Cobb Ranch and birthday cake

My 29th birthday is tomorrow. All I wanted for my birthday was the feeling of fall. It’s been so hot here all month and the thought of a cool evening, a cozy fire, hot drinks, and hearty soup gave me warm fuzzies. My wish was granted Saturday evening thanks to my beloved sister-in-law, Marisa (although she didn’t exactly have any control over the weather, which was still hovering around 87 degrees at 6 p.m.). However, the temperature cooled as the sun began to set, and I was blessed to spend a lovely fall evening with a handful of sweet friends celebrating another year.

We started out at the Historic Cobb Ranch, located minutes from Fresno on Highway 41, where patrons can find the perfect pumpkin in the pumpkin patch, eat treats from the concession, go on hay rides, push kids around on wheel barrows, and get lost in the corn maze. The corn maze was the alluring feature that drew us to Cobb Ranch on this particular night. This year the maze was designed in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. With 2.5 miles of trails carved into five acres of 10-foot corn stalks, it’s no easy task to find ones way through the twists, turns and dead-ends. I’m not exactly sure how long it took us to master the maze, however, with a little help from a nice family who wisely brought along a flashlight, we managed to escape unscathed. I was happy to finally visit Cobb Ranch and experience the quintessential fall festivities I’ve so often heard of for the past eight years living in the Valley. Unfortunately the ranch is closing its doors at the end of this season, so for those in the Fresno area wishing to make a visit this fall, now is the time go.

A very blurry picture of us in front of the corn maze at Cobb Ranch

After conquering the maze, we headed back to Marisa’s house where we ate delicious chili, enjoyed chocolate birthday cake (my favorite), gathered around the outdoor fire pit (FYI: skip the Duraflame and use real firewood!), sipped hot cider and visited into the night. Marisa so thoughtfully contacted some of my friends and family in Canada asking them to write me a birthday note. Each one was printed out and hung with ribbon from the trees in her backyard. The notes were lovely and heartwarming; I felt beyond blessed and am so thankful for my loved ones, both near and far.

It was a perfectly relaxing, cozy fall evening with good company, a local attraction and an inviting home…happy birthday to me!