Apple Hill: More than an apple a day
by Liz Margerum,Outpost contributor
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In this story: Pear blight changes Families pick their fun Buy fresh apples or On the Web: |
Long about October, a change comes over the land around Camino, Calif. The leaves begin to change from the verdant green of summer to the golden orange of fall. The apples in those trees become ripe for the picking.
This area, known as Apple Hill, is a great place to take a day trip and bring back the rewards of a fruitful summer. Near Placerville, Calif., it is about a two-and-a-half-hour drive west of Reno along Highway 50. The area has lots to do, including U-pick apple orchards, pumpkin patches, Christmas tree farms, pony rides, petting farms, crafts shops and of course lots to eat.
Teresa Moiola, a University of Nevada, Reno student, travels from Reno every year to Apple Hill.
"We have gone to Apple Hill ever since I was a kid," Moiola said. "I go back every year to see the changes and visit the farms that had good apples the year before. I like to go to there because they have all types of apples you can not get in a regular store."
Moiola is not alone. Last year more than half a million people visited Apple Hill, according to estimates from Apple Hill Growers Association.
Photo by Liz Margerum |
"A lot of tourists come and stay the weekend at bed and breakfasts," said Linda Lindner, executive secretary for the association. "We have cherries in June, berries in the summer, apples starting around Labor Day weekend." Not to mention the pumpkins in October and Christmas trees starting the day after Thanksgiving.
Pear blight changes Apple Hill's history (top)
The area is rich in history. Sutter's Mill, where a chance gold discovery started the California gold rush of the late 1840s, is nearby. Although Apple Hill has been an agricultural center since then, it didn't officially receive its name and fame as a tourist destination until 1964.
It originated with 16 ranches when a farmer, a county promology specialist, a county agricultural commissioner and a retired U.S. Army officer formed the Apple Hill Growers Association. According the area's Web site, the main product of Apple Hill originally was not apples but pears. But after a bad pear blight, 30 years ago, the growers had to change their crop. The blight cut production of pears from 52,000 tons in 1958 to 8,435 in 1965.
Now after 32 years, the area has grown to include 37 Apple ranches, 11 Christmas tree farms, four vineyards and a beer brewery.
Families pick their fun at Apple Hill (top)
My family and I set out on an October Friday to experience Apple Hill. This was my grandmother's first trip to this area and my second. I went there when I was in elementary school, but I didn't remember much about it.
My mother and father usually visit Apple Hill every year, so she shared tips about where to go and what to do with my grandmother and me.
We got an early start, leaving Reno about 8 a.m. and pulled into Apple Hill by 10:30 a.m. As you approach the area on U.S. Highway 50, you'll see several exits marked for Apple Hill. Signs along the roads mark growers who belong to the association, which helps visitors know where to stop for apples.
Photo by Liz Margerum |
Each member ranch has a map of the area, so pick one up at your first stop. The map highlights what produce can be found at each location and also lists a few wineries and the brewery.
Our first apple picking adventure was at Denver Dan's. It's on Larson Drive and is one of the half-dozen or so places where you can pick apples yourself, so get a basket and then have at it.
The orchard was a little muddy because farmers had recently watered them, but the birds were chirping and it was fun to get out of the car and walk in the fall sun. There were scattered ladders, but most of the tree branches hung low to the ground, so ladders weren't needed.
The bonus of picking your own fruit is being able to find the perfect apples according to your standards. But be careful of the ones on the ground; they are sometimes bruised or spoiled. You pay by the pound for what you pick.
One of Denver Dan's unusual specialties is the banana apple, a little-known apple with a yellow color and slight banana taste. It is very sweet and crunchy.
The different ranches at Apple Hill feature 16 other types of apples, along with four types of pears and peaches, cherries, pumpkins, plums and grapes. The apples include the basic kinds found in the stores such as Granny Smith, Golden and Red Delicious but also Pippin, Rome Beauty, Arkansas Black, Mutsu, Empire and Paula Red.
Buy fresh apples or ready-to-eat goodies (top)
The country roads that lead through orchards and bakeshops can be compared to a Norman Rockwell painting with brown split-rail fences and the occasional bubbling brook. The golden sun played hide-and-seek with the car as it passed through the shadows of trees.
Each bakeshop nestled among the rolling hills has its own specialty. One such place is Mill View Ranch on Carson Road. The air around the bakeshop is heavy with the smell of cinnamon and apples.
You can find Mill View by taking the Camino exit off U.S. Highway 50 and following the signs.
The bakeshop at Mill View Ranch is a white country- style building with red trim. It has a veranda where you can sit and drink hot apple cider and sample some of the home-baked apple pastries. When you enter the bakeshop, a kitchen on the right offers all sorts of goodies for sale. Besides jellies, apple butter and other preserves, The Mill View Ranch makes apple-cider doughnuts that melt in the mouth.
Photo by Liz Margerum |
"The best part of the whole job is I get to eat as much food as I can," said Nathan Foltz who was busy peeling and quartering apples for all the pies and other baked goods the ranch produces. Foltz, 20, began working at the Mill View Ranch in the seventh grade. He said he started working there because it was fun. He then added smiling, "My mom and grandma decided to buy the ranch and now I don't have a choice about working here."
Our next stop was at the Mother Lode Orchards, where we were lured in by a sign that said, "Pumpkin hunting season licenses sold here." Juan Gonzalez has been manager of the 40-acre orchard on North Canyon Road for 11 years. He can exactly guess the weight of a sack of apples -- without the help of a scale.
"He said I needed three more apples to have five pounds," my grandmother said with an amazed look after she had filled a bag with apples from the bin in the store. "And he was exactly right."
Gonzalez said this year's harvest season was three weeks late because of the extreme winter. The season usually starts around Labor Day and runs through November, depending on the weather. But this year, the season may go into December, Gonzalez said.
A dog's brew (top)
Besides apple products, the area is home to various wineries and a beer brewery.
The Jack Russell Brewery was started about a year and a half ago. Terry Bonham, an environmental engineer for 25 years, grew tired of the daily grind and decided to make beer.
Photo by Liz Margerum |
The English-style brewery gets its name from the Jack Russell dogs that Bonham raises. The beer choices are Jack's Brown Ale, Jack's London Porter and Jack's Best Bitter Ale. A Jack Russell Terrier appears on the label, but the beer doesn't need to rely on the cuddly dogs as a selling point. Last year their Brown Ale won the first-place gold medal at the California State Fair.
Budweiser drinkers beware. This is English-style brew, which is darker, thicker and more bitter than most domestic beers. For instance, Jack's London Porter Lager can be described as chewy, yet smooth, with hints of coffee and chocolate.
All of Jack Russell's beers have low carbonation, and they go great in barbecue sauce. And my beagle goes wild for a taste. Must be the dog on the label.
Unfortunately for beer fans in Reno, Jack Russell beer isn't sold in Nevada. It can be purchased in Sacramento, Calif., or from the brewery's Web site. But the best way to enjoy one of these beers is at the brewery. To get there, take the Camino exit off of U.S. Highway 50. Turn right on Carson Road and then left on Larson Road.
Our visit to Apple Hill ended at the brewery. As the day came to an end, we played with Boomer, the brewery dog, then headed for home.
Apple Hill makes a great spot for a weekend day trip. Life is slower on the orchard slopes. The trees speak of the seasons, changing color with the temperatures. And if you follow your stomach, you won't go wrong.
Posted Nov. 19, 1998
Copyright 1998 Nevada Outpost
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