Every year, in October, I take a drive up to Oak Glen. It's about 1 1/2 hours from me. Oak Glen is a darling little town that is best known for all the apple orchards.
They have cute shops like the one above. Several resturants, petting zoos and lots of apple things.
This is one of our normal stops. I'm not sure but I think it used to be a big barn.
When we stop here, we do a little shopping and then we always get a caramel apple and sit outside to eat it.
This is Yodeling Merle. He sits outside and sings and yodels to entertain the crowds. He has been there for years and years. Some times when he isn't there we wonder if he is OK or if he has retired.
So, when we pulled up and he was there, we were happy. He is a very nice man and somehow our trip to Oak Glen just isn't complete without him.
I put on a cute little dress and went out back to pick up some eggs. A chicken found her way to my shoulder and a cute little bunny just wouldn't leave my side.
Everywhere had pumpkins. They made great back drops for families taking pictures.
Normally we go to shop and have lunch but this trip we were on a mission for apples. Lots of apples.
I wanted to get a lot of fresh picked apples so I could can apple pie filling, applesauce and apple butter.
What better place to get them. We didn't want to go pick our own. It sounds more fun then it really is. It was hot out and everyone was coming back looking like they were going to die. So we just paid our money and got the ones already picked.
They have lots of good cookbooks but this year we didn't get one.
I always make a stop over to say hi to this guy. Or girl. I'm not sure how to tell. It has beautiful long eye lashes and always tries to stick it's head out and take a bite of my hand. I think he thinks I have food.
If you ever wondered what the difference between the apples were, Oak Glen is the place to find out. You can try any and all the different apples. These people know their apples and can tell you the best ones for what it is your looking for. Could be for eating, canning, baking or making caramel apples. They know which one is best to use.
This is my favorite place to stop. It used to be a little hide away. But then, more and more TV shows have talked about it and now the secret is out.
People come to have picnics outside.
The reason these people are lined up and waiting is the main reason most people come here though.
It's fresh Apple Cider donuts are the best in the world! When we first started coming here they made them by hand and you would have to tell one of the workers you wanted donuts. They would then go pour the batter by hand and cook them up for you.
Now it's done with machines. But, the taste is as good as ever.
As fast as these babies were made, they were purchased and gobbled up. They coat them in sugar and cinnamon then put them in a little bag and sell them by the dozen.
They also have a shop filled with all sorts of goodies to buy. I was looking for sticks to use for caramel apples. I asked the lady if she sold them and she said no. But, she gave me a stack for free. That's how sweet these people are here.
They also have a little antique shop in the back.
We then moved on to the next stop. This place has a petting zoo. This has been added since the last time I went but seemed to be a hit with the kids.
Lots of people were here, listening to music and eating BBQ and grilled corn. Plus they had a bakery full of sweet goodness.
I purchased some Apple Blossom Honey, a small jar of apple butter, a gallon of fresh pressed Apple Cider and some items I'll use for canning.
Also new, was this area where you could press your own Apple Cider.
They gave you the apples and you would grind them up, use a hand crank to press the pulp down and squeeze the cider out.
The cider pours out and into this big bowl. All fresh, handmade and just like they used to do 100 years ago.
It's poured into your own glass bottle and capped off. Ready for your enjoyment at home. YUM!
So, we came home with pounds and pounds of apples that are now waiting for me to get to work on and turn them into yummy recipes to last through out the year.
I've been doing a lot of canning this year to give as gifts for Christmas this year. I'm sure the Apple Pie filling, applesauce and apple butter will make a great addition to the other items I'm giving.
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