Ok, so maybe not ALL my dreams. But I had this fully romanticized notion of what it would be like to pick apples from an orchard on a chilly autumn day, and Carter Mountain in Virginia delivered. On the way there you pass rolling hills and beautiful farmland, thick forests and lush vegetation, Monticello where Thomas Jefferson once lived, and then... then! You turn onto a side road and start to climb up the mountain. You climb and climb and climb through the forest (in the car, of course), until you wonder if you'll ever reach the top. But then you start to see peach trees, and then lots of clear blue sky, and then, BAM! Apple barn! Vineyards! Orchard for miles! Breathtaking scenery! Pumpkin patch! You're on the top of the mountain with a freaking APPLE ORCHARD!
I almost wet myself. Ask Kristin.
Here's way too many photos from one of the best days of my life.
the perfect apple.
cider donuts!
an apple cider slushy!
'Til next time, Carter Mountain Orchard!