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Visiting Eckert’s Orchards is the next edition in the Visit STL Series.
I have a confession to make right off the bat. Eckert’s isn’t in St. Louis…it isn’t even in Missouri, but it’s so close and so wonderful that I have to add it to this series. If one visits St. Louis making a trip to Eckert’s is a great time for all whether you are a couple, a group of friends, or a family Eckert’s has something for you.
Eckert’s actually has three locations in Illinois they are Belleville, Grafton and Millstadt, but for this article we will be focusing on just the Belleville location.
Every year in late September my family and I make a trip to Eckert’s, it is a family tradition. Not just me and my husband, and son mind you, but my mother, sister, Aunt, cousins and all of their children. We all go for one reason, Apple picking. We go to pick Golden Delicious Apples, but it isn’t just the apple orchard we are seeking.
The trip begins for us right after we all meet up, we head to the tractor line, get bags to hold our apples in, and get on the next available tractor. Then we are all driven out to the orchards on the tractor, a ride that is enjoyed be all. Upon arriving at the apple trees, the workers at Eckert’s let us know where which apples are, and the safety rules of course.
The fresh clean air, the beautiful trees and the scent of apples surround you. Nothing but rows and rows of apple trees as far as the eye can see. We all head out and start picking the apples, one of the best parts of this process is that you can eat apples as you pick, so we make sure to take our time. The tall guys are all in charge of picking up the little ones high so they can get the best apples, walking can sometimes be difficult because of all the bad apples that lay on the ground, sneakers is a must when taking this trip.
After our bags our filled we head back on the tractor, we pay for our apples, and head back to our cars where we put our apples away and get ready for even more fun. Eckert’s is so much more then just picking Apples. They have a whole set up for this time of the year, in one section there is a band, and food vendors. You can even create you own scare crow in this area. The smell of the food the sweet corn, the lemon freezes, the funnel cakes, it is just over whelming. Often if we have time, we stop here to grab a quick bite, and take in the country music. Usually though we just head over to the carnival area, where there are plenty of rides for the kids to enjoy. Mind you it isn’t massive, but they have several great rides. For tots to small to ride the swings, or other rides, they have blown up bounce houses, and a sand box, they even have a little race track with tricycles on it. There is a petting zoo, and you can ride on horses or a camel.
When we have ridden all the rides, and gone full circle around the carnival area we all head over to the Country Store. The Country store is one of my favorite parts. The Second you walk in you are assaulted with all kinds of smells. In here you can get the freshest vegetables and fruits Eckert’s has to offer. You can also get Eckert’s own Apple Cider (a must,) and all kinds of salsas, jams, Apple Butter, spreads, all made locally. They have a bakery located within this store where you can get fresh fudge, apple pies, almost any goodie your heart desires. They have old fashioned candy, cute decor bric a brack, and a nice wine selection. They also have samples set up all over the country store, the kids love this part, as they try things they have never had before like Peach Salsa.
Once we leave the store and stow our newly bought goods in the car we stop at the Country Restaurant. The restaurant is beautiful, in fact even though I love going now, I enjoy it much better at Christmas when the restaurant is all decked out in lights and trees. Eckert’s Country Restaurant has some amazingly good fried chicken. You can get it served to you family style with big bowls of corn, green beans, and mashed potatoes for your family to share from. The best part is their biscuits, which are hot and fried when they come to your table and you get fresh apple butter to smother them in. By the time we finish the meal we are beat, the kids have that glazed look in their eyes that tell all of us adults that the ride home is going to be peacefully quite except for maybe a random snore here and there.Our yearly visit to Eckert’s is always over way to quick for me, the beauty of the place, the smells, the flavors, and the memories. It’s like a cornucopia of my past and the promise of the future. Every year when August ends and the weather has a few cold days, when ever you can step outside and smell fall in the air, that’s when I know it’s time, that is when we all really get excited for the coming trip to Eckert’s, and all the fun and love we share there.
Of course Apple Picking isn’t all Eckert’s offers, they have Peach picking, Strawberry picking, Pumpkin Picking, and real Christmas trees in the winter. Usually they have something extra to go along with what they are offering at the time, when it’s Halloween at the Millstadt location they have bonfires and a haunted hayride. They have cooking classes, wine classes, garden classes. Literally if I listed everything their is to do at their three locations you would be reading all day. Each location is 20 to 30 minutes away from St. Louis. You can check out their events calendar, get directions and even order goodies they offer online at www.eckerts.com
One last thing, you know you are supporting something good, and American when you shop, pick, or play at Eckert’s. That is because Eckert’s is family-owned and operated and has been since 1837 by seven generations of Eckerts. They are largest pick-your-own orchard operation in the United States.
See some of the fun, and beauty of Eckert’s by checking out our Eckert’s Image Gallery.
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