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The fall

Being a Jersey girl, I have experienced sesaons before. But having been a Californian for the past 25+ years, I had forgotten.

Grand Rapids is already putting on quite a seasonal show. It started on the first day of autumn, when -- right on queue -- the temperature plunged. Every day and every turn offers a surprise pop of color. What's more, Michigan is the third leading producer of apples in the U.S., which means fresh-pressed cider is plentiful. And nothing says fall more than cider.

I have made it my mission to get to as many cider mills as I can. As a bonus, most cider mills in Michigan also make donuts. Obvi, I'll also be tasting as many freshly made donuts as I can.

For my birthday weekend, Colleen and I hit Robinette's Apple Haus & Winery, the place everyone told us to go first. It's only 15 minutes or so from our house. Robinette's was a scene, and we waited in line for a bit to get into the bakery. Fortunately, we're well-acquainted with lines for food, and this one moved quickly. We picked up some delicious cider to take home, a cider slushie, an apple fritter and ate a donut two donuts three donuts. Robinette's also has an huge corn maze that changes yearly, a gift shop and has its own brand of wine. I hope to be back to do the maze with the young man.

We also drove along a beautiful scenic road to a sweet farmstand on the other side of town. I had spotted it on the way to one of Enzo's sports activities. The farm sells local produce, cider and donuts (they don't make their own cider but they stocked a local one). That was it for the day, but there are plenty more cider spots to visit. We'll save those for a weekend when Enzo is not engaged in a cycling or crew event.

Below are some fall photos. There will surely be more, as peak fall foliage is on October 10, according to sources that track such things.

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