Have the leaves turned by you yet? Perhaps the air has gotten a tad crisper? I know it has by Alex and I which is why this past weekend we took the top down on the jeep, the doors and windows off, and I grabbed a good hairbrush so we could head on up to the apple orchards.

Hillcrest Apple Orchard is one of the most popular orchards along “Apple Highway” in Ellijay, GA. It’s also the one with the moonshine museum which automatically makes it Alex’s favorite. Not that they actually SERVE moonshine. Because that would be naughty.

The museum did have some rather interesting stills. From the mud-packed ones, to the half buried ones, y’all gotta give hillbillies credit. When they want a little ‘shine they sure are gonna find a way to make it, hide it, and sell it!

Alex sure studied the set-up’s pretty extensively. (Y’all don’t think he’s got any plans do you?)

I mean, that’s what stock car racing (otherwise known as NASCAR i.e. a Sunday staple along with Football and Church) was all about when it first got started. They had this fun photo spot at the end where you could have your picture taken in a cut-out of a boot-legger and Alex very reluctantly agreed to take a photo.

I bribed him a little more with the offer of cider donuts and he actually stuck is FACE in the photo the second go-around. (The man will do dang near anything for these delicious, melt-in-your-mouth donuts. Which is lucky for me since I sure wasn’t getting into that photo!)

After wandering the festival area and the museum tour we headed off to the actual orchards. We wandered past Rome, Mutsu, Fuji, and Golden Delicious apples so I could get to my haven.

Granny Smith apples. YUM!

Alex went for the Golden Delicious and Rome.

We ended up topping off the bag with a huge mix of everything else which will be perfect for the apple pies I’m planning on making later this week.

Lastly we examined all of the jams and jellies they had inside. I had a few favorites, Tequila Jam being one of them. Alex however insisted on a jam that would (and did) make my boss cringe.

I wouldn’t let him buy it for her because well, I want to keep my job! (Plus I really don’t like wearing jelly and I’m pretty sure the jar would have been tossed in the air since Frogs are her nemesis.)

Now that we are back home with our TWENTY-FIVE POUNDS of apples I have a lot of baking to do. Alex, he’s just ready to head to the next festival.

Course it is the Moonshine Festival so I can’t say I blame him.