What a gorgeous orchard tucked away in Sperryville. It's family owned and they have a beautiful…read moreopen barn with all sorts of goodies including peach slushies made on site, local beef, baked goods, eggs, many varieties of apples, peaches and other fruits to PTO! Friendly service, bathrooms on site and Adirondack chairs in the shade or sun to relax!

I have been to this orchard twice. It's about a two and a half hour drive from me, but…read moreunquestionably worth it! The drive itself is gorgeous, peaceful, therapeutic even. You get to enjoy rolling hills, blue mountains, farms with their herds, and the wonderful Yoder's Amish market. You'll also pass tons of distilleries, wineries, and what seems like never-ending festivals in Gordonsville. Why drive out to this orchard? First off, they actually choose their apple varieties based on taste and texture, as opposed to familiarity alone. You can tell that they really work hard to get the best of the best as soon as you taste one. Their apples are so crisp and so packed with flavor! The varieties are amazingly unique, and many of them are difficult to find. Some varieties are not available at any other orchard here, much less in the stores. Now, don't miss this--their unpasteurized apple cider is insanely delicious!! Just don't give it to wee ones two or younger. You can taste all of the ridiculous variety of apples the goes into them. The flavor is so complex, and it is not in the least overly sweet. If you go, get some! You won't regret it at all. They tend to keep samples available for different apples and for their cider. I'm told the pasteurizing crocks the flavor. You can definitely taste the difference. Maybe bring a cooler for this as well. Right now in October, you can find the amazing Ambrosia apple pre-picked (delightful floral notes, immense coconut-like flavor, citrus notes, almost doesn't taste like apple with your eyes closed. I've even had some of these that taste spicy like cinnamon. They're quite amazing! I swear it actually reminds me of the old ambrosia salad haha), crimson crisp EverCrisp (my personal favorite--a gigantic apple with crunch and immense tangy flavor and juiciness for days that is said to last 6 months under refrigeration without degrading in texture and even stays crunchy after baking!), Gold Rush, Candy Crisp, Rome, and more. As far as the common varieties--golden delicious, red delicious, pink lady, stayman, Albermarle Pippin--you will find those here too, but they still have an out of this world flavor. Their trees are grown on dwarf rootstock, meaning that even your youngest kids can easily pick their own apples, and you can pick easily from the entire tree because they don't get but so tall. What makes this orchard stand out is truly an endless list. So, another factor is that they charge the exact same price ($2/lb) for all apple varieties, pre-picked or not. Don't worry, the varieties are not a result of genetic modification. Everything has been thought of here. They have wagons for carrying your apples as you pick. They pack your apples in paper bags that are super sturdy. They actually live in Northern VA and donate their apples to homeless shelters, food banks, and DC area charities. They also don't sell you messed up apples just because you picked it. They encourage you to taste because, to know what you like. The customer service is phenomenal. The people are so friendly, sincere, passionate, and helpful in every way possible, be it for choosing apples, finding things to do in the area, or really anything they can help with. It's a family business filled with love. The actual orchard itself is gorgeous with amazing views. The great thing is that it is still new, so it's not swarmed with people at any point. You can leisurely enjoy your time. Even the furthest fruits didn't feel excessively or unpleasantly far of a walk. I loved that they did not clear grasses out on the path for navigating the orchard, so it doesn't get muddy, slimy, or sludgy in the area where you walk. They are still expanding, and they are planning to add a baked goods portion of the business, refrigerators, indoor bathrooms (they have portable potties with the outdoor portable sinks with soap and water now.). They encourage you to bring a picnic with you. They do have picnic tables onsite. One very important detail--you MUST bring food with you for the drive. You will hit some spots that do not have food options if you're coming from Richmond. It happens right around the time you'll be super hungry. The people at the orchard did recommend me a restaurant in their area along a local river walk called Before and After, but pretty much everything closes at 5, Yoder's included. I was also told Yoder's sandwiches and ice cream are really great. I can attest to some amaaazing artisan style jams in the most inventive flavors. Going in the same direction, you can find an animal rescue zoo, Shenandoah River State Park (about an hour away), Shenandoah National Park, a water park, and more. Ready to go yet?! I hope so!