We made our annual apple orchard trip. We were a little sad that we would not be able to visit our favorite orchard, Altapass on the Blue Ridge Parkway, in North Carolina. This year has been a year of change and since we no longer live on the East Coast we have to make new West Coast favorites. So we visited a local community of apple orchard's about an hour and a half away from Orange County. It's called Oak Glen. Have you ever been there?
The scenery was different but beautiful in it's own way. I love the smell of apple's ready to harvest and of the old historic cider mills that still make cider. It's just amazing that after a hundred years they still do the same thing they have always done.
Oak Glen is a community of apple orchards. We wanted to visit Snow-Line Orchard. I liked this one because it was quite and quaint. Not a bunch of extra stuff there just apples, cider, a small shop and a local craftsman making wooden toys.
Snow-Line is known for their apple spiced mini donuts that they make in the little shop. The line was busy for the donuts so we stood there and waited patiently as the donuts were made. They were hot, fresh and delicious!! Well worth the wait.
You could not pick your own apples but you could pick your own raspberries. I was a little disappointed. We still bought a couple bags of apples and some apple cider to bring home. We bought Staymen Winesap and Braeburn apples.
We loaded up in the car and drove to another apple orchard in hopes that we could pick our own apples at this one. No such luck. Parrish Pioneer Ranch was very busy and hard to find parking. They had music, a few farm animals, wild west gun show, a couple stores, a cafe and bakery.
We listened to a little bit of music and snacked on kettle corn. We gave the Wild West show a try. I didn't feel like it was a very family friendly show and for younger children it was too loud with all the guns and explosions.
We listened to a little bit of music and snacked on kettle corn. We gave the Wild West show a try. I didn't feel like it was a very family friendly show and for younger children it was too loud with all the guns and explosions.
In another part of the Oak Glen community there was a little village area that looked like you could walk around and visit a bunch of shops and restaurants, it was called Oak Tree Village. We did not visit this area because parking was impossible. It was very crowded and busy and that was not what we were looking for.
I never noticed a sign for Riley's Apple Farm but I plan on visiting their farm next year. From their website it looks like you can pick your own apples. It looks like a smaller family owned farm and it looks like you can also make your own cider!
We had a wonderful fall filled weekend. When we got back to the house the kids went off to their AWANA club and hubby and I went out for a date night. We did a little shopping and swung into Whole Foods for a quick bite to eat (yummy sushi) before picking the kiddos up.
Do you have a favorite fall tradition?
We had a wonderful fall filled weekend. When we got back to the house the kids went off to their AWANA club and hubby and I went out for a date night. We did a little shopping and swung into Whole Foods for a quick bite to eat (yummy sushi) before picking the kiddos up.
Do you have a favorite fall tradition?
