About 2 hours from Los Angeles is a small mountain town called Oak Glen… My sister, the kids and I visited for the first time yesterday. OH MY WORD! I want to move there! If you are in Southern California I highly recommend taking this day trip.
Oak Glen is described as “New England in SoCal”. The temperature is usually 20 degrees cooler than the valley, so with this hundred plus heat we ran away looking for easier weather:) The entirety of Oak Glen is basically covered in every kind of apple tree imaginable! Orchards cover the mountains…it is beautiful. They also grow pretty much everything else as well!
Our first stop was Riley’s Farm. It felt like we had gone back in time! The farm was originally built in 1880 and it still holds that charm.
We started the morning with an apple tasting, deciding our favorites before going out picking. (Although if you’re going to visit and go picking I’d go to Snow-Line farm a few miles down the road, because Riley’s is so popular and the ripe fruit is stripped before the other farms) They have a few stores on the 760 acres that sell the YUMMIEST jams and apple butters, colonial themed everything, old wooden toys, bonnets, candy and they make their own historical movies that are sold there as well! They have many demonstrations going on as you stroll, how to press cider, candle dipping, ink and quill lessons etc.
We ended our trip to Riley’s with a sit down dinner at Hawk’s Head Public house. There is live music and all the servers sing! My sister and I decided we wanted to live in Oak Glen and work here:)
We stopped at a few of the country stores along the stretch, each neat in it’s own way. There were apple stands everywhere. We stopped at Snow-Line before heading home. I had read online that they make fresh apple donuts. We grew up next to a cider mill in Franklin Michigan and the smell of apple donuts is one of our favorite earliest memories. So we HAD to stop and eat some with the kids! I ordered 2 dozen mini’s and we ate them all within minutes!!
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| Outside one of the stores on the property |
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| Isn’t this land beautiful?!! |
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| After running and picking all day these babies crashed!! |
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| Hawk’s Head Public House |
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| The Armory Band in the BBQ restaurant |
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| Just singing under trees |
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| Our Lunch |
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| My sister Ashley |
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| My sis and Saylor, a server lighting the candle chandeliers and the musicians |
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| Raimy enjoying fresh pressed cider |
We will return often…it was a wonderful trip. Can’t wait until fall when the weather cools and they start selling pumpkins:)
I want your life! Or to be one of your kids!!! Care free, fun and making memories each day. I love apple orchards…they remind me of being little and going there with my mom. Your kids will remember these days forever! They are also lucky to have an auntie that does so much with them!
Hey! Love your humor and sense of adventure. Don't forget International Talk Like a Pirate Day- Sept. 19th. My hubby and kiddos have so much fun with it-texting and talking trash, pirate trash, that is! Good clean fun. Amy/ south GA
You really have a great eye, your pics are awesome! They look authentically old– the 'singing ladies' and 'field of flowers' just seem to transport back in time and the last pic is just so cool.
I love the Fall, the cooler air inspires me to cook…and EAT!
So happy you indulged in those apple doughnuts! YUM, they just sound so amazing! My Fall indulgence is pumpkin bread, soooo delish, and there's some in the oven right now!
Thanks for taking time out of your busy days with the little ones to post!
–Connie
Oh my gosh that looks like so much fun. About 3 hours away from El Paso in Cloudcroft, NM they do a cherry festival and an apple festival. I've gone cherry picking, but not apple picking. Now it's on my to do list. Yum. The apple donuts do sound so good! Thanks for posting! Have a great week!
Vanessa M.
El Paso, TX
Well, you really put me in the day dreaming mode today at work, may not get much done now…wouldn't it be great to stay there a few weeks and help with everything while enjoying the scenery and the people. Never heard of apple doughnuts though, feeling a little deprived. The kids will really love it in the fall, don't forget to take pictures and post that visit as well. Your truly blessed!
Laurie Knight
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Awww so sweet! I hope they look back with fond memories of their childhoods:)! I am sooo lucky to have a sis so involved:)
Hahahahaha! That's amazing!!
Can't take the credit! Ash has all the cool photo apps on her phone! She is an amazing photographer!
Pumpkin bread…yuuuummmmm!!!
I wish people could post pics in the comment area! I'd say do it and send pics:)
🙂 Google who makes apple donuts in a ten hour vicinity those stupid little things are worth that much of a drive!!
Sure you can take the credit! Sister's share everything 😉
Ha,ha,ha….you have made a believer out of me…will do!
Laurie Knight
Let me know next time you go! I'm, like 25 min. away from there! Yes, I am totally inviting myself along!
Hillary