Spokane, WA

The drive is worth it in itself. Follow the colorful, winding country roads of Greenbluff long enough, and you find yourself unwinding—everything seeming to get a little easier. As it goes…life is easier on the farm. But, what about the ranch? Well we’ll find out as we’re on our way to visit Walter’s Fruit Ranch.

Getting there is easy. Either take Highway 2 to Day Mt. Spokane Road, turn east and follow it for approximately 3.7 miles, or take the Argonne Exit from I-90, head north on Argonne Road, across Bigelow Gulch, on over breathtakingly beautiful Peone Prairie, through the roundabout and up the hill to the “T,” and there you are—at, you guessed it, Day Mt. Spokane Road. Then take a right and head on up.

Walter’s is easy find with signs at all the right places. And no sooner do we arrive than my 3-year-old has to go “potty.” Good timing as four clean Honey Pots are located in the parking lot at the Ranch entrance. So with business taken care of, we head in to be greeted by rosy-cheeked, smiling Ranch attendants and one very large, white adorable dog named Cody.

So what to do first? The Fruit Loop Express has just headed out, so we decide to find the petting zoo. After feeding the two lively pygmy goats too many cups of food, we give some attention to the rooster, hen and bunnies next door, then on to the Sweet Pea Playbox! What a great idea! An approximate 10’X10’ “sandbox” filled with dried peas instead of sand! As well, there are dump trucks and playthings and it’s surrounded by beautiful sunflowers and the Corn Maze, which is $2.50 per entry. We contemplate tackling it next, but decide against it as it looks like rain and we don’t want to get lost and soaked at the same time! So we head to the orchard to quickly pick a few apples.

After working up an appetite and feeling slightly chilled, we decide to visit the cozy Orchard Cafe for hot cider and warm pie a la mode. We choose the “Golden” Apple Pie and Pumpkin, each paired with homemade vanilla ice cream. Every bite was heaven in a spoonful. Then feeling very satiated, we decide to peruse the Country Store, smelling the yummy Barn Candles, reading the witty signs along the walls, and finally deciding on a Blueberry Pie and Apple Cider to take home.

But we’re coming back over the weekend as it was so fun and relaxing and there’s so much still to do! Pick punkins, listen to live music, let the kids take a Wiggle Worm Ride, ride a pony, make a scarecrow, shoot the corn cannon, wine tasting…

Apple Festival runs through the end of October, with live music, pony rides, and Bar-b-Que on weekends from 11-5.