Fresno County Fruit Trail offers a fresh bounty of sweetness

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Reporting from Fresno: The last of the fragrant fruit blossoms is gone, their pink-and-white petals scattered across the orchards that nestle among the verdant foothills of the High Sierra.

By month’s end — the first strawberries will be ready for picking. The blackberries and blueberries won’t be far behind. In May, apricots, plums and other stone fruit will begin to ripen.

The shutters will disappear from the roadside stands. Their colorful displays of sun-sweetened delights will beckon drivers to stop and sample fruits as varied as cherries and pomegranates.

Many of the stands are along the Fresno County Fruit Trail, created six years ago to showcase the county’s bounty. It’s among the top U.S. producers of peaches, nectarines and plums. Fruits and nuts pump about $2.5 billion a year into the local economy.

The Fruit Trail — along with its cousin, the springtime Blossom Trail — invite visitors to an area they might otherwise ignore on their way to nearby Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks. Read more here: