    Early Sunday morning, my friends and I piled into a car and made the hour and a half trip to Ellijay, Georgia to pick some apples. The plan had floated around since last year, but we missed the season in between moving back in and the quick influx of schoolwork that was thrown our way. Instead, we opted to go pumpkin picking, but almost missed that season as well and arrived to find hardly any pumpkins left. This year, our apple picking date was set at the very start of the semester and we practically leaped out of the car upon arrival.
Image Source: Photo by Natalie Grainger on Unsplash
    This particular location had two orchards to pick from, one across the street from each other, though we only really explored the first one. We had been worried that there wouldn’t be too much left when we arrived but found plenty of apples to choose from. Once we filled our bags, we were free to wander around and explore, taking pictures wherever we found good lighting.
    The orchard had a number of other activities we could participate in, one being an “apple cannon” that seemed to shoot apples out at random and often left us startled. Another was a little petting zoo, full of baby goats and puppies huddled in a corner. Our last stop though was their store, which we had wandered through when we first arrived but didn’t fully explore until the end. I had tagged along more for the possibility of apple cider donuts then actual apples, and was happy to find them, along with big jars of apple butter, gallons of cold cider, and a fun surprise–– apple slushies!
   Overall, it was a very chill and lowkey outing. The ride there and back was on the longer side, but we took the time to chat and joke around (or nap once on the way home). It was a fairly cheap outing too, costing us just $5 to get into the orchard and we were able to buy bags to put our apples in for less than $10. The goods sold by the store were affordable as well, and I would have happily left with half their boxes of apple cider donuts had I had less restraint. It was a great way to destress and start the semester, and I highly recommend it for those looking for a fun, weekend excursion! Â