A Simpler Time-Alpacas & Mill - By Appointment - El Cajon, California

Judy Li

I wanted to visit an alpaca farm for my 33rd birthday since I’ve never seen alpacas in person before. I decided on A Simpler Time because they are one the few farms that mill their own wool, and we would be able to learn about that process as part of our tour.

Barbara was really responsive and helpful when I was booking the tour. Jeremy led our tour, and he is absolutely fantastic. Everyone in our group loved him-he was so sweet and engaging. You can tell just how much he loves his job and takes a lot of pride in taking care of the farm. He was also full of helpful tips like washing our hands to remove any scented products and increase the chances of the alpacas welcoming us.

To my surprise, there were also other animals there-piglets, chickens, ducks, goats, and sheep! We ended the tour with some time in the gift shop. We learned that Barbara dyes all the yarn herself! At no point did we feel pressure to purchase or do anything we weren’t comfortable with.

I highly recommend doing a tour with them! I think it is great for all ages, both adults and kids. We certainly had fun and would definitely visit again.

Just as PSA, please check the weather and make sure you bring water to stay hydrated and a hat for additional sun protection if you visit on a hot day. You’re predominantly out in the sun during the tour and interacting with the animals 🙂

Sapphire Archambault

The alpacas were so adorable and friendly!! The dogs, goats, and chickens were as well :D. I love alpacas as i’ve seen in many videos how cute and silly they are and I’ve been wanting to pet them for the longest time now. I traveled from the central valley to this farm and it was worth it!!! You get to interact with the alpacas and get to learn how their fleece gets processed in the yarn barn. Alpacas don’t stink much therefore the barn had little to no smell! Our tour guide *JEREMY* was very knowledgeable, answered all questions we had, and just made the tour an amazing experience. Overall everything was wonderful. Thank You for a memory that will stay in my heart and mind for a long time. 🙂

Dilean Molina

I wanted to go to an alpaca farm for my birthday, and I’m so glad I picked this spot - it’s the most fun I’ve had in a while :). The alpacas are so adorable and have so much personality. The tour is pretty interactive- you get to feed, pet and take photos with the alpacas. Barbara is so sweet and accommodating. Can’t wait to come back!

Sarah Ratka

Had an amazing time, Jeremy was a great tour guide and the alpacas were adorable, we got to see a baby that had just been born the day before. The mini goats were the cutest and I was able to purchase some beautiful yarn.

Lara Scofield

I love this place! Everyone should visit A Simpler Time. The owners are so sweet and care so much about their alpacas. Their new store is wonderful and the fiber colors they offer for yarn crafts are beautiful. I will definitely be back.

john d.r.

the wife and I had a wonderful time visiting "A Simpler Time" Alpaca Farm and Mill in El Cajon this past Friday. Barbara greeted us after Rusty the Anatolian Shepherd greeted us in a friendly fashion.
Barbara was very friendly and knowledgeable. We learned a lot about Alpacas and had a good time feeding the Alpaca girls. going through the Mill was interesting and i am actually wearing a pair of very comfortable Alpaca wool as i write this review. you should visit the Farm and Barbara so you can learn as we did.

Fiona D

My friend and I took the tour with Jeremy as our guide. What a fun and informative experience. Jeremy was great and answered all our questions while showing us around.
Feeding the alpacas was so much fun and we got to see a baby that was only a few days old.
I highly recommend taking this tour!

Aditi Ganapathi

I had a great time celebrating my friend’s birthday today. I was pleasantly surprised how many other types of animals we got to see and interact with- goats, sheep, geese, pigs, dogs, etc. This was a very educational experience, getting to learn about alpacas and the manufacturing process for making yarn from the wool.