After our delicious artisan lunch in Flat Rock, we headed straight to Sky Top Orchard to go pick all the apples we could carry. Or…at least all the apples we could afford since we sort of forgot that not everywhere takes credit cards. Silly city folk!
With just under $20 in our pockets, we had to be selective but could actually afford quite a bit. Prices are pretty reasonable at Sky Top – $1 per pound of apples if you get under 15 pounds ($0.75/pound if you go over 15 pounds). The snacks were the most expensive things, but we definitely wanted to splurge on some of those!
2011 – Our first family trip to Sky Top! The last time I came to this orchard, it was with my immediate family (mom, dad, sister), and I think I was in middle school!
{The front of Sky Top’s main building}
Sky Top was pretty busy when we got there. There were families and tourists wandering around everywhere! Luckily, the place was pretty easy to navigate. They had one main building where you pretty much got everything – you could buy snacks, pick up baskets to take to the orchard, pay for your apples, or buy already picked apples.
{The back of Sky Top}
Things were pretty crowded behind Sky Top’s main building, mostly because people waited here for the hay rides, which looked to be quite popular.
After scouting out the place, we made a plan of action: get a sweet snack, go apple picking, pay, and get hot, fresh, apple cider doughnuts.
We got a caramel apple to split and took it outside to eat.
Looking for apple recipes? Click here for 5 great options
While we were snacking, Bailey met another corgi…
…but that corgi didn’t seem too keen on Bailey. I love this photo, though, because it’s photo-evidence that Bailey is a lover, not a fighter. Look at that defensive move!
Next up, we found a basket…
…and headed out to the orchard.
Click here to watch my video about Sky Top Apple Orchard
Unfortunately, hubby and I learned that we could not throw apples at each other.
The weather was a little cool, but overall, it was gorgeous!
We tried walking through one of the closer rows of apples, but they were picked clean.
Hubby and I weren’t too worried since we knew they had so many pre-picked apples for sale. Picking our own would be more fun, but at least we knew we wouldn’t leave the orchard empty-handed.
We ended up following a trail of people heading down a steep hill.
And halfway down one row of apple trees, we hit jackpot. We found a tree with apples all over it! Hubby had to climb into the tree and toss the apples out to me, but after just a few short minutes, we enough apples to call it a day. Apple picking is pretty quick work if you find a good tree.
Cha-ching!
The basket was so large, it kind of made you want to fill the whole thing up. But, hubby and I were trying to be reasonable about how many apples we could actually eat.
Since we don’t have kids yet, we (ok…I) took photos of Bailey instead…
…A ridiculous amount of photos. I can only imagine what the other apple pickers thought. Hehe…oh well.
Back to the main building!
The check-out process is pretty simple at Sky Top. Get however many plastic bags you need…
…fill em up. Get in line to check out. Pay by the weight. Can you believe hubby and I picked 10 1/2 pounds of apples! It totally didn’t look like that many to us, but we didn’t care because we still had enough money to buy apple cider doughnuts!
We’d heard the wait for the doughnuts would be long and it was.
But, when in Rome…
We had driven all the way out to the orchard, so we figured we may as well wait for the doughnuts, regardless of how long we had to wait.
After 40 minutes in line, we had doughnuts!
They were piping hot and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
They were tender, cake-like doughnuts scented with apples. Just one wouldn’t do, so I had a second.
And one last Bailey photo where normal most people would have taken photos of their kids. 😆
Soon enough it was time to hit the road and head home. Farewell mountains! Till we meet again!
Delicious Apple Recipes
Reader question #1: Have you been apple picking before? Which orchard is your favorite and where is it?
Reader question #2: What’s your favorite apple recipe (links welcome)?
Those donuts look dangerous! I don’t have kids and don’t plan to for a long time, if not perhaps at all, so I think it’s perfectly acceptable to take Bailey photos everywhere! I have to say, he is cuter and more well behaved then a lot of children. 😛 Furry son for the win!
Glad to hear someone doesn’t think I’m too crazy for all those photos! lol
That looked fun! I’ve never been to an orchard, next time take me with you! I’ll pose with bailey, and I can bring sirius too lol. I love bailey’s “I can haz?” pic! Too cute!
Road trip! We can totally make that happen. Except…apple season is over till next year. Let’s plan for an apple trip in 2012!
I’m so down with that!!!
Aw fun! We went to an apple festival last weekend too but I didn’t stop any doughnuts! Darn! I did, however, eat the most delicious pumpkin funnel cake. So good!
Did you say “pumpkin funnel cake”??? I need to try that sometime soon. I didn’t even know anyone made it!
We go apple picking every year! This weekend might be the one depending on the weather. I love all your Bailey photos! You can never take enough of him! 🙂
The place we go to has apple cider donuts too & I love them. Apple picking and vegetable picking is my favorite time of year!
Sounds like a nice tradition. I’m hoping we can keep ours up in future years.
Glad you liked all the Bailey photos! 🙂
i lvoe apple picking! we went a lot when i was a young girl. we used to watch the apple sorter, then watch the apple press. you could drink cider straight off the machine! i brought my girls back to the same place (http://www.arbordayfarm.org/ ) a few weeks ago, we were sad to find they no longer have the sorter and press on display. 🙁
Aww sad to hear they don’t have the sorter or press on display. I wonder if you could contact them and see if they could arrange a special visit for you sometime?
And I must say, that has to be the nicest apple orchard I’ve ever heard of! The tree house, the free trees, the class rooms…and I want to go on the Discovery Ride. Sounds like you guys have a great place to visit. 🙂
I absolutely adore apple orchards and apple picking and apple cider donuts. Especially when they’re hot and crispy. So good!
Love the pictures. Looks like you guys (including Bailey!) had an absolute blast. 😀
Ahh I love Bailey! I just made Jeff look at every picture of him 🙂
Oh no…poor Jeff! lol 😉
My girl Corgi is a little love bug too. She would get along fabulously with Bailey I feel sure!
Aww I bet they would! 🙂
Bailey is too cute! Greg and I went to Altapass orchard a couple weeks ago and we actually have almost gone through our entire stash of apples already! So yummy! I’m jealous of those awesome looking donuts, they look delicious!
Is that one far away from us? What did you guys do with your apples? Did you eat them all straight up or did you cook anything fun? 🙂
Aw I love this. Bailey is so adorable. I would take photos all the time of him too! I can’t wait to go apple picking and pumpkin carving this weekend. 🙂
Aw this looks like so much fun!
It would be an ideal day out for me 🙂
And those donuts? Oh my gosh I want some now!!
Have you tried Windy Hill Orchard in York,SC? It’s only about a 45 minute drive from Charlotte. Not quite as scenic as the one you went to, but they make fresh apple cider donuts and pumpkin donuts. Haven’t tried the pumpkin yet, but the apple cider ones are delicious. Best thing about them is they make their own hard ciders – my favorite way to consume apples!
Your blog is beautiful!
No, but I just heard via twitter that they had an apple festival yesterday. I wish I had gone to that – bet it was fun!
Thanks for leaving me the tip about the orchard – I’ll have to check it out sometime. I checked the site, and it looks like the picking season is over, but that they have pre-picked apples for sale. But, I really want to try those pumpkin doughnuts you mentioned! 😉
Just wanted to leave a note to say that your post was absolutely invaluable to my family when planning our trip up to Sky Top. So glad you wrote it, and so glad I found it! Oh, and those doughnuts…yum!
We go to Skytop for school field trips all the time- I teach in Hendersonville. I keep trying to get the BF to go on a date there but timing never works out for it. The donuts are delicious too- it’s a shame I can’t eat them now that I’m gluten free!