On Saturday, I went on a little excursion with two friends, Lori and David. We decided to drive a few hours to Apple Annie’s Orchard for … guess what? No, not apples. They aren’t ripe yet. We drove all that way for PEACHES!!
We took the scenic route up, stopping briefly in the town of Cochise.
It is called a ghost town, but don’t tell that to the 1500 or so people who live in the area. There’s a Post Office, a school, and a closed inn. The Cochise Hotel was built in 1882 and was a rooming house for railroad worker. I believe there were only four or five rooms and I imagine the rooms each held two or three men back in the late 1800s.
As late as the mid-1990s, the last time I stayed there, it was a wonderful B&B operated by an older woman who cooked my breakfast wearing her worn robe and fuzzy slippers.
After visiting Cochise, it was on to Willcox then north about five miles, down a farm road and then a smaller farm road and then there we were: Apple Annie’s.
The mountains around it were rugged, rocky and beautiful!
The parking area was nearly full of cars, pickups and even a few RVs. People streamed into the area where there were several vendors including, of course, the big area full of peaches.
We were too late for the peach and pancake breakfast (all you can eat) and just a bit early for lunch (burgers grilled over apple wood). But we were just in time to wander through the orchard searching out the best, juicy peaches.
That part was a bit disappointing. The early birds had nabbed all the ripe peaches, so we had to pick some nearly-ripe ones. Frank, below, swears he was accompanied by a few other people, but I never saw them and firmly believe he alone stole all my ripe peaches.
Below, David and I are in the orchard.
And of course, what’s a visit to Apple Annie’s without a visit to the store?
Sauces, salad dressings and salsas! Fresh butter! Peach vinegar! And then there were samples: I had some yummy fudge and so did Lori.
Lori caved and bought a peach pie. Thankfully, she invited me to come over the next morning for a pie breakfast. How could I say no?.
I passed on the ice cream, too, but had a sample and it was killer.
On the way home we went a different route, through the farming area known as Kansas Settlement. It hosts a pinto bean plant, Bonita Bean Company, that processes locally produced beans.
Down the road there is a ranch that raises calves for veal – not for me, thanks.
There are also many, many fields of corn. Hooray! The corn along with the water in the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area is what lures thousands of Sandhill Cranes to our area each winter. They’ll be arriving in late October.
The Kansas Settlement area has gorgeous views every direction.
We stopped for a huge yard sale where Lori picked up several items and I bought a welcome sign to hang on my gate.
We watched the storm roll in as we headed home. It broke over us when we had about fifteen miles to go.
Worth the drive, worth driving in the rain. My breakfast tomorrow will be another peach smoothie!
What a lovely way to spend the day!
Yes, Debra, it surely was!
I’ll settle for almost ripe peaches any day. Better than the ones in the store which have been shipped in from who knows where. 🙂 Thanks for including us in your adventures
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Pat, the peaches are so sweet and juicy! I wish I could find a way to have fresh ones year round. I SO agree on those that are shipped from who knows where. I almost never buy them.
I have found myself looking on line for peach tress the last few days.
Fruit trees are so nice to have. I lived in California for a while where we had a ponderosa lemon. It’s a sweet lemon and you can peal and eat them like an orange. Hope you find a nice tree and it flourishes for you.
Yum! Perfect day. Freeze them for smoothies. The blackberries are starting to ripen here in the PNW. Zillions!
Didn’t get enough to freeze, Christina, since my freezer is pretty full. Poor planning on my part! But a smoothie this morning – peaches, blueberries and cream – is next on my agenda!
The new welcome sign is beautiful! Peach
Pecan salad dressing sounds yum!
I didn’t buy the salad dressing but may have to search for a recipe!
Apple Annie’s Orchard looks like the perfect way to spend the day! Especially that peach and pancake breakfast. Too bad you missed it!
I love your new welcome sign by the way:)
It’s probably a good thing I missed the pancake breakfast. It was an “all you can eat” event and I would have eaten and eaten and eaten!
Sounds like a Torta adventure Emilie. There are peaches I. San Miguel de Allende, who knew? Love the pictures. Miss our Texas peaches.
In San Miguel!! I had no idea!
Loved sharing in your delicious adventure, Emilie. Thank you for a visit to a part of the world I haven’t yet been to. And fresh peaches? Can’t get enough!
Yes, Chloe. They are so YUM!
Great welcome sign; fun adventure. Would’ve love to join in. Hi! To Lori & Dave. See you all again early Spring!
Spring! Sorry there won’t be any peaches to pick then.
Your photo sequence allowed me to hitch-hike with you all the way! Thank you for that. The shots look candid even though some of them are posed.
As you look back at the trip, which would you say was the highlight- the peaches which you ostensibly went for or the route itself?
Shakti
I have done the route many times, Shakti, so I would have to say the PEACHES were the highlight!