If you can recall, last year the hand model and I took A Day Trip to Julian and ended up missing the entire festival. While we enjoyed the stops at Mom's Pies and Bailey's Woodpit BBQ that ultimately sealed our fate, we vowed not to miss this year's Apple Days – come hell or high Santa Ana winds.
After a 3 hour drive in traffic and gnarly wind gusts, we finally made it past town and to the Apple Orchard across from Menghini Winery. Entering the orchard, we were greeted by a three-man banjo band and a nice old man at the apple stand. He handed us a small paper bag to fill to the brim ($10) and directed us towards the rows of apple varieties.
The Grubdown:
- best of the bunch, sweet 'n sour, crisp and super juicy, Red Delicious Apple
- mild sweetness that tastes and bites like a pear, Golden Delicious Apple
- tastes like cider, flesh is soft, Jonagold Apple
- tart 'n hard flesh, Granny Smith Apple
The best part was being able to pluck the apples right from the tree to snack whilst shopping.
After we filled our bag, we paid $5 per person to enter the festival. The place was packed with knick-knack stalls, Cider & Beer vendors, "fair food" like Roasted Corn, pony rides, gold panning, and a good 'ole fashioned Apple Pie eating contest.
On our way back to Menghini, we couldn't resist the 5 for $6 J. Jenkins Wine tasting, including a home-grown White Apple Wine.
Don't miss next year's Apple Days Fest, which is always the first weekend of October. In the meantime there's still plenty to do in town. Check out my Day Trip Plan here.
1150 Julian Orchards Drive, Julian, CA 92036. 760-765-2072.
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