Apple Annie's Orchard (#54 on my "100 Things To Do in Arizona" list) near Willcox was started in 1986 by John and Annie Holcomb and remains a family business over 25 years later. The cool nights and warm days in the Sulphur Spring Valley (elevation 4300 feet) create an ideal apple growing environment and the Holcombs turned their small family orchard into a big apple business. It was about that same time (mid-1980's) that commercial apple orchards popped up in other parts of Arizona like Jerome and Sedona. Although not one of the top six states in apple production (Washington state provides over half of the apples grown in the U.S.!), Arizona has found its niche in providing local-grown apples to farmer's markets and stores like Sprouts as well as u-pick orchards for family fun.
Apple Annie's did not have my all-time favorite apple, Honeycrisp, but they did have several yummy varieties.
We went to Apple Annie's Orchard with friends, Mike and Laurie (of MR KLUD fame), on a warm, sunny Saturday in September during the Apple Pie Festival (more on that later). Several vendors for everything from scarves to yard art were there. After working up an appetite "shopping" through the vendors, we ate lunch at the Burger Barn where they make apple-smoked burgers (and hotdogs!) cooked-to-order.
Laurie, Mike and Richard
A picnic area is situated in some of the closer orchards which provides both shade and something to look at!
Once we were fueled up, it was time to hit the orchards for some apple picking. A farm tractor pulling a wagon with benches took us out to the different orchards where we picked three different varieties of apples. Unlike the shiny, clean, "perfect" apples you purchase at the grocery store, apples still attached to the tree are dull, dusty and "not perfect." However, once you wash and polish them, they look delicious!
Sampling was encouraged =) Nothing is sweeter than a just-picked apple!
Summers in Arizona are hot. Really hot. Folks in the Phoenix area like to try frying eggs on the sidewalk - and many succeed! It's not quite as hot in the Willcox area but "natural outdoor cooking" still occurs.
The "baked apple" on the left is not quite ready; the one on the right is what happens when you forget about it! ;-)
I mentioned we were there for the Apple Pie Festival. We thought there would be activities like pie-making demonstrations, an apple pie bake-off, apple pie bingo, an apple pie-eating contest, etc. but were disappointed to discover that the only "apple pie thing" going on was a pie-eating contest and there was only one contestant. It was misleading and disappointing to call it an "Apple Pie Festival."
Apple pies (both regular and crumb top), apple bread, apple butter, apple donuts and apple cider are available to purchase. We tried the apple donuts (very good!), apple cider (excellent - next time I would bring a cooler to take some home!) and both kinds of apple pie (with homemade ice cream!).
Richard and Mike had their own pie-eating contest - Mike won!
We picked about eight and a half pounds of apples - red delicious, yellow delicious, granny smith and fuji. We ate some of them and I made applesauce out of the rest. Either way, they were scrumptious!
The measuring cup on the left is a four-cup one and I guestimate there are about 5½ cups of peeled, sliced apples in it. After four hours in the crock-pot, I had two cups of cinnamon applesauce. No wonder applesauce costs so much!
After leaving Apple Annie's Orchard, we checked into the Ramsey Canyon Inn, a quaint bed and breakfast at the bottom of Ramsey Canyon, the hummingbird capital of the world (but that's a blog post for later!).
Our room, the Costa's Room (all rooms are named after hummingbird species!), was beautiful and had a private balcony overlooking the back yard. Breakfast (Dutch Babies!) was superb.
Ramsey Canyon is a breath-takingly beautiful sliver of Arizona. The lush greenery and clear streams make viewing wildlife easy. The first "critters" we saw were caterpillars - lots and lots of them hanging from the trees on silk strands. Black bears were sighted near the front door by one of the guests the night we stayed - and yeah, we were disappointed we didn't see them! But we spotted a ringed-tail cat on one of the windows as we played cards that evening. Several species of hummingbirds fed at the feeders outside the kitchen window while we ate breakfast. And we spotted a couple of mule deer by the side of the road the afternoon we left.
The fuzzy caterpillar on the left dropped on our car as soon as we parked. It was a little disconcerting to have them drop down right in front you! The deer, on the other hand, was a pleasant surprise.
Our last stop was the Arizona Folklore Preserve (#25) just down the street from our Bed & Breakfast. Founded in 1996 by Dolan Ellis, the Folklore Preserve has been promoting and recording cowboy music for the past 15 years. A stage was set up in the Moffett House (on the grounds) and could house an audience of at most 30 people. In 2000 Dolan partnered with the University of Arizona to build the current Folklore Preserve with its state-of-the-art recording studio. This partnership ensures that the Folklore Preserve will continue to exist for many years to come.
Dolan is the artist-in-residence and performs one weekend a month. He is a widely respected musician with many awards: a grammy, gold records, the first to be inducted as an Arizona Culture Keeper to name a few. But the title that means the most to him is one he's held for 46 years - Arizona's Official State Balladeer. He has written and recorded hundreds of songs about Arizona - the land and its people.
The Arizona Folklore Preserve... "where Arizona's songs, legends, poetry and myths are collected, presented, and preserved for the enrichment of future generations."
To be perfectly honest, I was a little disappointed when I made our reservations at the Preserve that Dolan Ellis wasn't performing; instead, a group called The Red Hot Rhythm Rustlers would be on stage. My disappointment was short-lived, however, for as soon as the RHRR took the stage my toe began tapping and I was transported back to the era of the American cowboy. Some songs had a definite "country twang" but others were "bluesy" or even "jazzy." As one of them explained to me, "cowboy (or western) music" is a lyrical genre so if the lyrics are about cowboys, the old west, western landscapes, gunfights, wagon trains and the like, it's considered cowboy or western music. In contrast, country music is about personal relationships without the western aspect.
The performers mingle with the "guests" before and after the show. Gale Rogers stopped by our table to chat before the show and Audrey McLaughlin answered my many questions after the show. This award-winning group has incredible harmony and a sound all their own.
I very much enjoyed the show we saw and heard. I would still like to hear Dolan Ellis perform sometime but am fairly certain I would enjoy any performer at the Folklore Preserve!
Thumb Up or Down - DOWN for Apple Annie's - food was over-priced, people were not friendly, they didn't seem
prepared for a medical emergency that occurred while we were there
UP!!!! for the Arizona Folklore Preserve
Miles Round Trip: 368.4 miles
Miles To Date: 9647.5 miles
Percent of List Completed: 86%
Date of This Trip: September 22-23, 2012
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