The heat has been cut, and it’s finally starting to feel brisk out there. Day trips aren’t just for summertime weekends, and there are plenty of places around the area where you get out for the day and go apple-picking and drink hot cider and be surrounded by foliage.
Here are three places where you can go to do the fall things:
1. Go apple picking
Where: Linvilla Orchards, at 598 Linvill Road in Media
How to get there: It’s about a half hour drive to get to the apple orchard from Center City, and that’s probably the easiest way to get there. But you also have the option of taking public transportation. You can hop on the Media-Elwyn line on the Regional Rail and get off at Elwyn. Hope on the 117 bus and take it five stops to Middletown Road and Knowlton Road. From there, you can walk about 10 minutes and be at the farm.
Hours: Open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., but they will close sooner if dusk is earlier.
Cost: Price will depend on how much you come back with. Apples are priced from $2.29 a pound to $29.95 for half a bushel.
What to do there: In addition to the apple-picking, this place can be a great spot for either dates or a getaway with the kids. It offers a number of different hayrides either in the daytime or the evening that snake through the farm and the orchards. Also going on now at Linvilla is “Pumpkinland,” a place complete with cornfield mazes, live music and, duh, lots of pumpkins.
2. Enjoy wine-tasting
Where: Brandywine Valley Wine Trail
How to get there: The main winery located at 553 S. Guernsey Rd. in West Grove is about an hour southwest of Philadelphia in Chester County. Driving is probably your best option for getting there.
Hours: Each of the wineries on the Bradywine Valley Wine Trail — yep, there are multiple — have different hours. You can find out hours for each winery here.
Cost: Pricing varies depending on how many wines you elect to try and how many of the wineries on the trail you decide to swing by. But the people who run the trail do offer a special $45 Trailblazer Pass which allows you to visit member wineries any time over the course of a month and special deals while you’re there — it could end up paying for itself verrrrry quickly. More information on the Trailblazer Pass can be found here.
What to do there: Check out each of the five wineries on the wine trail and make your own agenda, but beware: They recommend not visiting more than four, and don’t provide transportation in between. So be sure to bring a friend willing to drive between the locations. The Wine Trail is also within close proximity to other attractions you can check out, like Longwood Gardens and Historic Kennett Square.
3. Pumpkin-picking and a corn maze
Where: Springdale Farms
How to get there: Located at 1638 Springdale Road in Cherry Hill, this place is about a 30 minute drive from Center City Philadelphia. You can also take PATCO over the Ben Franklin Bridge. Get on at 8th Street and take the train six stops to Haddonfield. You can then hop on the 451, ride for about 20 minutes to Kresson Road at Springdale Road, and then walk about 15 minutes to get to the farms.
Hours: Monday to Saturday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: That all depends on what you decide to do while you’re there. The corn maze, one of the most popular attractions, is $10 for adults and kids over 13. The farms also host pumpkin-picking, hayrides and scarecrow-making workshops throughout October. Call 856-424-8674 for more information on pricing.
What to do there: Pumpkin-picking hayrides run continuously on weekends through the fall season, or you can book a private hayride for a group to an exclusive campsite. The full calendar of events for October can be found here, and includes events like Pumpkin Palooza and classes on how to make the best scarecrow. Oh, and did we mention there’s a bakery? Yes. There is a bakery, and yes, the apple cider donuts are a thing.
