By Terra Avilla
Before I moved to Susanville my Friday nights were consumed with the drive from Reno to Susanville, in order to see Frankie (my boyfriend at the time), who was already living here. Being unfamiliar with the area, one of the first landmarks that was ingrained on my brain during the eighty-mile drive was the Wemple’s Pumpkin Patch sign. It was like a welcoming beacon, telling me that home was not that far away.
I must have driven past that sign, past the Wemple’s ranch, a thousand times before I ever took a trip with my family to ‘the patch.’ I had never been to a pumpkin patch as, being from a big city, they are kind of scarce and far between.
Having no idea what to expect, it wasn’t exactly something that appealed to me, but Frankie insisted that we make a family trip out of it.
Then we went and I am so thankful that we did. I will always remember and cherish the memory of our first time to Wemple’s Pumpkin Patch. It is a memory that will always make me smile.
I remember the way the air hit my face when I stepped out of my car. Pure Lassen County fall air. Soul-healing air that is only found outside the city limits.
After we unbuckled our daughter Peach from her car seat we could hardly keep up with her as she made a beeline to the pumpkins. She had so much fun running through the rows of pumpkins, pointing out the various shapes and colors.
She excitedly ran around the pumpkins until she saw other kids being pulled in the wagons, at which time she jumped into someone else’s wagon and we had to coax her away and into our own. (I think she had more fun riding in the wagon than actually picking out a pumpkin, but whatever made her happy.)
After we found the perfect pumpkin, we took Peach over to the animals. She petted them and talked to them as she made sure Mommy and Daddy saw them too.
After several minutes of singing to the Wemple’s dog, which roams happily through the patch, my husband took Peach on the tractor ride while I ate my second caramel apple. (The caramel apples are worth the drive alone.) I could hear my daughter’s happy squeals even though the ride was far out of sight.
I used that time to look around. Hundreds of families just like mine were at the patch. Parents, grandparents, big brothers and sisters – chasing children through the beautiful ranch, enjoying the corn maze, the scenery, the animals. Most importantly Wemple’s Pumpkin Patch gave them quality time and a venue to simply enjoy their families.
Little toddlers climbing over pumpkins which were bigger than they were. Boys and girls cartwheeling on the grass. Friends visiting in the line for food, as their kids played together nearby. I breathed in the fresh air, took a big bite of the perfect apple, and I fell deeper in love with Lassen County that day.
If I had to pinpoint one of my favorite things about our county’s pumpkin patch – it’s that I am able to see all my friends post pictures of the families year after year at the patch. The pumpkins stay relatively the same over time, but their babies grow and grow.
My friend Celeste Wiser took the most adorable pictures of her family at the pumpkin patch this year. “I’ve been going there since I was born,” she told me, then added, “it’s the tradition of it.”
Her little girl Rhys smiles so big in the photograph it illuminates my heart. Another memory made at the patch.
The Wemple’s are celebrating twenty-five years of owning and operating the famous pumpkin patch. Just like their business, the Wemple’s are ingrained into the culture of Lassen County. Honest, hard-working, sweet people. Neighbors. Parents.
I spoke with Fred and Dena Wemple’s daughter Callie, who grew up running around ‘the patch.’ It is her family’s name, her family’s livelihood, a part of who she is.
After visiting the beautiful pumpkin patch year after year, now when I drive by the Wemple’s Pumpkin Patch sign, it’s not only a landmark, it evokes memories. Great memories. So I am encouraging all of you to take advantage of this treasure in our community and visit the world famous Wemple’s Pumpkin Patch.
