A-mazeing fall fun
ST. JOHNS — A group of CMU students climb a flight of stairs to the second level of an old cattle barn and are met by a huge crowd of people.
The smell of fresh baked doughnuts and award-winning apple cider fill the air.
About 40 residents of Calkins Hall joined that crowd Sunday at Uncle John’s Cider Mill, 8614 N. U.S. 127, to partake in fall favorites like cider, pumpkin pie and caramel apples.
“I’m excited about fall and pumpkins and cider and doughnuts,” said Merritt freshman Amanda Davis. “You can’t forget about the doughnuts.”
Jen Titsworth, a Clarkston sophomore, organized the event for the hall.
“They went last year and everyone seemed to have a good time,” Titsworth said. “It’s a good seasonal trip to get away and forget about homework.”
Michelle Fitzgerald, a Houghton Lake freshman and Trout Hall resident, said Davis signed her up for the trip.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to go, but I’m excited I get the opportunity to go and meet new people,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m most excited because it will make it feel like fall because it’s something you only do in the fall. It’s just fun.”
The group went in the corn maze and a few picked their own pumpkins from the pumpkin patch.
Monroe freshman Andrea Wight said the corn maze was fun because it is so big, but just getting away from campus was fun, too.
“It’s something fun to get to know each other,” Wight said. “There are fun things to do here that you can’t do on campus or in the town.”
Mike Beck, president of Uncle John’s Cider Mill, said many college students visit during fall as well as many families.
“Who would want to go home and hang out with their parents when they can be outdoors and doing stuff outdoors?” Beck said. “It’s a good place for people with families to come because there are many things to do, and it’s safe on a big farm.”
Uncle John’s Cider Mill has been in the Beck family for more than 120 years.
Five generations ago, Frank Beck established the orchard and grew grapes, strawberries and raspberries. John and Carolyn Beck have owned the farm for 46 years and have turned it into what it is today.
Including the cattle barn mill, the 240-acre farm has its own pie barn and bakery, which features homemade breads, fresh pies, cookies, muffins, turnovers and more.
In 2003, the farm’s fruit barn was converted into Uncle John’s Fruit House Winery.
Tuesday is the last day for the tractor-drawn wagon ride, corn maze, kids corral, fruit fling and pumpkin patch. However, the mill and other shops will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The mill closes the weekend after Thanksgiving and the rest of the shops close Dec. 31.
