Oak Glen in Autumn

My parents were in town a couple of weeks ago, and we took a trip up into Oak Glen. The weather was lovely, the leaves were changing color, and we tasted some wonderful apples. Oak Glen has been known for its apples for more than a century. In 1914 a publication from the Southern California Panama Expositions Commission described it as follows:

Oak Glen is a thriving community in this horticultural district with good school facilities, church and store, and is especially noted for its fine apples. (You can download the whole book via Google book search. Yucaipa and Oak Glen are on pp.193-194.).

This is a repost from my other blog:
In autumn deciduous trees lose their leaves. Some varieties produce red and yellow pigments as the green chlorophyll fades, producing colorful leaves. The biological purpose of the colors is still unclear. Really beautiful fall foliage requires very cold nights, which we don't really get here in SoCal - at least not the same kind of cold that makes Vermont and New Hampshire Columbus Day weekend destinations. We do get some fall color, though.

My parents were in town visiting the past week, and we took a short trip up into the apple growing area of Oak Glen. It was a bit hazy, but the air was fresh and the scenery was lovely. Some of the trees, such as the liquidambars, had beautiful red leaves, while the oak leaves were simply turning brown. The apple tree leaves were still green and there were a few apples still left on the trees. Lovely! (And the apples were good too.)

Oak Glen actually gets some snow in the winter, and the local woodpeckers were preparing by stuffing the telephone poles full of acorns. It's a clever storage location (no pesky branches in the way), but probably not so good for the poles.

Speaking of storage for the winter, if you are ever in Oak Glen, try the apple cider donuts fresh from the fryer at Snow-Line Orchards. They are delicious!

Tags: Oak Glen, fall foliage, apples