Why We Keep Going Back...

We love fall and we LOVE APPLE HILL!  This is one of our favorite times of year.  Our family has been heading up the hill every year since Nolan was born and as long as we're Californians, our tradition will never die.  You may wonder what is so great about apples and the hill in which they come from, so we are hoping this blog posting will bring you a little piece of what us Lil' Dunns call, "Apple Heaven."

Apple Hill is located off HWY 50 just above Placerville - less than an hour drive from Sacramento.  It's the perfect day trip and such a beautiful drive.  There are over 30 farms you can visit and some are even open year round.  We usually head up again in December to cut down our Christmas tree.  So, here are the reasons why we keep going back...

#1.  The Free Shuttle: it runs only during the month of October.  You can park for free at Schnell Elementary School and the shuttle takes you on the apple farm loop.  Shuttles run about every 15 minutes.  (make sure to get your boxes of apples and pumpkins last)

#2.  The Food:  It's like going to fair - but better!  Ryan is always a fan of BBQ anything!  I have to admit today's pork tri-tip (is there such a thing?) was delicious!

It was FINGER LICKIN' GOOD!

#3.  Apples, Apples and more Apples!  There are too many yummy apple treats to list.  

But our favorites are caramel apples, apple pies, apple fritters & of course the apple donuts.

And fresh apple juice to wash all that sugar down!

#4.  COLORS!  There is an overwhelming abundance of color - it's sensory overload at it's best! 

#5. Choosing our pumpkins:  despite all the fun local pumpkin patches, the kids like hauling home their pumpkins.  The deal is that they have to be able to carry it themselves since Ryan and I are usually loaded up with boxes of apples.  I think it makes them feel important - this year Daddy did end up carrying the brunt of our goods.

#6.  Crafts & Fun:  Each farm offers different activities for families.  There are street markets of various hand crafted goodies, produce stands galore and crafts for the kids.  The girls enjoyed getting their faces painted. 

While Nolan made his own candle.  

#7.  Time??? What?  We find that there's no such thing as a schedule when we're at Apple Hill - the best part is taking our time to enjoy every bit of "Apple Heaven".  After all, our next visit is a year away.