MOSIER TO THE DALLES
Meander through historic orchards on a sweet countryside journey.
- Start the morning in the sunshine with cherry picking at the orchards of Mosier, many in operation for generations. Bring buckets and take State Road for first picks at Keylock Orchard and neighboring Evans Fruit Company, where you can also harvest peaches.
- Continue to Root Road for 15 varieties of cherries at Root Orchards, and another nine at Rosedale Fruit Farm.
- Return to Mosier, where on First Avenue you’ll notice the Mosier Fruit Growers Association, first established in 1907. Continue east on Highway 30, winding along farmland.
- At The Dalles City Park, discover the local bounty — fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and honey — at The Dalles Farmers Market on Saturdays, from June through mid-October.
- For a taste of history, head to Baldwin Saloon, a modern-day revival of an 1876 saloon. All the dishes are scratch-made, from the pasta to cherry ice cream. Sip local wines at the turn-of-the-century bar.
- Next, go behind the scenes at Muirhead Canning, a Pacific Northwest institution since 1946. Watch the canning of pears, apple sauce and more under the Hood-Crest Fruit brand. Call ahead to arrange a tour.
- Continue to Sandoz Farm, where the stand sells fresh produce, as well as jams, pickled veggies and local meats. Relics of the farm’s century-plus history abound, including an antique schoolhouse.
- Drive back with a stockpile of crops and admire the valley’s orchard-covered hillsides.