Apple Time

 I picked up my wandering mug at the Apple Festival in Amherst, MA on September 28, 2013. Fall is a wonderful time in the northeast. The blue skies, colorful foliage, and crisp air combine to create a beauty I find unparalleled by the other seasons.

And of course there’s the harvest season. It’s a time for corn mazes, farmers markets, harvest festivals…and apple picking!

“Eindhoven” accompanied me on a visit to central New York State (CNY) and the many apple orchards there. One of the most famous is Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards, in operation since 1911. This is one of CNY’s most popular destinations in the fall. While the apple orchards are a well-run operation unto themselves, there are other attractions.

I visited Beak and Skiff with four of my friends from college on a sunny fall day. We stopped first at the bakery for some hot apple cider and cider donuts.

 Then on to picking apples…Empire and Macintosh varieties were ripe that day, and Empire apples are my favorite apple of all. I picked about 10 lbs of them myself.

Finally, we visited the tasting room. Beak and Skiff produces many beverages, including five types of hard cider, and we enjoyed the free tastings offered. I bought a bottle of my favorite, the Light & Crisp, to sip from this mug or another on some special occasion.

There are many local treasures such as Beak & Skiff scattered throughout New York State and the Northeast. Hopefully we will have a chance to experience a few more before this mug is released to wander farther afield.

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