Brightonwoods Orchard - Burlington, Wisconsin
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I recently asked a Burlington local, who happens to be a great friend of mine, what her favorite apple orchard was. She told me about Brightonwood's Orchard on the outskirts of Burlington, Wisconsin. So, this past Sunday we decided to take the family there and experience this orchard for ourselves. I sure am glad we did. It is a new favorite place filled with beautiful scenery as you will see in the following photos.
When we pulled into the parking lot, we parked next to this antique, International Harvester L-120 pick-up truck. I sort of have a thing for old, rusty, vintage vehicles. They have a similar effect on me as old rustic barns. When I see them, I am automatically thinking about the history and envisioning my ancestors driving them in days of old.
One of the things my friend told me about was the large treehouse that she was sure my children would enjoy. This treehouse is fantastic. My boys loved it. If you have children or grandchildren, be prepared to stay for a while and hangout while their imagination goes wild inside of this Swiss Family Robinson type of treehouse. Trust me when I say that the treehouse alone is worth the trip if you have children with you. They will LOVE it! Their ingenuity and inventiveness will come alive and they will probably be pleading with you to build one in your own backyard.
The room comes fully furnished with all the things needed to inspire their very own fantasy world and a ladder that leads up to a loft with another window with a very scenic veiw. My boys tried to get me to climb up there and I will admit that I tried, but had too much camera gear attached to me to get up there.
If you want to be a cowboy, fireman, construction worker, farmer, mom, dad, whatever your mind can think of, you will find the resources to make your vision come true. I adored the fact that they had an old corded phone like I had when I was a kid. I remember that phone with great fondness as I would get to talk with my Grandma Stella. Things that make me remember happy times in my childhood are things I love for my children to experience in some way.
This is the best play stove I have ever seen. Who needs to spend lots of money on plastic kitchen toys when you have wooden crates and old pots and pans? Anyone can have a makeshift kitchen in no time with materials like this. The rustic charm of this little cooking nook had me wishing I was a kid again with all my dolls sitting around the table and me cooking them up a fancy feast with mud and leaves.
Wooden Swing in Apple Orchard
Right outside the treehouse is this beautiful handcrafted, wooden swing, perfect for parents or grandparents to relax in the shade while their children are playing.
Red Wagon Wheel By Tree
Sprinkled throughout the orchard grounds and the store are vintage heirloom items that help you feel like this place has been here for a while. In fact, it has been in business since the 1950's, starting out as a hobby farm.
Teen Boy Walking Through Orchard
This orchard is not a pick-your-own orchard. However, they do allow you to walk through their orchard, vineyard and forested trails. If you love scenic views as much as I do, you will appreciate getting to take a stroll amongst their gorgeous property.
Apple Tree at Brightonwood's Apple Orchard
They have over 200 heirloom apple varieties and it is really interesting to walk the grounds and see how different the trees are from one another. Comparing and contrasting the differences in size, color, and growth patterns is a unique educational opportunity not to be had at just any apple orchard.
You will most likely have a chance to see the workers busy havesting the apples by hand to sell in their store.
My boys had fun walking the grounds, and exploring each apple tree. They kept asking me what each apple tasted like as if I had some expertise in this area. Little did they know that inside the store, they would get to sample a few of the different varieties and pick out their favorites.
If you feel that you don't know very much about all the different varieties of apples, this is the orchard you will want to add to your travel plans. I had no clue there was even this many different kinds of apples. You certainly can't find most of them at your local grocery store. The workers here are all very knowledgeable about which ones are best for what recipes. So, if you have a recipe in mind, they can tell you which apples would be best for your baking and cooking adventures.
Brightonwood's Apple Orchard with Scenic Overlook
The scenery is just outstanding. Rows and rows of unique apple trees with scenic overlooks will have you feeling connected with nature and in awe of all the work that must go into tending all of these trees so that we can enjoy their fruit.
Keep following the trail through the orchard and you will come to the rows and rows of well maintained vineyards. We enjoyed seeing the grapes growing on the grapevines.
Winding Path Through Forest at Brightonwood's Orchard
Just past the vineyard, begins trails leading through their forested property. Hiking through these trails was a real highlight for us. There is nothing like being in a forest and discovering all it has to offer you. Did I mention that you can do all of this for free? They do not charge you to walk through their property or play in their treehouse.
Mushrooms Growing on Tree Stump
We discovered so many things from the natural world. Feathers, insects, birds, reptiles, plant life, nuts, mushrooms, etc. I am always excited when I can get my family away from technology into the great outdoors. I always encourage them to see who can find the most unique things in the forest. One of my sons found a turkey feather and a hawk feather that he was super excited about.
We found a few small toads camouflaged on the forest floor behind leaves and twigs. My youngest made sure he helped me try to take a picture of each one. To see his excitement each time he found one was priceless. No remote controlled video game could ever bring such delight to a child's soul.
We discovered at least five different types of mushrooms popping up out of the ground. This was my favorite one. It had a pinkish, violet tint to it that I found quite pretty for fungus.
I learned that this interesting plant with clusters of berries on top is called, "Jack in the Pulpit" or the scientific name is Arisaema Triphyllum. Upon reading about this unique plant, I discovered that this one pictured is a female plant. They are poisonous if ingested. So don't be fooled by the berry look. It is a very interesting plant to reasearch. I was astonished with some of what I learned about it.
Fall Oak Leaf on Forest Floor
The arrival of fall is official when you find colorful, fallen leaves on the ground of a forest.
Brightonwood;s Apple Orchard Landscape
You will never run out of scenic views on this property. So much to see and explore, limited only by your available time to spend at the orchard. It is truly a place to slow down, take deep breaths, stand still for a while and just take it all in.
They do sell apple trees for $20 each if you get inspired to start your own orchard or just want a single apple tree on your property.
Having been a homeschool mom for the last 25 years, I can really appreciate decorations like this hanging up in their store. All of my children learned what the letter "A" says by me saying "A is for Apple." I was thinking about how fun it would be for all of my homeschooling friends to come here for a field trip when teaching your children that very first letter and for them to find that hanging on the wall. There is always something special that happens when a field trip reinforces what you are trying to teach your children at home. Better yet, skip the phonics textbook and bring them here for their first school lesson. It will be one they will always remember.
They sell many different types of jam and jellies. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they also had "No Sugar Added" jams. I picked up some no sugar blackberry jam that I am looking forward to using real soon.
They have local maple syrup and honey for sale too.
I appreciated the artistically created, fresh floral bouquets throughout the store with flowers that were growing on their property. It gives you a sense of their hospitality. It makes you feel that they want you there, they are prepared for you, and they welcome you. Attention to details always makes me enjoy a place more.
Who wouldn't fall in love with this vintage fruit and vegetable scale? So artfully arranged with another beautiful bouquet of wildflowers next to it. Sure made this photographer's heart happy.
Hot Apple Cider Cross-Stitched Towel
They do have samples of both their sweet and tart apple ciders for you to try. When purchasing apple cider, make sure you ask which ones are tart and sweet so that you get what you are expecting when you get home. All the workers are very kind and helpful. They seemed to enjoy explaining to us when they made their different ciders and what makes them sweet and what makes them tart. The lady who rang up our items was the one who maintains the trails in the forest. I think she appreciated us telling her about our discoveries.
Fresh Garlic
As we were checking out, I found that they also have fresh garlic for sale at the checkout. If you have never had fresh garlic before, I can assure you it is way better than when you buy garlic from the store that's been sitting for a while. Plus this stuff stays fresh a lot longer.
What You Should Know Before You Go
They are only open August through November. Check their website for current hours of operation.
They are located at 1072 - 288th Avenue in Burlington, Wisconsin, 53105
It would be very helpful for you to have a plan of what you would like to make with your apples before you go. That way you will be sure to go home with the right apples for the job. The Apple Cookbook:125 Freshly Picked Recipes by Olwen Woodier, will give you lots of inspiration for that special dish.
Fall weather in Wisconsin is always unpredictable. If you plan to walk through the orchard and forest, make sure you have what you will need for that day's weather forecast.
AeppelTreow Winery & Distillery is also on the grounds of the orchard and I will soon have a post up about this great location as well.
Close up of Apples on Apple Tree at Brightenwood's Orchard
Enrichment Ideas For When You Get Home
If you are planning a big apple project, like making applesauce, it would be to your advantage to have a Stainless Steel ,Durable Heavy Duty Die Cast Magnesium Alloy Apple Peeler Slicer Corer with Suction Base. It will make your job of peeling and coring your apples much faster.
For children ages 4 and up, this Playmobil Orchard Harvest Toy encourages children to explore what it's like to own your own apple orchard.
If your children enjoyed comparing and contrasting the different apple varieties, they may enjoy playing one of our family's favorite games called, Apples to Apples. It is sure to bring much laughter to your home.
My favorite kinds of children's books are ones that have a recipe in there that goes with the book. Here are a few of my favorite apple ones that I have used:
Apples by Gail Gibbons will help your child learn about the life cycle of apples, the different varieties of apples, and provides a recipe for apple pie.
How to Make An Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman is one of my personal favorites. The market is closed and so the character must go around the world to collect ingredients for her apple pie. This book combines my love for food and travel. It also has a recipe for apple pie.
Applesauce Day by Lisa J. Amstutz is a fun book if you plan to make applesauce with your children. You can actually use this book as you go step-by-step through the process. I especially like the part about using a special heirloom pot that has been in the family for many generations.
Amelia Bedelia's First Apple Pie by Herman Parish will have you and your children laughing so hard and also has a delicious apple pie recipe included in the book. My children really enjoyed making the pie in this one.
Lastly, if your children are successful in convincing you to build that treehouse in your backyard, you may like Be in a Treehouse: Design/Construction/Inspiration by: Pete Nelson
If you do end up going to Brightenwood's Orchard, or have been there before, I would love to hear how your time was in the comments below.
Until next time, always choose the scenic life.
Hannah Babiak is a stock photographer and travel blogger. For writing assignments or ideas for future posts, please contact her at alwayschoosethesceniclife@gmail.com or leave a comment below.
Hannah Babiak is a stock photographer and travel blogger. For writing assignments or ideas for future posts, please contact her at alwayschoosethesceniclife@gmail.com or leave a comment below.
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And he in fｚct ƅought me lunch ѕimply because I discovered
it for him... loⅼ. So allоw me to reword this.... Thanks for thhe meal!!
But yeah, thanks for spending ssome tÑ–me to talk about
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Thanks for sharing your experience with me. That is great!
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