A SERIOUS QUESTION: We're not even joking as we post this most serious and highbrow query (and hope you have an equally serious answer): When you go inside a corn maze, on a glorious October afternoon, and you're there with your besties, or maybe a couple of your besties plus some cousins of theirs that seem nice but you're just getting to know, do you or do you not try and stay a little bit lost for longer than you should? We know, we know: The point of the corn maze is to beat the clock or another team or your own personal best, time-wise, and wend your way to the exit as fast and as expertly as you can. But we've all seen those groups that linger a little, laughing and relishing some time in the open air (even if they're more than a little lost). Which are you? It matter not; it only matters that moments are seized, maze-y moments, and we're in one as of now: The Cool Patch Pumpkins corn maze made its annual Dixon debut on Sunday, Sept. 15.
53 ACRES: It can be hard to immediately visualize what 53 acres of maze-goodness looks like, but suffice it to say it is one major swath of land. Proprietors Matt and Mark Cooley are known for their mega mazes -- the Guinness Book of World Records has swung by in the past, giving the "largest labyrinth corn maze in the world" to Cool Patch last year. So, the upshot? Best get a little lost with people you love, because this is a puzzle that'll require some thinking, plotting, togetherness, creativity, and time.
OTHER TO-DOS: Cool Patch, which is about a half hour southwestish of Sacramento, has other autumnal happenings, including a pumpkin patch and Kid Zone. We'd just plan a fall afternoon there, oh yes we would. We'd wear something scarecrow-y and make a Thermos of apple cider and prepare our team for some true maze action. Corn mazes only happen once a year, and not for long; why not get a little lost?
Cool Patch Pumpkins corn maze is open through Tuesday, Nov. 5.
