Ahhhh, fall. It’s my favorite time of the year, the season for fall foliage, Oktoberfest-style beers and pumpkin spice everything! I love the chill in the air, throwing on a warm, fuzzy sweater and finding something to do outside. Last weekend, instead of going on a hike or a bike ride, we opted for something more fruitful . . . apple picking.

We headed out to Reisinger’s Apple Country in Watkins Glen, New York, for opening day of its Honeycrisp apple picking. For those of you who haven’t tried a Honeycrisp apple, it’s the sweetest, biggest, juiciest and most crisp apple you may ever eat. Of course, they also have plenty of other apples to pick from: Jonamac, McIntosh, Gala, Cortland, Ruby Mac and Ginger Gold, to name a few.

We grabbed a wagon and some large bags and headed down the rows of apple trees until we spotted the sign for Honeycrisp. The trees were full of large apples, and it was easy to find perfect specimens to pick. After our wagon was full, we headed over to the colorful zinnia garden, abuzz with bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The owner, Rick, came by and told us his wife thought he was crazy to spend so much time on that flower garden this year. He painstakingly planted all the seeds and worked all summer thinning them out and maintaining the garden. But the end result was breathtaking!

We stopped in the store, where the irresistible smell of apple cider donuts filled the air. After picking a couple of pumpkins and trying an apple cider donut ice cream sandwich, we were on our way.

Now it’s time to make an apple pie, applesauce and eat just plain delicious Honeycrisp apples until it’s time to decorate for Christmas!

— Tracey Cullen, art director