Recently we visited the China Ranch Date Farm and Bakery. I had read reviews on the farm and have been wanting to make the trip. Fortunately, we had the address Google Mapped because we might have not found it as the signage was minimal. In fact my husband, doubting the directions, nearly turned back. I think we were all looking for tall date trees to guide us in but there is no greenery anywhere. So if you go, trust the navigation. Eventually you will leave the paved road for a winding, dirt road that narrows to one lane in areas and leads you down into the desert valley floor. You will pass by massive rock walls on both sides while catching glimpses of old, abandoned, very unsafe caves. Fortunately we had 4-wheel drive that my husband had to switch to due to the sandy patches of roadway. (Please note that I would never recommend this drive down into the desert floor during rain, even if the rain is anywhere near the area. You could easily get caught in a flash flood with no easy exit.) But after about 2 miles or so along the dirt road we arrived at the date farm. From some of the comments I have read I was expecting a beautiful lush garden oasis in the middle of the desert. I did not find this to be the case. You are greeted by an older, well established working orchard of date trees. We were told that it is nearly harvest season so I assume that was why most of the trees had their fruit wrapped in a sort of bags until ready for harvest. The farm was not crowded at all so we parked near the store noticing several hiking trails but the signs warning of the possible natural hazards along the trails and in the area was enough to discourage us elderly people from attempting the hike. So instead we made our way into the store. The woman behind the counter was very, very friendly and welcoming. She shared with us the interesting history of the farm and before we left she made us their famous Date Shake. I was, honestly, a bit disappointed with it when, to me, it tasted just like a vanilla shake with a few crumbs of dates sprinkled into the mix. But I did get to sample their dates in the store. The Medjool was very good but I really enjoyed the sweeter honey date. Definitely try the date samples! The store was okay, it’s been there for some time. The lady behind the counter did mention the fresh baked goods that were also for sale. I’m glad we went to the Date Farm as the drive down into the farm was worth it this once, as was learning of the history...
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