From Jason Carr – The best part of going to the cider mill for me as a kid was the terror and fascination I had for the giant wooden wheel behind Franklin Cider Mill. It’s now steel and painted bright red, but back in the OG days of 1975 that bad boy was creaky and spooky and noisy, and let’s just say that might be the root of my fear of being next to giant machines or things in deep water. Well, and I saw Jaws when I was 5 so there’s that, too.
Now that I’m older the wheel is the least of my concerns. Now it’s the hot greasy donuts, the tart cider, the quacking of the ducks along the river running past the mill. The low-in-the sky sun and the crisp autumn air. Lately I’ve even begun investigating the tents and such where they have the jams and jellies and the smoked cheeses. Maybe pick up a pumpkin for the porch.
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Tati, I’m going to guess you like the cider mill for the Norman Rockwell sanctity of the entire experience. From the goods to the woods. You’re there for the scene and everything in between. And a hot cider? Am I close?
From Tati Amare - Ahhh, you know me well. What says fall more than the iconic scene of a cider mill? The season is finally setting in, the temps are dropping slowly, and the sun is setting earlier and earlier - time to head to a cider mill. It’s part of the natural progression.
Folks are walking around in their fall best, wrangling children while trying to balance bags of donuts and their own cups cider. And for me, there’s nothing like a cup of cider and people watching. It’s the same crazy scene every year and there’s something so very comforting about the whole thing... It marks my personal release of summer and first full embrace of the fall season. Bring on the flannels and colorful leaves!
The slightly corny side of me also loves hearing about the different apples used to make cider and watching that press process. Donuts on the conveyor belt are also giddiness inducing. Not like I haven’t seen all of this several times, but it’s the ritual of it all. It’s the same feeling you get when you’re picking out your Christmas tree or setting the Thanksgiving table. It’s grounding. It’s tradition. Who’s ready to go???
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