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Driving Oregon’s Fruit Loop
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11,245-foot Mount Hood makes a picture-perfect backdrop to the Hood River Valley.
Looking to take a drive this fall that’s as colorful as it is delicious? Then take the Fruit Loop (Route 35) around Mount Hood! If you’re not familiar with the Fruit Loop, it’s a 35-mile, scenic drive that begins in the city of Hood River and winds through orchards, vineyards, farmland, and friendly communities. You’ll want to stop often at the roadside farm stands along the route to sample the fresh fruits, nuts, baked goods, wines, and more. You’ll also find corn mazes, u-pick pumpkin patches, and might even meet an adorable alpaca or cute goat!
Most of the farms along the Fruit Loop are small and run by families in their third or fourth generation of farming, so you’re definitely buying direct from the growers. Although the farmers started planting orchards more than 150 years ago, maps detailing the products and farms along the driving route date back only to 1993. The mission of the first map was to promote sustainable agricultural diversity in Hood River County through the promotion of the products and farms found along the Fruit Loop. The area is unique in that it is one of the few places in the nation that offers the complete experience of growing, producing, and then enjoying fruit and wine. Today, over 125,000 Fruit Loop maps are printed each year, and many more are downloaded from the website. Don’t forget your camera—11,245-foot Mount Hood makes a picture-perfect backdrop.
If you especially love apples, drive the Fruit Loop during the weekend of October 24 – 25, just in time for the Hood River County Fruit Loop Heirloom Apple Celebration. It’s an opportunity to buy some of the classic favorites— Spitzenburg, Rome Beauty, Newtown Pippin, and Winter Banana. These varieties trace their heritage back 100 years or more, but aren’t found very often at grocery stores. They don’t keep as well as commercial varieties, are more susceptible to disease, and bruise more easily, so they aren’t shipped out in bulk. But if you’ve got avid apple pie and applesauce makers in your family, you’ve probably heard of these “heirloom” apples and know their individual flavors and aromas are the best.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Hood River County Fruit Loop Heirloom Apple Celebration
October 24-25, 2009
http://www.hoodriverfruitloop.com/calendar/heirloom.html
phone: 541-386-7697 or send email to info@hoodriverfruitloop.com
Download map of Fruit Loop http://www.hoodriverfruitloop.com/things/locations.html
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