For Grandma Nikki’s first full day “back East,” and in accommodation of her Mama’s weeks of petitioning, Ada took her first trip out to the country to go apple picking!
It was the perfect autumn day for our jaunt out to New Hope, Pennsylvania, a funky small town across the Delaware River from Lambertville, New Jersey, another funky small town that specializes in antiques. We went to Solebury Orchards, a small farm with pick-your-own apples, pumpkins, and other in-season fruits and veggies. They are also well known for their cider doughnuts, fresh apple cider and peach butter. (“Well, I mean, it would be simply irresponsible to pass up any of their house specialties, given that we’re already here and we’ve come this far and they’re in season… am I right?”)
We picked apples and wildflowers, then went for dinner at a place right on the river, complete with 2 roasty-toasty fireplaces. After dinner we took a walk through New Hope and stopped in a small independent bookshop that used to be the town’s general store in the 1800’s. Mama snagged a half-dozen board books for Ada’s library. [Footnote: apparently some of our new books are also on Daddy’s reading list: I’m looking at you, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?]
“Dad! Who needs wildflowers? I want some of your doughnut! Doughnut!”
Grandma Nikki loves Ada so much she’ll even share her first-ever cider doughnut.
It was Ada’s first, too! Nom nom nom.
Monkey mama climbing all the way to the top to get the good ones.
What’cha got, pops?
Who needs teeth? The juice is the best part anyway.
Keep doing what you’re doing, dad. I’ve got this down.
We’re smiling because we know how many pies we can make with the 20 pounds of apples in our trunk.
She knows you’re coveting her pink bear hat.
“That’s the wrong kind of Apple, Daddy. We’re here for the fruit.”
We picked wildflowers to take home. A is for apples, Z is for zinnias.
The short ride to dinner: Grandma Nikki escorting the wildflowers, Ada catching a cat nap.
Helping herself to Grandma Nikki’s french fries. And also her hamburger, her water, her cabernet, the baby food pouch we brought for her, and pretty much anything within reach.
Who is happy to support local and independent book sellers? THIS BABY!