In fact, if I followed my stomach right this moment, I would throw my sleepy eyed children in the back of the car and gas it up the hill at first light to get some. 

What would be worth this madness? 

Abel's Acres

 Within the first 30 minutes of arriving at Abel's Acres, I think we ate half a dozen of these tasty donuts. If you're headed up the hill for an apple filled day, I would suggest stopping here first. 

Arrive early, that is when they're warm, and sit outside on their patio. The air is crisp and cool in the morning and my kids happily stretched their legs from the drive up from Sacramento on their deck while munching away on our donuts. The coffee is strong, a perfect pair for sweet donuts, and as we sat on the benches encircling the trees, we found it hard to believe we were only 45 minutes from the city.

 We went on a weekday, so the whole hill was very quiet. If you're headed up on a weekend there are more things going on here (and more people around), so plan accordingly. If you're looking for more than donuts, inside they also have carmel apples, holiday decor, jams and jellies, and frozen pies.

Tip #1: Bring a cooler! 

Boa Vista Farms 

Boa Vista encompasses everything I imagined an apple orchard and farm would be like. A produce market, fresh pies, apple cider in glass jars, carts of pears and apples, stunning views, and lunch on the grill. It feels like the most authentically wonderful farm of them all. If you only have time for one place on the hill, you have to stop in at Boa Vista. 

From the moment we parked, the views of the surrounding farms welcome you to Boa Vista's beautiful, open air farm stand. The views, the quality of the items there, the free apple samples, the abundance of produce, and the helpfulness and genuine kindness of the employees there made for my best experience I have had at Apple Hill. To be able to enjoy the fruits of the farm without all of the cluttered extras, left me feeling satisfied. Simple and authentic is best. 

Zucchini, grape tomatoes, vine ripened tomatoes, leaf lettuce, apple butter and a fresh baked apple pie were overflowing from my arms as we left the farm. 

Tip #2: Don't forget to buy your apples! We got so carried away with all of the delicious apple treats that we forgot to buy plain ol' apples! 

Denver Dans

We visited Denver Dan's last year before my daughter was born. We went again this year because my son had such a wonderful time. It's "You-Pick" farm with many variety of apples. Wandering through the orchard is blissful. The shade from the apple filled trees keeps you cool as your kids dash between the rows of trees. You pick apples as you walk filling up your bucket with whatever variety you think tastes best. This is definitely my son's favorite place on the hill. 

Unfortunately, this year the apple crop was different and when we visited in late September all the apples had already been picked. Even though we were disappointed that we could not pick this year, we still enjoyed our time there. Inside the shop they have apples, pies, and all the needed apple accessories  for sale. Outside is a wonderful place for a picnic or a stroll. We sat on the lawn under the apple trees and had a snack while my son climbed the branches that shaded us. 

Tip #3  If you're wanting to pick your own apples, call ahead to the farms! As of end of September 2016, I know that you are still able to pick apples at Pine O Mine orchard. http://www.pineomine.com

Red Apple Cafe

If you missed lunch or are just wanting a place to grab something cold to drink after you adventure on Apple Hill, stop in at Red Apple Cafe off HWY 50 before you get to Placerville. The views beat any other place you could eat at! My kids devoured their french fries and loved their patio, wandering all over while we waited for food. And if you're a breakfast junkie like my family, they serve pancakes, bacon and all the egg dishes you could ask for until 3pm.