Fall just might be the best time of the year in Grand Junction. Other than the obvious pros, like the changing leaves in the Mesas and a break from the desert heat, fall offers so much more to Colorado Mesa University (CMU) students.
What makes fall so special is its charming novelty and the experiences it entails. From broader things like Halloween and Thanksgiving to the smaller things like carving pumpkins and getting lost in corn mazes, there are some things that only the autumn season can offer.
Being in college, especially from out-of-town, I began to wonder if my days of overpriced kettle corn and scarecrows were behind me; yet, to my delight, I found all this and more at Studt’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze.
Located only 15 minutes from campus in Mesa County, Studt’s provides a variety of activities until the end of their season, Oct. 31. In addition to the classics, such as the pumpkin patch and corn maze itself, Studt’s boasts a petting zoo, two ziplines, corn cannons (yes corn cannons), pig races, pony rides and so much more.
When I arrived at Studt’s, I found myself lost among the countless activities, and could not wait to get started. Despite the pressure to do as much as possible, I still found myself taking my time in the massive pumpkin patch looking for the perfect pumpkin to take home.
Despite having gone midway through the season, there was still a massive amount of impressive pumpkins which ranged in colors from white, pink, green, gray and the classic bright orange. What’s more, is when I selected my pumpkin and went to pay for it, I only had to spend 6 dollars despite the behemoth I thought I had picked.
After finally finding the perfect pumpkin, I ventured over to the corn maze. While I was ridiculously excited about the vegetable labyrinth, the muddy martyrs that exited the maze warned me otherwise.
Due to the massive amounts of rain Grand Junction has seen recently, the corn maze was allegedly too muddy to complete and resulted in the muddying of many brave souls who slipped and fell during their trek.
Given the fact that nobody can control the weather and that there were countless more activities to complete, I was not too upset about the corn maze. With that, I went on to what may have been my favorite part of the trip, the petting zoo.
I have always been pretty hesitant about petting zoos in my past, for reasons I will not get into now, but I was amazed by the number of animals there; moreover, the friendliness of all the animals with how well they seem to have been taken care of all lent itself to a very wholesome experience.
At the end of the day, when the sun was long gone and the wind began to pick up, Studt’s closed, and I went home pumpkin in hand, as happy as can be. For only 12 dollars on the weekend and 9 on weekdays, you too can have the autumn experience of the year at Studt’s Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze!
