Apple Picking in Southern California

Image courtesy of Flickr

When I think about fall I can’t help but think of the beautiful reds and yellows of the changing leaves, and the thoughts of pumpkins and apples fill my mind.  I love the way the air finally feels crisp in the early morning, and the scent of cinnamon is in the air.  I want my children to have those same memories, and the feelings of joy and excitement this season brings.  However, fall is a hard thing to come by in Southern California.  With the temperatures still well in the 80’s, and the only color leaves we see are green or brown, we have to head up to the mountains to get any sense of the season.  So that is just what we did!

Apple Picking at Willowbrook Apple Farm:

A couple of weeks ago we headed up to Oak Glen, a community near Yucaipa and the San Bernadino Mountains.  After only an hour and a half  drive we found ourselves in a community filled with apple orchards big and small.  We decided to start our morning at Snow-Line orchard, where we lined up for the most delicious little apple cider donuts made while we waited.  The kids each got their own bag of miniature donuts that they snacked on while we wandered around and tried the various flavors of apple cider sold at Snow-Line.

After hearing many positive stories about Willowbrook Apple Farm, we decided to try our hand at apple picking and cider making at this orchard.  We can safely say that all the positive reviews were warranted, and that this was such a perfect farm for our little ones.  The orchard is not one of the larger ones in Oak Glen, but it is one of the most friendly and inviting.  The orchard is owned by a sweet family who is on hand to welcome visitors, and encourage them to relax and enjoy their visit.

We loved that the apples were low enough that the littlest among us could pull them off the trees easily.

There were several animals that the kids could visit; a miniature horse, a pot-bellied pig, a chicken, a huge rabbit, and new this year a donkey named Daisy.

Making Fresh Apple Cider:

After plenty of apple picking, and quite a bit of running, we decided to make some cider with the old-fashioned cider press.  This was an experience in itself!  We started by choosing a big basket of apples, and then started slowly loading them in the top of the press.  Then we cranked, and cranked the press as it chopped up the apples.  When the apples were chopped we spun a long wooden handle on the top of the press to, as you might have guessed, press the apples into cider.  The cider collected in a bowl at the bottom of the press which was then transferred to a half-gallon jug for us to take home.  It was absolutely delicious!

We finished our visit with some more running, climbing on rocks, exploring and pretending to drive the tractors that were available for the kids to play on.

It wouldn’t be a true apple picking visit without some apple pie.  We headed back in to town for a visit to Apple Annie’s, which has by far, the best apple pie I have ever tasted.  Each apple pie is made with five pounds of apples, and is roughly the size and shape of a small mountain.  We chose a beautiful apple crumb pie, and have since decided we should probably have picked up 3 more to freeze.  If you try Apple Annie’s at lunch you might be met with a long line.  In the future we might try to stop here first thing in the morning before things get busy.

All in all, it was a wonderful trip that really helped us welcome in the fall, even here in sunny Southern California.

Some things to think of bringing for your apple trip:

Sunscreen-even in the mountains it can get hot

A jacket-if you arrive early the mornings are quite chilly

Water-bring your own it is hard to find

Snacks for the little ones

A blanket-Willowbrook is fine with you taking a rest under the apple trees.  Maybe a fun picnic?

Car Potty– there are no easy to find bathrooms.  We are rather fond of our Kalecom Pottete Potty for those emergencies.

A camera– cute photos are bound to happen with the 104 year old apple trees and all the cute animals.

Happy Picking!

Have you been apple picking before?