Steven W.
Yelp
Looking for something you can do to stay as far away as possible from others and still have a ton of fun in the era of COVID? Look no further than this amazing corn maze. Sitting up above the tiny little town of North Danville, with incredible views of the Vermont countryside is one of the coolest (not temperature-wise!) attractions in the NEK. Mike and Dana put on one helluva spectacle every year as their creativity turns into hours of enjoyment (or frustration) hiking through one of the best maize mazes you'll ever find.
Under non-COVID circumstances, this place was an absolute gem, with a kids play area and barnyard golf. A family with young-uns could spend literally hours up here and have a blast. Unfortunately, COVID has changed things a bit, but not the enjoyment of this unique treasure of the Northeast. Mike and Dana have done an amazing job setting things up right to limit exposures, provide a safe and fun environment and still challenge your brains as many of you have never been challenged before.
This year, especially, is a year at the Maze I will never forget. My wife and I are both healthcare workers, just part of a huge network of people who are considered essential workers and who this country quite frankly could not have survived without this year. Our trip to Vermont was supposed to be pure vacation this year, but things changed. Thankfully, we were able to grab some respite this morning and hit the maze and keep up the annual tradition. To our pleasure and surprise, the maze this year is dedicated to us and those like us, the essential workers that kept this world turning. I hope the owners don't mind, but I shared the center portion of the maze here, not as a spoiler, but to show the truly amazing tribute they created this year. Talking with them, it was heartfelt, and it meant a lot.
For those of you Great Vermont Maze rookies out there, you have a couple of options. First, you can attempt the main maze itself, with its hundreds of turns and double-backs, you better pack a daypack with plenty of water and snacks, because this isn't some simple maze you are going to solve in 45 minutes. If you have never mazed before, you may want to clear the rest of your day. For the experienced, I hear it can be done in under an hour, but there are a lot of fish tails up here (mine included.) Ideally, you are looking at 1.5-3 hours to solve. Too much time you say? Afraid you will loose your kids attention span because the corn doesn't beep or boop or have an emoticon? No worries, the Scenic Maze if for you. at a leisurely pace, we finished that route with the kids in about 20-30 minutes and there were a bunch of cool things to see along the way.
I chuckled at another review when they expressed their dismay at their being no clues. Umm... its a maze. That like asking to jump on a golf cart to finish a marathon. Really? Well, for those of you who really feel you need a clue (yes, that's me with the side-look and snort right about now), the staff have graciously placed hints in the bear trap area. You just have to get there first!
So shake off those COVID blues and PUT DOWN THE COVID SNACKS already. Get off the couch, get in your car and drive up to Wheelock road and get your maze on. You won't regret it. Grab some souvenirs (this year's shirt is awesome) and come more than once and help out this amazing family who have tirelessly put together this national treasure since 2000! If you are a healthcare or essential worker, get up here and check out this amazing tribute to YOU! While you are at it, pick up some grass-fed beef while you are there- much better for you than those cheese puffs that are all over your face right now.
And don't forget, bring your mask! Thank you Mike and Dana for another amazing year of the maze. If we could stay longer we would be back several more times!!!