Apple Picking 2015

So far, autumn has been just gorgeous - *touch wood* that it stays that way - and I have definitely been savoring the sunshine and trying to take advantage of it every chance I get. There have been one or two rainy weekends, but on sunny days, we've been taking GM on hikes at a nearby park and I've been going for bike rides.

Before it got too chilly, we decided to go apple picking. Last year we didn't make it to the orchards. I think we were distracted by our trip to T&C in October and then I was too obsessed with making Thanksgiving plans in November. So this year, we went all out and ended up spending $60 on pick-your-own apples; basically, we picked 30 lbs. of apples. I'm going to be making several pies and eating at least an apple a day for the next month.

We've been going to Alstede Farms the past few years for all of our pick-your-own adventures (mostly because we like to hang out with the animals afterwards) but we visited an old favorite, Riamede, this time because they have more varieties of apples and bigger apple trees.

The weather was perfect. It was crisp enough that we could wear sweaters without sweating but the sun was gleaming brightly.

The handmade signage is so cute.

We started with empire apples, which are a rich ruby red with a crisp and tart interior.

We also picked a few Ida Red and Macintosh apples from the younger trees.

In between apple picking, we stopped by the pumpkin patch.

I found the perfect pumpkin chair.

And the ugliest pumpkin ever.

And a weird, misplaced gourd.

I also found the perfect Cinderella carriage pumpkin. Bibbidi bobbidi boo!

And this ugly, green, infected, creepy pumpkin.

We didn't actually pick any pumpkins, but we did hop on the free hayride to head back to the main apple orchard.

We filled up the remaining space in our bags with Cortland apples (one of my favorite varieties, especially because it reminds me of Cornell).

Then, we lugged our heavy bags to the checkout line, where I grabbed three mini pumpkins, a jug of cider, and a few apple cider donuts and we were back on the road.

If you like food, I recommend heading over to my food blog soon because I'll be sharing an apple crisp pie that I made with our harvest eventually. (I have a bunch of posts pre-scheduled so it might not be up for a week or two.)

xoxo.