Top 10: Michigan Apple Orchards & Cider Mills

"In autumn, families like to get outside to catch hold of the last few warm moments before the sun follows the snowbirds south. Folks bundle up on bleachers at high school marching band competitions, try and take a Saturday to see their favorite college football team play, or they toss the kids in the car and head out to the local orchard. Earlier in the year, this was mostly about apples, but with Halloween around the corner, corn mazes have turned haunted, and the u-pick apple hayrides now make a stop at the pumpkin patch.

While apples are at the heart of the fun, cider and doughnuts (cinnamon and sugar, please) are the real draw. So much so, many places forgo the orchard altogether and just sell the essentials, pressing their own cider and cranking up the doughnut machine. Here are our picks for the top ten apple orchards and cider mills in the state of Michigan. Be sure to let us know if we missed your favorite—there’s still some season left and we’ll want to make a visit.

Westview Orchards and Cider Mill (Romeo, MI)
Less than 2 miles south of Romeo, and within spitting distance of Van Dyke, Westview Orchards lets you know up front what you’re in for. The official name is Westview Orchards & Adventure Farm. While many orchards use special attractions to keep people on site to buy more apples and cider, Westview has created an all-out autumnal carnival. This is the kind of place that sells season tickets ($35/child, $25/adult). While no Cedar Point (or even a Ferris wheel for that matter), the place offers tons of activities, from straw mountains and corn mazes to an elaborate obstacle course and the “Three Black Holes” illusion. Just visiting for the day, tickets will run you $8.50. But don’t forget the cider and doughnuts, or their delicious apple pies. Fall Family Weekends run until the end of October."

Read the full article at http://www.roadtripsforfamilies.com/2010/10/top-10-michigan-apple-orchards-cider-mills-2/.