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Maple Festival > Sugar Tours
| Second
& third weekends in March
Visit Maple sugar camps throughout
the county welcome visitors to view the process of syrup
making. The region's higher elevations contribute to
a late-winter and early-spring weather pattern of warm,
sunny afternoons and crisp, freezing nights-a perfect
combination for maple sugar production!
The process begins with tapping maple
trees to collect the clear, almost tasteless sugar water.
Gathered in buckets or by plastic tubing, the sap is
boiled in kettles, pans, or evaporators until a barrel
is finally reduced to a gallon of pure maple syrup.
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Pick
up a map of the tour at your first stop. Directions to
the sugar camps and all other Maple Festival activities
and events are clearly marked. Watch for "Maple Sugar
Tour" signs! Warm
clothing and boots are advisable for visiting the maple
sugar camps. |
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| Eagle
Sugar Camp
Follow signs to Eagle Sugar
Camp, located north of McDowell off Rt. 654 (Jack Mountain
Road) in Doe Hill. Syrup producers for more than 200
years, the Eagles still use open pan wood-fired evaporators
as the latest advanced computerized oil-fired evaporators.
Observe sugar water collected in buckets. Local honey,
maple products, buckwheat, cornmeal & baked goods
are available during Maple Festival, along with home-cooked
food, maple doughnuts, and local arts & crafts.
Guided tours. Tour buses are welcome.
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| Puffenbarger's
Sugar Orchard
On Route 637 (Maple Sugar
Road), southwest of Blue Grass is the Puffenbarger Sugar
Orchard, where a vacuum pump is used to increase the
flow of sugar water and miles of plastic tubing make
it easier to gather. The process of maple syrup-making
is started by reverse osmosis and finished by oil-fired
evaporators. Maple doughnuts and other foods are available
during Maple Festival. Guided tours. Tour buses are
welcome.
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| Rexrode's
Sugar Orchard
Located north of Hightown
on Route 637 (Maple Sugar Road), Rexrode's Sugar Orchard
features a stand of maple trees over 200 years old.
The Rexrodes use the old-fashioned "open pan"
system of evaporation as well as the newer wood-fired
evaporation method with miles of plastic tubing to gather
the sugar water. Baked country ham, chili dogs, BBQ
sandwiches and other foods are served during Maple Festival.
Guided tours. Tour buses are welcome.
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| Southermost
Maple Products
Located 15 miles south
of Monterey on Route 607 (Big Valley Road), off US 220
at Bolar, Southernmost Maple Products funnels sugar
water into the only piggy-back evaporator to be found
in the southern states. A rustic country store offers
a variety of maple products, flour, honey, jellies and
baked goods. Maple pit-cooked BBQ, pork skins and maple
doughnuts are available during Maple Festival. Handicapped
accessible. Guided tours. Tour buses are welcome.
Closed on Sundays.
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| Sugar
Tree Country Store & Sugar House
Located near the center
of McDowell, this operation employs a modern reverse
osmosis concentrator and oil-fired evaporator. Antique
maple producing tools are on display. Enjoy a selection
of country store merchandise, pottery, maple products,
and jams. Brunswick Stew, maple doughnuts, and other
foods will be available during Maple Festival. Tour
buses can park across the road in the parking lot. Guided
tours. Closed on Sundays.
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| ::: For additional
information . . . |
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