Altapass Orchard visit

  

Altapass, North Carolina history

A repost from 2014 when using a camera before iPhone.

NOTE: 2023, I don't think the historic display is still up, at least I didn't

 notice it last year on my yearly visit. I think some of the information

 (especially about the Cherokees) isn't accurate. And there's now a

 separate building for dancing and music...lots more area to watch

 as well!

But the apple pie a la mode still is superb!

 I had to pause in enjoying my homemade apple pie a la mode to 

record this photo for you!  In no time there was just an empty bowl

...and smiling elder.

 While my much younger friend enjoyed hers, I spied the "history

 of Altapass" sign over on the post.  But I had to watch

 some of the more limber folks dancing to the music...Sunday 

afternoons at Altapass are live music and dancing! Free. And 

lots of those folks wore their clogging shoes (which are maybe 

like clogs, but I think more specifically designed for dancing.)

(NOTE: 2023...the following are mixed photos of the display maps,

 and aren't all that clearly defined. Sorry. I just wanted to keep 

them for my own historical interest.)

 It was a huge wall map, so I've tried to capture little bits in each photo.

 If you received any North or South Carolina history in school,

 you must have heard of some of the big Revolutionary War 

battles, of which Cowpens SC, and Kings Mountain NC are 

spoken of.  I learned of them through my various ancestors 

in my family tree (though I was raised both in Texas and 

Missouri, so didn't learn about this history in school at all!)

 I was particularly glad to see other elements of local history were 

also shown...here a little bit about the first Americans to live in this area...

 This is the weather we had for driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway...and I

A was so happy Teresa was driving this trip!

Sharing with Signs2 HERE.

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

Altapass and apples

 This apple orchard is privately owned (by a trust) right on the Blue Ridge Parkway

 There was a mob of people, as evidenced by the cars.

 Lots of the people were sitting waiting for a concert to begin.

We, however, had come shopping for apples.  Nope. Nada.  None to be had.  It seems they had a late frost last spring, so no harvest at all this year.  They did provide some other orchard's apples for sale by the peck, but we decided to not do that.

I got some of their apple butter, a bit pricey, but always so delicious on toast.
And then we had some of their lovely apple pie, (a half slice for me) and sat outside looking at the view.  We even heard a train down in the valley, going maybe to Spruce Pine, where there are mines.

 Then the music started, and we looked in at the dancers, many of them wearing clogging shoes.  I would imagine there would be quite a show later...but I knew I had to pace myself to get home before I was exhausted.  Neither of my friends said they could drive my stick shift car.  Now they tell me!

I am a wet blanket but at least I was home by the time I gave out...and pretty darn tired.  Actually we stopped 2 more places before going home.

 My dear friend somehow doesn't like her picture taken! (Removed for posting on Facebook.)

Milkweed by the road!

Driving out of the Altapass Orchard parking lot back onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, what did I spy but the elusive milkweed!

Had to stop traffic and take its picture.  This is the only plant that our area supports Monarch Butterflies to lay their eggs on, and which is eaten by their caterpillars.

Of course in the fall there's not much left but the tailtell seed pods.

I hope these plants continue to thrive here.  They are not Roundup resistant, and many farmers have killed them in the dusting of crops when the wind blows Roundup into the ditches where Milkweed used to florish.

Quote for today:

Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out.

Vaclav Havel

Remembering last month

Nestled in a bit of a hollow just below the Blue Ridge Parkway, way in the distance, you can see the Altapass Orchard...from the Bear Den Overlook.

That's because the trees are pruned and round and green against natures brilliance of early autumn (a month ago).

Helen and I enjoyed our fresh home made apple pie in the sun out of the wind...on a porch overlooking much of the orchard.

We were entertained by the owner, Bill Carson, who shamelessly solicited our support to keep the Orchard going, as it is now a non-profit trust.

The many apples were certainly delicious...as well as other apple related products.  I just wasn't too thrilled that the golden delicious apples were left on the trees for "you pick um" rather than being in a half-peck or bushel for me to take home.

I'm not exactly one of the "you pick ems" these days.  I'm a "you eat em."

Confused

Sorry, last night I made my post for this blog on my other one.  So click here and you'll see North Cove Overlook and Altapass Apple Orchard