🍎 Let’s pick apples | Outdoorsy Newsletter

The first day of fall is just around the corner.

In this edition:

• Grab a basket: We have your guide to apple-picking near Philadelphia.
• Around the world: Follow a rower’s journey from the Philly suburbs to Bulgaria and beyond.
• Closures to know: A historic amusement and water park, and a beloved beer garden.

☂️ Your weekend weather outlook: Friday should be clear and sunny, but showers may put a damper on Saturday and Sunday.

— Paola Pérez (outdoorsy@inquirer.com)

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Apples await

Between freshly baked pies, warm apple cider, or pillowy soft doughnuts, you’re in for a treat at any of our favorite apple-picking spots.

To ring in the season, we rounded up the top places to check out, in order from closest to farthest from Philly, including:

🍏 Indian Orchards Farm, a century-year-old farm in Media growing about 25 apple varieties like honeycrisp and smokehouse.

🍎 Linvilla Orchards, a must-visit orchard in Delco where you can fill a two-quart bag for $11 per person.

🧺 Note: You may want to call ahead and confirm specific availability ahead of visiting. Some may be limited this year due to spring’s freezing temps.

See our list of the best orchards for apple-picking in the region.

News worth knowing

• The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s popular pop-up beer garden in Manayunk will close permanently Oct. 5.
• The century-old Clementon Park & Splash World, which spans 50 acres in South Jersey, has closed its gates and will soon be back on the market.
• Collingswood neighbors could soon seek licenses for backyard hens after an 18-year push from advocates.
• A “critical” Peco project to install new utility poles in West Philly has been paused after residents expressed outrage over plans to trim their tree canopy.
• A new tool may help Delaware County officials manage intense flooding and track data.

🌳 Your outdoorsy experience

I’m looking for new stories to highlight. This is your time to shine, dear reader. What are you doing or seeing outside?

In 200 words, tell me about your favorite adventures or unforgettable moments outdoors. Pictures, if you have them, are awesome. You might see your memories featured here.

🚣‍♂️ Racing on

🎤 Here’s Becca O’Reilly with a story for The Inquirer on a rower’s “surreal” journey.

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Ava Smith crossed the finish line in Bulgaria as a proud member of an elite eight-person boat representing the U.S. Under-19 national women’s rowing team.

“Crossing the finish line, it was a feeling of accomplishment,” said Smith, who took up the sport only four years earlier at Mount St. Joseph Academy in Flourtown, Montgomery County. “A sort of relief, in a way, just knowing it’s done. We put it all out there.”

Smith picked up an oar for the first time as a freshman at Mount St. Joseph, but rowing runs in her blood. Her father, Don Smith, competed for the U.S. at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics; her older brother, Luke Smith, rows at Stanford and made the Under-19 national men’s team; and her sister, Addy Smith, now rows at Texas. Even the youngest Smith, Arden, plans to row as she starts her freshman year at Mount St. Joseph.

This summer, that legacy came full circle. After years of sibling-fueled rivalry, Ava earned a spot in the women’s eight as the seven seat and traveled to Plovdiv, Bulgaria, to compete at the World Rowing Under-19 Championships, a spot secured after a whirlwind six weeks that took her from a selection camp in California to the start line across the world. And all of it just days before she leaves for her own next chapter: Rowing at the University of California, Berkeley. — Becca O’Reilly

Read the full story of how Smith joined the women’s eight, and her next endeavors.

Paola’s picks

🌊 A track: “Water of Love” by Dire Straits.

💡 A pro-tip: Halfway through walking or cycling the Manayunk Bridge, you might be surprised when the lane switches sides. It’s on purpose.

🦈 A tale: How Cape Cod is learning to live with sharks.

🥳 An amazing feat: At 91, Dale “Grey Beard” Sanders has reclaimed his record as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail. His favorite days were spent in “Rocksylvania.”

🎸 An activity: Bryn Mawr Twilight Concert series with Mdou Moctar (solo) and Tim Motzer (Friday; $26), and the third-annual Spring Garden Sunflower Fest (Saturday; free).

A blissful view

Take a moment to soak up this sunrise with me. I was blessed with it while visiting family in Florida.

👋🏽 Have a good one out there.

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