Today we visited Clarks Elioak Farm in Howard county. The farm is open from April to November and costs $6 per person to get in (kids under 12 months are free). We arrived at 10am, when they open.
It was definitely much bigger than I expected. The website explains they have a petting zoo, hay ride, cow train, pony ride, and many of the refurbished fairytale structures from the long closed "Enchanted Forest" on route 40.
It was stroller friendly but there are lots of hills, and the structures and animal pens are very spread out. I wore flip flops and I wish I had worn tennis shoes. I put Cecilia in the stroller while we were there but by the end, Alexia was crying to get in too.
There are places of shade but come with sunscreen and hats. I would consider it the perfect place to bring a lunch and have a picnic as there are several pavilions and lots of table and benches.
Note - if you want to feed the animals, bring quarters! All the animal feed comes from candy dispensers which require quarters. Luckily I had some in my wallet and it only took about $0.50 of change to get our full of feeding the goats and sheep. Also, while the cost of entry is $6.00, the pony ride, cow train, and hay rides are each $2.00 per person. I didn't want to buy a bunch of tickets at the gate and then find that Alexia didn't want to do any of the add-ons, but they told me I could just give the people at the stations $2.00 instead of buying a ticket in advance. This leads me to say - bring dollar bills also!
In my opinion, the hay ride and cow train were worth it. Both were very long and enjoyable. Alexia initially wanted to ride the pony but changed her mind when we ventured closer. Had she wanted to ride it, I definitely would have let her, but for $2.00, all they do is walk the pony around a small circle one time. Use your best judgement as to whether that is worth it to you!
All in all it was a cute place and we will definitely return.
Also, on a side note, while we were there, a friend mentioned Certifikid - a daily deal emailed to you with kid-related activities and memberships. We noticed several families entering with their certifikids. I have since signed up and am excited to receive my first daily deal! - says the village idiot
Your friend sounds very wise! Haha - it was fun to be there at the same time as you. Gemma is asking when she can see her friends Cecilia and her sister
ReplyDeleteMy friend IS very wise! And a great Mom as well! ;) Thanks again for the Certifikid tip! Hopefully many more people can take advantage now! That is hysterical about Gemma "wanting to see Cecilia and her sister". Alexia is still napping but I'm sure when she wakes up she will once again make it clear that I need not take her fun places like the farm, if only I could give her juice boxes instead.
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