Fall Colors in Southern Michigan

Michigan fall colors are turning and the weather has been absolutely perfect for about a week straight.  Bright sunshine and warm temperatures are combining for the best time to enjoy Fall Colors in Southern Michigan. The leaves are fast approaching peak color, the fields are being harvested, and right now is a great time to be riding the country roads of Southern Michigan..

I have been enjoying Southern Michigan motorcycle tours on my GoldWing almost every day to take advantage of the beauty of Hillsdale, Branch, Lenawae, Eaton, and Jackson County.  Pumpkin patches are full, farm machinery are harvesting crops, and the Amish are doing it the old fashioned way--with big draft horses.

The roads I like to ride include highway 12 through the Irish Hills. Its big curves and hills at highway speeds are fun to ride on a motorcycle. Litchfield Road on either side of Litchfield has views that change from forests to grain fields and back again.  Fremont Road from Quincy to the Indiana State line has it all--farms, forests, fields, and the flowage of many lakes.  These features combine for an outstanding scenic ride.

In an era of mega farms, there are still many smaller operations throughout Southern Michigan. Some of them are family farms, many of them are Amish farms. It is easy to spot an Amish farm. Clue #1 is a 2 story white farm house with no window shutters. Clue #2 is the absence of power lines, as the Amish in Southern Michigan reject the use of telephones and electricity. Clue #3 is the absence of tractors and other farm machinery and the presence of large draft horses.

We are expecting peak colors in Michigan to last through October and possible into early November.  In the recent past, Fall colors have been enjoyable as late as mid November.  However, the Fall color season typically ends about the first weekend in November. Now is the time to enjoy a Southern Michigan Fall Getaway.



Mike Venturini
Jonesville Michigan Bed and Breakfast Innkeeper
"Life is good in Jonesville"
Munro House Bed and Breakfast