Apple Picking!

It's so nice to have the option of leaving the city.

The hustle and bustle can get to be a little bit much sometimes and I feel so lucky all the time that TT and I both have family so close that will take us in when we want to see a tree or sit on a couch not from IKEA.

Wednesday marked the first day of Fall so last weekend, true to form, we left the city to go start our fall activities. We drove upstate to Albany and went apple picking!

We pulled up to Indian Ladder Farms at around noon. It was an absolutely gorgeous day - no hint of fall in sight, really.

The farm was split across the main road. On the one side you could pay $11 for a 12 lb bag to fill with apples of your choice. On the other side, you were invited to stuff 25 lbs of hand-picked apples into a bag all your own for just $17.

Can you guess which one we chose?

Armed with 25 lb dreams, we set off into the wood.

There were three fields open to us. The Macoun, a cross between a Macintosh and Jersey Black, is enjoyed throughout its October/November season as a naturally sweet un-sweetened applesauce or the perfect accompaniment to a cheese and cracker tray. They were in the fields closest to the car park.

The Cortlandt, a few twists and turns away, were boasted to be your best bet for baking. I made a bee-line to stash a few of my own pretty quickly!

And "for the adventurous souls" who weren't afraid of going off for a bit of a search, the Gala apples awaited us in the far field. Gala apples are sometimes called "lunchbox apples" because they are small and sweet - a perfect snack for a kid (or adult!).

Also the perfect pick for a gala gehl such as myself.

We were also told they were best enjoyed fresh...

Don't have to tell him twice!

We picked and snacked our way through the three fields, tasting different trees to make sure we weren't missing out on the best ones.

After about an hour we were thoroughly exhausted. Can you tell?

Stuffed with apples, we tossed our bag into the car and headed over to the farmhouse to check out the cider donuts

Obviously making some new friends along the way!

What a day! Fall, I'm ready for ya.

Indian Ladder Farms is a bit of a trek but well worth the trip! They're about 3 hours north of the city and are open everyday, 9-5pm until October 26! Find directions here and any other info you might need here!

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

How does that tune go again?

Row, row, row your boat gently past the skylineeeeeee...

No, no, that isn't it.

Ah well - I'm sure it will come to me.

Sometimes you forget Manhattan is an island. With all the skyscrapers and cars, it's hard to imagine beaches, and sand, and water sports. But they exist!!!!!

Well, not so much the beaches and sand part. But the water sports are here! and they are FREE!

The Downtown Boathouse is run entirely by volunteers committed to promoting public access to the water for all. They are best known for their incredibly popular Free Kayaking program on the Hudson River.

Given 80 degrees and a free Sunday, the crew headed west to Pier 26 to check kayaking the Hudson off our collective bucket list.

The lovely folks at the Downtown Boathouse provide sunscreen and safety guidelines to anyone who happens to stumble into a kayak.

We suited up, confirmed that we could all swim, promised to stay within the buoy perimeter, and jumped in line to wait our turn!

You can choose between a 1-person or a 2-person kayak...

But of course we all love each other so opted to share.

Guests can take kayaks out for 30 minutes at a time and test their skills against the waves of the Hudson.

Just be careful not to play bumper cars with any of the other paddlers!

Tip: Sitting in the front seat of the boat means you can sit back and relax, while the kaboose does most of the leg work....

A great time to gather your thoughts while floating past the Freedom Tower.

And a GREAT time to ponder your next meal!

There's no official whistle to bring you back in but after a while we slowly trudged back to the dock to surrender our boats.

Teamwork makes the dream work, #amirite???

We left with big smiles and wet butts and went off to stuff ourselves with pasta for a job well done.

And what better restaurant to reward ourselves than Frank in the East Village? Frank is a teensy little restaurant that you might miss if it weren't for the seating spilling out into the sidewalk. The restaurant buzzes to life in the nighttime but we snagged an open table and were the only ones there at 5pm! Frank is known for the homemade pastas so we checked the specials and ordered away!

Starting with the largest, creamiest burrata I've ever been privileged enough to lay eyes on

Followed by handmade tortelloni

and an incredible Squid Ink Linguine with Frutti di Mare.

A great day had by all.

Let's try that tune again...
Row, row, row your boat gently past the skylineeeee
Merrily merrily merrily merrily NY life is so divineeeee

WOOHOO!