Sunday, September 22, 2024

Circle Drive Park, St. Charles





Location: 1000 Circle Dr., St. Charles, MO 63301

Website: http://www.stcharlesparks.com/park/circle-drive-park/

Playground Ground Cover: Wood chips

This little park gets its name from being in a cul de sac on Circle Drive. The equipment was replaced in 2019. There are no restrooms here so keep that in mind. 



There is an expression swing, a baby swing, a sling swing, and an ADA swing. 



The play structure has slides, a little rock wall, and many things to climb on. 








Friday, September 20, 2024

Pumpkin Patches

                           


St. Louis has some great Pumpkin Patches! Here are full reviews on each one:


1. Bloomsdale Fun Farm, Bloomsdale, MO
2. Boonies Farm, Worden, IL
3. Braeutigam Orchards- Belleville, IL
4. Brookdale Farms- Eureka
5. Centennial Farms - Augusta
6. Daniel's Farm and Greenhouse- St. Peters
7. Dickherber Farms- Dardenne Prairie
8. Eagle Fork Farms- Moscow Mills
9. Eckert's Country Store and Farm- Belleville, Millstadt, and Grafton, IL
10. Heartland Farms- Bourbon
11. Heritage Farm- Godfrey, IL
12. Herman's Farm- St. Charles
13. Kirkwood Farmer's Market- Kirkwood
14. Meert Tree Farm- Festus
15. Pierce Century Farm- Hillsboro
16. Pin Oak Farms- New Haven
17. Pumpkin Blossom Hill- Red Bud, IL
18. Pumpkins Galore- Wright City
19. Relleke Farms- Pontoon Beach, IL
20. Rinkel Pumpkin Farm- Glen Carbon, IL
21. Rooster's Farm Pumpkin Patch- Jonesburg
22. Rowe Crop Farm- Calcedonia, MO
23. Stuckmeyer's Farm Market- Fenton
24. Sullivan Farms- Florissant
25. Thierbach Orchards- Marthasville
26. Thies Farm and Greenhouses- Normandy
27. Thies Farm and Market- Maryland Heights 
28. Webster Hills Pumpkin Patch- Webster Groves

To sum up, the free patches are Braeutigam, Centennial, Eagle Fork, Heritage Farm, Meert, Pumpkins Galore, Pumpkin Blossom Hill, Relleke, Stuckmeyers, Sullivan, & Webster Hills. 

The ones with admission fees are Bloomsdale, Boonies, Brookdale, Daniel's, Dickherber, Eckert's, Heartland Farms, Herman's, Summit Produce at Kirkwood Market, Pierce Century Farm, Pin Oak Farms, Rinkel, Roosters, Rowe Crop Farm, Thierbach, and Thies Farms. Every year people argue about which pumpkin patch is the "best". In my opinion, they all are unique in their own way and offer lots of fall family fun. Check them all out and see which one is your fav!

Best patches for toddlers include Kirkwood, Braeutigam, Centennial, Relleke, Thierbach, Daniels, and Eagle Fork.

I broke down the admission pumpkin patches so you can see how they compare:

  • Bloomsdale- $20.95 online, $24.95 at the gate, under 2 free
  • Boonies- $14.95 online, $18.95 at the gate
  • Brookdale- $10 Fri, $15 Sat & Sun, under 3 free.
  • Daniels- Everyone is $10, under 2 free
  • Dickherber- Everyone is $8, under 4 free
  • Eckerts- Prices vary between the farms and the dates from $2.50 to $20
  • Heartland Farms- $13 online, $15.75 at the gate, under 3 free
  • Hermans Farm- $5 per child
  • Summit Kirkwood- $6 for kids 2-10, over 10 free during the week. Weekends everyone is $6 BEST VALUE
  • Pierce Century Farm- $10 per person, kids under 2 free
  • Pin Oak Farms- $5 per person and $7.50 kiddie corral
  • Rinkel- $6 per person, under 3 free
  • Rowe Crop Farm- $10 per person, under 3 free
  • Thies on Hanley- $11 per person, under 3 free
  • Thies Maryland Hgts.- $9 for kids 2-14, $7 for ages 15 and older,  under 2 Free



Sorted by price:
Bloomsdale$20.95 online, $24.95 at the gate
Boonies$14.95 online, $18.95 at the gate
Heartland$13 online, $15.75 at the gate, under 3 free
Brookdale$10 Fri, $15 Sat & Sun
Thies Hanley$11 everyone, under 3 free
Daniels$10 everyone, under 2 free
Pierce$10 everyone, under 2 free
Rowe Crop$10 everyone, under 3 free
Thies Maryland Hghts$9 kids, $7 aged 15 and up, under 2 free
Roosters$8 everyone, under 2 free
Dickherber$8 everyone, under 4 free
Kirkwood Farmers Market$6 everyone
Rinkel$6 everyone, under 3 free
Hermans$5 everyone
Pin Oak$5 everyone, $7.50 kiddie coral
Thierbach$5 per child


Monday, September 9, 2024

Ryze Adventure Park, Maryland Heights



 

Location: 12420 Grace Church Rd., Maryland Heights, MO 63043

Website: https://ryzeadventure.com/

This is the first aerial adventure tower in the area. Their mission is to get people physically active by offering over 100 different obstacles on a 4-story tower. They have a Little Ninja course for kids aged 4-7, a youth/adult course for people aged 8 and up, and an 18-hole mini-golf course. They offer birthday parties, corp events, field trips, and more. You could easily spend hours here! They will be open year-round but obviously, it's weather dependent since it's all outdoors. The areas are color-coded (green=easy, blue=moderate, and black=skilled, red=expert). There is also a zip line and you can rappel down from the top! Make sure to wear fully enclosed shoes and bring gloves. If you don't have any you can purchase some from them. They have an observation deck and also a cafe! They are very safe and use a smart belay system which will not allow you to fully unclip until you are safe on the ground. Reservations are not required and adults don't need to participate if you just want to watch your older kids play (but kids under 8 will need a paying chaperone to accompany them on the big tower). 














Observation deck






Mini-golf & yard games