Peach Picking at Schnepf Farms

With visions of successfully canning fresh peaches and making peach jam in my mind, I headed out to Schnepf Farms with my kids, my friend, and three of her kids to pick organic peaches right off the trees.  The peaches smelled incredible.  The kids had a blast.

As one of the larger farms in the Valley, Schnepf Farms has a lot of amenities and hosts many events throughout the year.  Since we went during the week, most of the extras were closed.  I was disappointed not to be able to enjoy the peach sampling tent, but I didn't care that we were missing the amusement park-style rides.  There's a large play area on site that all of the kids, ranging in age from 4 to 14, thoroughly enjoyed.  Because Schnepf has a restaurant and a store on site, they do not allow outside food.

We each ended up taking about 20 pounds of peaches home.  Unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to successfully skin and pit the peaches in order to can them, and fresh, ripe peaches do not have a very long shelf life.  If you are going to go out picking, either limit the number of pounds you pick or be sure you are going to be able to get them canned or frozen promptly.

The Ranch at Fossil Creek

I found the Ranch at Fossil Creek when I was searching online for things to do in the area surrounding Payson.  After our adventure at the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, we made the drive to Strawberry.  I drove right by the ranch the first time.  I turned the van around and pulled in, unsure of what to expect.

The llamas were visible from the driveway.  The goats had large pens.  The store was quaint and charming.  My 4-year-old was a lot more excited about the baby goats than my 11-year-old was.

After my 4-year-old got her fill of the goats, we went into the store.  We got to sample some goat cheese and goat fudge.  I went in with very low expectations, because I have hated the taste of all of the goat cheese I've ever tried from grocery stores.  Their cheese, though, was absolutely fabulous.  The fudge was terrific too. 

Although the web site says they offer tours of the ranch and the creamery, we did not do one.  I think reservations are required for those.  Nonetheless, it was something different and unique.  Well worth a stop if you are already in the area.

Tonto Natural Bridge State Park

Just outside of Payson is what is believed to be the longest natural travertine bridge in the world, at Tonto Natural Bridge State Park.  For someone used to the desert scenery in the Phoenix area (and someone who spent over 25 years living in the Pacific Northwest), the lush greenery of the Payson area was a welcome treat.  I took my daughters, who are currently 11 and 4, to go explore the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park.

There are several hikes that visitors can partake in.  We did two.  We started with the Waterfall Trail, which was mostly a pretty short, but steep, flight of stairs.  My 4-year-old did most of the trek down and back up by herself.

The waterfall at the bottom was...more like a water sprinkle.  Nonetheless, my 11-year-old was delighted.

The next trail we went on was the Anna Mae Trail.  It led to the underside of the bridge.  The trail itself was dirt, which meant it was easy to lose footing and slide on it.  There were areas where I felt like it was necessary to take my 4-year-old's hand.  It would be very easy to take a nasty fall over the edge in lots of places throughout the trail.

Unlike most trails, where it is smooth sailing once you reach the bottom, the challenge amped up once we reached the bottom of this one.  To reach the under-belly of the bridge, we had to contend with lots of rocks (many of which were slippery) and pools of water (on the way back, my 4-year-old ended up with a wet tennis shoe).  She was a real trouper, but still required assistance from me and her sister to reach the bridge.

Our verdict is that this is definitely worth the trip, in the spring or in the fall.  We brought a picnic lunch and enjoyed it while we were there.