Fall is here and so is the harvest. It is the time of year for fall foliage and pumpkins. But in Pennsylvania, fall is also the time during which agritourism booms. Corn mazes, hay rides, haunted Halloween attractions, & festivals galore occur across the state. Lancaster county is one of the major agritourism hot spots where people come to see the Amish. However, there is another hidden gem that people travel from all over the country & world to see...
For the second year in a row we went to Cherry Crest Adventure Farm for the flashlight corn maze. (We choose the flashlight maze because, as college students, time is scarce during daylight hours & so is money!) This year's theme: 100 Years of Scouting in honor of the 100th Anniversary for the Boy Scouts of America. For those of you unfamiliar with corn mazes, a corn maze is a maze that has been elaborately planned and carved out through several acres of corn. There are many corn mazes across the state & they all follow the same general procedure. Usually you are given a map & told to find your way out. But they do things different at Cherry Crest Adventure Farm. It is considered an interactive corn maze. This means that when you enter, they hand you a blank map. How are you supposed to find your way through a maze with a blank map, you ask? Read on to learn more.
Upon entering the maze we received our blank maps & proceeded to a small section where they fill you in on the rules of the maze and how to complete the different challenges. So about this blank map. Why blank? Well it's the maze goer's job to wander around blindly & find the pieces of the map which are located in mailboxes throughout the maze. As you find more pieces, the map becomes clearer & easy to read. This can get tricky if you are there for the flashlight maze as the dark can be a very disorienting environment for some people. But the darkness is part of the fun! On the map are also crossword puzzles, for which hints to the answers can be found throughout the maze.
In the back NW corner of the maze is the café area. In this area you can grab a bite to eat, grab a drink, use the toilet, or just sit down & take a break. The café is also a good place to get to because you can enter several different sections of the maze from there.
What happens if you get lost? Do you panic?! No. There are guides walking around among you who can help you find pieces to your puzzle & get you back on track. In the flashlight maze you can also ask for directions from the watch tower, who can use spotlights to guide you in the right direction. There is also a quick escape route from the maze in the event you cannot continue, so there is no wandering until you happen to find the way out.
The maze is both parent & kid friendly. However, beware of some rocks that may stick out of the ground ready to trip you (be especially careful in the dark). If you go during the day, there are many, many other activities to participate in around the farm. There are pedal karts, wagon tours, a fudge shop, an obstacle course, giant slingshots, & many other activities.
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm & the Strasburg Railroad also offer combo passes to both places for a discount. This is a great deal for people wanting to spend a full day or weekend in Lancaster County. For others making a day or weekend trip out to Lancaster County, the farm has food on site. Food is also available at the Rockvale Square Outlets, the Tanger Outlets, & several locations along Route 30. Lodging is also available at the Red Caboose Motel & along Route 30.
The maze is only open until Saturday, November 6, so grab your friends & head out to the corn maze. It's loads of fun & if you bring enough friends along, you can race in teams!
For more information:
* Cherry Crest Adventure Farm
* Lancaster County Tourism
* Strasburg Railroad
* Rockvale Square Outlets
* Tanger Outlets
* Red Caboose Motel
Pictures may be added at a later date, don't want to give away too much of the fun!
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