washburn's windy hill orchard

Nice quiet small place. The 1 building they do have is rather nice. Went apple picking and they have 4 types of apples, wish they had granny smith but to no avail. It is definitely windy, they live to that name. Honestly, nothing special.

There is a little Gift Shop, with beverages and snacks available, many of the items on display are "on display" and not for sale. Squash and pumpkins (sizes small to "Giant") are for sale, along with corn stalks. We were looking to check out the Corn Maze. The day was dreary/foggy/drizzle, a perfect day to wander in ten foot high corn stalks as noises would be muffled, directions would be hidden (no sun in the sky for a reference point), and most of the public would be someplace else, i.e. not in our way. This was my first corn maze, my companions were "old pros". We picked this maze based on an on line listing rating the corn mazes in New Hampshire. When we paid, the Clerk stated that she would not go into this corn maze, saying that it was too tough for her to find her way out. Some information on the Web stated that mazes were developed using tractors and a GPS unit, Washburn's claims that they clear their pathways when the plants are short. The result is a system of very narrow pathways, say about 30 inches wide. We entered the maze, wandered a bit and found ... the Entrance, hmm, time to try something different, which we did, and in short order, found the entrance, again. I was learning that getting through a corn maze was a process of trying the different paths until you find the right one, a skill is to watch and keep track of the different paths, making a mental note of unique stalks or ears of corn at each intersection. In our minds we were mapping out the paths and found the task somewhat rewarding. There were times that faced with two choices you first took the wrong direction, but that meant that the other way was the direction to go. Thirty five minutes after we started into the maze we arrived at the exit. Note, the "Bathroom Facility" is a Port-A-Potty.

We have been coming to Windy Hill Orchard to apple and pumpkin pick for years. Every year we bring a friend or two, or in this case three. Located on a scenic backroad, the view is magnificent as you make that last turn with apple orchards on both sides of the road, and below is the farm store and parking lot. For the kiddies and big kids there is a corn maze and a fenced in area where farm animals can amuse the smaller children. The farm store has bags of apples, and pumpkins out front if you don't want to go up into the orchards and pick your own. There is also a gift shop inside the farm store with seasonal items and a bakery of fresh homemade goodies. They even serve hotdogs, cider and the best caramel apples if you want to picnic outside. On weekends there are hayrides, but it is more crowded than the week days. If you want to pick your own apples there are two sizes of sturdy bags available and they both hold a lot. The apple harvest this year was phenomenal, the apples redder than I've ever seen them. The pumpkin patch was full of pumpkins in all shapes and sizes. There were also gourds available by the weight scale, corn stalks and straw in the shed. The place is very picturesque so bring your camera, but leave your pet at home. Fido is not welcome for obvious reasons. The orchards are not far, but there is one next to the parking lot full of Macintosh apples. We like the Cortlands for cooking, and Delicious for eating so we went up into the upper fields across the road. Each type of apple tree is marked so you can get the kind of apples you want. So spend a few hours in a beautiful place with views of the mountains in the background and enjoy a New England day to it's fullest. Then go home and bake that apple pie, I guarantee it will be the best you've ever eaten.