Do not go to Apple Hill. Apple Hill has been famous in NorCal for decades. We went when our kids were very young and we would get apple pies and apple cake and bushels of apples. There would be craft booths and traffic but it was always a good day trip. We have gone back many times over the years and there has been more craft fare and less apples. And way more traffic. But this one was the worst. We went with our daughter's family with 2 extra teenagers. So 9 of us. We got up there by 7:30 AM and there was already traffic though we could park. The first place had all kinds of apple products but no actual whole apples. We split an apple cake for breakfast and moved on to the biggest most famous of the craft fares. This stuff was not even apple themed; just the same stuff you see at any fair or con. Parking was out in the orchard. There were definitely apples in the trees but I think they are shipped to China or someplace these days. We went on to Kid's because they used to have a wonderful snack bar with 1/3 pound burgers. That part was gone. They still had their wonderful desserts. The best value by far was a whole pie. You should have seen the look on the checker's face when we said we wanted it alamode. It was finally settled that she would give us 5 bowls of ice cream and charged us for 5 scoops. With 9 sporks we all just dove in. I am so glad my grandchildren have friends that enjoy our crazy family. One of them bought a whole gallon of cider to share with us all. They had apples at Kid's but only small boxes. We set off to Larsen's where we have always bought our bulk apples. They sell their 2nds really cheap. On the busiest Saturday of the season; they were closed!! We headed to a few other farms but it was all cider, muffins and pie. One place would let you pick your own; but it was $2 a pound. DOUBLE the price to do the work yourself. The ones at Kid's were less than a $ a pound. So we ended up driving back there, fighting over a parking spot and buying a half bushel of golden delicious (and they are) apples. Trying to get out the traffic was at a standstill. Luckily we found a way around it all and headed to Placerville (Old Hangtown) and to Mel's Diner. I am putting in all of this because I was feeling rather sick after all of the pie, cake and ice cream. I ordered the openfaced turkey sandwich and it was so good. There was vegetables and dressing and potatoes and gravy and I immediately felt better. We did a little sight-seeing and headed on home. It was actually a good day trip and fun with the grandchildren. But we had to get up at 5AM to avoid the traffic and serious parking problems. So we were very tired by the end. Just thought I would share the irony. When we got home I asked my son, "Do you know what you can't get at Apple Hill?" He very matter-of-factly answered, "apples." What we used to see: What we saw:
As Charlie Brown would say, "Argg...commercialism." Much the same thing happened just north of us. A big family farm has had a pumpkin festival every fall. Now, it's all out of whack. They went from a simple, fun, relaxing event, to a carnival type atmosphere.
Yep, same here. We had a fun place that grew 3, increasing in difficulty, corn mazes, a pumpkin patch, a hayride and a haunted house. For like $5 we got access to it all. Now, it is a circus and very expensive. I don't think they even do the corn mazes anymore and that used to be the main draw.
Why haven't I seen this thread before? Can you describe the types of applesacks they had it this apple farm. Thanks in advance
I don't even have a vague memory of Knott's before they gated the main park, but I remember the Lagoon area, and Jungle Island, on the East side of Beach Blvd. And the Cordelia K sidewheeler. And I remember when they had California Street Cable Cars, modified with batteries and traction motors, but with the controls set up to simulate actual cable car controls, providing transportation to outlying areas of the parking lot (as well as a rather pleasant ride). And there was a seal pool outside the gate. And I remember the blacksmith being an old fellow, who eventually retired. And I remember when they copied DL's ticket book idea with the "Bonanza Fun Book": it only had two denominations of tickets; it only NEEDED two denominations.
