Oak Glen 2012

Our 2nd annual camping vacation to Oak Glen started off with a forecast of rain all day Thursday and Friday. This proved to be a challenge because we drive everything we need for the trip in the back of the truck...and well, it really isn't stuff that we want getting wet. So Thursday morning, I called Auntie Kendie to see if we could meet her at her doctor's appointment in Escondido and drop off a bunch of stuff for her to drive back to Temecula, so it would not get all wet. She offered to come down early and play with Lauren while I scrambled to get all the laundry done, food and decorations packed and ready to go with her (a whole day earlier that I had planned). Originally, we were going to sleep in our own beds Thursday night and then head up to Temecula early Friday morning to load the trailer and go...but the weather changed our plans, so while I packed, Lauren and Auntie played in the rain!

When Justin got home from work on Thursday, we finished up a few things and then drove up to Temecula. We stopped and had an early dinner at Rosa's Cantina and then stopped to do some shopping at Walmart (groceries, pumpkins, trailer stuff, food...). We got to my parent's house around 4:30pm and loaded up the trailer. We slept in the trailer Thursday night, and then on Friday we got stuff ready some more and then headed up to Yucaipa Regional Park! We stayed in site 31 and LOVED it. It is a sprawling park, and very open...but our spot was on the outside of the park, and was blocked on one side by giant trees and shrubs. The trailer blocked the other side, and because it is a half moon shaped site, it created a really private outdoor area!


Once we disconnected, leveled and hooked up to the "amenities" we headed in to town to our favorite pizza place, AJ Barile's. This year they had gluten free pizza! Score for me! We ordered lots so that we would have left overs. We only eat there once a year, so left overs were definitely in order.



When we got back, I made up Lauren's bed and then decided I should run back to town to get some Nyquil, cough drops, orange juice, and a few other snacks.

The next morning, Auntie Kendie and Travie, Grandma and Bompie drove up and met us at our campsite. We all loaded in to Grandma and Bompie's car and headed in to Oak Glen. By 9:30am, we arrived to the Hawk's Head Public House Restaurant at Riley's Pioneer Apple Farm. Thanks Robyn for the great suggestion! We never even knew this place existed, and clearly, no one else did either. The palce was empty!


There was no electricity in the restaurant, just candle light, sun light, and a giant fireplace! The servers were all dressed in colonial attire and it was a wonderful experience.

Lauren loved the fireplace so much, and did not want to come eat breakfast, so Bompie took her back to the giant fireplace and sat in a rocking chair and enjoyed the fire some more.


The food was delicious! Auntie and Grandma had the "Bread Pudding" which was a colonial version of French Toast stuffed with Cream Cheese, served with Homemade Applesause and Applewood Smoked Bacon or Sausage.

Justin, Travie and Bompie all had the Biscuits and Gravy with Eggs, Country Potatoes and Sauage or Bacon. I had the Smokehouse Scramble of Eggs, Ham, Sausage and Cheese with Country Potatoes and my favorite, Applewood Smoked Bacon. The food was so good, the atmosphere was fun, the prices were great and the serivce was top notch. We all left trying to figure out how to come back again, before next year's annual trip; a big change from the past few years of disappointment at Apple Annies.

We took a few more pictures and wandered around a bit before heading to our next stop.

We headed to Riley's at Los Rios Ranchos next. We got a great family picture and a few others too. (The sun was bright that morning!)



We took Lauren over to the pumpkins again this year, but she was more excited over the little broom, which was quickly renamed "Grandma's Car"!!! Haha.

We got some adorable pictures amongst the pumpkins and then we headed inside the apple shop to look around.





Bompie bought Lauren a fresh pressed bottle of apple cider. She LOVED it!


Next, we walked through the trees and meadow over more of Rileys at Los Rios Ranchos.


Our first stop was at "Lauren's Apple Tree" just like we did the two years prior!



We stopped at the wild sunflowers too! This year someone picked one for her.



Our last stop was to get a picture at the old wagon, just like we do every other year!

After pictures, we all walked back to the car to head to Law's Cider Mill.

...but Lauren really wanted to play in the drain first...

When we got back to the car, we heard a Bluegrass concert, so Bompie and Lauren went over to listen and dance for a minute.

We ordered our unfiltered cider at Law's and then walked over to Apple Village to do some shopping and wandering around. Lauren had an apple from the Law's Apple Stand.

We tried to feed the deer, but they were not hungry.

We headed back to camp so Lauren could take a nap, but she refused, so she played Sequence with Grandma and Daddy while Bompie took a nap and Kendall, Travis and I hung out outside at the picnic table...sipping on some bubbles.

We had a late lunch/early dinner and then we carved pumpkins. This was a new addition to our tradition and I think everyone had a lot of fun!





Lauren drew what she wanted her pumpkin to look like!

And then went for a walk with Bompie and discovered a nice little "perch" to sit on.


Everyone else continued their carving.

Lauren liked the Mickey Mouse pumpkin!


Our pumpkins... From Top Left to Right: Grandma Carolyn, Daddy, Old Man (Bompie) carved by Travis. Bottom Left to Right: Auntie Kendall, Travis, Me, Lauren (see, it looks like her drawing!)

We tried to get Lauren to pose with her pumpkin, but she was having none of it. She just wanted to play with her flashlight!


After pumpkin carving, we went inside and had apples with carmel and chocolate. Yummm!


Bompie went home early because he was really tired. Grandma stayed and went home with Travie and Auntie. The next morning, we packed up and headed back to Temecula to drop off the trailer and get home to start our week. We had a GREAT time and came home and reserved the same campsite again for next year.