I’ve been so excited for fall this year that I covered two things in my fall bucket list on the same weekend. The first was a nature walk (or hike) and the second was apple picking.

My mom and I drove up to Ellijay in Georgia to go apple picking for the first time. I’d been seeing Tiktoks and Instagram Reels of people apple picking and it looks so fun. I guess the influencers are influencing.

After researching the different apple orchards that were located in Ellijay, I landed on R&A Orchards. I mentioned them in another post and decided to go with them for apple and flower picking.

I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous about going up to Ellijay. To my knowledge, North Georgia is a little less diverse than the metro-Atlanta area. It’s not like I haven’t been the only black person or person of color in a place before but as I get older, I become more aware of the tension, the stares, and (sometimes) the glares. This was definitely a case of me overthinking and it could’ve been to my detriment.

However, I didn’t let that stop me from going. I convinced my mom to join me so we could spend some time together (and I could make apple cobbler for her).

Driving Up to Ellijay

Mom and I headed out around 8am. The orchard opened at 9am so we figured we’d arrive a few minutes after opening.

It was so scenic on the way up. We didn’t take the express way so we saw trees, hills, and farms as we drove. Mom would keep pointing out good video or photo opportunities, which I would catch too late most of the time.

Once we were about 20 minutes out from Ellijay, there was even a road sign that said “Scenic View” for a photo op.

We could tell we were in the right place once we were in Ellijay, because there was signage for apple orchards all over.

We saw signs for B.J. Reece’s and Hillcrest Orchards but not R&A yet. It didn’t matter though because we reached R&A first.

Arriving at R&A Orchards

When we arrived at R&A Orchards, we saw the market first. The parking lot was a decent size but I’m glad we got there early in the day because it would’ve definitely been hard to park later.

We went inside the market (mostly because we had to use the bathroom) which was already lively for having only been opened for 30 or so minutes.

I was so tempted to already start looking around. They had a bunch of different products and even shirts, but I knew we’d come back in later.

Outside the market, on the side of the parking lot was a gravel path that lead to the ticket tent.

To pick apples and/or flowers you have to pay the $5 admission fee which includes the tractor ride around the orchard. You’ll get a ticket for the tractor and a wristband to wear during your time at the orchard.

The ticket tent had a board that showed which apples were available to pick for the day. That day they had Red and Golden Delicious apples as well as Rome beauty. The flowers they had to pick were zinnias.

Mom and I asked if we could bring our own bags to apple pick – assuming the price was based on weight – but we were told we couldn’t.

After putting the bags we brought back in the car, we walked to the larger tent to wait for the tractor.

Riding Around the Orchard

We were the first ones in line for a while. We got to chat with one of the employees who was sharing with us how busy it’s been at the orchard. He’d been working 7 days a week for 7 weeks!

We waited for about 10 minutes before the tractor showed up and by that point to tent was packed with people.

Because of how the front was laid out, we couldn’t really see the orchards but as we rode out, the view changed and it was gorgeous.

Behind rows upon rows of apple trees were green hills. There was a certain serene-ness to it all and I was even more excited to be a part of it.

 Apple Picking

The first stop on the tractor ride was the orchard for apple picking. The second and last stop would be the flower garden.

Getting off the tractor, there was a table to buy the bags for apple picking. There is a $10 1/2 peck bag and $20 whole peck bag.

Mom and I each got a $10 bag. We wanted our own bag to hold. I’d say for families with multiple children it would probably be cheaper to get the $20 bag and everyone can put their apples in it.

The women at the table told us where the variants of apples were located and Mom and I were off picking.

We started with the Rome Beauty apples which were this deep dark red color. A lot of them were on the ground but we were able to grab some good ones.

Then, we wandered over to get Golden Delicious apples. My mom was really excited to pick those. I thought they’d be more on the yellow side, considering their name, but they looks like a light green. Nowhere near Granny Smith apple color but still.

When we got to the Red Delicious apples they were smaller than the others. We walked further down trying to find larger ones. This is where we saw the Fuji and Gala apple signs a few rows over.

Now, they only told us about the three variants to pick but of course my mom got curious and wanted to walk over anyway. We picked maybe three Fuji apples each but most of them were adorably small. That’s probably why they weren’t included in the picking options.

I got about 13 apples and my mom squeezed 15 apples into her bag. Satisfied with our pickings, we headed back to get back on the tractor.

Flower Picking

On the second part of the tractor ride, we rode through the rest of the orchard, cutting through to get to the garden.

At first I thought we’d have to carry our apples while picking flowers but we were so close to the entrance we could just walk to the car and come back to flower pick. This is why they have the wristbands.

To flower pick, you’d have to pay $9 for a cup to put them in. If you wanted to do flower picking only, you’d still have to pay $5 for the tractor ride, they said it is not optional.

We got our cups, a couple pairs of sheers, and started cutting. My mom went straight to all the purple flowers while I started further down the garden. It was filled with oranges, yellows, reds, purples, and pinks. Flower picking was nice and calming. Butterflies made their way through the flowers which gave me an extra pinch of joy. I tried balancing out the color scheme of my bouquet I was creating.

We probably spent just as much time picking flowers as we did picking apples.

The Market

After putting our flowers in the car, we walked back to the market of R&A. They were probably twice as busy as they were earlier that day.  The bakery line was long and it was pretty tight in the aisle like areas.

They sold pre-picked apples (of course), onions, salad dressings, hot sauces, slushies, baked goods and more.

I got the apple cider donut, an apple fritter, and an apple, peach, and strawberry slushie. My mom got an apple hand pie.

I wanted get one of their sauces or cider to take home but I knew I was making apple cider from the apples I picked and the rest I couldn’t decide.

My dad and step-mom went to the market a couple of weeks later and got strawberry cider, jam, pork skins, and roasted peanuts. If I’d of known they were going I probably would’ve asked them to grab me something.

Going Back Home

The ride back was still nice but it was filled with way more cars. Even as we were leaving the orchard the parking lot was lively.

We saw a dog in the back of a pickup truck and I was stressed thinking it would jump out or something would happen to it.

When I got back to my house, I put my flowers in a vase and double-cleaned my apples with vinegar and baking soda.

Tip: When apple picking, considering wearing gloves or bringing hand sanitizer to avoid the pesticide residue getting on your hands.

I had a really great time at the orchard! I think I may make it a yearly trip; it’s such a fun fall activity.

My overthinking kicked in when I tried to find more things to make with my apples besides apple cider. I also stressed about my flowers lasting because I’d be leaving for Chicago in a little over a week.

Well, Chicago is next up on the Overthinker Guide docket for next week.

Until then, check out the apple picking vlog on Overthinker Guide’s YouTube.

Let me know what fall activities you like to do in the comments!