Find Out Why Our Portland Writers Love Halloween

In our house, October is all about the pumpkin patch. For weeks beforehand, and months after, my daughter asks to go back to the pumpkin patch. It's the quintessential Fall activity for us. We look forward to it all year, and our extended family comes to town just for the festivities. Our day begins with muffins for breakfast at the house, then a stop for pumpkin-spiced lattes and hot chocolate at Starbucks. Then it's off to the Plumper Pumpkin Patch for pony rides, hay rides, farm animals, slides and hay bales, picking out the perfect pumpkin, the fields of dahlias, the cow train ride, kettle corn, finding the best mud puddles and some of the best picture taking you could ever ask for. Once we've got our wagon full of pumpkins and have picked out some fresh pressed apple cider, chocolate chip pumpkin bread and some local honey, we all tumble into into the McMenamins Rock Creek Tavern and finish our day with a good meal and a lot more laughs. Truly our favorite family tradition.