Cider Mill

“Cider Time” is apparently a Michigan tradition. Josh and I noticed it the first fall that we moved up here. There were signs everywhere for Cider Time, and apple cider (both hot and cold) was available for purchase everywhere- at grocery stores, restaurants, and coffee shops all over town. There are also excellent donuts called Cider Donuts, that are made with apple cider and some are then covered in cinnamon and sugar- mmm.

The cider is made all over the state, and there are cider mills at apple orchards everywhere. Most of the cider mills are open to the public- you can go and watch them make the cider, buy hot donuts and fresh cider, and usually pick some apples and/or pumpkins too. There are hayrides at some, and haunted houses at others. We have seen nice fall photos and heard stories about some great cider mills in the Lansing area, and even a few of them in Detroit. So we decided to venture to the one closest to our house. Bad Choice!

Apparently we live close to a ghetto cider mill. It reminded me more of a state fair (complete with rides and carnies) and was not at all the quaint fall scene we were going for. People were smoking in the cider building and dogs dressed for fall were accompanying about 50% of the patrons. Many of the patrons, however, were dressed for an outdoor Cheetah Girls concert- wearing very little in the way of clothing (It was a hot day) I did manage to snap these photos of Liam and make it appear that we were in the kind of cider mill that we were hoping for. When I got home, I checked a friend’s blog, where she raved about the great cider mill that they just visited. Oh well, we’ll have to try again next year!