Skytop Orchard

It is apple season here.  Where we live, there are 3 or 4 different pick your own apple orchards about an hour away.  We typically go to Nivens Apple Orchard.  This year we tried somewhere different.

I had heard many a good thing about Skytop Orchard, up in North Carolina. As had Paul.  We had heard it got super busy, and that they had the best cider apple donuts.

Last Saturday we set of at about 8.15 am.  I know, stupidly early for a saturday.  It took just under an hour to get there. The last part of the journey was up a little windy road.  We were able to get in and get parked in the field behind the main building.  It was already pretty busy.

We went to the main building and collected baskets, and a little trolley to pull along.  We headed to the duck pond to feed the ducks.

I had seen from their Facebook page that they had gala apples ready for the picking. Seeing as these are our favorite type of apples, we headed there first.

There were apples galore!!!!!! The trees were heavy with fruit.  Because it is fairly early in the season, there was not much fruit on the found, so not too many flying bugs.  The day was also slightly overcast and grey, which may have helped this situation. It also helped keep the temperatures down

Everyone had a good time picking, and we quickly filled the five baskets we had.  To say the trolley was loaded, would be an understatement....

Next to the gala trees were some grape vines, again on pick your own.  Although we can and do grow grapes in the UK, these tend to be processed into a delicious alcohol beverage.  I believe that the soil where we used to live in West Sussex was the same type of soil that grows champagne grapes so well in France....  

I had to pick some grapes.  Even if I am the only person who eats them in out house.....

From there it was back up the hill to the main building.  The apples needed to be transferred from baskets to bags, ready for weighing.  Same with the grapes.  We roped in some helpers for this task.  While this was taking place, other people were hovering around, waiting for our trolley

While Paul took the 3 massive bags of apples and joined the queue to get them weighed and paid for, I went and joined the queue for the apple cider donuts (See a theme here?).  Paul was done first, so he took control of the boys.  I paid $9 for a dozen donuts, and my, they were so worth waiting for.  Yummy!!!!!

Paul dropped off the apples to the car, and we let the boys goa nd have a play in the parks and around the general area. 

They all had a really good time, and were pretty well behaved. 

The view back down the mountain was stunning, so pretty.

Skytop is an awesome orchard to take the whole family to.  You could certainly kill half a day there.  I would recommend getting there early, as it gets super busy.  I have heard stories of people waiting up to an hour to get in!! Generally the people are nice and friendly, and there is plenty for all.

Once we arrived home, we enlisted some help again in processing and cleaning the apples.  They all helped out...

We filled the bottom of our fridge with apples, and our cool box.  We are now 9 days since our trip there, and we still have a fridge full, and a fruit bowl full of apples.  

Apples, Sickness and Airplanes

Been a while since I did a catch up post so here goes.

Seb and I went apple picking with my friend Donna and her lad Leo.  We went to Nivens, which is only about a 30 minute drive from here on the way to Spartanburg.  We got there nice and early, good job too as plenty if preschool groups turned up.  It was pretty well priced.  I paid $9 for a bushel of apples, which was a small carrier bags worth.  We had a look at the animals, and the pumpkin patch, and off we went.  We both managed to fill our bags quite quickly, with the boys eating their way round.  There were lots of rotting apples on the ground, so lots of bugs.  Once our bags were full, we did not stay long.

I looked after my friends little boy on Wednesday, as she had an appointment to keep.  Him and Isaac were so pleased to see each other when we got Isaac from school.  Very cute.

Then the sicknesses hit.  First Seb, then Paul, then me and now Isaac.  Paul took Thursday off work as he was so unwell on the Wednesday.  Good job too, as Thursday was not a good day for me.  I drifted in and our of sleep on the sofa all day.  Oliver was supposed to have baseball, luckily for us it rained most of the day, so it was cancelled

Paul went back to work in the Friday, and I took it very easy.  The boys watched a lot of tv.....

Isaac had a birthday party to attend on the Saturday morning.  It was a cinema party, so we got to watch Cloudy Wiyh A Chance of Meatballs 2.  It is an awesome film, and we both really enjoyed it.  The birthday boys mum is the Spanish teacher at Isaacs school, so knew Isaac well.  He enjoyed it, and his party bag was one of the best I have seen.  From there we went to Costco for the big shop, then on to Chillis for some dinner.

After a busy saturday, Sunday had to be a pajama day. I was still not feeling great, so again spent the best chunk of the day on the sofa, sleeping or watching the NASCAR.  Really getting into the NASCAR, and looking forward to going to see it at the end of this month

I took Sebastian to Gymboree yesterday morning.  He really enjoys it, and even let out a big YEAH when we parked up.  We then decided to meet Paul for lunch.  Most of his department are away on a drive event this week, which he was not required to go on.  We met at Firehouse Subs on Pelham Road.  OMG these subs were huge, and so tasty.  Seb really enjoyed his cheese toasted sandwich, his first one ever!  Oliver had a baseball game last night, which Paul took him too.  His team won again, they have not lost a game yet this season.

We met Paul again for lunch today.  I was already talking of taking Seb to the new park at the airport to check it out.  Although it is still not completely finished (they are building it on donations  and grants, for more details see here), there are play areas in for small children.  Perfect for Seb.  He played while we waited for Paul.  It was hot today. I was glad I put cream on him and brought his hat.  We then went and had some lunch at the Runway Cafe.  While there we must have seen about 8 planes take off or land over the space of an hour.  At first Seb was a bit freaked by the noise of the jets , but he soon got used to them.  It has been really nice meeting up with Paul for the last couple of days lunches.

Plus it has meant I have not had to be too bothered about cooking.....  Only for the kids.....