Arizona 2011 Official Visitor's Guide - (Page 17)

o Pick your own apples, peaches, pumpkins and more at Apple Annie’s Orchard in Willcox. farm at Apple Annie’s (open July to November) attract families for regular weekend events, including Peach Mania and Sweet Corn Extravaganza in the summer, or pumpkin and apple picking, a corn maze and hayrides in the fall. At Brown’s, they’ll pick the fruit (five varieties of pears and a dozen varieties of apples) for you, if you like. You can also order fresh cider and grass-fed lamb. If you’re just after the freshpressed cider, with none of the Upick work, Stout’s Cider Mill, also in Willcox, is another option. For a deliciously interactive farm experience, head to Yuma between January and March for a Farm to Feast Tour. Select a menu item, head to the fields to hand-pick your ingredients, then let the pros whip up your meal as you enjoy a tour of the area. Your farm-fresh meal will be waiting for you upon your return. GARDEN GREATS A visit to Amado’s Agua Linda Farm, Queen Creek’s Schnepf Farms or Wickenburg’s Date Creek Ranch provides a behind-the-scenes look at sustainable, organic farming. After your tour, take home some farm-fresh goods from the Agua Linda Farm store, or sample the produce during seasonal festivals or in a multicourse dinner on the grounds. Date Creek Ranch and Schnepf Farms both offer U-pick fun. And because the produce is pesticide-free, feel free to sample as you pick. The farms supply the boxes, picking tools, wheelbarrows—even the recipes. All you have to do is show up. Head southeast to Apple Annie’s Orchard or Brown’s Orchard, both in Willcox, for another U-pick experience. The orchards and produce Organic, sustainable, local. From the glass of Pinot Noir you enjoyed with last night’s dinner to the box of fine chocolates you’re shipping home, you’ll find a wide array of unexpected, delectable treats—homegrown or homemade—right here in Arizona. As an added bonus, many of the makers of these local products offer tours and hands-on workshops, so you can get more than just a taste—you can actually see how they’re made or even participate in the process. THE SWEET LIFE If you’re staying in the Greater Phoenix area, stop in at the Cerreta Candy Company in Glendale for a tour of this family-run chocolate factory. The tours are a favorite during the holidays, when you can stock up on chocolaty gifts. In Phoenix you’ll find the Fairytale Brownie Factory. Visit the bakery and watch through windows as these delicious three-inch squares are made in such mouthwatering flavors as caramel, chocolate chip and toffee crunch. If pies are your fancy, make the trip to Rock Springs Café in Rock Springs north of metro Phoenix. This landmark café pulls more than a hundred of these fresh-baked goodies from the oven each week. Flavors range from apple and rhubarb to banana cream and peanut butter. In the southern part of the state, take a drive over to Main Street in historic Bisbee to visit Killer Bee Honey. Don’t miss the free samples of its honey mustard—it’s perfect on pretzels. For the more exotic honey flavors, however, you’ll want to head to Northern Arizona to try Flagstaff’s Mountain Top Honey. If you don’t see the sweet stuff at farmers markets in town, you can always get it straight from the supplier who sells several flavors: orange blossom, desert wildflower, mesquite, camelthorn and Flagstaff wildflower. m Family-owned Cerreta Candy Company has been making chocolates in Glendale for 40 years. www.arizonaguide.com 17 ROBERT GARCIA http://www.arizonaguide.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Arizona 2011 Official Visitor's Guide

Arizona 2011 Official Visitor's Guide

https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/madden/az_ovg18
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/madden/az_ovg16
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/madden/az_ovg15
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/madden/az_ovg14
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/madden/az_ovg13
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/madden/az_ovg12
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/madden/az_ovg11
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/madden/az_ovg10
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com