Black Mountain

Lake Tomahawk July 24, 2024

Friday, October 14, 2022

Orchard at Altapass

After leaving the country club, Goggle Maps Siri told us to go the the orchard a back way. When it stopped being paved, I turned around and chose the way I knew, up on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just past one overlook headed north, and there it was. Looking forward to apple pie a la mode...

 I enjoyed the pie and the music and watching others dance, as well as wonderful views of the blue ridge mountains. But first we had to sit in the car in line to get a parking place for 30 minutes on a narrow gravel road. We did finally park, and I left my phone camera in the car! I had a bit of withdrawal from my wanting to record everything. But I did get a few shots of old apple trees while on the road waiting.

Following this truck in line, sometimes a car would leave coming toward us as it left, billowing dust.

Looking downhill toward all the orchard trees

Looking uphill, all these old trees were covered with dust, but many had ripe apples hanging on them. The road above the one we were waiting on was the Blue Ridge Parkway.


Same shot before editing.

Here's a 2018 blog about the Orchard, and even one from 2013 with the old layout inside. It has built an entirely new building for the music and dancing venue...and is now selling apples on the ground floor of the main building. Never enough women's rest-rooms on a busy weekend. It would be fun to shop more on a weekday, but they had staff keeping the food and check-out line moving...and two new pies came out of the oven just when mine was due to be served. I put butter-pecan ice cream on mine, and Tim had Lemon Sorbet. Nice partnering of tastes!

Today's Quote:

You should respond with kindness toward evil done to you, and you will destroy in an evil person that pleasure which he derives from evil. -Tolstoy

13 comments:

  1. Google maps are very good at choosing unsuitable roads!! I have been aimed at a track a couple of times.
    The Orchard sounds like heaven!!

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    1. Since a week before, I'd pulled up the area maps, because there had been a closing on the Parkway, and I wanted to be able to get to the Orchard...I knew there were several dirt roads (I looked at satellite images even). On one it said "crossing the continental divide". No thanks. But I am glad I knew the route that would work. We just decided to come on a weekday next time!

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  2. I am here to inform you that you may only use vanilla in a la mode. Sheesh! Americans. 🥸

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    Replies
    1. Oh you poor Canadian you...stuck in vanilla! The flavor adventures of the world are out there waiting for you!

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  3. That was a lovely spot to have to wait in for a parking place. You did get to see some beautiful views.

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    1. Yes, we were given that. If you get stuck in a line of traffic, always plan on a good view!!

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  4. Nice views, looks like a nice ride to the place you went. Apple pie a la mode sounds perfect right now. I don't know what kind of ice cream I would want to have with it.

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    1. Yes, now look what I've started. The next thing I know someone will put mint chocolate chip ice cream on a pie slice! Have fun with your own taste buds!

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  5. Replies
    1. They have been really great, with rain that just keeps skipping us.

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  6. The Orchard sounds like quite a place.

    I had apple pie over the Thanksgiving weekend- with dark cherry ice cream.

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    Replies
    1. Yay, a Canadian with his own sense of taste! Good for you. And it does sound delicious!

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  7. Google maps will mislead you. It told me to go down a private line that was gated.

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So glad to have your comments...whatever they may be. I'm one who likes to reply sometime or another, so others will see that; or you might happen back sometime and see what conversation might have started.