What To Do This Weekend: Apple Hill

Apple Pantry Farm

Apples. They are such a part of Autumn. Bobbing for apples at Halloween, apple pie at Thanksgiving, apple cider at Christmas. In the Sierra Foothills, not more than an hour from Sacramento, there is a place called Apple Hill. When we first moved to Sacramento 17 years ago, we heard about this place and made out first visit soon after. Ever since, we have made a yearly trip to the apple orchards of this area, as have many other families throughout Northern California in the months of October and November.

We come for the apples, of course. And the scenery, naturally! But we also come for a few other things: apple pie, apple fritters, apple donuts, carmel apples, apple cider, apple butter, apple syrup, apple bread, apple cake. You get the idea. If you can make it with apples, you can find it here!

Golden Delicious at Apple Pantry Farm

Apple Hill has grown over the years from an association of about 16 growers to over 50 apple ranches, wineries, a microbrewery, with even a Spa thrown in to make your visit complete. It has become the "Napa Valley" for the apple lover set.

In the Fall, the place comes alive with the harvest. There are pumpkin patches and hay bale mazes. There are craft and art fairs. There are pony rides and train rides. And lots and lots of food: Bratwurst and Pulled Pork BBQ, corn on the cob and potato salad....and then there are the apple desserts.

Apple Peeling machine at Apple Pantry Farm

Some of the ranches are overrun, and honestly too crowded for my personal taste. But there are plenty that are charming and more low key. There is something for everyone. We stopped at Apple Pantry Farm, which makes their pies with Golden Delicious apples, as well as cider and tarts, etc. This is one of the delightfully low key and relaxing places on the Apple Hill map of growers. We stopped here for awhile and ate pie.

Vintage Cars at Apple Pantry Farm

We made a quick stop at Bavarian Hills. We heard the Bavarian music as we were driving by and were intrigued. There were a few craft and booths here, so the girls and I had a look. There were a couple of ladies that had inherited all of their Aunt's costume jewelry. The Aunt, being originally from San Francisco, had collected it her whole life, and the ladies told me there were rooms full of the stuff! They were selling things at amazing prices just trying to get rid of it all. Lucky for ME!

One of the places we love to stop is Jack Russell Brewing Company. I have to say, they probably have the best Barbecue of many of the places we have been. They have BBQ tri-tip and pulled pork. And the beer is truly exceptional. This year was the most crowded we have ever seen it, but there is a large beer garden and dogs (for you Jack Russell lovers!) are quite welcome!

Denver Dan's is also a good place to stop for jams and pies. They have frozen pies (as do many of the ranches) that will make it all the way home so you can bake at your leisure. We brought home a boysenberry, apple pie which was delicious! The berries are also grown in the vicinity and when in season, you can pick them to your hearts delight. You can also pick your own apples here and at many of the other ranches.

This is just a sampling of the goodies to be found at Denver Dan's.

Just a note: Apples are not the only thing in abundance here. It is also pear season and they are available at many of the ranches.

Next stop: Apple Ridge Farms. They are my favorite stop for apple wedges covered in carmel. They have a petting zoo here and pony rides, as well as short nature walks that lead you through the cool pine forests. This has been one of my favorite places as when the girls were young enough to love these things.

We did make a stop at High Hill, probably the largest venue at Apple Hill, and invariably the most crowded. This is in large part due to the number of attractions, which include the fishing pond pictured above, the apple barn which sells many apple varieties as well as anything apple related, There is a Fudge Factory building, pony rides, more craft booths than any other venue, and a number of other outbuildings. One of the buildings has apple drinks: apple cider, apple beer, apple wine, apple shakes....and on. There is also a cider press building where you can watch how apple juice is made. I know I am forgetting something. If this sounds good to you, High Hill is the place to be. But be warned, it is the most crowded and there is traffic to and from the ranch on the weekends in the high season.

If you are the type who would prefer a beautiful country drive with a few stops at smaller more relaxed apple spots, then I suggest taking the the roads that loop away from the main highway. There is an abundance of beatiful scenery, and so many places to stop, you undoubtedly find the perfect place for you.

No matter what your plans this weekend, I hope you have a chance to get out and enjoy the Fall season!

Happy Weekend!

HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND!

I was over at Pigtown Design today and could hardly take my eyes off of the homes in Meg's post here. Each house better than the last. It reminded me that I had taken a picture of the Cherry tree that had bloomed in front of our house a couple of weeks ago heralding the beginning of Spring. The garden was just beginning to bloom and we were overrun with forget-me-nots. My husband thinks they are a nuisance, but I won't let him pull them out. They and the azaleas are the first things to bloom, and they just lift my spirits.

The good old days when the girls liked to go out with their parents in public and actually let us take pictures of them. This was a particularly beautiful Easter we had at Daffodil Hill in the Sierra Foothills. The meadow behind the girls is full of daffodils of every kind. If you are ever wanting a perfect Spring excursion in Northern Cal....look this up.

Is anyone planning anything special this Easter Weekend? We are playing it pretty low key: brunch with family and some friends.

I wish you all a

HAPPY EASTER

Road Trip: Lake Tahoe, Gardens and Estates

Lake Tahoe as seen from the Baldwin/Pope Estates

Every year toward the end of the summer, I grab an overnight bag and make the drive up to Lake Tahoe to spend the weekend with two of my girlfriends. One of my oldest friends that I met when we first moved to Sacramento almost 17 years ago, Diane, moved to Lake Tahoe about seven years ago. My other friend, Lori, and I make the drive to celebrate all of our summer birthdays together up at Diane's house on the hill above the lake.

This year, we decided to spend time exploring some of the old Lake Tahoe estates. Diane just so happens to be the Master Gardener for the Thunderbird Lodge Estate on the Eastern side of the lake. The estate was built by the infamous George Whittell, Jr.

The Gatehouse at Thunderbird Lodge

"George Whitell was known as one of the West Coast's most enigmatic residents. He was born in 1881 in San Francisco, the child of an economic elite made rich by the California Gold Rush. A teenager in 1900, he was positioned to enjoy the excitement of the dynamic region and new century, Fabulously wealthy, impulsive, and capricious, a youthful Whitell barreled through life at full throttle, collecting exotic animals, elegant automobiles and boats, beautiful women, and contentious lawsuits along the way. He was one of the more notorious playboys of California and Nevada, indulging in a succession of marriages and liaisons that fulfilled the region's gossip mills. A recluse in his later years, Whitell shunned publicity, and, in doing so, inspired speculation about his every move. By the tile of his death in 1969, he had become the stuff of legend." Castle in the Sky: George Whitell and the Thunderbird Lodge by Ronald M. and Susan A. James

Gatekeeper's Cottage

There are a number of cottages on the property which were used by guests and staff. All of the buildings are made of stone. They have been recently re-roofed with cedar shakes, required since they are historical landmarks. The fire risk seems huge, but apparently the shakes have been thoroughly treated.

The Cook and Butler's Cottage

Main House

There is a meandering stone walkway that leads through the massive granite boulders to all of the cottages and to the main house pictured above.

Great Room at the Thunderbird Lodge

The great room in the main house is completely paneled in pine in the Scandinavian style. It is interesting to see how differently things were built and lived in in the 20's and 30's. The bedrooms were quite small by today's standards, and the balcony railings were very low. But the lodge feeling is still quite grand.

Dining Area

Original Kitchen

I loved the kitchen, which is still in it's original condition. The marble topped table is wonderful. Isn't it amazing how many kitchens today still follow this design aesthetic?

Original Kitchen

The range is amazing and perfectly restored. And the linoleum on the floor is original to the period.

Bedroom of Whitell's last wife, Elia

Door hardware detail

Terraced gardens with the Main House in the backround

A view of the Main House through the gardens designed and maintained by Diane Weidinger and all of the other wonderful volunteers. The stone terracing is original to the site and quite extensive. George Whitell was very imaginative with his water features and man-made ponds and fountains. Sadly, many of them are no longer working because they leak into underground tunnels built for quick getaways to his boathouse, home to Whitell's famous racing yacht, the Thunderbird.

Thunderbird Gardens

My friend Diane Weidinger, Master Gardener for the Thunderbird Lodge. Diane and many volunteers work very hard to maintain and enhance the gardens on the estate. To learn more about their organization and events, click here.

Card House

One thing George Whitell is known for were the clandestine card games he would host in his Card House. He had an elaborate system of lights that would shine across the lake informing his buddies if there was a card game happening, if there were "ladies " available, or if his wife was home (so steer clear!). Quite a system.

Door of the Card House

Whitell was also known as "the Captain", so it is small wonder he had a captain's "bridge" where he switched those signal lights on and off.

The Gazebo and private beach

Us girls!

Lake Tahoe. The lake's clarity is legendary.

We also had the pleasure of visiting the Baldwin and Pope Estates in South Lake Tahoe:

The home of Dextra Baldwin, granddaughter of "Lucky" Baldwin, was built in 1921. Lucky Baldwin became a multimillionaire in Southern California through some "lucky" investments during the Gold Rush era, and created a bit of a financial legacy for his heirs. Lucky created a resort and casino in the South Lake Tahoe basin known as Tallac House. Many of the wealthy set built homes at Lake Tahoe where they could race boats, play tennis and socialize their summers away. Dextra was one such socialite. She raced boats, flew planes, and was an all around pampered adventuress.

Original Butler's Pantry

It is interesting how many kitchens today are modeled after the kitchen of the 20's with the white cabinetry and black and white accents.

Original Kitchen

The Baldwin House has been turned into an historical Museum, and the kitchen is the only space that still maintains the original character. The Pope Estate, however, is maintained as it was originally used as a home:

The Pope Estate, also known at the "Vatican Lodge" was originally built by George P. Tallant, son of Drury Tallant, founder of the Crocker Bank in 1894, passed to Lloyd Tevis, founder of Wells Fargo, then finally found it's way in 1920 to the hands of George A. Pope, who maintained one of the world's largest lumber and shipping companies. Quite a history for one house.

The Living Room

Dining Room

I love this wicker furniture painted green and the wall paper and matching drape fabric. Perfect for a summer home in the woods. Tours are conducted daily here. We missed it unfortunately, so please excuse my "peeping tom" photo quality! I was taking pictures through the windows.

There are many outbuildings on the estate including guest cottages, a boathouse, and a theater. There was also a separate cookhouse from the main house. Above is a detail of the eaves of the Newlywed Cottage. Many of these outbuildings were built in the late 1800's.

For more information about the Baldwin/Pope Estate, you can click here, here. There is a Great Gatsby weekend and many other events throughout the year, so check it out!

I wanted to show you my favorite nursery, which my friend and gardening guru, Diane turned me on to:

This is Aspen Hollow Landscape Nursery, creation of John Fellows, and set in a grove of evergreens in South Lake Tahoe. John has managed to create a wonderland of garden inspirations that never fails to get me thinking about spiffing up my poor unfinished yard.

There is not another place that has really enchanted me more lately. Perhaps it is the Fall season that is influencing me, but this is just the kind of place I love.

Looks like we took a little hike near a babbling brook, right? Guess again. This is just more of the magic at Aspen Hollow. This stream is man made and right in the middle of the nursery grounds. A piece of Heaven, truly.

Gerbera Daisy at Aspen Hollow

And so, my weekend drew to a close. But I have to leave you with these images of Diane's garden, which I had the pleasure of seeing all weekend. Jealous? Of course you are. So am I! But it is just the inspiration I need to get going on my own garden.

Thank you Diane for such a beautiful weekend! It has refreshed my soul.