Goodbye Summer – Greetings Autumn

Autumn has arrived. The exact moment of the Autumnal Equinox occurred on September 23 at 2:50 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time. On that day we had equal amounts of day and night. Hours of daylight are ever so slowly decreasing and will continue to do so until the arrival of the Winter Solstice when days once again begin to lengthen.

There is a noticeable quickening of the pace of nature and although the temperatures are above the norm it’s the decreasing hours of daylight that set the pace. The dawn of autumn is one of my favorite times to explore our parks, walk our trails, or just set up my lawn chair and watch and listen to nature’s way. Here are just a few signs of the season that bid farewell to summer and greet the splendor of autumn in Oakland County.

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Cider Mills in Oakland County

The best part of fall is here! Temperatures are starting to drop, and you can enjoy the delightful taste of apples, cider, and donuts, oh my! It’s the season that brings friends and families together to enjoy the crisp air on breezy days and cooler nights while indulging in the flavors and aromas of fall. Colorful trees make the perfect backdrop for a trip to a local cider mill. Oakland County is home to several cider mills using locally grown apples. Whether you want to stop by for a quick taste or spend the day, check out our full list of locations or use our interactive story map for Oakland County cider mills.

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An Early Morning Meander

One need not travel far to embrace nature’s way and come home with a smile. That’s what I did this morning to beat the heat and possible storms expected later in the afternoon. As for the words “this morning,” I am referring back to Wednesday, August 9 – a day when the afternoon temperatures flirted with the 90-degree mark. With those thoughts in mind, I armed myself with a mug of iced coffee, my camera, and a notepad and headed off to the 2.2-mile-long River Loop Trail of Independence Oaks County Park expecting to be the only trail user. I could not have been more wrong. I probably encountered two dozen people on my intentionally slow-paced trek and suspect they had the same idea to hike early to beat the afternoon heat.  

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The Woodward Dream Cruise Returns to Oakland County Aug. 19

Classic car

Gather your car club, shine up your classic ride, rev up your engines! The world’s largest one-day auto event, bringing in over a million people and thousands of muscle cars, street rods, custom, collector and special interest vehicles from around the world, the Woodward Dream Cruise, is returning to Oakland County Saturday, Aug. 19! Kicking off at 9 a.m., travel along the 16-mile stretch of Woodward and cruise through nine Oakland County communities: Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge, Pontiac and Royal Oak.

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The Wilder Side of Groveland Oaks

Groveland Oaks County Park is an extremely popular summer destination for recreational vehicle users who wish to camp with the luxury of creature comforts, want full hookup campsites, and like being close to camping neighbors to chat and perhaps dine with. If you are seeking solitude and just the music of nature or looking for a pristine location for your backpacking tent, Groveland Oaks is not the place to go. 

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