Traveling with Twain

In Search of America's Identity

Apple picking in New York

Elmira, NY

StoneyRidge Orchard

Dan and I will do anything to escape a) the van and b) prepackaged food. So today the two of us detoured to StoneyRidge Orchard in Erin, Ny., to pick apples and fix both of those problems.

There is something quintessentially American about apple picking. StoneyRidge grows about a dozen different types of apples, and they have names like “Freedom” and “Liberty.” Although the trees were marked, we had trouble finding those specific apples. We ran up and down the orchard hill yelling that we were looking for America.

We never found Freedom, but Liberty tastes delicious.

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About Alyssa Karas

Alyssa Karas (b. May 16, 1989) was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated in June from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. At Medill she wrote for the online and magazine editions of North by Northwestern and then served as editor-in-chief of NU Intel, an online publication. Outside of Medill Alyssa has reported for the metro desk of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, written commercials for Pittsburgh television station WTAE, covered courts for The Oregonian, and this summer worked for the Indianapolis Star as a Pulliam Fellow.

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