Daytripping: Apple Hill

Fall is here. In these parts, that means it is time for the yearly trip to Apple Hill. Apple Hill is one of those places that pulls at your heartstrings.  We moved to Northern California about 20 years ago now, and started our family here. Ever since our teenage daughters were little, we have taken them to pick apples, drink apple cider, and eat apple pie in the beautiful hills North East of Sacramento. It was the place my youngest daughter decided she wanted to spend her sweet sixteenth birthday..... with her best girlfriends...so off we went last weekend.....a car full of six teens and me.....

The beautiful rolling hills of the Apple Hill region

 Since we first started coming here, the Hill has grown. The apple growers that open their farms to the public has probably tripled. There are maps and guides telling one where to find locations where there are fresh apple pies, where you can pick your own apples, where there are pumpkin patches, and where you can find BBQ for lunch.....or where there are hayrides, animals to pet, or pony rides.

Freshly picked half peck of apples...they were delicious!

And the pumpkins patches?  They are not just your average orange pumpkins.....

Pumpkins at Patrick's Mountain Berry Farm

Although there are plenty of those too....

High Hill Ranch is one of the main draws with its many craft booths, huge cider press with free cider samples, pony rides, hay rides, and large produce shed. And then there is the fishing pond which overlooks the valley....

It makes for a nice shower if you are so inclined.....

 We stop here because they have carmel apple milkshakes.....could you resist?

We also like to stop at Bavarian Hills where we can get Bratwurst, Polish Sausages, Schnitzel and Brockwurst....and maybe a stein of beer....OK....and maybe some Apple Strudel. There is a very relaxed uncrowded feel here when you compare it to High Hill, which I really like. It feels like Oktoberfest every time I come and sit in the Beer Garden and listen to the German music while eating my Bratwurst and red cabbage....

Next stop,  Denver Dan's where these cuties live....

Alapacas seem to be a growing industry in the hills between Sacramento and the Sierras.

Denver Dan's has a huge shop with another fruit treat everywhere look. There are fruit jams and syrups, and chutneys. There are frozen pies of every sort: apple, apple rhubarb, olallieberry, marion berry, cherry. There are Bavarian Cream Tortes, Pumpkin Rolls, Apple Crisps. There are Chicken Pasties, and Turnovers, home made chunky Applesauce.....

 And then there is Big Al. He's the guy you want to see for his famous apple slinky. If you are daring, he will give you the full treatment....that would be every syrup Denver Dan's makes on top of that apple slinky....

Big Al with a famous special Apple Slinky on one daring person's thumb. You will need a paper towel for this one.

We ended up taking home a frozen Pumpkin Roll (we ate it a couple of days ago....Soooo good!), a package of Chicken Pasties and an Apple Rhubarb Pie. All can be transported home in a cold storage pack also sold at Denver Dan's. But if you remember to bring a cooler, you will be set!

Next up, Apple Ridge Farms is perhaps my favorite place for treats. I cannot leave without a fresh warm  apple doughnut......

Apple Ridge, I am told, is also the only place that makes their own carmel for the apple slices in a bowl. And you can taste the brown sugar and butter in every bite! It is decadently delicious. I do not have a pretty picture...it is not that pretty....but I am pretty sure they eat these apples and carmel in heaven.

I have also been told that they have a new chef...so the BBQ is touted as being the best on the Hill as well. If I had only known.....we would have eaten lunch here! Luckily we are coming back up in a couple of weeks....so I will let you know!

The Flower Garden at Patrick's Mountain Grown Berry Farm

One of the last places I like to stop at the end of the Apple Hill loop is Patrick's Mountain Grown Berry Farm. The berry season has past (but during the summer you can come up and pick your own!), but they have such a beautiful flower garden, I cannot resist stopping to see it every year. It makes you feel like Alice in Wonderland.....

Happy birthday my own Alice on your sixteenth birthday....

I hope you all have a weekend full of wonders....

What To Do This Weekend: Apple Hill

Apple Pantry Farm

Apples. They are such a part of Autumn. Bobbing for apples at Halloween, apple pie at Thanksgiving, apple cider at Christmas. In the Sierra Foothills, not more than an hour from Sacramento, there is a place called Apple Hill. When we first moved to Sacramento 17 years ago, we heard about this place and made out first visit soon after. Ever since, we have made a yearly trip to the apple orchards of this area, as have many other families throughout Northern California in the months of October and November.

We come for the apples, of course. And the scenery, naturally! But we also come for a few other things: apple pie, apple fritters, apple donuts, carmel apples, apple cider, apple butter, apple syrup, apple bread, apple cake. You get the idea. If you can make it with apples, you can find it here!

Golden Delicious at Apple Pantry Farm

Apple Hill has grown over the years from an association of about 16 growers to over 50 apple ranches, wineries, a microbrewery, with even a Spa thrown in to make your visit complete. It has become the "Napa Valley" for the apple lover set.

In the Fall, the place comes alive with the harvest. There are pumpkin patches and hay bale mazes. There are craft and art fairs. There are pony rides and train rides. And lots and lots of food: Bratwurst and Pulled Pork BBQ, corn on the cob and potato salad....and then there are the apple desserts.

Apple Peeling machine at Apple Pantry Farm

Some of the ranches are overrun, and honestly too crowded for my personal taste. But there are plenty that are charming and more low key. There is something for everyone. We stopped at Apple Pantry Farm, which makes their pies with Golden Delicious apples, as well as cider and tarts, etc. This is one of the delightfully low key and relaxing places on the Apple Hill map of growers. We stopped here for awhile and ate pie.

Vintage Cars at Apple Pantry Farm

We made a quick stop at Bavarian Hills. We heard the Bavarian music as we were driving by and were intrigued. There were a few craft and booths here, so the girls and I had a look. There were a couple of ladies that had inherited all of their Aunt's costume jewelry. The Aunt, being originally from San Francisco, had collected it her whole life, and the ladies told me there were rooms full of the stuff! They were selling things at amazing prices just trying to get rid of it all. Lucky for ME!

One of the places we love to stop is Jack Russell Brewing Company. I have to say, they probably have the best Barbecue of many of the places we have been. They have BBQ tri-tip and pulled pork. And the beer is truly exceptional. This year was the most crowded we have ever seen it, but there is a large beer garden and dogs (for you Jack Russell lovers!) are quite welcome!

Denver Dan's is also a good place to stop for jams and pies. They have frozen pies (as do many of the ranches) that will make it all the way home so you can bake at your leisure. We brought home a boysenberry, apple pie which was delicious! The berries are also grown in the vicinity and when in season, you can pick them to your hearts delight. You can also pick your own apples here and at many of the other ranches.

This is just a sampling of the goodies to be found at Denver Dan's.

Just a note: Apples are not the only thing in abundance here. It is also pear season and they are available at many of the ranches.

Next stop: Apple Ridge Farms. They are my favorite stop for apple wedges covered in carmel. They have a petting zoo here and pony rides, as well as short nature walks that lead you through the cool pine forests. This has been one of my favorite places as when the girls were young enough to love these things.

We did make a stop at High Hill, probably the largest venue at Apple Hill, and invariably the most crowded. This is in large part due to the number of attractions, which include the fishing pond pictured above, the apple barn which sells many apple varieties as well as anything apple related, There is a Fudge Factory building, pony rides, more craft booths than any other venue, and a number of other outbuildings. One of the buildings has apple drinks: apple cider, apple beer, apple wine, apple shakes....and on. There is also a cider press building where you can watch how apple juice is made. I know I am forgetting something. If this sounds good to you, High Hill is the place to be. But be warned, it is the most crowded and there is traffic to and from the ranch on the weekends in the high season.

If you are the type who would prefer a beautiful country drive with a few stops at smaller more relaxed apple spots, then I suggest taking the the roads that loop away from the main highway. There is an abundance of beatiful scenery, and so many places to stop, you undoubtedly find the perfect place for you.

No matter what your plans this weekend, I hope you have a chance to get out and enjoy the Fall season!

Happy Weekend!