As I covered in that last blog, fall is finally falling near Charleston, which means it's time to hit a pumpkin patch or two. Obviously Charleston and its island beaches are a great place to kick back in the summer. You can lounge by the pool, whiling away the hours in the balmy sunshine. But as we locals know, fall is one of the best times to be here. It’s a rather well-kept secret. The days tend to be sunny and warm and the nights are just cool enough to be blissfully refreshing. There’s a nip in the air that reads: lack of humidity , that reads: more energy. It’s downright lovely.
Get Thee to a Pumpkin Patch, Charlie Brown
So now that fall is here, there are some rules. Rule #1 is, you gotta get search for an old fashioned pumpkin patch (or at least a farmers market or grocery store) and pick out a pumpkin …to carve, to put on your front stoop or dining room table. To cut up and cook into a delicious pie or a really good muffin. One of the best local places is Hibben Methodist Church in Mount Pleasant, across from the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market on Coleman Boulevard. They’ve been running a pumpkin patch for many years now. Best part is, it’s for a good cause. The pumpkins are grown on Navajo Indian land in New Mexico and harvested by Native Americans. 60% of profits go back to the growers, and 40% goes to charities like Epworth Children's Home, Hibben Mission, United Methodist Relief Center, Hibben youth programs. It’s open 10:00 a.m. till dark Monday through Saturday, noon till dark Sundays through Halloween.
An Amazing Maize Maze & the Great Pumpkin Patch
Then of course there’s nearby Boone Hall Plantation, which has mega fall festivities going on right now. You can pick your own homegrown pumpkin and pay by the pound in their famous Pumpkin Patch. Boone Hall also has a gigantic elaborate corn maze (a maize maze!) that’s fun for all ages. Actually, this year they have two. One is a shorter, fairly straight forward trek. The other is longer and more challenging, with lots of twists and turns for “adventurous explorers.” They offer a bunch of other fun activities, including:
- Jump Pillow;
- Giant Slide Tower;
- All-American Petting Zoo;
- Family-friendly Monster Hayride;
- Tire Climb and Sand Pit Play Area;
- King of the Mountain;
- Spider Web (fun to climb);
- Rock Climbing Wall;
- Corn Hole Toss;
- Goat Walk and Rabbit Enclosure;
- Playground Fun!
You can read all about it here, including admission and hours. Kids under two are admitted free. Boone Hall is an easy drive from all our rental homes South Carolina. From our Isle of Palms luxury rentals, just cross the IOP Connector, turn right onto Highway 17 North, then keep an eye peeled for the pumpkins on your left.
Fall Festival Fun West of the Ashley
Legare Farms over on Johns Island hosts its annual Fall Festival celebration weekends in October, complete with a major pumpkin patch. There are also hayrides to go feed the cows, a build-your-own scarecrow area, horse rides, a place where you can feed and pet sweet animals in the barnyard. They have duck races and a corn cannon. You can even mine for gems. This time of year, lots of places have corn mazes. Not Legare. Here they have a Myrtle Maze, cleverly carved into 10 acres of wax myrtles. They also have plenty of concessions available for purchase. Admission is free, though some activities requite tickets. Read all about it on the website. Hours: 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. Friday, 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Saturday, 1:00-6:00 p.m. Sunday. So pick up a pumpkin from a pumpkin patch, and walk through an amazing maze. And when you are looking for luxury beach house rentals SC, call EP. All best, Lowcountry Lisa your Isle of Palms vacation blogger