Orchards

What is fall without a trip or two to an apple orchard?  We have a local favorite that is good for easy hiking, petting a few goats, and tasting a fresh-picked apple or two.  This is where we go when it is just too nice to sit inside and read or do math.  It is our escape into the sunshine when we know our remaining days without snow are so very limited.  

It is small and never busy during the weekday afternoons.  On a recent visit we pick-nicked and enjoyed some baked-on-site apple cinnamon oatmeal cookies for dessert.

Through some Internet searching I also found a new little orchard this year which is a bit longer to drive to, but not so long as to prevent it from being a spur-of-the moment trip.  It is family owned and the people were really quite nice and friendly.  We invited another family along with us for an enjoyable afternoon.

They gave us tastings of apples and un-pasteurized cider that they press on-site (soooooooooooooooooooooo yummy!!!).  

They encouraged us to hike through the orchard and eat an apple or two or three on the way (some orchards are just the opposite and frown on tasting, especially when there are 7 children in tow!), and to explore the nature trail as well.  

There is a sort of rock playground too, which the boys and their friends climbed upon and ran on without breaking any bones.  Whew.

We're a bit sad we found it so late in the season as we'd love to visit again this year, but I'm not sure it will happen. There are still some aspects of the orchard which we didn't get a chance to explore, like their gallery.  We'll just have that much more to look forward to next year!