Peach Picking at Fisher’s Orchard

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Summer can be just peachy, especially when some nice juicy peaches are ripe for the picking! At Fisher’s Orchard located in Greer, you can pick until your heart is content and they have sweet deals on peaches as well as nectarines. Centrally located, you can find the orchard easily in less than 20 minutes from downtown Greenville at 650 Fisher Road in Greer. But before you decide to head to the farm, be sure to check the website for their picking schedule as availability of peaches changes throughout the Summer season. www.fisherorchard.com 

 Being that we had family from Florida in town, we had to give the kids an opportunity to pick peaches since it’s not something they can do back home. We made sure they were wearing sneakers and socks, sun-block, and water bottles. Once we arrived at the orchard, we stopped by the little stand out front to get our baskets. Inside the stand were jams and jellies for sale as well as already picked peaches. We then drove down to the designated area to begin our picking. Even though it was a hot Summer day, the rows of peach trees did offer some shade as we made our way down the rows. Some of the trees were literally overflowing with peaches but we made sure before we pulled any off, that they were ripe and ready to go. If you are interested to know what types of peaches you are picking, they have a chart you can refer to on the website. Once we had filled our basket to the brim with peaches, we made our way to the nectarine trees. It was not very crowded with other pickers, and we were able to get all of our picking and of course photo ops in under in an hour.

 We then took our baskets back to the stand to be weighed and we were amazed at how much we got for such a great price! With all these peaches, we were ready to start making peach cobbler for dessert. I highly suggest picking up a box of the cobbler mix on your way out of the farm at their other storefront located on 504 S. Buncombe Rd in Greer. In addition to the cobbler mix, you will also find an assortment of fruits, vegetables, jams, jellies, honey, and juices. It has become my new produce one stop shop. Don’t forget to get the kids some honey straws also. You could easily have a half-day of family fun on the farm without breaking the bank and the kids will make some sweet and lasting memories.

Have a "Zen" like float down the French Broad River at Zen Tubing

Looking for a relaxing way to spend the day in nature? You will certainly find it at Zen tubing just south of Asheville. When we first relocated to the area, someone had told me about Zen tubing and we were anxious to give it a try!

Zen Tubing is about an hour from Greenville, an easy drive up HWY 25. They have two locations to “drop in” your tubes for an easy going float down the French Broad River. I highly recommend looking over the website to pre-plan your trip as you will notice they have not only general information but also up to date weather, which is a key aspect to the trip. https://zentubing.com/

We decided to get there right when they opened at 10 am and I’m sure glad we did, because as we left at around 1pm, the parking lot was jam packed on a Sunday. Upon our arrival, we were asked to sign waivers and were given information as to what to do in the event of inclement weather. The total trip time varies based on the water level but it’s typically around 2-3 hours total. The cost per tube is $20 per person unless you have your own tube (which we did) and the cost is only $10. For coolers, you can even rent a tube for $10 and bring all your snacks, lunch, and adult beverages (as long as they are in cans). You will also want to make you have sunscreen, hats, rash guards, and water shoes. Don’t be fooled by a cloudy day, we learned that the hard way with a touch too much sun after our trek. After we paid and signed our waivers, the kids were then suited up in life vests as we waited to board our shuttle to the drop off point. The shuttle was about 10 minutes and a bit bumpy so make sure you and the kiddos have eaten a solid meal.

Once we were brought down to the entry point of the river, we had given the folks at Zen our tubes to blow up and then selected our cooler tube. They also gave some information regarding the “frequent floater” program where you pay for two floats and the 3^rd is free! After some safety tips, it was time to get in the water. We had a fairly large group of 8 so we roped all of our tubes together so we could begin our journey down the river together. The water was cold but not too cold and the current was slow and relaxing. The water is also very shallow so if you need to for some reason get out of your tube, you would be able to walk if necessary. The kids enjoyed looking for wildlife on the riverbanks. We spotted turtles, birds, and geese along the way.  There was also little pull off spots for photo ops as well as a rope swing. Floating down was very serene and peaceful. It was truly a “Zen” like experience for the whole family.

You can find unicorns and more at Hidden Pasture Farm in Fountain Inn, S.C.

 You don't have to travel to the end of a rainbow to find a unicorn, it's right outside of Greenville! Hidden Pasture Farm https://www.facebook.com/HiddenPastureFarm/ located in Fountain Inn, SC was the perfect birthday surprise my unicorn obsessed 7 year old.

Having been in contact with Kate, the owner, I had booked a 2 hour "unicorn" experience in which my daughter would have one on one time with "George" the unicorn. I couldn't wait to dress her up and bring her. Once we arrived, we were greeted by Kate who had a wonderful story about all the unicorns at the farm and how they came to Hidden Pasture. She told us about each of their stories, where they came from, and what type of unicorns they were. George, the imperial unicorn, Sapphire, the half pegasus unicorn who's wings can only be seen when it rains, as well as many other "half unicorns". We also were introduced to "Snoopy" the turkey who had more personality than most adults I have met. We started off holding a baby bunny while the unicorns were getting ready to meet our birthday girl and my son found a playground that overlooked the chickens, ponies, and riding circle. 

 In excited anticipation, it was time to meet the unicorn named George. He had blue eyes (as all pure bred unicorns do) a glittery horn, a wreath of flowers around his neck, and a big blue bow on his tail. Kate handed him off so my daughter could walk him out to the pine tree forest and snap some photos. She also gave her a brush to brush his hair. He was a very smart unicorn and understood many commands which made it easy for my 7 year old to lead him around. After George, we were introduced to two more unicorns, as well as some ponies that the kids were able to take a ride on.

 Having only rode a pony once before, the kids were excited to saddle up and ride around the circle. Even some of the chickens wanted in on the action and came up the steps to have a look. Kate took each kid around several times one way and then the other while the sun set in the background of the farm. It was beautiful. We still had more to see after the pony ride as we continued to tour the rest of the farm and made our way to the other unicorns, the chickens, and even the peacocks where the kids were given colorful feathers. 

                                            

 On our walk around the farm we found out that the farm not only does birthday parties which includes bounce houses, pony rides, and the full farm experience , but also some of the ponies are taken to nursing homes to help as emotional support pets as well. Kate made it a truly unique and wonderful experience and we can not wait to go back and visit all the new friends we made at this magical little farm.