Our annual Christmas tree hunt goes not farther than Schilter Family Farm…read more The Thanksgiving week end usually slams this tree farm. However, we always find a quality Noble fir if even we have to hunt a bit. This year was REALLY unusual. The Monday after T Day we went with the idea we'd have to spend time searching. The most helpful young man pointed us to a new field of Nobles. And there, no more than 10 feet in from the path was IT (visions of Clark Griswold!). There were countless more even after that Turkey Day rush. The same man came by in his tractor and asked if he could cut it down for us. He had a chain saw. I had a hand saw. No brainer!! The service and selection are first class. Topping this off is the gift shop, where you pay, has all sorts of Christmas related things, including fresh wreaths (which we bought)

Definitely deserving of a spot in the top 10 pumpkin patches in Washington!…read more I've been going to pumpkin patches almost yearly since I was 4 so I consider myself somewhat of an expert. Here's my highs and lows and good enoughs: 5 Stars to: -Plenty of Photo setup spots -Apple cider slush sundae -FRESH & HOT Roasted Corn -Many adult AND kid friendly activities -pumpkin assortment 1 Star for: -No back up generator (Power went out while at the farm and the poor animals were huddled up closer than the people were) -flavorless burgers 2.5 stars (aka good enough) for: -cold apple cider donuts -friendly but antisocial staff -gift shop (Felt more like a very small, 'small business' fair) I think the ticket price was a decent value for what was available!

I loved visiting this farm and sanctuary. The animals all came from rough conditions and now they…read morewill live the rest of their days surrounded by those who care. Kelly and her team do an excellent job providing 24/7 to these furry friends. Also, there is the option for volunteer work and also tours for all ages. All proceeds go to making sure these animals have food, clean shelter and medicines they need! Drive on out and hear their stories and support a local business!

This was so amazing! Please support them, and you won't be…read moredisappointed in your mini adventures with the animals.

My group of 5 girlfriends were searching for a unique experience on Vashon Island. We found Kelly…read moreand her Llamas and looked no further! We had a lovely afternoon learning from Kelly about llamas and her family's life with them. The llamas were very friendly and ready for treats. And no... they don't spit! This is really the place to go for a one of a kind experience. Will go again and again!

The owner Kelly is a very friendly person. Fairy garden in front with some spinner items my 2 year…read moreold liked. Llamas were there in full effect! If you like llamas this is the spot!!

Amazing farm. Lots of cute animals and very welcoming staff. Milking cows was lots of fun as well.read more

Perfect experience. Our friend wanted this for his birthday. Timing (end of April) worked out…read moreperfectly to be able to pet and hold weeks/days old babies. He was very happy!! The staff are very friendly/caring and give good guidance on how to interact with the animals. We really had a great experience.

The experience of hiking a mile with a llama beat all of my expectations! Marla was so nice and her…read moretutorial on the difference between llama and alpaca was very educational. She has a quaint little gift shop of blankets Etc made from the fibers of the animals on her farm. I would definitely treat yourself to this experience. It's truly one of a kind!

Lovely!! Beautiful spot, llamas,alpacas and host Marla. Truly exceptional! Highly recommended…read more Did the 1.5 forest walk. Will be back!

150 acres of gorgeous land, forested hills, and winding streams. The homestead and out-buildings…read moreare from when the site was a dairy farm. A number of the out-buildings have been converted to various functional buildings, from sauna to student housing. The whole place has an amazing energy to it, and during my time there for a weekend class I got to tour almost all of it. I spent a great weekend attending a workshop, where I got to take classes, work in their food forest, take home transplants, and wander the forest surrounding the homestead. Great people, great site, if you ever have the chance to take a workshop there I can't recommend it enough!

I've been meaning to visit this Olympia local lavender farm for several years, and finally made it…read moreout there on a perfect late June afternoon. Owners Thane and Peggy Bryenton are delightful hosts, and the farm is beautiful in full bloom. With plenty of spots to sit and enjoy the view, sweet photo ops, you can wander through the field of flowers, browse the gift shop, spend an hour or as long as you like.

From the owner: As Thurston county's oldest operating u-pick lavender Farm, we are pleased that friends and guests…read morecall us EVLF. My wife, Peggy, and I started this farm back in 2009 after our 1st visit to Sequim in 2008. Well looking over the bright purple fields and seeing all the happy bees and happy people surrounding lavender, we thought maybe we could bring this same feeling to Olympia. Since we had a 4 acre piece of property, and I didn't want to mow it all the time, we were looking for something unique for people to come and enjoy. Peggy did a lot of research and tried to find a grower that had plants that would survive in this area. We settled on Lavender at Stonegate from Silverton, Oregon. Sarah, was amazing and she turned us on to 12 beautiful varieties of lavender. We mostly grow True English lavenders but we also have hybrids, that are known for their size, scent and oil content. Our English variety, Royal Velvet, is extremely popular with cooks, distillers, bakers and chocolatiers. Our hybrid lavender's, or lavandins, are used for large bouquets and for their aromatic essential oil. We steam-distill many of our plants here on the property. They have been acclaimed to be some of the very best essential oils that people have ever used. Peggy fills our gift shoppe with body soothing products and lovely sachets, eye pillows and warmable neck wraps. We think the best thing about coming to our farm, is that people can escape the rigors of city life and sit back and just relax.

This is such a great place for littles and for adults! It was my family's first visit and it did…read morenot disappoint. They had everything from farm animals (like goats, sheep's, llamas) to exotic animals (like a zebra, kangaroo and a camel), to u-fishing, and to 1/4 mile hike. There really was so many things to do. You could easily spend almost the day there. My husband, 3 year old, and 22 month loved it and all were sad to leave for different reasons. My husband wanted to stay longer because he wanted to fish more, my 3 year old daughter wanted to hug and pet the goats, and my 22 month old son wanted to drive the toddler McLaren car. Unfortunately, it was I who wanted to leave because I had a killer migraine. Suffice to say, we will return on a day where I don't have an all-day migraine so that I have the energy to push my toddler in that car. Parking is plentiful and is free. Restrooms are portapotties. Bring your own lunch and enjoy your time with family!

Old McDebbie's Farm is a delightful and engaging destination for families and individuals seeking a…read morerural experience. The farm offers a variety of interactive activities, including feeding and petting animals, seasonal fruit picking, and tractor rides, creating memorable experiences for all ages. Its commitment to ethical farming practices, cleanliness, and friendly staff further contribute to an enjoyable and educational outing, making Old McDebbie's Farm a must-visit destination. Pro tip: I booked my session using GetOutPass, where I get access to multiple local venues similar to GoCity. Use coupon code: sale1 for an extra $5 discount on top of existing promotions

I've gone lavender picking before at some other places, but I wanted to try somewhere new and a…read morelittle bit closer to home. To get here from Seattle you have to take the Fauntleroy ferry to Vashon Island but we headed there pretty early in the morning and we had no problems getting onto the ferry with our car (On the way back from Vashon however, we saw a bunch of people heading to Vashon in the afternoon. The ferry line for vehicles was crazy backed up, so I would not recommend going too late!) After arriving at Vashon, it's about 20 or so minutes to the Lavender Hill Farm. This place is super cute! From what I could observe, it looks like a beautiful private residence with its own little giant farm attached. What made this place stand out from the rest is that there were so many varieties of lavender that I had never heard of before. They had some interns there, helping to pick lavender and make bouquets/wreaths who did a great job of educating us on the different types of smelling lavender and cooking lavender. They also had a bunch of premade lavender products. Personally, I always go for the little lavender bags and use them in my laundry -- they last forever, and they smelled great. They had these scented roller balls each with a different type of lavender, it smelled absolutely amazing. If I am remembering correctly, there were also lotions, balms, incense, even pre-cut cooking lavender, and I believe there was even lavender soda for sale. I was able to purchase everything easily using contactless pay. I believe I had a conversation with the owner of the farm (not 100% on that though) and she was quite lovely. This place is dog friendly as you can see from my pictures, however, they also have a farm dog of their own so just be mindful of that. If you love to Instagram, or taking pictures, this place is definitely for you -- and if you like lavender, of course, you should definitely come here! It seems like their season has already ended so I'm guessing it's open for a very short window in the early summer, but if you have the opportunity to go next summer, I would recommend it!

Just as you enter the border of town you might see a sign at the crossroads pointing to how to get…read moreto the lavender farm. On a whim we followed the signs so mom could pick a a couple of bunches. You are greeted as you enter by a lady who hands you some shears and then pick to your hearts desire. You check out in a little shack that sells lavender oils and other accoutrements. The staff members are so gentle and chill so please be kind to them. Don't forget taking selfies in front of the house with all the lavender bushes in front and with the farm and marina behind you. This was the most magical part of our trip. Mom was so happy!