All Over Albany

It's a good time to wander

This is about an apple orchard -- probably the most beautiful orchard we've ever visited.

But it's not really about that orchard.

We can explain.

We were driving along Route 7 in southern Vermont last weekend after spending the day poking around Rutland and Manchester when we happened upon East Dorset -- and, out of the corner of our eye, caught a look down Mad Tom Road. Something about it just seemed very... Vermont -- the church, the homes, the road itself -- and we just sort randomly decided, hey, we should take a drive that way. And, oh, look, there's a sign for an orchard. We like orchards.

The road delivered as promised. A charming little town center. Beautiful classic homes. A long, shady stretch through the woods. And then, after emerging from under leafy canopy -- Mad Tom Orchard.

We have a lot of apple orchards in this part of the country. And orchards are, kind of by their nature, usually pretty places, especially in the fall. The green and silver trees heavy with apples in all sorts of shades, the dirt roads traced through the grass, the crisp blue autumn skies.

But even by that standard, Mad Tom Orchard is beautiful. It sits upon a perch in the valley between the Green Mountains and the Taconics. There's a rustic red barn out front with sunflowers along the fence. Recently-planted trees stand in neat rows along the front, while handsome, bushy, decades-old trees in the back overlook a field of goldenrod and other wildflowers. It's like something from a storybook.

The orchard is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The family that owns it has been working to reinvigorate the orchard over the last decade, expanding the area in production with new trees. But, as we stood there taking in the view, talking with one of the owners about old varieties of McIntosh, the place felt like something from another time.

After strolling around the orchard and gathering a bagful of apples from those long-ago planted Macs, we got back in the car and headed back for Route 7. The whole way back to the main we road we talked about the orchard, marveling at this place we just stumbled upon.

So, that's what this is really all about. One of the great things about this part of the world is that it's full of these sorts of places. You can take a weekend drive along any of the long-established routes -- US 20, Route 7, one of the many Route 9s -- and even without a plan you're likely to come across something unusual or historical or beautiful or special. You just have to be willing to turn down a road you've never taken before and wander a little bit.

And this part of the year -- with the brilliant blue skies, warm sun and cool air, the leaves starting to change -- is the perfect time to do it.