click on image to enlargeToday being Sunday, my husband & I took a leisurely drive up through the high elevation cherry growing area known as Stemilt Hill.  Our little tour was only about 30 miles total, but took us two  hours.  We drove up through the area called Wenatchee Heights, onto Stemilt Loop Road, into the pine forested area, then down via Joe Miller Road bringing us out very near Three Lakes Golf Course where we play golf.   I took pictures along the way.

There are hundreds, probably thousands,  of acres of cherry orchards getting very near harvest time.  These are the very last cherries of the season  to be harvested because of their high elevation (1400 - 2800 feet above sea level).    There are a number  of growers in the Stemilt Hill area, the most prominent of which is the Mathison family, who own and operate Stemilt Growers, one of the world's largest packers and shippers of fresh fruit.    Stemilt packs and ships all their own family fruit, and also packs and ships for 300 or more other growers.    Without having the exact statistics, I guess Stemilt packs around 20,000 tons (2,000,000 lbs) of cherries.  You know those big 18-wheeler trucks you see flying down the freeway?  20,000 tons is equivalent to about 1,000 of those trucks full of 20# boxes of cherries.   Stemilt also packs and ships a very large amount of apples and pears. 


St. Laurent rest rooms
Pond & birdbath
Pond
GardensAt the end of our trip, we took a very slight detour to the Saint Laurent winery on Hamlin Road, near Malaga, Washington.   Ooohhh LaLa.  I took some pictures, but they don't do justice to the setting.  Click on any image to enlarge.  It may seem odd that I posted a picture of the rest room, but it was such a cool building, and it gives you an idea of the quality and class of the entire facility.  The light was not good when I took a picture of the tasting room, so that didn't turn out well enough to post.  Anyway, this is a fairly new winery, and I highly recommend a visit.  Even if you're not a wine drinker, the view and landscaping will be more than worth the trip.   They host all kinds of events there, from classic car shows to weddings. comedy events, BBQ's and, of course, wine tasting.   Their website is very interesting, informative, and their pictures are far better than mine.   Please check it out.