Being new to the Jacksonville area, we’re still finding some awesome places to take the kids. One such place is called 30 Acres and a Mule Farm. I originally saw their website and thought it was a really cool idea. We went for the first time with our Mamas & Munchkins of Camp Lejeune & Jacksonville Meetup Group (whew that’s a mouthful)… and we had such a great time, that we had to go back!

So what exactly is 30 Acres & a Mule Farm??? Well… it’s a local farm that offers some cool things… Animals, such as cows, pigs, goats, chickens, and more, a corn maze that changes every year, indoor gem panning, awesome picnic areas, and so much more!

The first time we went with our meetup group, we were very lucky to have the farm all to ourselves. We got there, learned a little bit about the farm and what it had to offer, and then, they took us on a hay ride over to “Western Town”!  It was just too much fun, and although it seemed a little over the heads of the little ones, I loved learning about the different old west artifacts they had on display there. One of the kids even got brave enough to be held prisoner for just a few seconds… One thing I can’t wait for is Halloween, when Western Town comes alive! They hold Old West Shootouts and have a great time with the kids, handing out candy, posing for pictures and enjoying the farm!

When we returned to the Party Barn after our trip through Western Town, we all sat down to enjoy our lunches. We were shown how to pan for gems, and told that we should grab any little rocks we find in our pans, since the biggest treasures can be found in the smallest packages. The girls dug right in. They had so much fun!

The second time we went, we brought Daddy with us and bought a family bucket. We panned the whole thing and found so many awesome gems. The girls got so excited every time they found something… Victoria found a huge Crystal and just squealed with excitement. Alexandra found some amazing Garnet and was very excited too. I was super excited because we found some awesome Amethyst! The coolest part was talking to their onsite Gemologist and seeing what we had that he could cut and what he could make it look like. I’m going to get a ring made out of an Amethyst for only $80… I can’t wait to see the finished product!

The other thing we did there was run the corn maze! We didn’t even look at the map before we went in there. We had a challenge to become official Onslow County Corn Mazers. Find 4 poker chips, of 4 different colors, and bring back an undisturbed ear of corn. We found our poker chips, ear of corn, and made it out of the maze in pretty good time. After that, we had to stand for a ceremony where we were judged and awarded a certificate! I wish I had brought my camera this time around though. We had some funny moments that would’ve been perfect to catch. 🙂

The couple that owns the farm are very sweet and very welcoming. They open up their farm for parties and gatherings of all sorts, and now they even go out to schools to teach students about the Gems of the Earth… Totally cool! Go check out their website and see all the really cool things you can do at the farm!

If you’re ever in Jacksonville, NC, and you’re looking for something really fun to do with the kids, you have to check out 30 Acres & A Mule Farm!!! It’s really easy to find…  Here are more photos from our day with our Meetup group. I already know that we’ll be coming back as often as possible!