Susan Neal, Fair Oaks CA Real Estate Broker

Ever had a Walkin' Pie? You have to go to Kids Inc in Apple Hill to find this yumy treat!

If you find yourself driving along Highway 50 between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe, as you reach Camino (just about 35 miles from my Fair Oaks home and very near Placerville) you will see signs directing you to Apple Hill, which is just right off the freeway. I recommend that you stop there, take one of the roads that runs right along the freeway, and you will find yourself in some wonderful farmland, where each farm has wonderful food to offer, made from their own farm-grown ingredients. It really is a great way to spend a day and is an easy drive from anywhere in the Sacramento area.

You will also find animals who love visitors and welcome some petting, crafts booths of every kind, some great fudge and sandwiches, and other enjoyable experiences for the entire family. You can pick up a map to the farms that will direct you from one to the other, each a bit different.

While you are there, I suggest that you stop by Kids Inc. for some of the best apple pie you have ever tasted!

Kids Inc. started small almost forty years ago when Edio Delfino (the Agricultural Commissioner of El Dorado County) started teaching his children how to care for the young apple trees in the nursery on his ranch. The children planted pumpkins next to the trees, selling the pumpkins they grew. When the trees grew too big for pumpkins to grow under their shade, Ed set aside two acres for the children's new pumpkin patch.

Ed and his wife Joan decided to let the children name the whole ranch. They don't remember which one of the children came up with the name "Kids Inc.," but that's what it's been called ever since. Today the original kids of Kids Inc. are grown, and their children's children (the sixteen Delfino grandchildren) are keeping up the tradition. Now there are seven acres of pumpkins and gourds, and another acre of Indian corn under cultivation. Ed and Joan's son Chris and his wife Robyn are gradually taking the reins.

Chris oversees the "Kids' Kids" as they learn the ins and outs of farming and earn money that will help pay for their college educations (they get to keep a little to spend, too). Kids Inc. has grown in lots of ways. The Pie Shop is a local legend: it's the only place to get a "Walkin' Pie."

The Farmhouse Pie, a whopping five-pound apple specialty, is something else you can't miss, and the apple cider is unbeatable. If you're in the mood for a meal, try the Hill Grill, open weekends, and featuring the tastiest lunch menu around. The Gift Shop has antiques and unique crafts. On the weekend after Thanksgiving, you can come and cut your own Christmas tree, and find out just what "Walkin' Pie" is when you get one free.

You can see why Kids Inc. is my favorite of all the many farms in Apple Hill. They are all great, but Kids Inc. is simply special!

Kids Inc.
3245 N Canyon Road
Camino,California 95709
United States
(530) 622-0184

www.kidsincapples.com

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

For country food done right, check out The Purple Place in El Dorado Hills California.

In El Dorado Hills, there's a restaurant and bar that has been a landmark for over 50 years: the Purple Place. Once known as a roadhouse, it has evolved into a family establishment with the motto, "Country food done right."

Okay, let's talk about that unique color first. Legend has it that the original owner of the Purple Place was a worker on the Folsom Dam project in 1955 and had access to "spare parts" and "excess materials." He used them to build a bar. When it came time to paint it, there was, apparently, a lot of paint that just happened to be lying around, so he mixed it together and came up with "this god awful color" purple.

The locals quickly identified with it, and when a subsequent owner repainted the place green, there was such uproar that he went back to purple. In late 2002, the restaurant was bought by Matt Luther. Luther is a French-trained chef who was the executive chef at the Sheraton (now Sacramento Marriott).

Says Luther, "I told everyone this was an old-fashioned place; don't fight it. They served classic American food, and we wanted to continue with that." He did, however, make some changes; "I got rid of the hydrogenated oil and now we use only peanut oil in the fryers." He also made other healthful changes. "I eat at my own restaurant and know quite a bit about nutrition. I make the food the way I want to eat it. For instance, our beef is all USDA Choice and most of it is Black Angus."

The dining room at the Purple Place specializes in huge burgers, steaks and ribs, and a green chili. Luther enjoys cooking food the average American family likes, and provides a place with a lot of character to make you feel welcome. People around El Dorado Hills know that the restaurant with the unique color is a place where they will find great food and service, plus friendly waitresses and bartenders. It really is country food done right!

The Purple Place
363 Green Valley Road
El Dorado Hills, California 95762

(916) 933-2313
www.thepurp.com

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

Come join the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District for a night full of laughs! It's Comedy Under the Stars in Fair Oaks. Sacramento's "Laughs Unlimited" comes to Fair Oaks for an outdoor comedy show you don't want to miss, featuring some of the hottest comedy acts in the business.

The show is recommended for adult audiences only, and will be at the Veterans Memorial Amphitheater, 7991 California Avenue (in Fair Oaks Village). If you haven't been to the amphitheater for awhile, you should see it now. Many upgrades have already been made, and there will be even more in the future - it is a great venue!

Open seating begins at 7:00 pm and the show starts at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $12 if purchased in advance or $15 at the door.

What a great way to start the weekend. A Beautiful Friday night in Fair Oaks, laughing under the stars!

Because of show popularity of Comedy Under the Stars, it is recommended that you purchase tickets in advance. They can be purchased at the Fair Oaks Recreation & Park District or can be bought at the gate (based on availability).

No outside food or beverages allowed into the show. Food and Beverages will be available for purchase at the event. A portion of the proceeds will help the Fair Oaks Theater Festival fundraising efforts.

A fun night and a good cause. Can't beat that!

For additional information, please call (916) 966-1036

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Are you up for some great music this summer - and all for free? Concerts in the Park are a free series of concerts for the Fair Oaks Community. It's an opportunity for families to come together on Thursday evenings to enjoy a relaxing summer evening in the park and hear some great music!

Each concert starts at 7:00 pm on the outdoor stage behind the community center in Village Park, Old Fair Oaks. So bring your blanket or folding chair, a picnic dinner if you want, and enjoy some great music with your family, friends and neighbors, sitting on the grass under the stars, or while your little ones play on the wonderful playground equipment. It's a terrific way to spend a warm summer evening.

July 23 SHELLEY BURNS & AVALON SWING (Swing Standards)

July 30 DR.BACH & THE JAZZ PRACTITIONERS (Energetic, Fun, Traditional Dixieland Jazz)

Aug 6 NIGHT TRAIN (Swing, Smooth Jazz, Rhythm & Blues)

Aug 13 JOHN SKINNER DANCE BAND (Popular Dance Music)

Aug 20 AZUAR (Rock and Roll)

Aug 27 CAPITOL POPS CONCERT BAND (Broadway, Popular, Patriotic)

The Concerts in the Park series is a co-sponsored event of the Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce, the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District and the Fair Oaks Foundation for Leisure & Arts. For more information, call the Fair Oaks Chamber of Commerce at 967-2903, or visit www.fairoakschamber.com.

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Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

************

Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 20+ years experience. I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction. "Happy clients make me happy."

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916) 705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.