Douglas Orchards is my never-fail source for my favorite two apple varieties: Northern Spy and Golden Russet.

I guess I like going there for the drive as well as the fact that I know I can get the apples I want there. They are in Shoreham, VT, 1.5 miles west of the incredibly scenic Route 22a.

They sell berries in the summer, and apples and other fall produce in the fall. the people who work there always know enough to help you. Yesterday they had no russets out yet (they are a very late apple), but the woman helping me knew they'd been picked. She called someone who brought in a few bushels ready to be bagged. In no time I had my apples and tonight we'll have a pie.

The farm is also very picturesque, with huge old trees and a bright red Farmall tractor, the gentle slopes of the lower Champlain Valley, and the broad vistas that make this part of Vermont so beautiful any time of year.