Adventures with Bertie: Apple Picking
This is Bertie. She is my 2002 Honda Shadow VLX 750 and I love her. I haven’t made as many trips and I’d like to this year so I decided that instead of actually building the cider press I wanted to make for you guys this weekend – I’d ride her out to Michigan and get some quality apples for a tutorial later this week. I tend to frequent the stretch of road between Chicago and Michigan and its one of my favorite rides in the area. I only need ride 94 past Gary jump off at route 12 and I am instantly greeted with big trees and small roads. The best of the ride is through Indiana Dunes National Park but I had never actually stopped there believing their dunes to be inferior to Michigan’s but yesterday morning I took a detour into the actual park and was pleasantly surprised.
The dunes are regularly covered with people during the summer – mostly tourists from Chicago wanting a quick out of city experience – but there is nothing like visiting the dunes in the off-season. It is so quiet and the colors are simply incredible. I was really glad to have left so early and get to see all the fields lit up but the morning sun. Then it was off to Michigan! I’d chosen Springhope Farms strictly based on them being the first u-pick orchard over the border but was happy with my choice. They were a super small family operation that offered apples, cider, and not much else- I even had to grab my coffee from the gas station up the street and try to balance it in my bag on my lap a few miles up the road(which was surprisingly successful). It was a lovely little place and everyone was excited to meet Bertie – I cant help but love it when Dads bring their kids over to get a closer look at the “biker chick”.
I walked around the orchard watching families play and couples enjoying hand holden walks through the lines of trees. I picked a smattering of Jonagold and Melrose and then also grabbed a box of “ugly apples” on sale for half price (keep in mind for the cider edition – you don’t want top quality apples for cider anyway!). The lady at the counter questioned whether I’d be able to get that many apples home on my motorcycle but she doesn’t know Bertie like I do. We loaded up and hit the road for a super windy ride back to the city. All in all it was the perfect lil autumn ride! Stay tuned while I figure out how to build this cider press!
Absolutely lovely! You are making me want to get my motorcycle license and wander around the midwest.