Go: Novakovich Orchards

Interested in biting into a freshly picked peach at its peak ripeness, grown right here in Silicon Valley? Thought so. Today was my first experience at Novakovich Orchards, and it was so special that I found a way to write about it while cruise-directing summer break for my 3 sons.

Located across the street from West Valley College in Saratoga, this orchard has been in the same family for nearly 100 years—a real artifact of The Valley of Heart's Delight (the nickname for this area before silicon took over). Peaches and nectarines will be available for the month of July for $3.00 a pound. This comes out to roughly $1 per large peach, a worthy splurge indeed.

There are 3 varietals available: peach, nectarine, white peach. They are so perfectly fresh that there is only one type offered at a time. When I first visited at noon, they had peaches. I had just $2 in my wallet, so was able to buy two peaches. My kids and I split them; our chins dripped with juice, our eyes popped out of our heads, and we were hooked. We came back later in the day and bought 2 baskets of nectarines.

Go experience this local fruit stand: it's rustic, beautiful, historical, and very juicy. They are open every day except Saturday. Enjoy your peaches and the slow pace of summer.

I plan to write more regularly once school resumes.