Day Trip :: Apple Hill

(all photos were taken on my humble lil' iPhone, you can follow 

my day to day adventures via instagram @caracrowley)

Fall is here!  Yippee! For me fall is all about tradition and one of the first things I do is to make a trip up the hill to Apple Hill. This year I packed up my nephews and we set out to have some harvest fun.  Before leaving I researched a few farms using the Apple Hill Growers Association website.  It is a really helpful resource to use and they offer downloadable PDFs outlining kid specific activities and the east and west maps of the Apple Hill area that lists all farms and farm stands and what each farm offers.

Our first stop was Pine O' Mine which is a self pick apple and berry farm.  The farm is kept up nicely and the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful, they even took time to tell the boys how to pick apples; twist the apple until the apple comes off the tree instead of pulling.  To get started the the staff offered the boys paper bags and off we went into the orchard, spending our time walking up and down the rows picking loads and loads of apples, 29 pounds to be specific :)

Our second stop was Denver Dan's Apple Patch, which was a bit off the beaten path so the crowd was a little smaller it was a little easier to navigate with the boys.  Denver Dan's is a great farm with a farm stand store selling different variations of homemade take and bake apple pies, crisps and breads. There is also face painting, a petting zoo and fresh apple cider to partake in.

Our last stop was Rainbow Orchards because they have the best apple cider doughnuts and there isn't anything I love more than a fresh, hot, apple cider doughnut, yum!  They also have great BBQ and have an apple cider press going through out the day to demonstrate how fresh cider is made and offer apple cider samples for the kids.  It was also a great place for the boys to get out and run around, the farm is set up for lunches and outdoor picnicking.

On our way back down the hill we made one last stop at Smokey Ridge Charcuterie.  This place is a hidden gem!  They make their own hand crafted seasonal sausages and preserved condiments.  You can find Smokey Ridge Charcuterie at their farm stand during the fall, local farmers markets throughout the year, and you can also place orders online.  During the fall they also offer picnic baskets with delicious sandwiches, cheeses and local produce.  They also have bins of the smallest, sweetest apples I've ever tasted and they have a charming little pond on the property as well that is fun for the kids to take a break around.  It is defiantly worth a stop!

I love heading up the hill to support our local farmers and to create fall traditions and create fun memories with my nephews it's something I look forward to it year after year.  These were a few of our favorites, what are your favorite not to miss farms and farm stands?