To quote the talented DJ Khaled, “…another one!”. As in another fun-filled excursion to Marker-Miller Orchard. At this orchard, you have the option to buy pre-picked apples or purchase a bag to “pick your own”. It all depends on what kind of experience you want to have. There is more to do than just pick apples, there is live music, a market to browse, and hayrides for children. What was different about this trip is that we went during their Apple Harvest Festival. It was packed!
Note, to maximize your time there you should get there no later than noon and split up into groups when you need to stand in multiple lines. Our first hour there consisted of waiting in line to purchase our apple-picking bags, waiting in line for the women’s bathroom, Brian and the boys waiting in one line for pizza and, me waiting in another line for BBQ. By the time I got my food, yes, it was worth the wait, my girlfriend and her daughter had arrived. The kiddos started chasing each other around as soon as they saw each other. At the center of it farm, near next to the market, were four big playgrounds that made up a kind of “Kids Zone”. Nothing fancy but it kept the children amused while we stuffed our faces and shuffled around to the live music.
After wrapping up lunch and confirming we had a fair amount of snacks for the littles, we had about 3 hours left until closing. That sounds like a lot of time, but it really wasn’t. Marker-Miller orchard is acres big. I don’t know how many, exactly, but big enough to where I recommended bringing a stroller or wagon. We hauled the littles down the aisles, around the gravel paths, and up and down small hills. The orchard is categorized by apple type and the aisles are all labeled by what type of apples there are. The farm provides you with a map to help guide you to where you want to go. As soon as we braked, the littles jumped and started picking apples off the ground. This was a learning moment! We explained to them what kind of apples we were looking for and that we want to, first, inspect what was on the trees.
Their eyes were sharp. They pointed out apples that were high up and only able to be reached by Brian climbing into the trees himself. It was cute to hear “Be careful Daddy!” from all three of the youngsters. While their eyes may have been sharp their attention spans were short and often they’d take off running down the aisle while Brian was still navigating his way through the branches. We admired the children as they made up their own games to play with each other. We also took the time to toss any bad apples before heading to our next destination.
We picked Crispen, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Nittany, Rome, and York. My favorite apple of the day was the Rome apple. It’s a deep red color and hangs in beautiful bunches on the trees. “The Rome is rounded, all red, and very glossy, with a thick skin and firm flesh. It is primarily used for baking, as its flavor develops when cooked, and it holds its shape well. It is commonly described as less desirable as an eating apple because of its subtle flavor that is not as sweet, flashy, or tart as some other varieties.” Rome apple. (2022, November 3). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome_apple
There is something about being out there that makes it easy to lose track of time. It’s like we got so busy living in the moment we hadn’t realized we only had about 45 minutes before closing. The sun was hitting right so my girlfriend and I snapped some selfies together before loading up the littles to head across the farm to the pumpkin patch. Parker was looking for a specific kind of pumpkin. A square pumpkin, like the one in the movie he watched at school. As hard as it may be to believe, we did not see a single square pumpkin out there. After wiping away his tears, we set out on a mission to find a square-ish pumpkin for him. Mission accomplished.
The day was full of laughter and little kids just being little kids. It was one of those days you can reflect on and find yourself smiling. We also took super cute pictures of these three hamming it up. Sometimes being a parent is stressful, especially when I’m trying to get the boys ready for an all-day event or out-of-town trip. But then, as I’m sitting here writing and scrolling through the pictures, I am so grateful for that experience. I am grateful to have those memories with my husband, with my boys, and with my dear friend.
Side Note: I need to check out the pictures on the Cannon camera that Parker was taking….
L. Bradley 