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Health & Fitness

Frolicking in Strawberry Fields

In need of an afternoon shenanigan, the Misplaced Midwesterner makes the trek to Carlsbad for a fun afternoon of picking strawberries in the warm, summer sun.

One warm weekend afternoon, my husband and I desperately wanted to get out of the house and enjoy the sunshine. We had been toying with the idea of going berry picking for sometime and finally, we decided to act on it.

We packed up the water bottles, slathered on sunscreen and drove north to Carlsbad Strawberry Company. Just off Interstate 5 lay rows and rows of the red fruit. 

Despite expensive pricing, we purchased a one pint Styrofoam container to fill and made our ways to the back of the public fields. There were families scattered throughout the farms, happily picking and talking. Children were running, screaming about their hearty hauls. 

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The two of us picked and munched, trying to find berries that would be perfect. We had just gone grocery shopping the day before and I had replenished our berry stock. There was really no point in us paying the price that we did for berries we didn't need. It didn't matter. The experience was pleasant and the berries were delicious.

When we got home, I prepared the berries for freezing. I still have a few lying in the freezer. Having a hidden cash of strawberries came in handy on mornings where we realized food was scarce and a trip to the store was inevitable. 

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Now that we're heading into the end of summer, Carlsbad Strawberry Company is closed for the season. For other you-pick farms, take a look at this Web site pickyourown.org. Southern California has plenty of orchards, berry farms and pumpkin patches that are family friendly and offer plenty of afternoon fun.

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