Santa At The Orchard: Saturday Dec. 9th 11:00 – 4:00

It was a gorgeous October Fall day and perfect for enjoying an apple orchard. Speaker Lone Oak Orchard located north of Yale in Melvin did not disappoint.

My husband Pat and I decided to visit there again and were quickly drawn to the eager crowd preparing to embark on a hayride. I still can’t decide which held the greater appeal: the ride itself or the beautiful, huge horses pulling the wagon. All the children gathered around the wagon were thoroughly spellbound.

After making our way into the orchard building, we encountered the owners, Ken and Darlene Dambacher, slaving away in the kitchen making fresh donuts, gourmet candied apples, warm fruit pies and other hot and cold treats that were quickly disappearing as soon as they were brought out. Weaving in and out of the bustling crowd inside, we were occasionally bedeviled by life-size, gregarious creatures of the night! Yep, there was definitely some unfortunate soul who ended up with his head on the butler’s platter. No harm, then in giving my husband a warning nudge after he paid too much attention to that flirting mummy, now is there?

On our way to the Lodge in the other end of the building, we passed bags and bushels of fresh apples everywhere. The trees were so heavy with a bountiful harvest this year; you could see the branches hanging down to the ground in the orchard. It was a beautiful sight. We entered the Lodge where we could rest on a comfortable couch in front of the fireplace that was hand-built by Ken and Bill Quinlan. The Quinlans, who own the Brockway Bar and Quinlan Catering, are neighbors with the Dambachers. The stones in the fireplace come from the original party store in Brockway that used to sit next to the Bar. The mantle is out of a local barn and Mill Creek Metal Works personally hammered the copper-surround of the fireplace. The unique gift shop, “An Orchard Setting” is also located in the Lodge and they always have interesting things in there to browse through, including wares from local artisans.

Growing up in a city, there was nothing like a long drive out to the country and enjoying the fresh air and the fruits of hard labor from the orchard growers. We’ve found that the appeal grows no less even as the distance shortens. The long and short of it is… it’s just not a Michigan fall season without the trip!
Speaker Lone Oak Orchard

7353 Brockway RoadMelvin, MI 48454 - (North of Yale on M-19)

810-387-2121