Apples, Apples, Apples!

Yesterday my dad joined the kids and I on a trip up to Apple Hill! It was everything I hoped it to be. Sunny with a little chill in the air, the smell of apples and fresh cut trees filled the air. I always feel so relaxed and at peace when I am up there. I just love it!

Our first stop was High Hill Apple Ranch. The kids touched and lifted every pumpkin. Although there were some great pumpkins we decided to wait to get our pumpkins for another week when Max can join us. We always go to Silveyville together and get our family pumpkins. It was still fun to explore what they had.

High Hill has a wonderful pond filled with plenty of fish and beautiful ducks and geese. The kids pushed the envelope on how close they could get to the two white geese sitting at the edge of the hill. No trip would be complete without picking up a homemade apple pie from the Apple Pie House. I always get the unbaked, frozen pie so I can take it home and keep it the freezer. We have our annual Halloween camping trip coming up in two weeks and the pie will be the perfect treat one evening and make the trailer smell divine.

After High Hill we loaded up and headed out to try some other apple ranches. We stopped at several along the way, but this one was spectacular. Bill's Apples had the most beautiful and amazing gardens. So bright with colors of fall and immaculately maintained. These sculptures were out back. I just loved the creativity behind them. Made from horse shoes and various other metal objects. He was the coolest cowboy. I want my husband to weld one for me. I just need to get the materials and sketch my idea.

Here are the kids sitting on a hillside filled with Mums and Marigolds in every color of fall. The whole property was like this. I could stay there all day. The owner was out back behind the store peeling and slicing apples to taste. I think the kids each ate three a piece. He was worried they would get tummy aches, but you couldn't help it. They were soooo good! Dad bought two huge boxes, 20 lbs each of Golden Delicious Apples. We shared one and the other I'll take to my Aunt Debi (our resident apple pie baker). Load 'em up and head'n out.

Our last stop was a visit to Jenkinson Lake at Sly Park. It gave the kids a chance to run around and stretch their legs. The water was like glass, it was chilly with a few sprinkles and the view of the big trees around the lake was breathtaking. It felt so good to breathe in the fresh, crisp air. This is where my dad spent many a family camping trips growing up, so we enjoyed his stories of water skiing and sleeping under the stars. The kids were interested in the big orange buoys or "Floating Pumpkins" as they described in the water. After Sly Park we headed home and the clouds got darker and it just down poured for about five minutes. My car needed a little wash and a chance to break in the wind shield wipers Max replaced last weekend. A stop for a late lunch and then we headed home. I love this trip and would love to go one more time before Christmas. They have so many wonderful decorations and crafts for the holidays. I wasn't quit ready to buy Christmas goodies just yet. Thanks to my dad for going with us and making for a wonderful day, we had a great time.