Apple picking at Carter Mountain Orchard

Yesterday, we made the most of a gorgeous fall day and headed down to Charlottesville (aka enemy territory) to go apple picking. We decided to check out Carter Mountain Orchard. Fun fact: the Page family (of which I am a member) closely intermarried with the Carters. This farm actually borders the land owned by Monticello and sits on the same mountain as Michie Tavern. It’s a high point in Charlottesville / Albemarle County and offers stunning views of the area.

Apparently, all of central Virginia thought yesterday was perfect for apple picking, so we had to deal with some crowds. The Jonagold and Golden Delicious were in season, so we headed down the mountain to pick. Most of the low-hanging fruit had bee picked which resulted in tree-climbing by 26 years olds to get the goods. We wound up with around 15 pounds of the two varieties and also bought apple cider and apple cider donuts. The apple barn also sells tons of canned goods (like butters, salsas, and preserves) in addition to some local wines. You don’t have to pay an admission charge, so you only pay for the apples you pick. It was a lot of fun for a quick day trip.

After apple picking, we headed into town for lunch. My original pick, Ace’s Biscuit and Barbecue, closed early that day, so we consulted Siri for a recommendation. She then suggested Citizen Burger Bar in the downtown mall area. The food was great: I tried a burger with pimento cheese spread and bacon. Absolutely delicious. When we got back to the car, we had a debate about whether we wanted to visit one of the local wineries or if we wanted to head home and drink wine there. This led to one of the greatest quotes of all time.

Me: Deciding between going wine tasting and buying wine at Wegmans might be the whitest decision ever.
Ashley: Pretty sure seceding from the Union was the whitest decision ever made.

We also stopped at Moo Thru on the way back to Northern Virginia. It’s a drive thru ice cream place along US 29, and the ice cream was fantastic.

What did y’all do this weekend? Have you ever visited Carter Mountain Orchard?