What: The Adventure Society’s Fall Foliage Horseback Ride with Apple & Pumpkin Picking
Where: Central New Jersey
When: Sunday, October 12th 7:30a.m. – 6p.m.
Why: Fresh air, a sugar high, and a canter through the forest sound good right about now. Manhattan only lets us burn off so much steam when the stresses of a world in turmoil become overwhelming. Sure we release endorphins climbing mobbed subway stairs four times a day, running in leafy Central Park, biking the bridges, and walking long ways just getting to and from the office. (No one can refute that being a New Yorker keeps us young; we have the well-toned calves and blistered feet to show for it.) But living in this fast-paced urban utopia means there is always one thing missing: the wild outdoors.
Alaska native Serena Walker started Adventure Society in 2001 to fill that void. Led by trained, professional guides, Sunday’s 15-person all-inclusive expedition entails a morning horseback ride across an unbelievably picturesque valley and into a historic iron mining gorge, followed by lunch at a local restaurant and apple and pumpkin picking at a nearby family-owned orchard. Adventure Society has taken care of the nitty-gritty logistics, which includes sending you a suggested packing list in advance so that on the day of the event, all you have to do is show up. When your bag is brimming with McIntosh and Granny Smiths, Walker recommends sipping hot apple cider and indulging in homemade donuts. If you want to bring back a taste of the day to a friend, the farm’s country bakery is stocked with fresh pies, jellies, and apple fritters.
If you have a conflict this weekend, the same activity is being offered on October 26th. Other upcoming trips include sailing up the Hudson to Haunted Sleepy Hollow, tandem hang gliding, ATV 4-Wheeling and Beer Tasting, and a seven-mile hike up the Shawangunk Ridge with a wine tasting to follow.
Break out of Manhattan for a day and find peace where you really can hear a pin drop. Biting into a Red Delicious bursting with perfect sweet flavors, you look around at the unburdened verdant vista and wonder when you can do this again.
Cost: $108 for members of Adventure Society, $123 for non-members. If you create a new free Non-Member account before November 9th, 2008, send an email with “offManhattan Offer” in the subject line to info@adventuresociety.com to get one month of free member benefits and discounts on trips (membership cost is usually $99 for 6 months). This offer is only good on new accounts, and you will need to wait until your account has been upgraded to member status before you can register for events with the discounted price.
How to get there: Transportation will be provided by Adventure Society. Once you have signed up and paid for the trip, you will be notified of the exact midtown pick up location. (Adventure Society, info@adventuresociety.com, 212.620.5348,t AdventureSociety.com)
The co-founder and editor-at-large at offMetro, Lauren is a sustainable travel specialist and freelance journalist with frequent bylines in National Geographic, Bicycling Magazine and Shape. Follow Lauren’s adventures at @laurenmati.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram