Let me preface this first post by saying that I am a student traveler that can’t sit still. I use Instagram to document my past and current travels, and it has been an amazing experience so far and I am very thankful to the 400+ followers that have decided to follow along on my travels while sharing their own. Unfortunately, instagram doesn’t allow me to share in-depth experiences and specific locations that really made a trip special, so… cue a sweet spots around the globe blog. Thanks for stopping by!
If you ever find yourself near scenic Blue Ridge, be sure to stop by Mercier Orchards. Founded in 1943, the 300-odd acre orchard boasts over 53 varieties of apples, from Gala to Pink Ladies. During appropriate seasons, Mercier offers blueberry, cherry, peach, and apple picking. Since we’re in the midst of apple season, we took a tractor to the middle of the orchard and picked half of a bushel for $18. It was great walking around looking at all the types of apples (I had no idea 90% of the varieties existed) and picking the perfect ones. Of course, every good apple picker knows you have to try the apples before you pick ’em.
After stuffing our faces with apples, we headed to the Mercier Orchards store, with an unnerving amount of delicious sauces, sweets, breads… you name it, they probably have the most delicious version you’ve ever had of it. The store comes equipped with a bakery that makes the world’s most delicious apple pies, a fudge shop, and a cider store. Today was my second time at this top-notch store and I walked away with some sweet novely bear socks, a Mercier Orchards shirt (tip: wearing a Mercier shirt or cap gives you 10% off, have someone in your family buy one, put it on, then finish the rest of your shopping), chili verde infused sea salt, peanut brittle, and two ciders (blueberry and Old #1 are both delicious).
I have included the website and trip advisor rating below, and will continue to do so when available for the remainder of my posts. PLEASE feel free to post questions or comments. I would love to hear about your experiences at Mercier Orchards or other cool places to visit in Blue Ridge, GA.
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Abroad and Beyond 