Russell Orchards | Ipswich, MA | Apple Picking

After a long summer of stickiness and humidity, I, like many other Boston-area folks, jumped to celebrate fall at the first signs of crispness. And what better way to start off than with the quintessential New England autumn activity: apple picking?

I ended up at Russell Orchards in Ipswich (just a mile from Crane Beach, about an hour northeast of Boston). This was my first time apple picking, and Russell did not disappoint: apple cider doughnut smells wafted through the parking lot, enticing us weary travelers from the get-go (an hour in traffic is nearly a lifetime for someone who bikes 10 minutes to work!).

The basics:

• parking is free, a 10 lb. bag of apples is $20 on weekends, and a dozen doughnuts is $9.50 (trust me, you will need a dozen)
• the only bathrooms are port-a-potties in the parking lot
• it’s about a 5 minute hay ride from the parking lot to the orchards
• they grow about 15 varieties of apple

Why Russell is great:

• Big Darryl: a giant (and I mean giant) pig lives on the premises, and is available for pictures when he is not sleeping
• they have a dog that hangs out in a golf cart
• the apple cider doughnuts are out-of-this-world-amazing
• in the early fall, it’s still warm enough to visit Crane Beach if you are so inclined