We just got back from a day in the Hood River Valley- the so-called Hood River Fruit Loop. It sprinkled a bit and was cloudy and cold, but that didn't stop us from having fun. At our first stop, Kiyokawa Orchards we had a picnic and took a hay ride. Unfortunately, it wasn't a great year for apples, so they had a smaller harvest than normal and the u-pick trees were picked clean.
The bins in the fruit stand were full and after an apple tasting I picked a big box of apples for sauce, baking and eating fresh. They grow over 80 different varieties of apples and pears, so we had a lot to choose from. We started our apple day by sharing a couple of delicious apple turnovers.
Our next stop was the Apple Valley Country Store where we watched them making apple butter on an outdoor fire. We also sampled some bisquits and fresh apple butter- yum! This is a favorite stop because they have a huge selection of delicious foods including home baked pies and all sorts of jams to taste.
Then we went to the other side of the valley to see the Gorge White House. I'd been curious about this one on past drives through the valley. The u-cut flower garden was past time, but I'll bet it's gorgeous in the spring and summer.
Next stop, Rasmussen's Farms, which had a corn maize, pumpkin patch and the Pumpkin Funland. Here we got a bag of fresh walnuts ready to be cracked. The kids have had fun with them since we got home. Who would've thought cracking walnuts would be such entertainment?
Next stop was Cascade Alpacas and Foothills Yarn & Fiber. What a great view these alpacas have!
Last stop was Draper Girls Country Farm for cider doughnuts and hot cider. We got some more apples here too because they had a variety called Christmas. The kids got one last swing in and we hit the road for home. What a delicious day! We'll be cooking up apples for a few weeks and hopefully have enough apple sauce to carry us through until next fall and more apple days!
