Last week my boys and I headed out for our 2nd annual trip to Apple Hill. This is a tradition we decided to start last fall after our first visit. We completely fell in love with the place. The fresh mountain air, the relaxing settings, the fun family activities, and of course, all the apple goodness to be found around every corner!
As many of you may know, our morning did not get off to a good start. We were rear ended by another vehicle only a few minutes after leaving our house. You can read more about that HERE. But even though we had a rough start, we ended up having one of the best days ever.
If you live in the Nor Cal or the Central Valley area then Apple Hill is a must. It is the absolute perfect way to welcome the arrival of autumn. There are so many farms to stop at you could literally spend all day driving down the windy, wildflower lined roads and stopping to explore the many different places. If you are going to plan a trip then I highly recommend going to their WEBSITE and printing out the maps and guides. This will help you to plan out your trip so you are able to see and do the things you'd like since each farm offers something a little different from the next. Plan to spend a leisurely afternoon exploring and filling your bellies with everything apple!
Here are a few highlights from our day 'o fun!
Our first stop was Bill's Apples.
As you can see the grounds here were be-you-ti-ful!! But our favorite part was this little discovery we made...
An apple slinky maker!!
Of course, we had to have one and have been making our own apple slinky's ever since.
Our next stop was Apple Ridge Farms.
This was one of our favorite stops last year. There is a petting zoo, face painting, pumpkin patch, and a variety of vendor booths. Definitely a very fun stop for the kiddos!
Next up was Denver Dan's and Larsen Apples.
We were planning on picking our own apples at Denver Dan's, but due to a late snow storm in June that ruined the blossoms, they had no u-pick apples left. But check out those apple turnovers and muffins will ya!
Larsen Apples was not a planned stop but when we saw the giant water wheel we decided to pull over and check it out. Turned out they had a whole little museum with covered wagons, old cars, tools and even an old log cabin! Carter loved it!
Larsen Apples was not a planned stop but when we saw the giant water wheel we decided to pull over and check it out. Turned out they had a whole little museum with covered wagons, old cars, tools and even an old log cabin! Carter loved it!
After that we headed to one of our FAVORITE stops Rainbow Orchards.
They have a HUGE variety of apples and also a ton of pumpkins and gourds. But the thing that makes Rainbow Orchards our favorite place is...
HOT APPLE CIDER DONUTS!!
We literally waited an entire year to eat these scrumptious little babies and have our lips coated in sugary deliciousness :) Oh and you can't forget about the fresh apple cider too...so yummy. I'm already looking forward to next years trip!
A must stop for any Apple Hill trip is definitely the Fudge Factory. I don't think there is any need to explain this one. The pictures pretty much tell it all!
A must stop for any Apple Hill trip is definitely the Fudge Factory. I don't think there is any need to explain this one. The pictures pretty much tell it all!
Last stop on our trip was Abel's Acres. We of course had to stop at the Johnny Appleseed tree to see how much he had grown...can't believe he's almost 4ft tall!! Maybe he'll make it there by next year...we shall see!!
If you're planning on visiting Apple Hill and have any questions, feel free to email me!
Happy Autumn Everyone!
If you're planning on visiting Apple Hill and have any questions, feel free to email me!
Happy Autumn Everyone!
xoxo,
Lacee
