Visiting Blue Ridge and stoped by Mercier Orchards on a perfect cold day. Let me just say this is a…read morepopular tourist attraction so it had its fair share of people so come with some patience. Outside it has some beautiful views worth stopping for a photo and stopping at the bakery inside for some fried pies and cider donuts are a must! The fried pies were okay but the Cider Donuts are a show stopper. They also have tons of other things like fruits and veggies, toys, books, figurines, wine and more!

First things first -- get ready for a drive. This place is…read morenot just "down the street." It's a journey. But let me be very clear: it is 100% worth it. From the moment you arrive, you can tell Mercier Orchards is something special. There is so much packed into this one location that it almost feels like a small village built around apples and everything that comes with them. Inside the main store, the selection is honestly overwhelming in the best way possible -- home goods, gifts, jams, jellies, preserves, baking mixes, sauces, butters, ciders... anything and everything apple-related, plus plenty of other fruit-based goodies. It's the kind of place where you say "I'm just going to browse" and then walk out with bags of stuff you didn't know you needed. Then there's the bakery. Seven lines. All long. And all moving surprisingly well. I eventually stepped out of line after about 15 minutes, but not before getting a solid look at the pastries, pies, breads, and desserts -- everything looked incredible. Even without buying anything that round, the bakery alone is worth the stop. Now let's talk about the apple picking experience -- because this is where the magic really happens. Riding out on a trailer attached to a tractor felt like something straight out of a fall movie. The views, the air, the vibe -- it's peaceful, exciting, and nostalgic all at the same time. The apples change with the season, and the ones we picked were delicious and lasted a long time. No pesticides, just straight calcium. Fresh, crisp, and perfect. And yes... get a bag or three like I did. You're going to want them. The entire place also makes for amazing photo opportunities. Whether it's the orchard, the tractor ride, the store, or the scenery -- this is one of those spots where your camera roll is guaranteed to fill up. The only negative moment of the day happened when I went to grab some cider and one of the guys behind the counter completely ignored me. I actually had to call him out -- like, "Did you not see me standing here?" Not great. But that one interaction couldn't even come close to outweighing everything else this place offers. Bottom line: If you're anywhere in the area -- or even thinking about making a day trip -- you absolutely have to go. It's a little off the beaten path, so I don't expect most people to just "stumble" upon it... but if you plan it, you won't regret it. This is an experience, not just a stop.

You're awesome Jesse! You've been a great listener and cheerleader. You've given me some much…read moreneeded perspective. I'm definitely going to apply some of those meditation practices and mindfulness techniques to my daily life. Thank so much and I'm looking forward to more sessions with you.

From the owner: Synergizing with individuals and groups on the path towards infinite ease, clarity, and…read morefulfillment. Helping you to clarify and fulfill your vision and desires personally, collectively, or professionally. Utilizing a variety of tools in our collaboration for your growth as an individual, group, or organization including meditation, yoga, journaling, compassionate communication, immersion in nature, conscious creativity, mindful manifestation, and many more. Working together with you as you gain an ability to sustain a level of enjoyment and effectiveness never before experienced. Find me on YouTube (Jesse Riehl), Instagram (jesse_riehl), and TikTok (@jesseriehl1).

Great job and great people. Had a cleanup that needed to be done quickly and they were Johnny on…read morethe Spot and did a phenomenal job from start to finish. HIGHLY recommend!

Servpro took care of every aspect of an unfortunate car/garage fire for us. While it did take…read morelonger than we would have liked due to other local occurrences, they did a fine job!

Outstanding work adding Carbon Fiber wrap to my Audi R8. I…read morestopped by the store and Sam took some photos and later sent a quote that seemed reasonable enough. I made an appointment in a week. Because the shop was concerned about how low my car was, they offered to come to my house and do the install there! How convenient is THAT ?!? Awesome. Two guys showed up in a big work van, cleaned the car areas to be covered, and installed the wrap with the care of a surgeon. The patiently answered all my questions and I watched them work. Took about 2 hours, but that was just about right -- not rushed at all. Cat looks fantastic and I would definitely recommend them to anyone.

I was so impressed with their work doing the vinyl decals for my work truck, I'm getting them to do…read morea wrap applied on the doors! NICE staff, very friendly and actually care about the work they do. Happy enough to give them repeat business, so that's about the best endorsement I can give!!

When the service was up abd connected it was very good however it would drop off line frequently…read moreand stay off for long periods. Occasionally a reset would get it back for short periods. It would go out almost every weekend which was when all the good things were on. Kenneth worked at trying to make it reliable but I finally through in the towel. The upfront fee for the modem, $300 bucks was not refundable even though the service was never reliable. Be careful before buying into the service.

I would absolutely rate Debbie's Little Dishes a 0 if I could. Neither Ken nor Debbie will respond…read moreto you when you call or text either phone number like they request. They were recommended to me because they were the only "decent" internet service around where I live. The person who recommended them to me is now also upset with them and the way they run business and stated they will never recommend them again. It took weeks to get them to set up service after multiple attempts to contact them. Even though that bothered me, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and still bought into their plan. I have now been charged over $700 within three months for my service to only work for about 3 weeks. I understand that some things are out of their control, but they do not care about their customers or trying to help. They want to take your money and disappear. I have never been so unhappy with any company until dealing with Debbie's Little Dishes.

Well ETC worked diligently to trench fiber up the mountain to our development. The sales process…read morewas actually delightful. They explained the services and pricing as well as the installation and billing process. Everything went off without a hitch. I have been enjoying the service since October 2024 and have to say that everything has been great!

Fast reliable service, "city" speed at "country" prices!! I've had ETC for over 5ys and the prices…read morehaven't changed. They're service & knowledge is outstanding and they're happy to help. Since they're also a security company, someone is there to answer the phone 24/7. Jasper water & power has increased prices, if you ask me, to pay for the new neighborhoods being built, but not ETC! Definitely recommend!