I really enjoyed visiting and learning. It was a quick tour but I was glad I got to have any interaction with these amazing animals read more

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My girlfriend and I did the complete farm tour which includes the alpaca ranch/fiber mill and the new petting zoo. It was an extremely fun experience; Barbara's an amazing guide who was very friendly and made us feel comfortable experiencing something that was out of our normal and learning about these animals. Would totally recommend this to anyone of any age! read more

Very down to earth place, granddaughter enjoyed it very much! Nice tour of the Farm and what they do there along with making sweaters, blankets and yarn they sell. Many machines showing how they process the Alpaca wool. read more

Very friendly guide. Very fun to be so up close to the alpacas! Cora loved it. Access was a bit rough but we learned a lot about the animals. read more

The family had a great time at the farm. The tour was about an hour long and the kids enjoyed the whole thing. The kids not only loved interacting with the alpacas, they also enjoyed the Molly and Max, the two house dogs. FYI, it is a bit of a windy road to get to the farm, but just follow the signs and you will get there. There will be a lot of "Keep Out" signs down the windy road, but those signs don't belong to the farm so don't let them deter you. read more

A Simpler Time Alpaca Farm And Mill - Knitting Supplies Near Me - El Cajon, California

Wow, I had no idea this place existed. Scheduling a tour was super fast and easy. Joshua was our tour guide, and he was great. The alpacas were awesome - very calm and soft, and we got to spend a lot of time petting and feeding them. We brought our 2 year old, and she loved it. She's usually intimidated by animals (especially ones bigger than her), but they were so gentle and she loved feeding and petting them. Also got to see how they create the yarn, which is pretty impressive. The shop at the end of the tour was also a lot of fun, they have a lot of great stuff. This tour was great, would definitely go again! Also, they're hoping to open a petting zoo soon - can't wait!! read more

FYI, you have to make a reservation ahead of time to visit the farm. It is not a public place, but someone's house. I was confused when on the website but wanted to do something different so drove out there. I did call 2 different numbers a couple times but no one answered. Unfortunately when we got there the owners were gone and the tour guide had just left. But now I know in case we try to go again. read more

Barbara and Dave were on vacation in Colorado and didn't know what an alpaca was! They visited a farm and ended up buying four. Fast forward a couple of decades later...They have an amazing farm, give tours, process the fiber, impart education and just share their passion for these sweet and adorable animals. We had such a fun time. My friend had been just a couple of weeks ago and was eager to go again to share it with me!!! Love it!!! read more

We arrived early. The windey road was not the problem I anticipated. I just stayed in the middle, and there was no issue. Directions were great. Barbara greeted us. Since I have mobility issues, she offered to take me in the golf cart. Barbara gave an excellent tour to me and my four grandchildren, who range from 9 to 20 years old. The kids loved the animals and their experiences petting and feeding the alpacas. They are so cute. We enjoyed seeing the machines and learning how the yarn is made. It was a very positive experience for all of us. We loved the gift shop. I will surprise the kids with a scroll for Christmas, announcing that we are "adopting" an alpaca. Thank you, Barbara, for a great time. And good luck in all your endeavors. read more

I visited 6/19 with family in a group of 4 ($60) and had a wonderful time with the animals and our tour guide Jeremy. The winding road to the farm was a little scary (I was told it's actually 16' wide, though it doesn't seem like it haha) but the trip is totally worth it! The first part of our tour consisted of interacting with and learning about the animals. Loved the alpacas, they were sheared a week prior but still super soft to pet. They're very gentle creatures and fun to feed. Calpyso was my favorite. The farm also has other animals like sheep, chickens and pigs. The second part of our tour we visited the mill and learned all about the yarn production process, and it was also pretty interactive and entertaining. The tour wrapped up with a gift shop with super cool trinkets yarn products and I was told that the proceeds from items can go toward caring for the animals! read more

A Simpler Time Alpaca Farm And Mill - A collage of the alpacas, feeding an alpaca, a sheep, and a group of alpacas - Knitting Supplies Near Me - El Cajon, California

Terrific experience for our family - ages 11 - 75. Everyone loved feeding the alpacas. We also learned a great deal about these friendly animals. Feeding them was a huge hit. Then we went through the manufacturing area and saw how fleece is turned into commerical products. Then, finally the store - which we loved. EVERYONE - found something to buy - whether it was yarn or stuffed alpaca toys. Barbara was a fantastic tour guide. We give this 5 stars. Strongly recommended. Be sure, if you go, to get the exact address. It's on the side of a hill. read more

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Such a fun and informative tour, by JEREMY. Three of us drove out on a hot Saturday afternoon, a bit of an up/down windy road. But so worth it. The alpacas were very cute & somewhat approachable for feeding. A menagerie of other animals was on hand,too: chickens, geese, goats, pigs. And dogs, asleep but normally the protectors (from coyotes, at night). We also had a great tour of the work barn...all the steps and equipment for how the sheared alpaca wool becomes yarn. Fascinating!! And finally, a store!!! We purchased yarn and a dog lead, made from the alpacas' wool that live on this farm. An overall great experience & bonding time for a girls weekend activity! read more

Me and my wife were looking for petting farms or zoos with alpacas. Did not find much until simpler time popped up! Its a private tour and Jeremy our tour guide, was super knowledgeable and very kind! We got to see most if not all the alpacas and they also let us feed and pet them! The gift shop was awesome as well! Not your usually petting farm! read more

A Simpler Time Alpaca Farm And Mill - Knitting Supplies Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Amazing experience. Jeremy taught us so much about alpaca's. And the entire process is amazing ! We were able to feed them as well. Please Come visit , this place is awesome read more

This was an amazing experience!! Jeremy was outstanding!! I was terrified of being near the alpacas is feeding them was the last thing I want d to do but Jeremy assured me that the alpacas, and all of the animals that were there, wouldn't harm me and he was right. I actually feed a few of them and they were so gentle and sweet. The your was awesome. I can't help but just praise Jeremy he was really great and Barbara was also super sweet. The dogs the had there were too cute and friendly. This was such a fantastic experience that i think everyone should do. The trip down to the ranch was kinda trippy so if you have a problem with heights or motion sickness be ready. The trip back up seemed to take less time than going down. Lots of good sights to see on the way up and down. Overall 10/10 experience!! read more

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Went on a tour here and Barbara was amazing! They really show you and walk you through the yarn making process. And the alpacas are super sweet. I love the one named cappuccino after leaving here it makes you want to get an alpaca... read more

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Quaint little farm, owners are nice and caring. Wear shoes not sandals. They have a gift store and sell online. Did not know anything about alpacas and learned a lot. read more

we are from San Francisco and we had a trip to San Diego we found this place on the yelp and we loved this experience, it was a great tour, seeing Alpacas, baby Alpacas and the way the make the product. Also you can order customized product for you and they are so patient with getting an order read more

If you appreciate alpacas, I think you'd love this experience. We did a private tour for $12.50 per person. There is a $50 minimum, but with there being 4 of us we met that exactly. It was easy to make a reservation via email. We ended up arriving about 20 minutes early and Max the greeter dog promptly said hello. So friendly. Give him and other greeter dog Molly lots of pets but save some energy for petting the alpacas. Luckily, Barbara was able to start our tour a little early but we would not have minded waiting with the dogs. There's also 2 guard dogs that stand watch near the alpacas. I forgot those dogs' names because I was so preoccupied with the alpacas by then to catch it. We were shown an alpaca pen and Barbara introduced some to us while dropping the facts about these amazing animals. Then we were able to spend a good chunk of time feeding alpacas in the pen. They don't like to be touched on the head but petting their neck and body is fine. SO FLUFFY AND SOFT! After that, we got to see the mill where they make yarn! Both from their own alpacas fiber (shearing takes place once a year in summer), and for customers who send in their fibers. As someone very into crochet (IG @the.fluffyalpaca), it was so cool to see what the machines looked like. They weren't running at the time since they usually stop by 4 PM. I am not sure if an earlier tour means you get to see it action - worth asking if that's of interest to you! It concludes in true Disneyland style - the gift shop. So many colorful yarns, alpaca figurines, and some pre-made hats and things. Not all yarn is made on site because they don't have enough white alpacas to supply the fiber for dyeing, but they do dye them on site. We got: - black handmade beanie $29: it looks knit to me. Soft and very lightweight, yet seems warm - hand dyed purple yarn $24: I went with 50% alpaca 50% merino because I liked the color and weight. - pom pom $6: made of alpaca fur. There's a little tab so it can be pinned to beanies! We also were able to choose a complimentary yarn bracelet or alpaca sticker per person as a parting gift! Aside from tours and offering their mill services, they do sell alpacas. Depending on parentage, color, etc. they can range from $1,000 - $12,000. If you can't commit to purchasing there are various tiers of an adoption program which gets you visits with your alpaca, photos, and naming rights for an extra charge. If I lived in San Diego I would 100% adopt an alpaca so I could visit them. If your adopted alpaca gets sold, your adoption membership would transfer to a different alpaca. The only negative is the final stretch of road getting there may be a little scary for some! It's a curvy road on a slope. I had to close my eyes at times (don't worry - I wasn't the driver!) Despite this, I hope to go back on a future visit to San Diego! ***** My Star Ratings: 1 Star - Terrible. Just thinking about it makes me angry. 2 Stars - Meh. Unlikely for me to return. 3 Stars - OK. Open to coming back, but wouldn't go out of my way to. 4 Stars - Yummy! Will definitely return if I haven't already. 5 Stars - AMAZING!!! Would plan my day or even a trip around eating here. read more

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For the longest time, I've always wanted to go to an alpaca farm and finally, my dreams came true.. & the entire experience was even better due to Jeremy! My boyfriend and I came on a Friday around late noon and eventually stumbled upon Jeremy who works here. We had no idea what to expect, but Jeremy was so sweet, so welcoming, and was so knowledgeable about the farm. He kindly took us around to see all of the alpacas and the entire alpaca-fur distributing process and gave us thorough information about all of it. I could really tell he loves his job and he really enjoys working with these wonderful animals. The farm has a large variety of alpacas, from different colors, to females, males, to baby alpacas.. so you can completely fulfill your alpaca dreams here! I've never really seen how they create yarn from alpaca fur, so seeing the background and process behind the distributing service was extremely interesting and cool. If you like alpacas, this place is charming and the alpacas look happy from what I saw! If you go, please get a tour from Jeremy because he will definitely make your time here a good one. Thank you- we appreciated it a lot! :) read more

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Such a fun experience! Makes me want to raise alpacas. Great tour by Jeremy! We recommend calling ahead to let them know you're coming. The your starts with meeting the alpacas. Seeing all of the baby alpaca and then feeding a few inside their pen. They're very gentle animals. Jeremy showed us reach step of processing the alpaca wool and allowed us to feel the product during the process. Gives you even more appreciation for the wool and the final product. The alpaca slippers are amazing! Great gift shop with lots of options. Check out their online store too!! read more

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the wife and I had a wonderful time visiting "A Simpler Time" Alpaca Farm and Mill in El Cajon this past Friday. Barbara greeted us after Rusty the Anatolian Shepherd greeted us in a friendly fashion. Barbara was very friendly and knowledgeable. We learned a lot about Alpacas and had a good time feeding the Alpaca girls. going through the Mill was interesting and i am actually wearing a pair of very comfortable Alpaca wool as i write this review. you should visit the Farm and Barbara so you can learn as we did. read more

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Very kind people and a great experience for all ages. Learn about alpaca and how alpaca products are made on this tour.

I took my elderly mom (92) who uses a walker to visit the Alpacas. Although this site is not set up for handicap access the owner was kind, helpful and managed work arounds. My mom had a blast as did her hospice volunteer and myself. The Alpaca's were curious and sweet. Informative tour. Max is a good boy as were the other dogs. Small gift shop at the end of the tour had some nice items reasonably priced. I would recommend going to see this lovely ranch. read more

A Simpler Time Alpaca Farm And Mill - Young Alpaca - Knitting Supplies Near Me - El Cajon, California

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We came for our daughter's 2nd birthday. The alpacas were very gentle. We all got to feed them and learned how they make the yarn. Our tour guy Jeremy was wonderful. read more

A Simpler Time Alpaca Farm And Mill - Alpaca - Knitting Supplies Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Wonderful time visiting the Alpaca with our Grandson and family, gained a new appreciation for these beautiful animals! Our host Barbara was great, we will visit them again soon! read more

What a wonderful and exciting experience!! They had a huge variety of cute alpacas you can pet and feed, and afterwards you get to see how the yarn is spun and created. read more

A Simpler Time Alpaca Farm And Mill - Tootsie roll the alpaca - Knitting Supplies Near Me - El Cajon, California

Wonderful place, super nice folks, we came to visit during the yearly alpaca shearing. Awesome to see ! Beautiful shop as well with incredible things made from alpaca yarn. The animals are well taken care of and happy here, this was one of those great experiences that was both fun AND educational. It is a truly magical place and a MUST DO for any animal lover, young or old! Can't wait to visit again! read more

A Simpler Time Alpaca Farm And Mill - cutie pa-tootie just got a new hair cut! - Knitting Supplies Near Me - El Cajon, California

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It was a beautiful experience. It was such a relaxing, serene break from the business of life. The compound and farm are something to behold! It is absolutely worthwhile to make a trip to the hills of East County San Diego for this adventure in nature. read more

This place exceeded our expectation! Such a hidden gem!. And the pics say it all how cute these guys are!!! Being able to interact with the alpacas and get such a indepth first hand look at the process.. amazing work! Would definitely go again! Thank you for the hospitality! read more

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Such a great experience! We came here for Spring Break after my son requested to go to an alpaca farm. My boyfriend messaged the owners and they told him they were having an open house this weekend so we surprised my son in taking him there since we were staying in San Diego for our little getaway. The alpacas were really cool to hang out with and take pictures. They are so friendly and attentive to you watching them. They don't spit like llamas unless you are trying to feed them some grain an oats, then they will spit at each other letting them know it's their food. There were two new babies, one 3 days old and one, 3 weeks old. They were really cute. So many memories were made today and I can't wait to edit som pictures and share them with my Yelp friends and followers. We got a tour of the mill and learned how the alpaca fur is made into silk and then made into scarves, mittens, beanies, socks, blankets, and many other things. We brought home a few souvenirs home to remember all the fun we had! Looking forward to any events they have in the future! read more

My kids and I had a wonderful time learning everything we ever wanted to know about alpacas from Jeremy! Feeding them from the palm of our hands was a highlight and we loved meeting both the greeter dogs and guard dogs. We also learned a ton about how alpaca fur is turning into alpaca yarn, which was very interesting. Overall, a wonderful experience! Quick tip: Wear comfy shoes and bring some water with you...there is some hill-walking and the day we went was very hot. read more

My friend and I took our kids here for their open house. Their alpacas are too cute! The lady(Barbara, I think) is super knowledgeable about their care and feeding. My friend's thinking about buying a couple so she needed a lot of info. They also gave a tour of the mill, explaining how each piece of equipment worked and why each step was necessary, as well as detailing the different widths of alpaca yarn. Then we went into the yarn shop, where you can buy skeins, completed clothing items, or alpaca-fur teddy bears (super soft!). We also asked if we could walk the trail around, and got to see their bird aviary and female alpacas (they keep the sexes separated) plus their farm dogs. It's a beautiful property and the owners are lovely. read more

A Simpler Time Alpaca Farm And Mill - Alpaca open house! There's also a yarn shop. - Knitting Supplies Near Me - El Cajon, California

I have a new-found appreciation for alpacas. The tour was simple, yet genuine; informative, interesting, and delivered with honest affection towards these gentle animals. Happily purchased some soft and cute items from the store. Owner was easy to work with. Recommend. read more

A Simpler Time Alpaca Farm And Mill - Alpacas - Knitting Supplies Near Me - El Cajon, California

Jeremy was a wonderful tour guide! It was a really cool experience to meet and feed the alpacas while learning about the farm. Gift shop had some really cute stuff! One thing I'd warn you about is the drive down. The winding road seems more narrow than it is, but definitely a doable drive. Just be careful and aware while driving down! read more

Our group of 8 had so much fun touring the farm. Barbara was very knowledgeable and accommodating as we were running late to our scheduled tour. We were lucky enough to see a newborn alpaca just a few hours after birth! We were able to feed and pet the alpacas, tour the mill and visit the gift shop. They had a few dogs on the property to greet guests and watch over the alpacas. All very friendly! Fair warning, the drive and some of the walk is steep. read more

Very fun and informative tour! I love spending time with the alpacas. Definitely recommend this business

Fun and informative tour! Now only so you see and feed the alpacas, you also get to see the process through which they make the yarn. Educational, especially for kids interested in how things are made. Nice gift shop, too read more

We had a great time visiting the Alpacas. We were a bit late due to traffic and Jeremy was able to accommodate us. My wife really love alpacas so it was a dream of hers to spend time with them. My only thing was I wish we had more time to spend with the alpacas. The production of yarn / other items is interesting but we would've loved more time with the alpacas. However, we understand the layout of the tour so it's okay. One of the alpacas gave her a kiss on the cheek which made her very happy. read more

Re-review because my old one from 10+ years ago was deleted. Barbara and her husband are absolutely amazing! The kindest and most sharing people I have met on the yarn crawl. The amount of time they devote to giving free tours and promoting the fiber arts is phenomenal. I highly recommend taking time out to do the full tour and see where the beautiful alpaca wool comes from. They receive wool from farms nationwide for milling in the barn they converted behind their beautiful home. They host multiple events throughout the year and sell undyed roving for spinning and felting as well as undyed and dyed skeins of natural alpaca and baby alpaca yarns. They have been continuously upgrading their property year after year and now they have moved the store back down the hill to their home with a van service to bring you down the lengthy steep driveway. This is a must see stop on the Yarn Crawl every year! I also always buy the honey they sell from a local beekeeper. There is nothing like it this close to San Diego. You'd have to drive clear out to Julian to find similar, and it's cheaper to buy it here. It also is priced the same or better than most farmers markets. read more