Now that you’re on your own, and your parents can’t force you into any fall family fun activities, you kind of miss it, don’t you? The foliage, in all its autumn splendor, surely evokes nostalgia for pumpkin farms and apple orchids; but since this is Binghamton, you don’t have much time to waste. It’s plausible to assume that come morning, the trees will be bare, covered with snow.

Lone Maple Farm, located about a mile down Pennsylvania Avenue, is a perfect way to appreciate the season, without straying too far from campus. My suitemates and I make it an annual tradition to make the trip. First, we take a hayride up to the apple orchids. Sure, it’s a bit corny, but we all genuinely enjoy the scenery and farm tunes. Next we meander around the shop. The smell of freshly baked donuts and cider is almost excruciating. We make it a point to buy all the different types of Lone Maple Salsas (The peach mango is amazing, as well as the black bean corn).

Lone Maple Farm is definitely worth a trip before it’s winter and you can’t even leave your room without slipping on ice and spilling scalding soup on yourself (Sorry, I’m still bitter about a little incident last winter). Anyway, hurry up. You don’t have time to plan your moves; I’m watching leaves by the hundreds fall to the ground as I type this. If you’re friends give you a hard time about apple picking, just tell them you can soak the apples in vodka. Here’s a recipe for my own little Lone Maple Farm apple “juice.”

Recipe for Char’s Autumn Binghamton Brew (for 5):

• Vodka (Svedka will do if you’re on a budget)
• 8 Macintosh Apples
• One packet of Crystal Light Pink Lemonade powder
• Three small 12 oz Cranberry Apple Juice (from vending machine/dining hall)
• Ice
• Seltzer

Soak Apples in vodka (add to taste) for at least an hour (Preferably overnight)- refrigerate

Add Cranberry Apple juice and seltzer.

Stir in Crystal Light
Add Ice

Let simmer. Served Chilled.