Erin Lavender, Engineer at B & P Manufacturing, on the colors and flavors of fall in Northern Michigan.
There is a crispness in the air and an abundance of color as the seasons change from summer to fall – my favorite time of year. There are several activities reserved just for fall and we wait patiently for them all year long. Smells of pumpkin and apples, campfires and color tours – all things I look forward to. The colors of fall are spectacular in Northern Michigan- mums, pumpkins and the best part, the trees. The landscape turns from green to hues of red, orange, yellow and bronze – definitely a sight worth seeking out. It isn’t uncommon to spend a day just driving, hunting for the best colors as you tour around the countryside. There are several marked color tour roads around the area, you could also take a day trip up M-22, or for us country folk hop on an ATV and head out to the woods – either way, with the right timing you are sure to find amazing color.
Our family spends a lot of time out on Rose Lake just outside of Cadillac and I make a goal each fall to take at least one lap around the lake by kayak taking in the views. Being out on the water surrounded by fall color is truly serene. We also wait for that last summer like day when we can take in our last beach day of the season before the cold sets in.
I have two young children and we have made a tradition each fall to head over to Geers Farm in McBain, our local pumpkin patch. The girls enjoy meeting the animals in the petting zoo, taking a wagon ride around the grounds and hunting for the perfect pumpkin, the bigger the better. Each year the girls get a bit braver and try a few new activities from the year before, the mini zip line, the extra tall slide from the barn or even shooting the apple cannon – and we always have to come home with a dozen homemade doughnuts and some apple cider. It is definitely a day we all look forward to each year.