• Color Tours
  Throughout the fall season the trees of Michigan slowly make their yearly change from green to the beautiful ensemble of red, yellow, and orange.
• Football
  Along with numerous college teams, autumn means football to many Michigan communities. Hundreds of teams start practice to compete for a spot among the best in the state playoffs.
• Cider Mills
  One of the great spots to visit during the autumn season is Uncle John's Cider Mill, just one of many located in various towns around the state. Here you'll find some locations of cider mills to visit.
• Halloween
  Michigan's towns and cities spruce themselves up for October 31st, many going to extremes year after year to provide an exciting night of spooky ghosts and goblins to visitors.
• Hunting
  One of Michigan's favorite pastimes comes alive in the collection of fallen leaves.

Color Tours

Large, lush forests and deep woodlands spell amazing beauty for Michigan in the autumn. When the wind starts to grow colder, the green melts away like butter and breathtaking reds and yellows dominate the landscape. As the leaves drop to the ground, the countryside becomes a picturesque playground for citizens and tourists alike.

A favorite pastime of many people has been taking trips to see the newly colored landscape, an activity we affectionately call "color tours." Color tours don't require much; all that one needs to participate is a road vehicle and a free afternoon. Many locations in heavily wooded areas even have trails for visitors to step out and enjoy the surroundings up close.

Feel free to create your own tours as desired, but here are a few suggested ones if you'd like to see some of the best Michigan has to offer:

HUBBARD LAKE IN ALCONA COUNTY

• To start this tour, drive down Werth Road until you reach Hubbard Lake Road.
• Then Hubbard Lake Road will lead you to Hubbard Lake Corners. Taking a right at the Corners will start you moving around the lake via Hubert Road over the Lower Thunder Bay River.
• Then Turn left (south) on West Shore Drive. Soon after Shore Drive becomes Mt. Maria Road and will later curve to the west and around the south shores of Hubbard Lake.
• By making another left turn (north) back onto Hubbard Lake Road to you will be able to view the breathtaking scenes of the lake from the east shores.
• At the end of your tour you will pass by Spruce Road. Lastly by Turning right, you will at lastly be guided back out to US-23 South just beyond Ossineke.

ENJOY AUTUMN "AROUND THE LAKES" IN ALPENA AREA

• This tour starts near Alpena traveling north on US-23 to Long Lake Road (approximately 8 miles north of the city limits).
• Turn left and drive down Long Lake Road across from the shore about 12 miles to Bolton Road. Then you should turn right and travel close to 4 miles North on Grand Lake Road.
• After that by turn left, fallowed by a Right less than a mile later on Miller Road (County Road 427) and start heading north to US-23.
• Once heading north, make a turn right and head south on US-23 about 3 miles until you come to County Road 638. Once you turn left, you should be heading east to Grand Lake Road (County Road 405).
• Take a left turn at the intersection for an optional section of this tour that goes past two historic lighthouses on the peninsula.
• After that Return to Grand Lake Road at the intersection of County Road 638 and keep moving south through the village of Presque Isle. Then drive on to Grand Lake Road.
• Pass the southern tip of Grand Lake; another side trip is available for the adventurous traveler. Besser Natural Area is located less than a mile to the left of Grand Lake Road.
• After stretching your legs on the footpath, you can return to Grand Lake Road, at your leisure and by turning left you can continue on US-23. Then you can just turn left and head south on US-23 taking you back to Alpena.

Grand River Basin Color Tour

• To start this shorter tour, drive to Grand Haven at Robbins Road. Travel east to Mercury
• Drive and keep going east.
• You will cross several Grand River Bayous. One fall color stop along the way is Riverside Park. Once at Riverside Park, you could turn south on 104th Avenue to Osborn Street.
• Then you could travel east on Osborn, which becomes Warner Street. Turn
• North on 66th Avenue and cross the bridge at Eastmanville. Travel west on Leonard Road back to Spring Lake.

Harbor Country Tour

• You can start this tour in New Buffalo.
• Travel East on US-12 through Three Oaks and Galien.
• Then turn and travel North through Buchanan on Redbud Trail.
• Once you get that far, turn Northeast on Snow Road.
• Then, after a while, turn West on Shawnee Road.
• You can choose to end your tour by turning South through Bridgman on Red Arrow Highway to New Buffa.

These are only a few of many different color tours you can take while traveling through Michigan. Of course, feel free to make up your own route to explore the beauty of this great state. New colors, but same great feeling!