Love Them Apples

Fall is here. It is not the same fall we are used to. This is my 3rd fall here in the south. The prior 26 falls I spent in the midwest, where fall starts much earlier. By October - the leaves have turned a hundred different colors, they are falling on the ground and need to be raked into piles, a sweater or coat is a must, the fields are finishing up being picked by farmers, and there's certain "dull" energy you just can't explain that is in the air. Right now in the south, you still see people in shorts, the sun seems to shine like summer, there has not been a frost, and the leaves have just started to fall. You still have to go out and water your plants. It is amazing weather - I'm not complaining - but it feels different.

Today after I got home from work around 7:30am and took a little nap, I woke up wanting fall. I wanted to really feel it. So, we packed up Bianca and drove off in our car - drove to Georgia's Apple Capital - Ellijay. It's so hard to think this quaint little mountain city is only a little over an hour away from the hustle and bustle of busy Atlanta. It is near the Appalachian Mountains, and it is one of the most beautiful drives you have ever been on......

Along the way, you pass apple farm after apple farm...

I guess our little B wasn't too impressed by the views...

We drove til we hit Hillcrest Apple Farm. A place recommended to me by a coworker who has taken his kids there twice already this year. They have a fun barn with tons of apples, yum yums, and toys. There is an outdoor area with more food, entertainment, petting farm, pick your own apples, jumping/play area for kids, and more.

and they have bees...

what a beautiful, inspirational mission...

we filled one...

After all the fun, we drove to the North Georgia Outlet Mall - a must-do when heading north of the city. The shopping is AMAZING. We didn't stay long, but long enough for me to buy some brining salts from the Williams-Sonoma Outlet Store for the Thanksgiving turkey I plan on roasting in weeks to come. We then ended the perfect day at Cracker Barrel for dinner. It was a wonderful Cisel Sunday.

In the next few days to come, I'll make some homemade applesauce and my husband's favorite thing - apple crisp. We'll have pork chops smoothered in apple chunks. I might even bake a pie. It's apple season folks, and you know what they say - "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" (unless you're Bianca - cause she goes to the doctor tomorrow for her 1 year check up, nothing will keep her away!).

So, now I sit here after tucking in my baby to sleep. She let me cuddle and love her after her bottle tonight. It was heaven. I'm sipping on hot apple cider and munching on a yummy apple donut made with love from the Hillcrest Farm. It may not frost outside tonight and I may not need to bust out the flannel pjs yet, but this is fall now. This is our fall. And it's a beautiful one.