When travelling, my husband and I don’t like to make a lot of advance plans. We do plan our dates of travel; modes of transportation (planes, trains, boats, automobiles); and, so we don’t find ourselves without a place to sleep, our accommodations . However, we leave our days fairly wide open. We don’t over-schedule; the beauty of being on vacation is being able to break routines and schedules and simply go with the moment. We like to walk the backstreets and hidden alleys of the area we are visiting, or hop in our car and meander about with no particular destination in mind. This is how we discovered Davison Orchards Country Village.
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After having spent a glorious 20th wedding Anniversary at Sparkling Hill Resort in Vernon, BC, (review to come) we were looking to experience what the area had to offer outside the resort before heading home. We spotted a roadside sign and decided to check it out. Located a few minutes from downtown Vernon, Davison Orchards Country Village has been owned, farmed and operated by the same family for 86 years. Each generation has brought new ideas, innovation, and growth to the business. What started out as a simple farm in the 1930s has grown into a diverse enterprise that welcomes both the surrounding community and tourists.
There are currently four generations of the Davison family work together at the busy 120-acre farm, where in addition to growing five types of fruit trees including 20 different varieties of apples, and 18 ground crops, they also sell their harvest along with delicious homemade products including the best apple juice I have ever tasted, baked goods, and specialty jams, jellies and preserves. Everything we purchased was wonderful to look at, tasty, and of course, farm-fresh!
A lot of time can be also be spent poking around the general store. Every nook and cranny of the space is jammed-packed with rustic country home decor, soaps, candles, kitchenware, and so much more. The displays are charming and the selection eclectic; it's difficult to leave without being tempted to buy something.
Open to the public daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., there is plenty to see and do at Davison Orchards Country Village. In addition to the general store, there's a bakery, café, cannery, farm play area, and rustic animal barn. You can also find an antique tractor collection. The property is welcoming, rustic, and clean! It is a great place to stop for lunch and let the kids burn off a little steam, to pick up some local produce, or simply to grab a cold bottle of fresh-pressed apple juice and relax on the lawn. Drop in if you are in the area, you won’t be disappointed; we weren’t.
NOTE: They also host a number of events throughout the year, particularly in the fall with the apple harvest and pumpkin festival. Check out event dates here.
FYI: I have no affiliation with Davison Orchards Country Village and they have no knowledge of this review, nor have I been compensated in any way for writing it.