The best apple-picking orchards in America
Fall is in the air, and there's nothing more quintessentially autumn than apple picking. So we teamed up with Swarm, Foursquare's check-in app, to find 12 of the best orchards across the country. Whether you're going for the fresh fruit, cider doughnuts or Instagram appeal, here's the best orchard for your picking needs.
Alyson's Orchard/Facebook
Alyson's Orchard (Walpole, NH): Best for Big, Juicy Honeycrisps
New England is the big leagues for apple picking, and Alyson's Orchard, in rural New Hampshire, boasts over 50 apple varieties, including many names you've never even heard of (like Tolman Sweet or Baldwin).
@mollelk09/instagram
Russell Orchards (Ipswich, MA): Best for Berries
Sure, apples are the most popular fall produce, but you can visit this Ipswich orchard all summer long to pick your own blackberries, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Then, head home and immediately make this berry galette..
@Wine_in_hand/Instagram
Mercier Orchards (Blue Ridge, GA): Best for Boozy Apple Picking
Look, apple picking isn't just for kids. After an hour of grabbing Fujis and Galas, it's time to turn your attention to the homemade hard ciders and wines at this southern orchard. (The winter blackberry wine sounds absolutely heavenly.) Don't leave without trying a wine slushy, made from Mercier's homemade peach and apple wines.
@hometowntouristcville/instagram
Carter Mountain Orchard (Charlottesville, VA): Best For Leaf Peeping
The ever-popular Carter Mountain Orchard overlooks the scenic Shenandoah Valley, which is essentially a gold mine for fall foliage. Here's the game plan: Arrive in late afternoon, just in time to enjoy the weekly sunset series, where you can pick to your heart's content, then stay for wine and live music with a view of the valley.
@manilajen/Instagram
Fishkill Farms (Fishkill, NY): Best For Shopping The Farmers' Market
Of course you came for the apples, and you'll go home with bushels of Macouns and Cortlands. But this Hudson Valley orchard also boasts an impressive farm store where you can load up on everything from fresh eggs to homegrown veggies.
@patrick35mm/Instagram
Kiyokawa Family Orchards (Parkdale, OR): Best for #Views
Come for the fruit; stay for the incredible vistas overlooking the Hood River Valley. It's not every day that you get to pick your own apples before a backdrop of snowcapped mountains.
Brown's Orchards/Facebook
Brown's Orchards & Farm Market (Loganville, PA): Best for Post-Picking Dinner
Of all the events at Brown's Orchards, our favorite is the Orchard to Table dinner series hosted through early fall. Get your apple picking done early, then book a seat for the festive meal (it's $60 per person). Each of the five courses is made with homegrown apples—think pork with apple chutney and caramel-apple tarts—and served in a gorgeous, autumn setting.
Blake Farms/ Facebook
Blake's Orchard & Cider Mill (Armada, MI): Best for The Full Fall Experience
In addition to apple picking, you'll find a pumpkin patch, hayrides, a petting zoo, haunted barn, corn mazes, and donuts and caramel apples galore. The only way to end a day is with a hard cider and wine tasting at the Cider Mill.
@nakaznaya/Instagram
Demarest Farm (Hillsdale, NJ): Best for Pumpkins
This New Jersey favorite offers peach picking in the summer and apple picking through the fall, but the enormous pumpkin patch is the star of the show. For that reason, a visit to Demarest Farm is a must before Halloween.
Ahkris K./Yelp
Apple Holler (Sturtevant, WI): Best for Playing with Animals
Apple Holler is an orchard and farm park all in one. Bring the kiddos to the petting zoo, where they can enjoy pony rides as well as adorable goats, chickens, ducks and rabbits.
@Clevelandflea/Instagram
Patterson Fruit Farm (Chesterland, OH): Best For Doughnuts
A day of apple picking is only as good as the doughnuts, and Patterson's on-site bakery is out of this world. You can smell the fried dough from a mile away, which will lead you to a line of people waiting to get their hands on the huge apple fritters, freshly baked doughnuts and juicy pies.
@krypto_the_super/Instagram
Sky Top Orchard (Flat Rock, NC): Best For Bringing Fido
It would be a shame to go apple picking without your pup. (He loves a good McIntosh.) Sky Top Orchard is known for its pet-friendly policy and boundless grounds on which your pooch can roam.
This article was from PureWow and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
On March 19, 2020, United operated its first flight carrying cargo without passengers on board. While the passenger cabin was empty, its cargo hold was completely full, carrying more than 29,000 pounds of commodities from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Frankfurt Airport (FRA).
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"At the beginning of the pandemic, we knew we were uniquely positioned to utilize our widebody aircraft and our network to keep commodities moving, so we quickly mobilized various departments throughout the airline to launch a cargo-only network of flights that would keep commodities moving," said United Cargo President Jan Krems. "Thanks to those efforts, United Cargo has delivered millions of items to countries all around the world. We would not have been successful without the steadfast support of our employees, industry partners and our customers."
Since last March, United Cargo has transported almost 850 million pounds of freight on cargo-only and passenger flights. The airline will continue to monitor market trends adjust its cargo-only flight schedules to help ensure we are meeting our customer's evolving shipping needs.
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This week, we were honored to become the first U.S. airline to join the UNICEF Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative to combat the COVID-19 pandemic by transporting the vaccine and other critically needed supplies to underserved areas of the globe.
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20 UCSF Health workers, who voluntarily set aside their own lives to help save lives, are on their way to New York City.
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This is the story of Jason and Shantel. You see, Jason and Shantel love each other very much. They also love traveling and they love the classic Adam Sandler film, The Wedding Singer.
It all began when Jason reached out to United's social media team, hoping for assistance with his upcoming plan to propose. Some phone calls and one borrowed guitar later, the stage was set for Jason. Put all that together, mix in some helpful United employees and, voila, you have a truly memorable marriage proposal. Congratulations to this fun-loving and happy couple, and here's to many more years of making beautiful music together.
A big thank you to Chicago-based flight attendants Donna W., Marie M., Karen J. and Mark K. for making this proposal come to life.
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