What’s Halloween without a visit to a pumpkin patch? The most prominent one in our area offers so many family activities you might as well pack up the kids (and dog, of course) and make a day of it. Cool Patch Pumpkins on Interstate 80 near Dixon, right by the landmark Milk Farm sign, has it all: A “Kid Zone” with corn bath, straw mountain a kiddie maze; a pumpkin patch with more than 2,000 gourds that are yours for the picking; a scarecrow contest area and—tah-dah!—the Largest Corn Maze in the World at 45 acres. It’s open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Nov. 6. And yes, leashed dogs are welcome.
Photo: "Big Pumpkin" - Cool Patch Pumpkins