Chestnut Orchard, Honey Tasting & a Lake Hike
This adventure ran October 25, 2026. Check out our upcoming adventures for upcoming trips.
A century-old chestnut orchard in golden fall leaves and a taste of chestnut honey, then an easy lake hike with ducks, geese and an old oak to climb.
📅 SUNDAY, OCT. 25 2026 • ⏰ 2 PM — 5 PM • 📍 La Honda Area
We'll discover an historic chestnut orchard 🌰🌳, learning about its history and tasting chestnut honey 🐝🍯! Afterward, we will go on an easy 1.1-mile hike around a serene lake with a pretty flat path where we’ll likely encounter a gaggle of geese or a raft of ducks and kids can climb a more than century-old oak tree!
Finally, for those who are interested, we'll grab an early dinner at Alice's Restaurant. I'm reaching out to see if they can offer us a special, quick menu.
FOR CHESTNUT COLLECTING, HERE'S WHAT TO EXPECT:
🌰🌳🐝 HISTORIC CHESTNUT ORCHARD: Discover a more than 100-year-old rare chestnut orchard! Rare because the American Chestnut was decimated by blight in the early 1900s but this grove was protected due to its isolation! The fall leaves are a GORGEOUS GOLDEN so if you’re looking for fall leaves in the evergreen Bay Area, this is it!!! If the owner is available, he will give us a tour, but he will only know closer to the day if he can do this (he has in years past but every year is different).
🌰🍯🌰🍯🌰🍯 CHESTNUTS: Learn how to unearth chestnuts from their burrs and to sort them. You'll get to taste delicious chestnut honey and will likely get to sample a raw or roasted chestnut. Plus, you’ll leave with a recipe for roasting what are known as brown diamonds and maybe some chestnut honey or a roasting pan, if you opt to buy.
🍂🍃🍂🍃 FALL LEAVES FIX: Your kids (and you!) can run through piles of golden chestnut leaves! Get your fall "leaf" fix here!
💦🪿🌳 LAKE HIKE, DUCKS, GEESE + OLD OAKS: We will go on a 1.1-mile hike around a serene lake with a pretty flat path that works for jogging strollers. Along the way, we’ll likely run into a gaggle of geese or a raft of ducks (yes, that’s what a group of ducks is called!), plus the kids will get to run over wooden bridges and climb a more than 100-year-old oak tree!
🍕🍟🥗 PIZZA, PIZZA (SALAD + FRIES, TOO): We'll grab an early dinner at iconic Alice's Restaurant (I'm reaching out to see if they can offer us a special, quick menu)
🔍 SCAVENGER HUNT: Embark on a fun scavenger hunt around this historic area in the Santa Cruz Mountains
To get an idea of drive time, here's a map to the general area (not the exact meeting spot).
🥳 PART OF OUR WINTER WONDERS BUNDLE (for DROP-IN only, see info below) 🥳
Your whole winter season, planned for you and your family — with our signature outings! ❄️
We have so much FUN on these adventures — they sell out every year — so this season we're capping numbers and prioritizing families who choose the bundle option first. Grab all 3 day adventures in one go, and your family saves $30 compared to booking each one separately at today's rates.
While you can still do drop-ins per day trip, bundle families get priority booking and guaranteed spots across all 3 dates. Drop-in spots will be limited.
🌰 10/25 — Chestnut Collecting, Chestnut Honey Tasting, Golden Fall Leaves, Lake Hike + Optional Pizza Dinner (La Honda Area)
💦 12/13 — Winter Waterfall Wonderland, Ladybug Love, Leopard-Spotted Banana Slugs + Fungi Hunt (South Bay)
🐌 1/18 — MLK Day: Banana Slug Bonanza, 1,700-Year-Old Redwood + Ancient Ocean Rocks (Peninsula)
SIGN UP HERE: Winter Wonders bundle
WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU THERE!
Approximate Location
To get an idea of drive time, here's a map to the general area (not the exact meeting spot).
Difficulty Level
CHESTNUT ORCHARD
EASY, short walk from parking. Jogging strollers can be used.
HIKE EASY, 1.1 mile hike. Part gravel path, part dirt, with a few small uphills. Jogging strollers work for the whole hike.
Gear Loans
I have gear for kids and adults that you can borrow for this trip: jogging strollers, baby and toddler carriers, sleeping bags, air pads, wetsuits and more. Borrow it from Gear loans: $10 an item, for its upkeep between loans. Choose this trip when you add an item to your cart. Your guide brings it on the day; if there is no room in their car, you may need to pick it up from them before the trip.
Itinerary
Sunday, 2 PM: Meet at the picnic tables by the orchard entrance and head over to the grove. Explore grove, collect chestnuts, taste honey, sort chestnuts + pay.
3 PM: Drive a few minutes to short lake hike nearby. Have snack before embarking upon hike at
3:25 PM: Leave on hike
4 PM: Stop at giant oak tree for another snack and to play on trees
4:45 PM: Back at parking lot, head over to Alice’s for pizza
Not Included
*Food (you pay at Alice’s directly)
This adventure ran October 25, 2026. Check out our upcoming adventures for upcoming trips.
A century-old chestnut orchard in golden fall leaves and a taste of chestnut honey, then an easy lake hike with ducks, geese and an old oak to climb.
📅 SUNDAY, OCT. 25 2026 • ⏰ 2 PM — 5 PM • 📍 La Honda Area
We'll discover an historic chestnut orchard 🌰🌳, learning about its history and tasting chestnut honey 🐝🍯! Afterward, we will go on an easy 1.1-mile hike around a serene lake with a pretty flat path where we’ll likely encounter a gaggle of geese or a raft of ducks and kids can climb a more than century-old oak tree!
Finally, for those who are interested, we'll grab an early dinner at Alice's Restaurant. I'm reaching out to see if they can offer us a special, quick menu.
FOR CHESTNUT COLLECTING, HERE'S WHAT TO EXPECT:
🌰🌳🐝 HISTORIC CHESTNUT ORCHARD: Discover a more than 100-year-old rare chestnut orchard! Rare because the American Chestnut was decimated by blight in the early 1900s but this grove was protected due to its isolation! The fall leaves are a GORGEOUS GOLDEN so if you’re looking for fall leaves in the evergreen Bay Area, this is it!!! If the owner is available, he will give us a tour, but he will only know closer to the day if he can do this (he has in years past but every year is different).
🌰🍯🌰🍯🌰🍯 CHESTNUTS: Learn how to unearth chestnuts from their burrs and to sort them. You'll get to taste delicious chestnut honey and will likely get to sample a raw or roasted chestnut. Plus, you’ll leave with a recipe for roasting what are known as brown diamonds and maybe some chestnut honey or a roasting pan, if you opt to buy.
🍂🍃🍂🍃 FALL LEAVES FIX: Your kids (and you!) can run through piles of golden chestnut leaves! Get your fall "leaf" fix here!
💦🪿🌳 LAKE HIKE, DUCKS, GEESE + OLD OAKS: We will go on a 1.1-mile hike around a serene lake with a pretty flat path that works for jogging strollers. Along the way, we’ll likely run into a gaggle of geese or a raft of ducks (yes, that’s what a group of ducks is called!), plus the kids will get to run over wooden bridges and climb a more than 100-year-old oak tree!
🍕🍟🥗 PIZZA, PIZZA (SALAD + FRIES, TOO): We'll grab an early dinner at iconic Alice's Restaurant (I'm reaching out to see if they can offer us a special, quick menu)
🔍 SCAVENGER HUNT: Embark on a fun scavenger hunt around this historic area in the Santa Cruz Mountains
To get an idea of drive time, here's a map to the general area (not the exact meeting spot).
🥳 PART OF OUR WINTER WONDERS BUNDLE (for DROP-IN only, see info below) 🥳
Your whole winter season, planned for you and your family — with our signature outings! ❄️
We have so much FUN on these adventures — they sell out every year — so this season we're capping numbers and prioritizing families who choose the bundle option first. Grab all 3 day adventures in one go, and your family saves $30 compared to booking each one separately at today's rates.
While you can still do drop-ins per day trip, bundle families get priority booking and guaranteed spots across all 3 dates. Drop-in spots will be limited.
🌰 10/25 — Chestnut Collecting, Chestnut Honey Tasting, Golden Fall Leaves, Lake Hike + Optional Pizza Dinner (La Honda Area)
💦 12/13 — Winter Waterfall Wonderland, Ladybug Love, Leopard-Spotted Banana Slugs + Fungi Hunt (South Bay)
🐌 1/18 — MLK Day: Banana Slug Bonanza, 1,700-Year-Old Redwood + Ancient Ocean Rocks (Peninsula)
SIGN UP HERE: Winter Wonders bundle
WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU THERE!
Approximate Location
To get an idea of drive time, here's a map to the general area (not the exact meeting spot).
Difficulty Level
CHESTNUT ORCHARD
EASY, short walk from parking. Jogging strollers can be used.
HIKE EASY, 1.1 mile hike. Part gravel path, part dirt, with a few small uphills. Jogging strollers work for the whole hike.
Gear Loans
I have gear for kids and adults that you can borrow for this trip: jogging strollers, baby and toddler carriers, sleeping bags, air pads, wetsuits and more. Borrow it from Gear loans: $10 an item, for its upkeep between loans. Choose this trip when you add an item to your cart. Your guide brings it on the day; if there is no room in their car, you may need to pick it up from them before the trip.
Itinerary
Sunday, 2 PM: Meet at the picnic tables by the orchard entrance and head over to the grove. Explore grove, collect chestnuts, taste honey, sort chestnuts + pay.
3 PM: Drive a few minutes to short lake hike nearby. Have snack before embarking upon hike at
3:25 PM: Leave on hike
4 PM: Stop at giant oak tree for another snack and to play on trees
4:45 PM: Back at parking lot, head over to Alice’s for pizza
Not Included
*Food (you pay at Alice’s directly)