Fall at the Dallas Arboretum

A few weeks back, we headed up to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to go camping with the Wolf scouts. I took advantage of us being somewhat in the vicinity of the Dallas Arboretum, and insisted we head there to see the pumpkins. I've wanted to do this for a few years, but between soccer and scouts, traveling weekends are few and far between.

The pumpkins were just amazing, every bit as fantastic as all the pictures I've seen in years past.

Even Carl, who very grudgingly went to the Arboretum, was impressed with the pumpkins.

I could have done without a few hundred of the people there, but I suppose I can't really blame everyone from wanting to come out and see the pumpkins, too.

The Pumpkin Village is possibly one of the coolest designed places I've ever seen.

All these little homes. Built by pumpkins.

Straight out of Fantasyland.

With pumpkins EVERYWHERE!

We spent the big part of our visit here, though, in the new Children's Adventure Garden. It just opened a few weeks before our visit, and its a very cool place to go.

It just opened a few weeks before our visit, and its a very cool place to go.

I tend to think this would be a big hit for some slightly younger kids than mine. Or with some slightly less boy-kids than mine. ;) But we still managed to find a few favorite places for Team Danger.

The "secret garden" was really a maze.

Complete with its own fairy garden, and dragons.

Even a sword to pull out of a stone.

The adventure gardens are beautifully designed.

Fun for the kids, and stunning for us parents.

The bottom of the garden focuses on wind and water energy. So its an educational garden, as well as an adventure garden.

By far, the boys' favorrite part of the garden was this wind machine they got locked up in.

It blows tornado-style winds at you.

And they LOVED it.

Just look at their gleeful faces.

Still.. the highlight of the visit, for me, was the pumpkins.