New favorite apple picking experience- I say experience because it's not just an orchard. They…read moreoffer apple picking, a fantastic playground, and a great bakery. It was $20 to purchase a 1 peck bag to fill on our own. I believe you can have up to 5 people per bag but today it was just me and my kids. What stood out about this orchard is that 99% of the apples I picked from the tree were perfect! Very very few apples with blemishes, damages, holes etc. there were also very few apples littering the ground so we didn't have to worry about too many bees or bugs around us like we have had to do at other places. The apples taste fantastic! The playground was a hit with my 2 and 4 year old. Big shout out for having a huge tunnel that the kids can run there instead of crawl! Delicious bites include apple cider donuts, apple cider slushes, and ice cream. All were 10/10. Worth the 2 hour drive for us.

Good selection but they don't have any Honey Crisp and the ladies ended up buying cabbage, so if…read moreyou want Honey Crisp you need to be here August 15th

We very much enjoyed our visit. This is really a great place. Good for family or just couples or on…read moreyour own. We had great weather during our picking time. The place is easy to get around, normal walking through the orchards. There's a couple of porta-Johns on sight. They have pre-picked-boxed Asian Pears for sale. Also, some other items for sale, like bottled water, and pear juice, shirts, hats, some fried pies, etc. As I understand they've held the same price for 2-years for picking (by the pound), which in these Inflationary times / administration that is really helpful. I admire the thought that went into this niche and nice business. Great folks working there, and they know the area, so, if you're looking for another place to eat or go visit, they have suggestions. We got there early, right at opening, so we had 'picking-sticks' (Kind of look like Lacross sticks ) and carts to use. We heard some talking as we were leaving (over 2 hours later) wish there were more sticks available. We just gave them ours as we were paying and leaving. Go Catamounts!

My family decided we wanted to reconnect with nature, since the weather has been so nice. We…read morevisited Bullington Gardens in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The botanical gardens offer a unique walk through an interactive fairy trail. The little kids can enjoy strolling through the paths and even create their own house for the fairy. In addition to the fairy trail, Bullington also has a flower garden, vibrant flowers were everywhere. The paths are suitable for all ages (young and old), and the beds were well maintained. In addition to the botanical garden and fairy trail there are some easy hiking paths for all to enjoy. However, when we were there only portions of the path were open, due to the damage from hurricane Helene, but they plan to fully open the hiking trails soon. The staff were extremely friendly to my family and they take immaculate care of the gardens. I was surprised Bullington does not pay for one to enter, but donations are accepted. Furthermore, Bullington offers educational classes, programs, venue rentals, and a gift shop for all of their visitors. Their goal is to connect adults and children to nature through hands-on education. The gardens offer bathrooms, benches throughout the grounds, and on-site parking for all of their visitors. If the weather is nice and you live near Hendersonville NC, I would recommend bringing your family or friends and reconnect yourself to nature at Bullington Gardens.

Beautiful gardens with really nice nature trails. There's a little creek at the bottom, which is…read morereally peaceful. Lots of gorgeous plants and trees and bushes. We're definitely coming back to see the fairy trail in June.

This is a great place to come for a nice stroll and to enjoy beautiful flowers and scenery. The…read morebotanical gardens is small but lovely. It is free. It is a great place for kids to walk around and stretch their legs. It was nicely shaded and had nice areas to sit and rest. We packed a lunch and enjoyed it under the shade of the trees. They have a cute little gift shop with clean bathrooms. They have a little creek you can explore too! Tip: If you're coming with your babies, please keep in mind that it has gravel pathways so it is not stroller friendly, it's easiest to strap them in to a harness.

Very nice and calming to walk around! A little humid the day…read morewe went, but with the amount of trees/shade, it wasn't too bad. Free to enter too and very relaxing to help clear your mind.

What an incredible experience we had!! The owner and staff at this beautiful farm are amazing. You…read morecan see that they are passionate about the animals and enjoy sharing the experience with their guests! I brought the family here and we all had an amazing adventure!!!

Wow, what an incredible experience we had at Ellaberry llama farm! It was our first time…read moreinteracting with llamas and it was an absolute blast! From the moment we arrived we were greeted with warm smiles and welcoming hospitality. The farm itself was nestled in a picturesque countryside setting, with rolling green hills and breathtaking views. The facilities were well maintained, you can tell right away how well they care for the llamas. Our adventure started with an informative presentation about their llamas. We all learned interesting facts. Then we got to walk llamas though their obstacle course. And got plenty of pictures and videos. They have a cute gift shop on site and sell delicious Apple cider vinegar slushee. This was an unforgettable adventure filled with joy, laughter and plenty of llama cuddles.

This bridge, like many, apparently outlived its usefulness as a conveyance, but was turned into a…read moresort of park. The greenery covering the area is quite robust and a lot of effort clearly went into designing and maintaining it. At one end, a spot for people to hang collars up to memorialize their dogs demonstrates that apparently visitors here like tiny yippy dogs a lot more than I do, but it is still a nice touch. When I visited, they were working on building a visitor center and parking was limited (one end is a separate business whose parking lot is devoted solely to that business as designated by numerous angry signs). However, a water fountain and portapotties were still available. This isn't a place where you'd spend an enormous amount of time, but it is well done and certainly worth a look, and there is no charge to cross.

This is a beautiful stop if in the area. There are multiple varieties of flowers and plants with…read moreplaces to sit and enjoy the beauty. The rainbow bridge in memory of all the lost pets is breathtaking and so sweet to see. There is Free parking at both ends of the bridge

What an amazing experience at the farm. If you're looking to unwind and unplug from the grind, this…read moreis a wonderful opportunity to do so. If you need to stay connected, there is fiber Wi-Fi connectivity. Verizon had no problems pulling down signal for us for data or calls. The hosts Ernest and Kim were just amazing making sure we had everything we needed and even shared some great conversation as well as provided a lot of useful information about recommendations on restaurants and things happening to see. We stayed in one of their 2 properties which was the smaller of the two, but designed for one or 2 people. The other property is the "Farm House" and sleeps 6 comfortably. Speaking of comfort you will never have an issue with hot water as heating is by a tankless and endless. The bed is very comfortable. There is a smaller smart tv with integrated Roku in the living room. The stove is gas as is the fireplace. Heat worked great for those nights that got a bit chilly. The kitchen was well stocked and had a nice sized fridge to accommodate our 9 day stay. Of course it goes without saying the spring fed cedar hot tub is amazing and I used it more than a few times. This was my first true farm experience and it was amazing. Really grateful to have been able to experience all the farm, downtown Marshall and downtown Hot Springs. I'll simply paste the description from Ernest and Kim's below. Come home to an authentic vacation as you take in the rhythm of the farm. Relax in the Natural Spring Fed private cedar hot tub. Hike the private guest-only trails. The Spring House is located in the heart of Madison County and is steeped in Appalachian History and within minutes from Asheville, white water rafting, hiking, zip lines, horseback riding, wonderful restaurants, and so much more. Jewel Hill boasts over 100 acres for private hiking enjoyment. Jewel Hill Farms got its name from its location.... once the County Seat and first called Jewel Hill; but now is known as Walnut. It is the geographical center of the county. There once was the Bell School For Wayward Girls located there as well as the Switzerland Hotel. They used to have 4 churches (3 are still going), a Post Office, 5 general stores, and a Civil War era graveyard. The post office and stores are gone.....but the graveyard is still here and the other church is now the office for "Madison Has Heart" which provides heating assistance to people in our county. They are a strong Scotch/Irish people with a long tradition in the Appalachian mountains so come take in the mountains, our festivals, our food and most of all our people and traditions. You are just minutes from everything this county has to offer and then some. Bluff Mountain Festival Bascom Lemar Festival Just ask and Ernest and Kim can find out what all is happening while your here for your farm stay. There is a Ingles grocery store & gas station about 10 minutes away. Free parking on the farm.

Really amazing farm with native plants and edibles. Bradley is terrific, and it's amazing to see an…read moreoperational farm so close to Asheville.