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Hey there, friends! Last week we took a short trip to the mountains to visit our favorite apple orchards and country stores. Oak Glen is a total hidden gem of California - I didn't even know about it until about six or seven years ago. Since then, we've made an annual pilgrimage each fall because it is such a special, cozy place!

Just under two hours east of Los Angeles, you'll find this charming little town in Yucaipa. It's a bit of an escape without being too far away, which is why I love it. It's only about a 15 minute drive into the mountains, so you're close to town but far away enough to capture that outdoorsy vibe and a nice breath of nature air.



There are several different orchards and ranches in Oak Glen, and you'll stumble across different ones depending on which side you enter from. You can either start from Yucaipa Blvd. or Cherry Valley Blvd., both of which are nice drives through the trees. It doesn't really matter which you choose, because the roads make a big circle....so you'll enter through one and exit out the other.




We entered through Yucaipa Blvd this year, and our first stop was at Parrish Pioneer Ranch. I love the big red barn where they sell all kinds of local goods and caramel apples. They also have a couple of other stores, a small restaurant (where we tried some amazing turnovers and fritters!) and some live animals. The folks there are a little more old fashioned and don't really like anyone taking pictures inside the stores for some reason, but I was able to get a few.




There are lots of other stores and restaurants to explore....I haven't even been to all of them before. My favorite is Los Rios Rancho - they have the best country store, in my opinion! They even host events like weddings, receptions, and dances there. They always have the yummiest samples and cider, and you can't pass up their bakery. It's also my favorite because of its location - it's nestled in a part of the village that has a gorgeous view of the trees and mountains. On top of that, they have a row of rocking chairs on the porch for you to sit in and soak in the scenery. I've also visited here at Christmastime, and it's just as magical as Autumn!

We all noticed that it was significantly more crowded this year than those prior. We could hardly find parking this time! If you happen to be local or ever find yourself visiting CA this time of year, be sure to pay a visit - one sip of that hand-crafted apple cider, and you'll be hooked! xoxo