ I like the food and I like whiskey!
  5. The Raleigh Times https://www.raleightimesbar.com/about/ tasty drinks and great food too. I think of this spot as an after-work delight or a quick drink and eats place before a night on the town.
  6. North Carolina Museum of Art Sculpture Garden https://ncartmuseum.org/visit/the_park I like museums, but they make me sleepy. Check out the outdoor sculpture garden, it’s a great place to walk around.
  7. Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve Nice woodsy area in Cary. Click for a list of the short nature walks. 

Durham

  1. The Durham https://thedurham.com/restaurant/ stylish hotel with a great rooftop bar with small bites and a nice view. There’s also another delicious restaurant indoors, but I think it’s temporarily closed due to COVID, so check before going. 
  2. The Pit http://thepit-durham.com/ really taste barbecue (and right next to a brewery and across the street from a hip little drinks place. There’s also a location in Raleigh.
  3. Beer Study! https://beerstudy.com/ Bottle shop and beers on tap – so many beers and ciders! They have shops in Chapel Hill & Durham.
  4. Bull City Cider Works https://www.bullcityciderworks.com/durham Cider! Great cider spot especially for those who think they don’t like cider.
  5. Cloudworks https://www.cloudsbrewing.com/ Brewery with tasty food.
  6. Fullsteam https://www.fullsteam.ag/ cool brewery next to a delicious barbecue restaurant, good food trucks, and another hip bar.
  7. Pour https://www.pourtaproom.com/locations/durham/ self-serve taproom where you can choose to only try an ounce or two of beer, cider, kombucha, etc.
  8. Hi-Wire Brewery https://hiwirebrewing.com/ cool, spacious, a great place to chill and drink delicious drafts.
  9. Barrel Culture https://barrelculture.com/ it’s out of the way, but it’s worth it if you’re serious about good beer.
  10. Ponysaurus Brewing https://www.ponysaurusbrewing.com/ nice covered patio and lawn area. Durham spoils you with chill breweries and this is just another one of those gems.
  11. American Tobacco Campus https://americantobacco.co/restaurants-retail/ restored tobacco factories transformed into housing, retail, restaurants, and event venues. It’s a cool place to just take a little stroll. It’s also next to the Durham Bulls baseball stadium. The one restaurant that is actually amazing is Saladelia. The rest are very meh or chains. I would get Saladelia takeout and sit outside somewhere on the grounds or I’d grab a morning coffee somewhere and just take a stroll through. Phoebe Judge records Criminal at the NPR radio studio onsite! There’s also a cute stationery shop for the paper lovers among us.
  12. Duke University if you’re into walking around looking at an old campus.
  13. Sarah P. Duke Gardens https://gardens.duke.edu/phase1 Free. Beautiful! The gardens may or may not be open so check before going. Apparently, they were closed for an entire year! That’s just nutso.

Chapel Hill

  1. Top of the Hill https://www.thetopofthehill.com/#toporestaurant this is a good spot to dine on the patio and people watch several stories above the busiest corner in Chapel Hill. The food doesn’t blow me away, I come here more for the view (and the drinks because it’s a distillery!).
  2. Al’s Burger Shack https://www.alsburgershack.com/ fresh, local, sustainable southern grub. The burgers come in three sizes so you can snack according to your stomach size. These are some of the best burgers I’ve ever had! It’s also right next door to Beer Study.
  3. Mediterranean Deli https://mediterraneandeli.com/ So many mains, sides, wraps, deli salads, Mediterranean desserts, etc. It’s deli-style so they fill containers with whatever amount you want. Nice for a picnic! There is seating inside and out too. It’s cheap, quick, and ridiculously filling.
  4. The Pig https://thepigrestaurant.com/ Delicioussss bbq! Super authentic NC style. It’s in a weird-ass spot, but it’s so good that I’m willing to overlook it.
  5. Allen & Son’s https://www.facebook.com/AllenSonBbq/ Super authentic! Just check out that facebook page, hah! But don’t let the pics scare you. This is one of the most delicious “down-home” bbq spots in NC. There are more upscale suggestions elsewhere on this doc, but I love stopping by the take-out window at Allen’s. DO NOT eat in unless you want to be surrounded by taxidermy and have your wrists stick to vinyl tablecloths. 
  6. Venable https://venablebistro.com/ describes itself as a rotisserie bistro serving elevated southern comfort food.  Each meal incorporates southern elements, but the portion sizes keep the food coma at bay.  The cocktails are amazing and worth every penny, but I know that’s not what you’re after!
  7. Elmo’s Diner https://www.elmosdiner.com/ Full Breakfast or Brunch – is always my top pick for a sit-down breakfast. If you’re eating when the rest of Chapel Hill is, there’s usually a wait, but Elmo’s is located in Carr Mill Mall so you’ll have little shops to visit while you wait. My favorite in the plaza is Townsend and Bertram, an independently owned outdoors store with the kindest, most helpful employees.
  8. Beer Study! https://beerstudy.com/ Bottle shop and beers on tap – so many beers and ciders! They have shops in Chapel Hill & Durham.
  9. Cafe Driade https://caffedriade.com/ is an absolute gem. It’s tucked away just outside of town on East Franklin Street, this is a cafe that locals know and love. The entrance to the lot comes up quickly so you may zoom by it. There’s seating sprinkled around the front and side of Cafe Driade, but take a look around the back.
  10. Honeysuckle Tea House http://www.honeysuckleteahouse.com/  is a great little excursion especially if you just need to decompress for a beat. Cool open-air tea house with a treehouse vibe – created from old shipping containers. It’s a little bit of a drive into the country. It’s a mini oasis or you might think it’s like walking onto a hippie compound 😉 Beverages (tea, kombucha, beer, smoothies) are on point, there wasn’t much food when I would visit, so you may want to.
  11. Open Eye Cafe https://openeyecafe.com/ is the sister cafe to Driade. They are both under the umbrella of Carrboro Coffee Roasters so if you need good coffee for a gift for someone, it’s excellent! They used to offer classes here where they’d teach you how to brew coffee on the machine of your choosing. So neat!
  12. Fearrington Village & Jordan Lake – A visit to Jordan Lake could mean hiking, kayaking SUP, walking along the beach, etc. Even just driving by is lovely, especially if you drive this way. Fearrington Village is this oddly ritzy, little community. There’s a good bookstore, a cafe called the Belted Goat that’s yummy, and some other shops and a spa. Adorable cows, goats, and other animals roaming in the large fields.

Earth Day Round-Up to Inspire Action

by Sarah | Leave a comment

Happy Earth Day everyone! I’m so excited to be in Boulder for the week with Katie and her family. I typically visit at the end of April to celebrate Luc, Alex, and our Pop’s birthday. Without fail, it snows, but that doesn’t stop us from getting outside and enjoying a bit of fresh air everyday and especially on Earth Day.

Spending any moments in the sun, snow, wind, or rain is a required Earth Day activity, but today we also took a mini-adventure to the Ares thrift store here in town. A solid reminder to buy used whenever you’re able. Such an easy way to reduce the consumption and inevitable waste that we’ll all create during our lifetimes. Check our insta stories to see the great items we picked up!

We wanted to do a little bit of recycling and reusing this Earth Day ourselves, so without further delay, here’s a round-up of previous posts to inspire some action this April and beyond!

DO!

Pick Your Share! – Now is absolutely the time to join a farm share / CSA. Learn more here and pick your share OR make a commitment to visit your farmers markets several times per month. We are visiting the Boulder Farmers Market this weekend!

Donate With Me – Great reasons to donate your sh!t!

34 Alternatives to Single-use Plastic – I challenge you to follow all the suggestions on this post AND suggest new ones that I can add! I’ve already thought of one that I need to include in my next edit.

Five Best Earth Friendly Products for Outdoor Showers – No, you cannot wash directly in the river or even right next to a body of water, ever. However, these soaps and shampoos are biodegradable, meaning they can be broken down in the soil within a reasonable amount of time (about six months) by bacteria or fungus in the soil.

READ!

A Beautiful Book for Earth Day – The most perfect read for your little ones.

Our Favorite Nature Books – These are adult reads that we highly recommend. We cover the gambit from biographies to science to art and photography and more. Take a look and add these to your reading list today.

Our Favorite Wilderness Reads – Another list of novels, but these inspire you to really dive into the wilderness or stay safely in your bed and live vicariously through these books.

LISTEN!

Podcast Suggestions: Earth Day Editions – Specific episode suggestions to inspire a great connection with Mother Earth. Bonus points if you subscribe to The Wild podcast hosted by Chris Morgan.

DRINK!

Why not shake up one of Katie’s fancy cocktails?

Spring of Deception & Pisco Sour seem like great options for this week!

Cheers!

Make with Me : Embroidery Kits (again!)

by Katie | 1 Comment

If you’re looking for a new project or hobby, we have a lot of great ideas in our Make with Me and DIY archives.

I made a trio of nautical embroidered designs from Hook Line & Tinker this past summer. They were great traveling projects that are small and easy enough to start and stop, and left me with an itch to do more!

Continue reading …

Make with Me : Macrame Wreath

by Katie | 1 Comment

If you like this post, check out our cutest little macrame owl and Sarah’s (TV famous) plant hangers. You can find the rest of our Make with Me posts here.

Looking for some DIY decor this season? Today I’m sharing all of the resources for making this super simple and cute wreath (only two different knots are required!).

Continue reading …

Wildlife Camera Experiment

by Katie | Leave a comment

Two years ago I shared some photos taken with our wildlife camera. It’s worth popping over to that post if you want to see some of our neighbors.

M2E1L0-0R350B320

For the longest time we had the camera pointed on our pond to catch a glimpse of the wildlife, but recently I’ve been itching to do something more with it. A fortuitous moment made that possible!

Continue reading …

Do Something.

by Katie | 1 Comment

Hi there. It’s still not too late to do something.

I saw a great tweet this week reminding everyone that there’s more than one way to act. Think of the PROTESTs as a highway, and you just have to find your lane. Maybe you have funds to DONATE. Maybe you can CALL your representatives and ask for police reform and justice. Maybe you can take up the conversation with friends, and CHALLENGE their racist beliefs. Just do something.

There are many great resources out there. Here are a few links that we’ve found helpful.