Today was a gray, misty day, perfect for a visit to the cider mill. Growing up it was always a special family outing. We grew up in the suburbs, so dad would drive us out through the back roads into the country and we’d end up at a little mill in the middle of nowhere. At least it felt like that to a child.
Now we kind of live in the middle of nowhere, so we just drove down the street to the Dexter Cider Mill. It wasn’t nearly as scenic and atmospheric as the mills we went to growing up, but it has cider and donuts, so it works just fine. It’s very easy to dart in and dart out with your purchase, but the experience of “going to the Cider Mill” kind of looses it’s luster that way. Luckily we’ll be going up north in a few weeks to the cottage. And Charlevoix has an amazing Applefest – the whole main street down town is lined with farmers selling every kind of apple you can think of, arts and crafts booths, the smell of hot cider, and donuts sizzling under the heat lamps.
Even better, the weather is usually cool and misty. Most of the boats are gone from the harbor, but there are always one or two who stick around. So, I get my early taste of fall today. Just in time to whet my appetite for the main event in a few weeks. Sometimes I feel so lucky I live in Michigan!
