SOAR participants recently took their very first out-of-town field trip and it did not disappoint! We reached out to Middleton Farms in Pasco and asked if they would be able to arrange a time that we could come for a visit, a time when it wasn’t crowded or loud, a time where participants could have the opportunity to enjoy as much of the attractions they could, without long lines and allowed them to go and experience at their own pace. So, we were offered the unique opportunity to take advantage of field trip hours and spent a full 3 hours at the farm.
Once the field trip was planned we had to figure out how to get there. This was a challenge for us as there are not many opportunities for transportation that are affordable and would accommodate the times we needed. After many calls and emails our need was met by the Blue Mountain Community Church. So with a passenger van we took to the road on our first ever road trip. SOAR participants were so fun, we jammed to some “oldies” (I was unaware the music I listened to as a teen is now the new oldies - let’s just say we had a good laugh).
Once there we checked in and participants were given their entry/attraction bracelets as well as tickets for mining gems and the paintball shooting gallery. Our first stop was the Doodle Truck where participants made their marks. Next, we headed to the massive Hay Pyramid where several of our participants climbed to the summit and took in the panoramic views of the farm and some selfies. One of the things the farm is well known for is its corn mazes. While we did not attempt the corn maze, we did however have a good laugh that we managed to get ourselves lost in the Hay Maze, and to be fair, it was tall so we couldn’t see around any corners.
As the day progressed SOAR participants could be found going down the Giant Slides, Gem Mining, taking a ride on the Grain Train, breaking for lunch at Wild Bill's Grill, followed by apple cider doughnuts. After lunch break they took a hay ride down to the ropes course, taking shots in the Paintball Zone, going down the Super Tube Slide, and visiting the Petting Zoo.
Before leaving participants were given a free pumpkin to take home and we stopped in the gift shop for some souvenirs. The ride home wasn’t as pumped as the ride there because it was time to nap from all the fun! I cannot describe the amount of joy we all experienced this day, and we look forward to having more opportunities like this for SOAR participants. It is safe to say that everyone who went truly had a wonderful time and if we can get the transportation, we will be doing this again and hopefully with a larger group!
