A Fall Utopia at Goebbert's

This weekend I did something I never thought I'd do—ride a camel and have a giraffe eat from my palm!

No, I didn't fly to the Middle Eastern Desert. My family and I made a trip to Goebbert's Farm in South Barrington. We can't seem to get enough of pumpkin patches and apple picking after our trip to County Line Orchard. 

Even if you've never been to Goebbert's you will probably recognize it in photos. In 1979, they had a 15 foot tall fiberglass pumpkin called Happy Jack made. Happy Jack sits on top of the farm's silo, which has become a recognizable landmark on the farm.

There are 50 different types of animals at Goebbert's in their Animal Land. The kids were thrilled to be able to get up close to giraffes, kangaroos and zebras. You can even take photos with the baby kangaroos on weekends. 

Another hilarious sight to behold is the pig races. Each pig is given a name like Kermit the Hog or Miss Piggy and the victor gets an Oreo cookie.

After visiting all the animals you have to grab some of Goebbert's apple cider doughnuts in their Red Barn Cafe and Bakery. They are worth every calorie. Try them for yourself and you'll see why you can't have just one.

After a doughnut break, we conquered the corn maze and haunted house. A wagon ride though a corn stalk trail was a relaxing way to end the day. If only it could've driven us home!

By Monika Dixon