I love apples. They come in a variety of flavors, colors and sizes so they’re never boring. And if you have one a day you will certainly keep the doctor away. Alright, I’m not sure if the doctor thing is true, but I like the sentiment nonetheless. Because of my affinity for apples, I decided to make apples the topic of my blog for two weeks in a row…so I guess I should apologize to any readers who don’t like apples [see: weirdos].
I chose to spend fall break in Ithaca since I’d already been home twice the semester, and I figured that as a senior, I should be spending more time at Dunbars than stuck in traffic going over the GW Bridge.
What does one do over fall break in Ithaca, you ask? The answer is simple: APPLE PICKING (and corn mazes and walks in the plantations and more). So this week’s post is all about #22 (Pick apples at the Cornell Orchards).
Full disclosure: I did not pick apples at Cornell Orchards. Last week my car was the “parked car” hit by a teenager being chased by the police, so that bad boy is out commission. This means that I lost all control over where my friends and I went for the aforementioned apple picking, so I’d say any orchard in the Finger Lakes region counts. Anyway, we got there and got the deets on the orchard from a lady who works for the orchard. Apparently 75 percent of the apples were killed in the “frost,” so apparently prime apple picking season was 2 months ago…whoops.
Regardless, we set out for the orchards. It was my first time apple picking, I think (parents, can you confirm that one please?). The place was called Little Tree Orchards, and the name suited it perfectly. I am 5 feet tall, and the trees were barely taller than me. Alright, that’s a mild exaggeration, but they were quite small – like “fun-sized trees.”
Anyway, we climbed some trees and ate a lottt of apples — I also tried to work the cherry picker, but the keys were nowhere to be found (damn). The fruit was pretty darn good, I will admit. Unclear how they compare to Cornell Orchards as I still have not been successful in my mission to buy a Cornell-grown apple from a vending machine. Clearly I’m not at all bitter about that…but if anyone reading this knows if and when they put the apples back in the vending machines, please email me. I’d really, really, REALLY appreciate it. Seriously, I am on a quest to get a vending machine apple. Someone help a sista out.
Original Author: Jaime Freilich