#apples, #pumpkins, and #pies, oh mi!

Posted by Laura Haynes in atlanta fall, atlanta fall activities, atlanta fall recipes, ellijay activities, north georgia activities

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I just love the fall. I love cozying up in my sweaters and boots while enjoying a caramel apple spice. College football, Halloween, Thanksgiving, changing leaves, pumpkin everything, apple everything. So when my friend suggested apple-picking and pumpkin-patching in North Georgia, I was beyond game.

For any of the transplants that read my blog - North Georgia is a must do. NG mountains are beautiful and there is no shortage of camping, zip-lining, hiking, tubing, winery touring, farmers market-ing to be had.  Boiled peanut stands on the side of the highway, muscadine wine, freshly baked peach/pecan bread, breathtaking views, Octoberfest in Helen, what's not to love?

On this particular Fall weekend we choose to hit up the Red Apple Barn in Ellijay for apple-picking. You can't throw a rock without hitting a place like this up in Ellijay, you'll pass 20 on the way up. I haven't been to one family-owned farm or farm stand that has done me wrong. We paid $8 to pick our own apples (after a very scenic tractor ride up to the orchard). Unfortunately we came the very last weekend of the season so the trees were a bit over picked,  but we successfully emerged with fresh apples, apple fritters, fried apple pies, apple cider doughnuts, pumpkins, apple cider (store-bought apple cider has been forever ruined for me after tasting the fresh stuff), and other assorted ciders in tow. Pure apple euphoria.

Once we rolled back to my friend's apartment (after sadly discovering that Antico Pizza is closed on Sundays - boo), it was time to commence the pumpkin carving. Nothing screams impending Halloween like carving our pumpkins during the season premier of The Walking Dead (appropriately, mostly filmed in Atlanta). We seasoned up those pumpkin seeds and baked them as an added snack.

Our Ellijay apples put to good use - the before and after of our homemade apple pie. Check out the recipe here!

Atlantans, tell me, how do you celebrate Fall locally?