The Maize at Turpin Farms
Organized by Laura Riesenberg
Cost: $3.50 for kids 5 - 12; $5.00 for adults

This activity is for ALL ages, although it probably doesn’t seem like it. Teens, you will LOVE the huge corn maze that can take up to 2 hours to go through. For other ages, there is a petting zoo, hayride, cow train, pumpkin patch, hay jump, and tube slide. We plan to pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it as there are plenty of tables for picnicking. Bring a water bottle (plowing through the maize is hard work!) and a picnic lunch. Dress for the weather.

Turpin Farms is located at 3295 Turpin Lane in Newtown, Ohio on the east side of Cincinnati. Here are directions and a website. You can actually see an aerial view of the corn maze on the website. It is:http://www.cornfieldmaze.com/sites.php?ID=&username=ohcincinnati.

Directions:From the north, take I-275 east to Rt. 32 West (exit 63A) towards Newtown. Follow Rt. 32 west for about 5.5 miles. Go through Newtown and turn left on Turpin Lane.From downtown Cincinnati (and KY) take Columbia Parkway (OH 50) east to the Beechmont Levee (OH 125) and go east. Go across the levee to the Rt. 32 exit. Follow Rt. 32 east for about 1.5 miles and turn right on Turpin Lane.

What an absolutely wonderful day. It was a bit overcast and I was worried it might rain (the weatherman said we had a 30% chance) but it turned out absolutely wonderful. It was overcast and in the low 70's.

We were the first family to get to Turpin Farms (probably a good thing since we were the ones organizing the event) and slowly our friends began to show up. It was a tremendous crowd we ended up with 20 teens/adults and 27 children aged 5-12 participating, plus about 7 moms and numerous toddlers who just ended up hanging out while the rest of the group plodded through the maze.

Will was a bit hungry (and my boobs a bit FULL since he had only nursed once since 10 PM last night) so we opted to hang out and nurse. Sophie and Cade played on the playgound equipment and in the haydive while the older kids were off doing their thing in the maze. It was great because Kas and I got to talk while the kids played. We even had the opportunity to enjoy the company of some other homeschooling moms.

It took the kid about 1 1/2 hours to complete the maze and then they came and found us, hungry and tired ready for lunch. Amazing as it might be, Brett and Grant didn't get LOST in the maze this year (last year the two of them and another boy, Michael took about 1 1/2 LONGER than everyone else to emerge from the maze). The yellow jackets were everywhere, one of the pitfalls of fall picnicing! It made it really hard for the little ones to drink the soft drinks we brought with us!

The farm was peppered with adorable farm cats, one of which was so friendly it would cuddle up with anyone and let them hold and pet it. It even decided to take a nap in the Ridiman's stroller. There were also numerous chickens waddling around the farm.

We were really thrilled when the woman in charge of the farm came over and apologized, saying they were out of the small "pie" pumpkins we were supposed to get as part of the tour (we hadn't known about getting pumkins) and said that the kids could pick out ANY pumpkin they could CARRY as their "free" pumpkin. The kids were THRILLED as I think most of the pumpkins they picked would have cost more than the $3.50 admission they paid to get in. So for less than the cost of the pumpkin, they got to go through the maze, go on a hayride, ride the cowtrain, sit around a huge bonfire, and enjoy the fellowship of their homeschooling buddies!

Check out some of the pictures taken at the farm... http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mrsmomof6/album?.dir=b988&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mrsmomof6/my_photos