This past Saturday, I desperately wanted to drive some place far away (relatively). After a few weekends of ESL lesson planning, laundry, and chores, I was ready for an adventure! I checked out the Massachusetts Tourism website specifically for events on Saturday and I stumbled upon a Thanksgiving Harvest Festival at the Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, MA (about 1 hr away). Since I missed apple-picking this year, I was really excited to get a last-minute taste of harvest season. I mentioned it to my roommates and they jumped on board too!
The Festival was awesome - even better than I imagined! We drove through a winding country road lined with trees and pulled into a bustling farm complete with a wind turbine. Local vendors with homemade goods like Alpaca knitted winter clothing, local cheese, maple syrup, evergreen wreaths, and pottery displayed their artistic prowess. The Harwick Wine Co. served free wine tasting and a local brewery sold their Harvest Brew (seemed to be popular). There was even a Civil War reenactment camp set-up with "soldiers" armed with historical knowledge. The Red Apple Farm also had a barn/meeting area that was decorated with lights for the occasion. Local bands played bluegrass and piano ragtime while people sipped on fresh apple cider and ate apple dumplings in front of the toasty fireplace. This was a truly idyllic scene.
My roommates and I decided to stay for lunch since there were several food vendors from which to choose. When I'm on an adventure, my motto is "Go big or go home", so I bought the BBQ Burger: flame-toasted bun, cheeseburger topped with pulled pork and BBQ sauce. Sure, this was more meat than I had eatten since I arrived in Worcester, but what the heck! The burger was well worth the cholesterol, my friends. Thankfully, Liz suggested we go on a guided hike to the nearby 1,000 Acre Swamp so I could make sure my heart was still willing to work. All told, we had a great adventure!
On my next excursion, I would like to drive to Stockbridge,MA: home of the Normal Rockwell Museum, quaint country roads, Edith Wharton's home (designed by herself), and the National Shrine of Divine Mercy.
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