Oh wowowooowoww, this is my newest favorite place in all of Riverside and I can't wait to return! I travel for work and was telling my Riverside colleagues that, as a Chicagoan, I really wanted to see a lemon tree while working in Riverside. Someone mentioned this shop- that is connected to the orchards- so I drove 30 minutes after work to see a real citrus tree!! I know that must sound funny to someone who lives in CA and gets to see lemon, lime, and orange trees all the time, but I promise the ONLY ones we have in Chicago are in conservatories. You don't see them in their natural state.
So I was absolute thrilled to get to see a real orange grove and then I bought about $100 worth of amazing souvenirs to bring home! I would have bought more, but I only had a carry-on for luggage and you can't bring more than 4 ounces on the plane, so I had to skip the honeys and other liquids. I bought an orange beer and drank some of that, even though I don't typically drink alcohol. But I was so curious about orange-flavored beer! The fresh orange juice was OUT OF THIS WORLD, oh my. Best OJ I've ever had in my whole life. I would drink that every day if I could. I also bought a blackberry cobbler that made the BEST PB&J sandwiches, so I ate a bunch of those this week since the cobbler wouldn't fit in my luggage.
Loveliest counter person in the world, too!! We had a nice chat about Chicago. I felt so welcomed and the workers invited me to take a wander in the pretty grassy grove near the orange trees. This is one beautiful shop and such a cool place. I will definitely return next time I'm working in Riverside. Thank you, Gless Ranch!! Everyone loved their souvenirs, especially the fresh fruit, Amish popcorn, pink sea salt, peach/pear dried fruit, and minty lip balms. read more