LATHROP – Anthony Arnold stepped into his harness, grabbed his clip and scaled the steps to the top of the bright orange zip line tower at Dell’Osso Family Farms on Saturday afternoon.

Then he promptly walked back down.

There was something about the initial drop that scared the 9-year-old to death. But he took his time, psyched himself up and made the trek back up to the top and clipped in to the overhead cable.

He ended up taking two thrilling trips to the bottom by the end of the day.

“I was scared and nervous, but I was also kind of excited,” Arnold said while he walked back towards the front of the attraction. “After the first time, I wanted to go down again. It felt kind of like a suicide leap at first, but it was fun.”

And Arnold wasn’t alone in finding something that he could do with his family that brought a smile to their faces.

Debi Lohmann – an Oakdale resident – took advantage of opening day at the popular fall destination at Interstate 5 and Manthey Raod by watching her 5-year-old great-nephew scale all three levels of the aerial ropes course with reckless abandon.

While grown adults wavered at the end of the line – the “plank” that required a leap out over a sandpit three stories below – Aiden Lohmann wasted no time in fearlessly jumping out over the air and riding the rope down to the bottom.

With attractions like the ropes course providing avenues for kids and adults alike to enjoy themselves, Debi Lohmann was more than thrilled with the offerings that Dell’Osso provides to those who come out to visit the farm.

With the corn maze, the pumpkin patch and even representatives from NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, she was also impressed with the educational aspects that were provided for the youth that focused on both science and the strong agricultural roots of the area.

“It’s great the Dell’Ossos still have their family business and that they’ve added this to provide something extra for the community here. I know that it’s going to draw a lot of people from all over,” Lohnmann said. “It’s great to have an agricultural and an economical boost to the local economy from something like this.”

And then there were those who were just looking forward to celebrating the season that the Dell’Osso Family Farms seemed to have on display in every single corner.

With fall officially under way, Dan Spencer said he couldn’t wait until the weather started to formally cool, the first rain finally comes and the actual feeling of the season starts to hit the Central Valley.

“October just got here and next week we’re supposed to be able to feel it,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been looking forward to for the last two months. It’s my favorite time of year. The weather turns, then it’s Thanksgiving and then the holidays are finally here.

“You really can’t beat that.”

Dell’Osso Farms is open through Halloween. For more information go to www.pumpkinmaze.com.