MN Mondays: Pine Tree Apple Orchard.

The air is crisp this morning, and the sky is that brightest of blue shades that you see only in the fall. This reminded me of one of my favorite places in Minnesota during autumn, which brings me to our third installment of MN Mondays: Pine Tree Apple Orchard! Located in White Bear Lake and nestled in between ridiculously ornate mansions and golf courses, this orchard holds many memories for me and my family. Every fall, we would drive to Pine Tree for apples, turnovers, hayrides, and pumpkins. 

While Pine Tree is open all year (you can pick your own strawberries in the summer!), I think the best time to visit is in the fall, when it's just cool enough to really enjoy some warm apple cider. There are plenty of family photos of us bundled up with coats and mittens on cold afternoons, waiting in line for the tractor ride up to the top of the orchard. We've visited Pine Tree on field trips during elementary school, on quiet and grey days during the week, and on busy Sunday afternoons when there's been no place to park. Each and every time, I've found something more to love about the orchard, and the views are just the loveliest. 

Inside the shop, visitors can see the orchard's apples being trimmed, cleaned, and prepared to be sold by the bushel. There is also an on-site bakery that sells the most amazing apple treats; my favorite is their apple butter, which tastes incredible on homemade pumpkin bread or pancakes! I could really go for some this morning...

During fall weekends the orchard hosts all sorts of family-friendly events, including corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and pony rides. The pumpkin patch is, by far, the best I've ever seen. Pumpkins dot the fields everywhere you look, and it's just the sweetest seeing all the little ones picking out which one they want to take home. 

I've been trying to find an orchard to visit near Milwaukee; any suggestions from those who've been? I know that our next visit home to the Twin Cities will have to involve a trip to Pine Tree, even if only for the apple butter!