Apple Picking

If you have been around me for more than a couple of hours, you probably know that my most favorite & cherished fall outing is apple picking at Sky Top Orchard in the lovely NC mountains. We have been going there for seven years now & it is one of the many reasons that I look forward to the coming of Autumn. I think I should have worked out a deal with Sky Top years ago for some advertising kick-backs (or at least unlimited free apple cider slushies!) because for the last 7 years I have also been directing people there for the best apple picking experience. I wrote all about the origins of our apple picking adventures here last year. 

This year, we decided to go early in the season, the week after Labor Day, for warm temps & plentiful apples. (Although going later in the season is also nice for cooler temps & fall color on the trees!) We also invited anyone & everyone in our Sunday school class to join us to make a party of it. Our trip got a bit of a late start because the day also happened to be Jack's flag football season opener. 

And (of course!) the game was not until 11:30...so we didn't get on the road until nearly 1:00 pm. I had packed a cooler with lots of sandwiches, juice boxes & snacks, so we ate our picnic lunch in the car on the way to the mountains. That helped us make up a little bit of time. Soon enough we were winding up the road to Sky Top, grabbing our baskets & ringing the bell...ready to go pick some apples!

 Apple pickers ready...

 Down the hill we go!

 On our way down, we met several families from our class coming back up after picking their haul!

Drew is inspecting the apples to make sure they got the very best!

 Then we hurried off to pick our apples! 

Darcy picking the first apple of the season! 

 Sophie climbing the tree to find the best one

 Jeff still coming around the mountain with Drew & Lucy

 Jack found his first perfect pick!

 Drew just liked carrying his basket around

 And Lucy was just happy as usual

 Drew found a good one!

 But not the basket is getting heavvvy!

Hey, there are apples in there! 

 Sweetest apple around!

 Darcy getting a lift

Darcy loved sampling some of the fruits of her labor. Here she's holding her nose because there were lots of apples on the ground fermenting in the hot sun. 

 Mmmmmmm!

  

 A perfect pick!

 Just hangin' around

 Baskets filled...

 Time to head back up the big hill!

Jack & his most perfect apple of the day 

Because everyone wanted to hurry to catch back up with our friends, I didn't really have time to take any pics of the kids together.

I tried snapping a few, but no one was really in a cooperative mood. 

 Oh well, maybe next year!

 Darcy hitching a ride with Lucy

 Drew tickling Lucy's toesies

 Hmmmm, they look pretty tasty, too!

 We rushed up the hill & joined the group just in time for a hay ride around the orchard. 

 The boys

 and the girls

and more sweet girls! 

Almost all of our group on the hay ride!

Pictured 5 couples & 19 kids!!

 After the hayride, Drew made himself at home in this little play house. 

 Darcy found one she liked, too!

 Then it was apple cider slushie time!! Drew didn't take the straw out of his mouth until it was finished!

 Jack's too cool for pictures, but not too cool for a cider slushie!

 Still enjoying the ride!

 Packing up to get on the road back home.

 We were barely off the mountain & half the crew was asleep!  And when we got home several hours later (after stopping to enjoy pizza with our friends on the way home)...

This sweet girl was still smiling!

She's definitely the cutest apple in the barrel! 

And she's already looking forward to next year's apple picking adventure...when she will have teeth!