A Checkmark on My Fall Bucket List & Recipe
Do you keep a bucket list of places you would like to go or things you would like to do one day?
Perhaps you scribbled a list on a notepad, saved as a note on your phone, or maybe it just lives in the back of your mind—a quiet, hopeful collection of “somedays.”
My Bucket List
For years, my own list has been growing. It’s filled with charming small towns I’ve only seen in local magazines, scenic drives mentioned by friends, and hidden gems I’ve bookmarked after reading about them. Life, with its comfortable routines and everyday demands, has a way of keeping that list at arm’s length.
“Someday” is always a safe, easy distance away. But if you are like me and crave life and style inspiration, I decided it was time to stop waiting for someday, especially when it comes to taking a day trip every once in awhile to explore an area that I have never been to before.
Studies have shown that short, novel experiences – a day trip, an unplanned hike, exploring a new street – boost dopamine and reset mood. You don’t need a grand vacation. You need interruption. The brain thrives on small doses of novelty. Routine keeps you alive. Novelty makes you feel alive and fills your brain with new ideas and inspiration.
Places I’ve Never Been… Until Now
I have always enjoyed taking time to do things in September as a way to get that “back to school feeling” . Learning that day trips or unplanned outings are good for your brain, Ed and I decided to start taking these short trips and will share them here on the blog in a series I am calling, Places I’ve Never Been… Until Now.
This series is my commitment to turning those daydreams into real-life adventures. It’s about finally taking an impromptu exit off the highway, booking a weekend trip, and exploring the spots that have lived on my “one day” list for far too long.
Going to new places is about the joy of discovery, whether it’s a place across the country, around the world, or just an hour from my own front door.
I’ll be taking you along with me, sharing the sights, the stories, and all the little details that make a place special. My hope is that the post will inspire you to take your own day trip, an unplanned hike, explore a new street, or take the time to stroll through a neighborhood with beautiful homes to turn one of your “somedays” into a “today.”
Day Tripping to Windy Hill Orchard and Cidery
Last Friday, Ed and I took a day trip to enjoy one of the best things to do in the fall. We went to an apple orchard to go apple picking.
We headed to Windy Hill Orchard and Cidery that is a two hour drive from our home.
Apple picking is not a completely new experience for us. Growing up, we both had the opportunity to pick apples, just by climbing a tree in our backyard or at a friend’s farm.
In our adult years when we visited our younger daughter in the fall while she was in college, we always headed to Shelburne Orchards, in Vermont. That’s when eating apple cider donuts became part of the apple-picking experience.
If you have ever had freshly made cider donuts sprinkled with cinnamon sugar then you know how good they are.
For apple picking, they schedule you for a specific time slot, so the orchard doesn’t get overrun. Arriving early provided the perfect opportunity to enjoy the first of a few cider donuts before it was our turn to head into the orchard.
Getting there early also provided us time to taste-test a flight of hard ciders the cidery makes and to check out the small store where they sell cider, spiced apple wassail, apple butters and BBQ sauces all made on the premises.
We bought a few. Some to enjoy at home and more to share with family and friends.
When it was our time slot to head out to the orchard we were a bit disappointed by the apparent apple quality. Most looked beaten up and had spots.
We had two bags to fill and I was searching for the best looking apples. It wasn’t until we got home that we realized that the Winesap apples we picked were DELICIOUS!!!
That’s when we remembered how spoiled we are by “perfect” produce you can buy at the store. I put “perfect” in quotes because they are visually perfect. And often perfectly tasteless.
The apples we picked may not have looked pretty, but they were delicious. They were also ideal to turn into some homemade applesauce that I made the next day. You will find the recipe below.
Unexpected Gems
The joy of a day trip like this fall trip to an apple orchard was the opportunity to discover. We had planned to have lunch in York, SC which was the nearest town to the orchard. But we hadn’t selected a restaurant in advance.
Just before reaching the orchard, we passed an eye-appealing sign for The Garden Café.
Our immediate thought was that we needed to check it out for lunch when we started on our way home.
We were glad we took the time to stop. It was a wonderful place for lunch – delicious food in a magical setting!
We enjoyed our lunch al fresco in this picturesque garden setting.
I also enjoyed browsing in the cafe’s country store and found something I have been looking for for a long time. A tall tea infuser for my tall travel mug.
The day was delightful, the weather perfect and I did come home with new ideas in my head. Which for me is always a good thing.
Will we ever return to the orchard or cafe? Who knows? York, SC is about an hour and a half from our home so… not far, but also not close… and not on one of our typical travel directions.
It doesn’t really matter as our trip was part of a very enjoyable diversion from the daily routine which is what day tripping is all about.
One other thing struck both of Ed and I. Driving through rural South Carolina is a potent reminder of just how much beautiful, but open space exists in many parts of this country… with miles and miles of cotton fields that we would have never known about or seen when taking major roads or the interstate to drive somewhere.
We enjoyed the day so much that we planned another 2-day trip to a place I have been wanting to go to for years. I will share more soon.
So how about you? Do you have a bucket list of places you would like to go or things you would like to do one day? Why not take the time to do it now in the fall while the weather is nice and even get the added benefit of seeing beautiful autumn colors along the way.
Easy & Healthy Instant Pot Homemade Applesauce Recipe
I make applesauce in my Instant Pot as I like that it cuts down the time I would have to stand to watch over a pot on the stove and stir every few minutes until the apples get soft.
With a pressure cooker, once you turn it on, you can walk away and do something else until it’s done.
Healthy Instant Pot Homemade Applesauce
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot or a large pot with a lid
- 1 Immersion blender optional
Ingredients
- 8 large apples peeled and cut up into chunks
- 2 tsps ground cinnamon more or less to taste
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg optional
- 3-4 tablespoons water or no more than 1/4 cup
Instructions
- Peel and cut apples into chunks. To make this step easier, use an apple peeler/corer/slicer like this one I linked to in the notes section of this recipe card.
- Place 3-4 tablespoons of water in bottom of pot, then add chopped apples.
- Sprinkle in 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1 teaspoon nutmeg over top of apples. Add more or less to suit your taste.
- Close and secure lid. Cook on HIGH pressure for 10 minutes.
- Let vent naturally.
- If you like chunky sauce, gently stir apples until you like the texture. If you prefer smooth applesauce, place an immersion blender into the Instant Pot to smooth the texture of the apples into a smooth sauce.
Notes
- You can make this recipe using your favorite type of apple. I usually use Granny Smith or Winesap apples.
- If using smaller apples you can use 12 or more. If using an Instant Pot to make the applesauce, you can fill the pot up to the fill line with cut-up apples.
- If using organic apples, you can keep the peel. If doing this, it is best to cut the apple into smaller chunks so the peel will soften.
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