In keeping with the grand tradition of anniversaries past, Francis set up a surprise get-away for us! The silent road ahead was my only hint as to what we would be doing that weekend, as well as the fact that Francis had said I didn't need to bring dressy shoes. Hmmm? What could he be up to?
We headed northeast past Sacramento. Were we going to Tahoe? To Reno? The trees by the side of the freeway were gorgeous shades of red and orange. This photo does not do it justice.
It turned out Francis had planned a trip to Apple Hill! Apple Hill is a touristy collection of orchards in Placerville, CA. It is to apples what Napa is to grapes. The orchards sell all sorts of apple-related products as well as fun, autumn-themed activities.
Francis was wise and brought lunch for us. The food sold there was super expensive. We ate Trader Joe's salads and waved away the bees. I'm not sure why he packed Trader Joe's sliced apples though. There were plenty of apples there.
Apple Hill is a sugar addict's dream come true. So naturally, I was in heaven. Glass display case after display case filled with candy apples of all sorts. Homemade fudge, local honey, apples of varities we had never heard of (our favorite unusual variety was called Winesap), apple butter, apple syrup, apple salsa, apple pie, apple cake, apple dumplings, apple donuts, apple beer, apple wine, apple cider, apple juice. It was incredible!
Lots and lots of families with children visit for the pumpkin patches, hay bale mazes, and pony rides. Every orchard we visited was packed with people.
Vendors set up shop at the orchards and sell completely useless items like tie die shirts, hemp jewelry, unoriginal art, hand-knit pot holders, rubber band guns, glass trinkets, stuffed animal pillows, sushi-making kits, and those signs with catchy phrases that make you laugh for like one second. Actually, the rubber band guns were pretty awesome. If Cru and Hudson were allowed to have guns, we would have gotten them one.
Here I am, about to indulge in apple pie a la mode. Ahhhh...
Oh yeah...
Relaxing in the sun after a stressful week.
This photo has a history. Francis taste-tested and eventually purchased a super spicy Vidalia Onion and Jalapeno hot sauce. He was excited about it. It was tasty. After he purchased it, I put it into my purse for safe keeping. Then I wanted to try on a pretty princess hat. Then I wanted him to take a picture of me in the pretty princess hat. Then I pulled the camera out of my purse. Then the Vidalia Onion and Jalapeno hot sauce fell and broke on the ground. Then he took this photo of me feeling bad about being, once again, the clumsiest person on earth.
I needed an apple beer after that one. Apple beer is basically just 1/4 apple cider to 3/4 regular beer. Pretty golden color.
Contemplating two years of marriage, honey?
You can see the rolling foothills of the Sierras behind us. And you can also see a trout "pond" that they stock with poor captive fish and rent fishing rods so people can pluck the poor guys out of the teeny pond with minimal sportsmanship.
Our last stop of the day was a local brewery. You can grab a beer at the bar inside and then hang out on the lawn to drink it. Francis was of course attracted to the only game available. It was a version of horseshoes with beanbags.
A fiery sunset was our nightcap. We stayed at a renovated Holiday Inn in Rancho Cordova that was super nice and yet inexpensive.
The next afternoon, we had a sumptuous meal of Thai food in Sacramento. The owners had had a business in Daly City for twenty years, but they decided to pack up and move to Sacramento in 2005 at the height of the real estate boom there. They were probably in search of a larger home and wanted to cash in on the growing communities there. Unfortunately, Sacramento was hit hard by the bust. It seems like their business is still thriving however. The food was incredible!
We ordered egg rolls and pad thai, but my favorite dish was vegetarian sour coconut milk soup that arrived in a flaming hot pot with fire shooting out of the middle.
Sugary sweet Thai tea made with condensed milk. Thai people like to do flavors to the extreme: super spicy, super sweet, or super sour.It was an awesome get-away. Can't wait for next year's adventure!
