“It’s the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings and, best of all, leaping into leaves!”
Winnie the Pooh, Pooh’s Grand Adventure
To me, autumn is undeniably Michigan’s most beautiful season. The air is crisp and cool, the sky a brilliant blue! The fall foliage is breathtaking – crimson red, burnt orange, deep purple, chestnut brown and yellow – the color of dandelions and sunshine.
It’s time to embrace the fall season and there are so many wonderful outdoor activities to enjoy: visiting an apple orchard, taking the little ones to a pumpkin patch or just taking a brisk walk or a hike with leaves crunching under your feet while enjoying the beautiful scenery.
One of my favorite fall activities is visiting one of the many apple orchards in Genesee County. My family and I love to visit Mueller’s Orchard & Cider Mill in Linden, which is one of the area’s oldest orchards; records indicate it has been operating since the late 1880s. We savor their warm, sugary cinnamon and pumpkin doughnuts with a refreshingly cool cup of cider. We hand-pick apples from a variety of bins – one bag of crispy ones for eating and one bag that will soon become a homemade apple crisp. We also like to visit the picturesque Parshallville Cider Mill in Fenton for their delicious baked pies and caramel apples. Spicer Orchards is another Fenton favorite for an afternoon of apple-picking, a hayride and a walk through the corn maze.
We also enjoy a visit to Starr’s Farm in Linden for its bounty of pumpkins in all shapes, colors and sizes, as well as their fall harvest vegetables – Brussels sprouts, winter squash, cauliflower and so much more. I enjoy their display of beautiful mums in white, yellow, orange, burgundy, bronze and purple.
Trick-or-treating, candy, spooky ghosts, cackling witches on broomsticks, monsters and vampires … you just can’t talk about autumn fun without mentioning Halloween. Dressing up in costumes, carving pumpkins and decorating are great ways to create family memories.
It’s also time for cool weather fun like Friday night football under the lights, tailgating at a college game with delicious tailgate treats, and watching the Detroit Lions on TV. Kids enjoy jumping in a big pile of autumn leaves. Others look forward every year to driving around our beautiful state on a Michigan color tour.
How will you celebrate this season? I plan to slow down a little bit after a busy summer. I will enjoy putting away the grill and cooking some fall comfort foods – hearty chili served with all the fixings and a side of cornbread, or a yummy soup or stew simmering in a pot on the stove. I enjoy baking (and eating) fall goodies, especially warm apple crisp topped with vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
In the fall, you will find me sitting in my favorite chair with a good book, a blanket, a fire to take the chill out of the air and a mug of hot apple cider by my side, or maybe taking a cue from Pooh … with hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows.
