Week 39: Beachside Fall Fest

Week 39: September 24th-30th, 2023

To close out September, I thought it would be nice to get in a true Fall Mood™ and go to a pumpkin patch. In true San Diego fashion, however, this pumpkin patch was right at the beach. I didn't feel like driving up to Carlsbad to a real one, so I settled for this one. It was set up in a parking lot next to Belmont Park. I'm not sure if they've done this before, but Belmont Park now hosts a "Beachside Fall Fest" throughout the season. They offer trick-or-treating, car shows, costume contests and, of course, pumpkins galore.

Belmont Park is San Diego's version of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, but smaller (and probably more expensive). There is a bougie gym, many restaurants, and lots of beach sand that has made its way into the stores. It is one of the top tourist hubs on Mission Beach. In the summertime, finding parking is a nightmare. However, because the weather is cooling down and the children are back in school (Ha!), parking wasn't too bad.

We didn't get on any rides, but I enjoyed walking around and seeing the fall decorations. There were pumpkins everywhere.

Kids took their shoes off to go in jumpy houses

I should have apologized in advance for my photos this week, but here.

The pumpkin patch was not much of a patch, but it was a cute effort. They even had wine and beer on tap for the adults to enjoy while their kids ran around.

The pumpkin patch was more of a pumpkin pop-up store, but it was cute.

There was a decorating station for whichever pumpkin you picked, and a couple kids were going absolutely ham on the glitter. Those poor parents will never not be sparkly.

The air was cold enough that I got the sniffles and my nose was runny. Not because of allergies, for once! I got a break from the cold air when we played mini golf and went in the arcade. Nothing beats Dave and Buster's, but this arcade was decent.

Next time maybe I'll try LaZerblast.

I guess I've got to accept that Fall has officially begun, though I will miss summer dearly. I've dug through my closet and gotten out my Comfy and have plans to curl up and play video games on the couch. Plus, getting a new iPhone (!!!) means I have free Apple Tv+ for three months. Don't worry, I've already made it to the third season of Ted Lasso (I love Keely Jones!) and I have a growing list of things to watch before my trial period is over. Send me some recommendations if you've got any.

See you next week.