Wanderlusting: Apple Picking at Wright’s Farm 2022

While I might have fought the end of summer, I do love doing all of the fall things, let’s just keep the temps above seventy please! Being back in New York has let me do all the autumnal things that I use to love to do when I lived here, including visiting some of my favorite Orchards. Last weekend I got to go apple picking with some of my family, and for the first time it included my goddaughter, which to do anything with her is going to be filled with tons of giggles, huge smiles and a bursting heart as she is two going on twenty-two!

I have written about Wright’s Farm before as I had visited with my cousins and their pups as one of the only apple picking farms in the Hudson Valley that allows dogs. Wright’s Farm is a 453 acre five generation family owned and operated farm which was began in 1904, with the first commercial apple orchard, mostly Macintosh apples, planted in 1910 to bring in some revenue and the rest is history. They now offer over twenty different varieties, as well as different seasonal fruits to pick.

They have a beautiful farmer’s stand and market where they sell jams, pickles, baked goods, apple cider donuts, and fresh produce as well as a brewery that they recently opened which has live music on the weekends. They also have a venue for weddings, lots of space and actually encourage tail-gating and picnicking as well as trails to walk, run, or ride your bike and just explore and half fun. There also might be quite the few opportunities to have an Instagram moment or ten. Everything is so well done, and cultivated beautifully.

As I mentioned I went with my family and my cousins and I had been there twice before, as it is dog friendly, but it was the first time my Aunt, Uncle, and Goddaughter were going. It had been four years, thanks to covid, and they had expanded quite a bit including building a brewery and serving hard cider, beer, and food. There is an entrance fee into the orchard which includes a bag for apple picking which you purchase at the market, before driving up to the orchard which is passed the market and has tons of room for parking and the aforementioned tailgating if you want too.

Once we purchased our bags, we made our way to the orchard and began to explore. They had a tractor that you can take pictures on, and as we had in past years did just that. They also had a wooden train that kiddos could play on and my goddaughter was obsessed with. I might have jumped on at my god daughter behest, because well, whatever she says goes.

After playing on the train for a little while as well as running into people we know (it really is a small world friends!) it was time to start the picking! I actually didn’t take any apples home as I have been an essential nomad and traveling a ton, but both my aunt and cousin wanted lots of apples to make pies, and apple crisp with, so I ended up giving them my bag after I helped them pick. In between picking we sampled the apples which were delicious and had lots and lots of laughs.

And of course took ALL the pictures! And while I did have pictures taken of me, (thanks to my stunning cousin!) I was their unofficial photographer which I loved, though not sure my goddaughter did, because after awhile, she started saying “Auntie Kate No paparazzi!” She really is to much! While I am more of a landscape or product photographer, there is something special about taking pictures of those I love and showcasing their personalities, and getting to see themselves in a new light. I have a friend who hated having her picture (which I can relate to) until I started taking them, and she now loves it, but further more she now sees what we all see, how beautiful she is inside and out.

After a couple hours of apple picking and all the fun, we went back to the store to buy some donuts and other goodies before we headed to the cutest local cafe for lunch. It was the it spot as we had a bit of a wait, but it was worth it. Afterwards, we drove home. It was a great day with some of the best most amazing people in my life. It felt extra special, after the last two years and while I did get to do fall things, I wasn’t able to in New York and with some of my favorite people. It was the best way of making lots of incredibly fun memories and welcoming fall in.