Where should we pick apples?
September 19, 2010 6:54 AM Subscribe
What's a good place to go apple picking for my family? We are in the Cambridge/Arlington/Lexington area. We prefer places that have animals.
Also we went to a place a few years ago in the Metro West that had goats. The goats had some big, interesting wooden structures to climb on and you could purchase feed and give it to the goats at the top of the structure through some sort conveyance. Which place was that? We're having trouble remembering.
Also we went to a place a few years ago in the Metro West that had goats. The goats had some big, interesting wooden structures to climb on and you could purchase feed and give it to the goats at the top of the structure through some sort conveyance. Which place was that? We're having trouble remembering.
Best answer: You went to Honey Pot Hill Orchard in Stow, MA. We just went there, and had a nice time picking blueberries (which are now gone) and lots of apples. In addition to goats, they also have pigs and rabbits.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 7:13 AM on September 19, 2010
posted by Salvor Hardin at 7:13 AM on September 19, 2010
Best answer: If there were 3 Little Pigs as well, it was Honey Pot Hill.
LOVE that place!!!!! Get me a cider donut (my kids are too old to go anymore).
posted by dzaz at 7:14 AM on September 19, 2010
LOVE that place!!!!! Get me a cider donut (my kids are too old to go anymore).
posted by dzaz at 7:14 AM on September 19, 2010
OMG seconding the cider donuts - those things are ridiculously delicious. Now I'm drooling.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 7:16 AM on September 19, 2010
posted by Salvor Hardin at 7:16 AM on September 19, 2010
Best answer: Belkin Farm is way overpriced. You pretty much have to pay for the privilege of setting foot on the property.
We go to Shelburne Farms in Stow. They don't have animals, but they have hay rides and a hay bale maze and some other stuff for the kids.
If you're out in apple country, Nancy's Airfield Cafe at Minuteman Airfield in Stow is an awesome place to eat. Really excellent food with a lot of local ingredients. Plus, airplanes!
A little further out is Tougus Farm in Northboro. They have a petting zoo and other stuff. Goats -a- Plenty.
posted by bondcliff at 7:56 AM on September 19, 2010
We go to Shelburne Farms in Stow. They don't have animals, but they have hay rides and a hay bale maze and some other stuff for the kids.
If you're out in apple country, Nancy's Airfield Cafe at Minuteman Airfield in Stow is an awesome place to eat. Really excellent food with a lot of local ingredients. Plus, airplanes!
A little further out is Tougus Farm in Northboro. They have a petting zoo and other stuff. Goats -a- Plenty.
posted by bondcliff at 7:56 AM on September 19, 2010
Best answer: We go up to Russell Orchard in Ipswich - they have a great variety, there are farm animals, and a small playground. Their farm store is pretty well stocked, too; they make their own fruit wines and ciders.
posted by backseatpilot at 8:53 AM on September 19, 2010
posted by backseatpilot at 8:53 AM on September 19, 2010
Best answer: We go up to Russell Orchard in Ipswich...
Same here. And then we go to Woodman's in Essex for seafood and ice cream.
posted by ericb at 9:15 AM on September 19, 2010
Same here. And then we go to Woodman's in Essex for seafood and ice cream.
posted by ericb at 9:15 AM on September 19, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. We ended up going to Carver Hill Orchard after intending to go to Honeypot-- the line of cars to get to Honeypot looked like summer Cape traffic so we turned around. And I'm glad we did-- Carver Hill was great. The cider donuts were VERY fresh and VERY good and we have a peck of nice apples.
As for which place we visited previously, it wasn't Honeypot according to my wife. Who knows. We're full of apples and donuts and we're happy.
Russel Orchards is indeed pretty great. We were there a couple weeks ago though (we didn't pick, though) and Woodman's is my wife's favorite clam shack!
posted by Mayor Curley at 11:32 AM on September 19, 2010
As for which place we visited previously, it wasn't Honeypot according to my wife. Who knows. We're full of apples and donuts and we're happy.
Russel Orchards is indeed pretty great. We were there a couple weeks ago though (we didn't pick, though) and Woodman's is my wife's favorite clam shack!
posted by Mayor Curley at 11:32 AM on September 19, 2010
Response by poster: Also, Belkin farm's "you have to pay to ride the train to the orchard" mandatory surcharge is ridiculous. We avoid that place.
posted by Mayor Curley at 11:38 AM on September 19, 2010
posted by Mayor Curley at 11:38 AM on September 19, 2010
Shelburne was a total zoo today and I'm afraid they're going the way of Lookout Farm.
"I'm sorry, you have to pay to have your kid spend ten seconds navigating the hay maze."
posted by bondcliff at 2:12 PM on September 19, 2010
"I'm sorry, you have to pay to have your kid spend ten seconds navigating the hay maze."
posted by bondcliff at 2:12 PM on September 19, 2010
Huh - that's weird - Honeypot has the weird structures that the goats climb up on, then they get fed by hand-powered conveyor belts that bring feed up to the top of the structure. Maybe there are two of those in Eastern MA?
posted by Salvor Hardin at 3:57 PM on September 19, 2010
posted by Salvor Hardin at 3:57 PM on September 19, 2010
Response by poster: Yeah, there are. I think saying "metro west" was a red herring-- it may have been North or Central. My wife acknowledges that Honeypot has them as well, and she claims that she told me that it wasn't Honeypot when we discussed it this morning, before I posted the question. So I should have included that in the question.
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:32 PM on September 19, 2010
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:32 PM on September 19, 2010
I was just at Honey Pot today and can verify the goat structures and conveyor belt.
posted by danb at 7:51 PM on September 19, 2010
posted by danb at 7:51 PM on September 19, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by dreadpiratesully at 7:05 AM on September 19, 2010