Two Days, Two Cider Mills, Too Fun!

Fall in Michigan is a beautiful, magical time. Humidity goes south for the winter, sunshine stays around for a while longer, and the trees begin to change into their colorful finery before shedding their leaves to the ground in a crunchy blanket. 

Lots of things are just a little more fun in the fall, and I'm sure I'll post about more of them as the season meanders its way down the road to winter, but cider mills are one of my favorite fall experiences.

Fresh apple cider and piping hot cider donuts are unrivaled in their pure deliciousness.  The combination of the pure, sweet cider and the slightly crumbly cake donut is a little bliss for your tastebuds.  There are other apple-based goodies in abundance at the cider mills, but I generally stick with the cider and donuts, both for simplicity's sake and the sake of facing my scale the next morning!

I guess it would be possible to sit home and wait for someone to bring you some cider and donuts, but there's something about watching them press the apples into cider with the giant presses squeezing every smidge of juicy goodness from a seemingly unsqueezable fruit.  Then there are the other attractions, especially for kids - feeding ducks and conversing with farm animals and making friends with dogs and other kids and haystacks. 

Recently, we visited two cider mills in two days, one with our MOMS group (and my entourage of my mom, Aunt Carolyn, and Nan) and one with our Beland besties.  Nothing like welcoming fall in with some serious cider mill love.  We will be back and will visit others as well - Michigan's economy needs our support, right?

feeding ducks

throwing the bread

this year she didn't try to eat it herself

he looks so serious here!

he was quite displeased that I wasn't sharing my donut

Abbey and Aunt Carolyn on the bridge over the little stream 

yes! wearing boots means playing in puddles

she was wearing something else this morning

ten minutes before leaving, she pulled her Easter dress out of her closet

insisted on keeping on the yellow t-shirt

she wanted to visit the cider mill in style!

waiting patiently to bundle up the babies

watching the press

he's one of the few people whose hand she will always hold, without any prompting

keeping up my energy for our walk, ha ha ha

Abbey loved the black and white baby goat

trying to figure out his carrier

don't worry D; it took me a couple times, too

playing on the fall-decorated wagon

in the driver's seat

another furry friend

wooden fur, but still fur