Just about 45 minutes north of downtown Los Angeles, a city kid can get a taste of the great outdoors in Simi Valley at the Underwood Family Farms. Alex rode his first pony, went mining for minerals, fed the goats carrots and took a train ride. There are two locations, the Somis Farm and the Moorpark Farm. Both boast pigs, llamas, ponies, goats and other farm animals, as well as opportunities to pick your own produce and buy organic at their fresh market. If you really want the full experience, you can sit on a tractor or bounce through the fields on a the back of an open wagon.
Mostly, Alex loved to dig in the giant sand box, run through the fields and climb the great pile of straw -- just like a real farm kid. As a kid who grew up on a farm myself, it's odd to pay the entrance fee and buy tickets for the giant air jumper just to get the farm experience. But, for small children in Los Angeles, its a great chance to escape the freeway, masses of people and play in the dirt!
