Apple Picking at Russell Orchards
“Hot chocolate, apple cider, hoodies, boots, sweaters, bonfires, leaves, scarves, late nights, cuddling, football, skinny jeans, pumpkins, and crisp air. Fall.”
Warm memories fill my heart as I reminisce about apple picking with my family. We would gather all the cousins and their parents, then drive to the orchids. We spent hours tasting various apples and packing them away in our bags. This family tradition signified the beginning of fall.
Fast forward to my mid-20s. A burning desire drove me to California, and then I moved to Florida. The crisp air symbolizing a new season soon disappeared, and warm weather became my norm. My beloved traditions became a distant memory of my youth.
The mind forgets, but the heart does not. After more than a decade, I found my way home. Upon my return, I wanted to recapture the experiences of my childhood. Apple picking was high on my list.
When I was younger, everything was pretty much taken care of for me. Moving back was like starting over. Sure, I have my family here, as well as several childhood and early adult friends. While so much has stayed the same, so much has changed. Where to begin?
One night, while hanging out with one of my closest friends from high school, Tania, the topic of apple picking came up. Tania and her family have started their own tradition. When I told them how much I missed this activity, they invited me to join them apple picking at Russell Orchards. I was super excited, and of course, I agreed.
When the day arrived, I drove to their place and jumped into their car. Off we went for our apple picking adventure. I was excited with anticipation, and a warm, fuzzy feeling filled my being.
We purchased our bags, then wandered around the farm. On weekends, there are complimentary hayrides to and from the orchids. We decided to walk to the orchids, which gave us a chance to explore the grounds, see the animals, and take pictures in the pumpkin patch.
When we made our way up to the apples, we discovered there were so many apples to choose from. We were surrounded by juicy, fresh apples everywhere, and we tasted our way through the orchids. We filled our bags with our favorite apples, including McIntosh and Gala. Of course, there were so many delightful choices, and we climbed trees to pick the best apples.
When we were done, we took a hayride back to the farm, where we wandered in the shop and purchased apple cider donuts and a few other treats. We also sampled some yummy cider wines at their wine tasting. The wine was very tasty, and I had to purchase a bottle. I recaptured my youth in those few nostalgic hours.
We ended our outing with coffee and ice cream at a super cute place, Zumi’s. I liked the fun, artsy flavor of the coffeehouse. There was a board where Zumi’s encouraged customers to send postcards of their travel adventures. I am always intrigued by travel stories, and I was drawn to the concept. I found this gem to be a great addition to our apple-picking adventure.
