This past weekend was one of those perfect relaxing ones, no huge plans or tight schedule to keep up with. On Friday, I enjoyed a date night with the bf (see dinner post here) in a new favorite spot in San Francisco. Saturday consisted of a farmers market visit, quality time with my new niece (obsessed) and a trip to the park with our pooch, Rufus (boxer, age 8). Sunday, our friends whom we don’t see nearly enough invited us for one of my favorite activities, apple picking!
Living in San Francisco and enjoying our Indian summer this trip was bound to be different. Temps reaching 80 degrees, and not having a plaid scarf in sight was not enough to keep me from reliving my childhood. Jumping in the car with coffee and a sweet from our local bakery, The Fillmore Bakeshop we drove down the coast towards The Swanton Pacific Ranch in Davenport, California.
Instantly, childhood memories came flooding back. I lived in Michigan for 7 years growing up, and some of my fondest memories while there involved heading out to the apple orchard farm in the fall to be greeted by hay bale rides, hot apple cider, apple sugar coated donuts and row after row of beautiful apple trees. My sisters and I could not contain our excitement and ran around to see who could gather the most apples – I blame the sugar donuts.
The Swanton Pacific Ranch is a working ranch that was donated to San Luis Obispo’s Cal Poly State University by alumnus Al Smith. It’s a working ranch and educational facility with 2 acres of U-pick operation. A CCOF certified organic apple orchard with fourteen varieties of apples, students maintain the orchard by watering, pruning and controlling weeds.
While not every row at the orchard was ready to be picked, and it was not a huge orchard like I was used to, it was still beautiful and we returned home with a bag full of apples. I will have to consult mum, YouTube and Pinterest in my attempts to create some form of apple sauce, pie, muffins or crumble. Stay tuned!
Stay tuned as our warm, manicured Sunday did not end with apple picking!
