Shop The Post (and TONS of kitty flats I found for littles!)
The 90 degree temps will NOT hold me back from doing ALL of the Fall things with my family. I grew up as the youngest of 5 kids so I feel like when Fall rolled around for me, jumping in the pile of leaves my brothers had to rake was the highlight. There weren’t a lot of “fall activities” because frankly, my parents had 4 other older kids in sports and activities (plus they both worked) to deal with. There wasn’t a lot of time! Plus I’m sure my siblings that were 8, 10 and 14 years older than me didn’t want to spend their weekend at the pumpkin patch with their little sister. But it’s ALL good because now I have two little ones and can literally live my Fall dreams through them and their experiences, lol. I wanted to share a few local things you can do to get yourself in the Fall spirit here in San Diego! Let me know if you’ve been to any of these places or think of anything I should add! As always, thank you so much for following along! xo
The Best Pumpkin Patches
- Bates Nut Farm– we went for the first time this year and well…it was a hike. I’ve heard the crowds are crazy in October but we went early in October on a Sunday afternoon and it wasn’t too bad. They have a little section where you can feed the animals, a jumpy, tractor rides, a balloon making station, walkable pumpkin patch, hay maze (easy for little ones) and a little store to buy treats. Overall it was really cute and the scenery was so pretty! Will I make the hike again? Not for a few years, lol.
- Pumpkin Station Del Mar– we’ve gone to this one several times. They have rides for little ones, a tent with pumpkins in the shade, a little train for the kids to ride and those giant blow up slides! Coco loved this one and you could certainly spend a half day here.
- The Pinery Pumpkin Patch in Escondido– BY FAR OUR FAVORITE! I swear this one is a hidden gem…so shhh don’t tell anyone, lol. It is rarely crowded. They have animals on certain days you can feed, a tented area, hayrides, a pumpkin patch to walk through and the most gorgeous sunflower field you can stroll through. They also have a corn maze! It can get really hot there but we like to go in the morning or evening!
Apple Picking in Julian– we have yet to do this although we try to get to Julian once per year! This is one place you can see some of the Fall colors in Southern California and a visit wouldn’t be complete without a stop for a slice of famous apple pie. My girlfriend just went and said she took an amazing gold mining tour while there too! I read they also have a cider mill which I’d LOVE to visit! There was a great one where I grew up and I just loved visiting there.
Dinner at Barbarella in La Jolla– If you haven’t been, this is a real sight to see! The owner transforms this restaurant into a Halloween bonanza! Literally every singe square foot is decorated to the NINES. It is worth noting that some of the decorations are scary and may be too much depending on your little one.
Plan a Fall Beach Day– We find the beaches to be much less crowded in the Fall! Kids are in school and sports and we’ve almost had the beach to ourselves sometimes! I usually grab a cup of coffee and meet a friend with their kids there and let them play for a few hours. Some days we’re in sweatshirts and some days we’re in shorts, lol. We like:
- Torrey Pines- easy parking but may have to pay, flat and they usually have a docent from Torrey Pines displaying something cool for the kids! It is a very short walking
- Del Mar- has a great playground and grassy area but I HATE walking the hill down to the beach with the stroller. Also, Coco hates the train that goes by but Griffin loves it!
- Fletcher Cove- we love this one! It has a free parking lot, has a playground, grassy area and the beach feels very enclosed and private! There is a hill walk down but it’s all paved and has railings!
Kids Free October– Take advantage of this! SO many of the museums in San Diego let kids visit for free this month! Birch Aquarium participates and is one of our favorites!
