Spicer Orchards

Tis the season for blueberry picking! Well, not entirely. Usually, the best blueberries can be found in late July, but considering the past several months have been the hottest on record for the US, a lot of crops are blooming earlier than usual.

Disregarding the nutritional value of getting fresh-picked fruit, here's something nostalgic about seasonal picking that I've always loved. Apple picking is by far my favorite, as I feel that no translation into fall is complete without a cup of cider, a pumpkin donut, and a crisp granny smith.
Similarly, no summer is complete without a trip to Spicer Orchards, a haven of raspberry bushes, strawberry patches, cherry trees, and blueberry bushes, among others.

For people who don't want to go picking, you can stop in the main shop and grab some buckets of already-picked goodies.

Here's how it works:

First, you stop inside the shop to grab some buckets for picking ($1 deposit for each bucket).

Then, the wagon takes you down to the orchard.

Once you're there, you can pick pick pick!

The bushes were in all stages of growth, but most were ripe with perfect plump and juicy berries. I hunted up and down the orchard for the best and bulgiest.

When my buckets were full and the sun had coated my back in sweat, it was time to hop back on the wagon for a ride up to the shop.

Then, you head back inside to weigh your pickings and pay. While you're there, it doesn't hurt to shop around the immense collection of homemade goodies...

This section always reminds me of old-fashioned candy stores. I mean, really, flavored candy sticks?? With more than just peppermint flavor??

Usually I'm a sucker for fresh apple cider, but I forced myself to wait until fall. After all, if I indulged in seasonal treats all the time, they wouldn't be special anymore!

Naturally, homemade donuts are a staple of this orchard. It's physically impossible to leave without grabbing a 1/2 dozen (or dozen!).

Spicer Orchards also recently put in a full winery!

Today's pickings left me with two huge buckets of blueberries....

....and a half dozen cinnamon sugar donuts!

I told you, it's impossible to leave without them.

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