One of the best California vacation ideas for families, Philo Apple Farm is a family-friendly bed and breakfast based on a working apple orchard that offers rustic-chic wooden cottages nestled in the heart of the valley’s beautiful orchards.
Owned and managed by Sally and Don Schmitt, founders of the legendary restaurant the French Laundry, Philo Apple Farm offers quaint wooden cottages with comfortable furnishings, modern amenities, and private porches overlooking the valley. In addition to cozy accommodations, the farm also offers communal cooking experiences as part of a ‘Farm Weekend’ stay, which includes four cooking classes where guests learn how to make country-style dishes such as braised rabbit, and other delectable dishes.
Philo Apple Farm is located on Greenwood Road northwest of Philo in California and promises a tranquil, relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
1. Guest Accommodations
Philo Apple Farm offers guest cottages that are set among the apple trees of the farm’s working apple orchard, in a quaint village-style layout. Each cabin features a comfortable queen-size bed with plush linens, soft pillows, and thick comforters, large bathrooms with showers/baths, vanities, and thick towels, and spacious sitting rooms with gas fireplaces and ceiling fans. In keeping with the tradition of a peaceful farm lifestyle, the cottages do not have any modern technologies such as televisions, telephones, or the Internet.
2. More Accommodation Options
The Blue Door room features a queen-size bed with plush linens, soft pillows and thick comforters, and a twin-sized daybed for extra guests, a spacious tiled bathroom with a walk-in shower, and a sunny sitting area with an armchair, an ottoman, and a Hearthstone gas fireplace. A private porch offers beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes.
The Green Door room is a wheelchair accessible room with a ramp leading up to the door from the chamber’s parking space. The room features a queen-size bed with plush linens, soft pillows and thick comforters, and a twin-sized daybed for extra guests, a spacious tiled bathroom with a handheld shower, and a sitting area with a Hearthstone gas fireplace. A private porch is a perfect spot for relaxing in the sun with a good book.
The Red Door room features a queen-size bed with plush linens, soft pillows and thick comforters, and a twin-sized daybed for extra guests, a spacious tiled bathroom with a vintage slipper tub and an outdoor shower on a private deck. A sunny sitting area has two wicker armchairs for reading and a Hearthstone gas fireplace.
Located above the dining room in the main building, the Room with a View is the original guest room of the farm and a favorite of many guests. The room features a private entrance from an outdoor stairway, large windows with beautiful views of the orchards, hills, and gardens and features a queen-size bed with plush linens, a spacious tiled bathroom with a large shower and a Vermont Casting gas fireplace.
3. Dining
A delicious country-style breakfast is served each morning and includes freshly brewed coffee and tea, farm fresh fruit juice, yogurt and granola, homemade biscuits, toast and the farm’s very own jams.
Philo Apple Farm is a working farm and apple orchard that has been in existence for a quarter of a century. The farm’s garden features a variety of shrubs and trees and a selection of herbs, vegetables, and greens, as well as flowers, which are fully integrated with the orchard systems.
4. Plan this Vacation
Philo Apple Farm offers Stay & Cook Weekends and Midweeks which include cooking experiences where guests get a taste of the farm life while learning to cook delicious farm-style dishes with ingredients sourced from the farm. Designed for both novice cooks and serious foodies, weekend and midweek courses provide the opportunity for guests to sample different ingredients sourced from the farm, various cooking techniques and a range of recipes to take home and try.
Weekend and midweek courses include a minimum two-nights’ stay in the farm cottages or the guest room, three hands-on meals, including preparing and enjoying Saturday lunch and dinner and Sunday Brunch. Guests can help make country-style breakfasts which are served every morning. Additional activities during these fun-filled courses include guided tours of the working farm and pairing favorite wines with the freshly prepared meals.
The farm has its own farm stall called The Farmhouse Mercantile that sells an array of agricultural produce, homemade farm products, and organic items. Located in the heart of Boonville, The Farmhouse Mercantile sells beautiful handcrafted items for both the body and the home from paintings, furniture, tablecloths, teapots, jewelry, and body products.
18501 Philo Greenwood Rd, Philo, California 95466, website, Phone: 707-895-2333
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