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| Fort Cross Old Timey Adventures, Santa Ysabel, CA |
Online friendships are nothing new. I can think of at least three people who I have known for over 20 years and have not yet met in person. I also have some friends with whom I've connected with and have met "in real life." Doreen Cross is one such person. We first encountered one another when we commented on a social media post about ... I don't recall who or what the post was about. What matters is we connected. Doreen's humorously quirky way of expressing how she sees the world, along with her awe and love for God's creation, are what drew me in to following her.
Doreen and her husband Jesse own and operate Fort Cross Old Timey Adventures just outside of Julian, CA in north San Diego County. Fort Cross is a family farm, with hands-on outdoor education for all ages. Originally centered around living history, they offer programs and private events that involve music, art, survival skills, team building, and agriculture workshops. A perfect destination for an educational field trip. Watch this video see the bigger picture of what Fort Cross has to offer.
A couple of years ago my sister and I convinced a few of our friends to come with us on a girls' weekend field trip to Fort Cross. Fort Cross holds three major festivals during the year: their Lilac Festival in the spring (dates may depend on when the lilacs are in bloom); Autumn Jubilee and Haunted Harvest in October; and Holiday Farm Tour Adventures in December. We decided the Haunted Harvest would be perfect for the twisted sense of humor of one of the ladies in our group. I (anonymously) reached out to Doreen with some questions that I had. She promptly replied with options of how we could make the most of our visit. So i booked a local Vrbo that she suggested, and we were set.
Upon arrival, the location was completely decorated for autumn, with a family-friendly spooky-not-scary Halloween vibe. The day's activities were filled with interactive demonstrations of how living on the farm may have been around the turn of the 19th century. Guests were invited to make dipped candles, participate in square dancing at a hoedown to the music of a jug band (that's a guitar, harmonica, fiddle and someone blowing into a moonshine jug, all making square hoedown music). Those who were feeling fearless had the opportunity to make friends with some of the reptiles in the Reptile Petting Zoo. After all, if you found yourself alone in the local foothills, a lizard may be your only companionship. We happened to be there on a day when an after-dark Haunted Hayride was offered, so of course we opted in. The hayride was narrated by a dreadful sorry young man who woefully told the story of his darlin' Clementine. Lost and gone forever, she was. But we were told, if we were quiet and still, we might see Clementine's ghost in the fog as she emerged from the lilac maze. (cue mysterious rushing wind sounds)
At the time of this writing, Fort Cross is in final preparations for their 2025 Holiday Farm Tour season, running weekends from now until December 28. If you are in the Julian area, take your family on a field trip. When you do go, whether it is the Christmas season, for the Lilac Festival, next year's Autumn Jubilee, or bringing a group for an educational experience, check out their website fortcross.com, and follow them on social media @fortcross adventures.
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