I love you a bushel and a peck!

Last year when Nate was on vacation up north with his grandparents, Peter and I celebrated our anniversary by going to brunch then apple picking. This year we went to see Jason Mraz for our anniversary, and made the apple picking a family affair.

We decided to go the same place as last year, Sky Top Orchard, because it is beautiful, has lots of different varieties, a playground and petting zoo for the kids… and was actually letting people pick. I think there was a lot of damage done to the apple crops this year, so a lot of the orchards aren’t even doing self-pick.

Awesome vistas

We packed up the car just in time for Mia’s morning nap and headed to Hendersonville, NC, about an hour and half drive west into the NC mountains. We were getting nervous as we drove because there were some ominous looking clouds in that direction, but we figured we would give it a try because we probably wouldn’t have another opportunity to go this fall. It was still dry when we got there, so we spread out our blanket next to the trees for a picnic lunch.

YUMMY! We had pasta salad, while Mia had carrots.

Daddy-daughter cuddling! (So mommy could finish her lunch!)

After we ate, we headed out into the orchard to pick some apples. Our first stop was Gala apples. Either because of the storm damage, or because the trees were already picked over, Peter had to climb high up into the trees to get the good ones and throw them down to us. I caught most of them! Peter’s aim wasn’t always right on, but I decided not to lunge into the trees with Mia strapped in. She only got hit in the face once – and by my arm, not an apple. Luckily when we got to the Cortlands, they were low enough that he only had to climb a little and could easily hand them down.

Can you see him in there?!

Designated apple catchers!

The Cortlands, from the Galas

We were hoping to pick some Macintosh apples as well, but they were so picked over there were, like, two left in the trees. I think this is because they are the trees closest to the stand, and of course, Mac is a very popular variety of apple. So, we just bought those in the stand.

Thank goodness some nice lady took mercy on us and handed us her cart before someone else could grab it!

Nate definitely got in on the action

Can't wait to get it home!

When we were done picking, we paid for our apples (a bushel and a peck) and took Nate over to play in the playground. It’s pretty cute with a little apple and pumpkin house and some other stuff. Unfortunately, about five minutes after we got there, the downpour came. He tried to convince us to let him play a little longer (he wanted to stay in his house), but we were standing under a tree and didn’t really want to get wet ourselves. So, we grabbed half a dozen of their famous apple cider donuts, a gallon of apple cider and headed home. Just in time for Mia’s afternoon nap!

But I want to play!

No, I do not bribe my children with warm, fresh, apple cider donuts! It just helped.

During other parts of the year you can get things other than apples: grapes, pears, peaches and pumpkins, so we’re debating going back next month for the pumpkins. Either way, we will definitely be making apple picking a fun fall family tradition!