October 24, 2017
Duration: 1 day
Mileage: ~160
Starting point: Irvine, CA
States: CA
Budget for 2 people: $90 ($20 gas, $70 food)
- Day 1: drive from Irvine, CA to Oak Glen, CA (80 mi, 2 h) and back
Our official reason for this trip was to find fall colors but truth to be told, we just wanted to eat freshly baked apple pies with hot apple cider :) This is our first trip to Oak Glen and both our reasons were satisfied in full. This place is located in San Bernardino County in the heart of Apple country. It is only 1.5-2 h drive from Irvine depending on the traffic. There are over 30+ Ranches, Farms & Businesses that welcome people to do apple picking, hiking, scenic drive, dining and many more special activities.
Once you drive to the Village you notice immediately how different the surrounding nature is. There are mountains, magnificent oak trees and the leaves are yellow indeed! Lots and lots of leaves on the ground. Here are some pictures from the Village area:
The Village area has its bakery and restaurant, multiple small shops, mini zoo and many activities for kids (tram, animals feeding etc):
From the Village we headed to the Wildlands Conservancy. Next to the Conservancy there is an orchard where you can pick your apples, some shops, and bakery. We went to explore the Conservancy and find more of those yellow leaves. Here are some pictures from our 1 mi hike:
You can even find several sequoias there!
We purchased our cake and cider afterward and headed back to the Village to dine in their restaurant.