MacQueen Orchards

If you live in this area, you absolutely must visit MacQueen Orchards.

They're a family farm open year round with an abundant farmer's market, bakery, cider mill and gift shop.

But one of the best times to visit is the fall. Known for their vast apple (& peach) orchards, they have a pick your own apple season starting about September 20th each year.

In addition, they host an Apple Butter Stir & Craft Festival every October. But beware: the crowds are monumental for that occasion.

Guess what!

This year, Will actually rode the ponies! If you remember last year, he insisted he wanted to but then panicked and changed his mind as soon as we put him in the saddle. So this was a big step!

Giving daddy the thumbs up.
Hmm... how convincing is that face? LOL

Will's pony's name was Bam Bam.

Way to go, Will!

Walking out to the orchards.

We borrowed some books on apple picking from the library this week and read about how the branches hang low and heavy with ripe apples.

If you click on that link above (or here), you can see several very similar pictures from last year to compare.

Love this one.

We also read about how the ladders for apple picking get narrower at the top

Playing peek-a-boo with daddy around the tree.

Then Will wanted to join in on the peek-a-boo.

I know these are all similar, but they were just having so much fun with it and I love the kids' expressions in these.

Could this kid get any stinkin' cuter?

Sophie wanted a chance to climb the ladder too.

After this, I had to practically drag her down from there. She wanted to go all the way to the top!

This place smells A.MA.ZING! Like fresh apple fritters and cider. Yum!

This is just the outside. The inside was too crazy busy for picture taking but it's overflowing with produce and baked goods and gourmet popcorn and cider and gifts, and, and, and...

We sampled the cider...

...and brought home a 1/2 peck of honeycrisp apples and a gallon of cider.

A fun fall day trip!