FORT SILL, Okla. Sept. 25, 2015 -- Getting lost is never fun.
I know in my family it usually means someone didn't read the map correctly or, more likely, GPS didn't give us the correct directions but regardless of who is at fault the outcome is just the same, after a few frustrated words back and forth, the car goes quiet and the rest of the trip is done in silence.
It sucks.
Unless you happen to be getting lost inside a corn maze, then, getting lost can actually be kind of fun.
This week I took my family to Reding Farm, home of Oklahoma's largest corn maze. The farm officially opens this weekend, but that's the perk about being in the media: You get to see everything early! Bwaa hahaha!
We did get a little lost getting to the farm (figures right?) but after stopping and asking for help we found our way. Just in case you're not the best with finding your way, here's directions to the farm: Get on Interstate 44 East toward Oklahoma City. Take Exit 80 and follow Highway 81 North into Chickasha. Turn left on Choctaw then right on Ninth Street. Continue down until you get to the end of the road (Reding Road/1340) and turn right. The farm is on your left.
Farm owner Jerry Reding greeted us when we arrived along with his grandson, Gage and his dog, Cookie. Cookie immediately took to my son and licked him until he giggled. A good way to welcome us. I, meanwhile, took in the sight of the farm.
It wasn't what I thought it was going to look like. The grass was green and well maintained, there were picnic tables throughout the grounds. In the back was an entire area pretty enough to have weddings, something Reding says happens often on the farm. It was big enough for a unit to come out, with their families, and not be cramped. My little family readiness group wheels began turning. I had to focus. We were here for the maze.
Together we entered the shortest of the three regular mazes. Reding began creating corn mazes eight years ago, and said he decided from the beginning that he would go all out for his farm. When the gates opened, visitors were greeted with a 10-mile corn maze, horse shoe pits, a sand pit for children to play in, farm animals, picnic tables, private camp fires, concessions, a tetherball, stage and even a dairy-go-round (imagine a merry-go-round but with cows floating two feet off the ground). All are still on the farm.
Today Reding said the maze carves an Oklahoma-football theme through the tall stalks of corn which spans across 38 acres with a total maze length of seven to eight miles. There are three maze options, a short 15-minute maze (that I got lost in after three turns) and two longer mazes that Reding estimates may take an hour to complete. He also has a hayride maze and a haunted maze opening in October in addition to duck races and an air cannon.
"The dads usually like the air cannon more than anything else," said Reding. "We shoot small pumpkins, corn husks and apples because those are what fits in it."
Reding's original plan was to bring school children to his farm to teach them about farm life. He had plans to have acreage showcasing the evolution of farm life with a few acres dedicated to various stages to include non-electric farming through the development of modern technology.
"I wanted to work horses on five acres or so and then have a steam tractor on a few acres," said Reding. "You could see the progress of farming."
The dream didn't pan out as planned and so Reding created the maze, however he still hopes to revisit the original plan and keeps old tractors on the grounds. They are displayed so visitors can climb on and take photos with them. My son is in that climbing phase of life and was happy to perch on top of the tall tractor.
During the majority of the year Reding and Gage maintain the farm with help from a few other family members and nearby farmers. During the fall he hires on more help, particularly to help lost maze-goers, but his haunted maze is manned by volunteers from the Grady County Fire Department to help with recruitment. Reding donates a portion of the proceeds to each of the 12 firehouses in the county.
As we walked through the rest of the farm, Reding pointed out things they still needed to work on: taking care of bugs, cleaning up the maze after the rain and pulling out hay bales. Work is never done on a farm, he said.
As the sun began to set my family said goodbye to Reding and loaded up the car. My son was not too pleased about having to leave. For the past hour he was free to roam anywhere he pleased without mom and dad worrying about him getting into anything, a rare event for this set of parents and reason enough to come back -- even without the air cannon. We made plans to come back, arrive early with a picnic basket (which is allowed) and spend the day getting lost as a family because where we're going, we don't need maps.
OK, maybe we do.
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