Vibrant reds and yellows lure all kinds of people to the outdoors each fall, and Michigan’s peak viewing times are just around the corner.

At the Chippewa Nature Center near Midland, the fall color change already is under way. Virginia creeper, sumac and dogwood provide the red tones, while yellows are shown by sassafras and poplar.

Soon, a sugar maple growing near the entrance of the visitors center will turn, said naturalist Karen Breternitz.

“This particular tree has good genes,” she said, describing the tree’s color change as a beginning of bright yellow at the top and moving down the tree, followed by a brilliant red. The end effect is one tree with a show of both bright yellows and reds.

Regular visitors to the center know to expect the tree’s color change, and come to take pictures of it, she said.

While locals don’t necessarily come to the center to view the color change, there are more out-of-town people who stop while taking color change tours, Breternitz said.

“We do see more hiking in certain areas,” including the beech maple woods, which is where maple syrup is collected in the spring, she said.

Breternitz explained the colors of the leaves depend on the weather — better weather means more sugar in the tree. The amount of sugar determines the brightness of the color change in the fall.

Color is appearing throughout the Lower Peninsula, with the best viewing times expected in early to mid-October.

At Midland’s Dow Gardens, the number of visitors does increase in the fall, mainly because they’ve come to see a bit more exotic species.

Director Doug Chapman said irrigation at the gardens has made the conditions good for the fall color change of the sugar, Japanese and cherry bark maples from burgundy to scarlet red, the Japanese dogwood with raspberry-like fruits, and white ash, which turns yellow.

At Whiting Forest, near the gardens, there are more everyday varieties of trees and plants, which residents might not regularly take note of during the color change, Chapman said.

“It’s totally unique inside,” he said of the forest. “The diversity is amazing.” One interesting point at the Whiting Forest is the white pine losing their three-year needles, which have turned a yellow color. He also pointed out that fungal fruiting bodies — better known as mushrooms — also are showing spectacular colors including creamy whites, reds, yellows and browns.

Fall color watchers don’t just have to depend on driving to see the leaves. More adventurous viewers could take canoe trips, go mountain biking, take a horseback ride or visit some of the state’s 160 waterfalls.

In Midland, a fall color tour has been scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 19 at the Chippewa Nature Center. Breternitz is leading the tour.

Fall color watchers looking for the best statewide viewing opportunities can call Travel Michigan at (888) 78-GREAT (784-7328) for color updates provided by AAA Michigan each Wednesday through October. Updates also will be posted at www.aaa.com.

Huron County has a diverse environment, a mixture that provides an almost unlimited opportunity for photo enthusiasts. From the beautiful shorelines of Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron to the crop-filled fields of the interior, Huron County abounds with natural wonders.

The rural atmosphere, with its slow paced, laid back lifestyle is conducive to a stop-and-smell-the-roses approach to life. What better way to relax and enjoy the world around you than by taking a photo excursion.

Recording nature’s beauty has a calming effect. Something about watching a sunrise or sunset proves beneficial to the soul. Gazing at a flock of Canada geese soaring overhead, or stopping to watch a fawn at the edge of a patch of woods can relieve the stresses of everyday life. Enjoying that view through a photograph can refresh you day after day.

But your camera does you no good at home in a closet. If you want that contented, soothing feeling to last ... if you want to relive the experience of watching that fawn, or oohing and ahhing over the colors of a spectacular sunrise or sunset, be prepared by carrying the camera with you.

Huron County is home to a booming agricultural industry, and many of its residents have a farm background. They enjoy life on the farm, and are surrounded by the bountiful beauty of crops growing in a field. While working in their fields, farmers witness things not easily seen from a passing vehicle. But by taking some extra time driving around the area — and off the beaten path — visitors are bound to capture plenty of nature’s wonders via the camera for memories to last far longer than any trip.

The interior of the county, in addition to fields of sugar beets, beans, corn and wheat, is dotted with wooded lots. These patches of woods are home to numerous species of wildlife. White-tail deer abound, as well as squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks, woodchucks, skunks, red fox, opossums, gray fox, musk rats, coyotes ... the list is extensive. Pheasants, grouse, and other game birds inhabit the wood lots and fields, also, not to mention dozens of species of song birds.

Water birds, such as Canada geese, swans and ducks swim in and fly over the lakes, streams and ponds of the county. All of these creatures make excellent subjects for your camera.

Don’t forget the wild flowers on your photo outing. Tansy, Black-eyed Susans, Daisies, Golden Rod, Queen Anne’s Lace and Chicory, along with numerous other varieties of flowers, line county roads during the spring and summer months. A slow walk nearly anywhere could give you spectacular shots of crops, trees, wildlife, marsh scenes or driftwood.

The county’s 90-plus miles of shoreline are home to some of the most beautiful sun rises and sun sets around. From sailboats and jet skis to lighthouses and wildlife, the shoreline is packed with a wide array of interesting and beautiful views.

From the shore to the farm fields and woods in between, Huron County is ripe with discoveries for you and your camera lens.

Winter sports enthusiasts can stay closer to home beginning this fall when several miles of snowmobile trails will be opened up to the general public in Sanilac County.

That’s thanks to the efforts of the Thumbs Up Snowmobile Club, an association formed only last March and already going strong.

Club President Galen Faith noted that the club got off to an auspicious beginning last year as several miles of snowmobile trials were prepared but never opened to the public due to problems which included the need to acquire landowners insurance for the many involved property owners.

Yet, this year, the club plans to be up and running and has announced open trails from Dec. 1 - April 1. Trails are not open prior to or after stated deadlines even if snow conditions exist so as not to cross snowmobilers with hunters.

The association’s goal to is establish permanent trails in the Thumb area and to become recognized by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Several reasons for DNR acceptance come to the forefront, not the least of which is to be able to acquire grant funding and help with acquiring insurance for the property owners.

While the DNR stresses it is looking for trials that adjoin existing trails, Faith also is working through several other agencies including the Mid-Michigan Snowmobile Council, the Michigan Snowmobile Association and State Rep. John Espinoza. To date, the club also has received considerable backing from Sanilac County officials.

”We have the right-of-way to about 50 miles of trails and we have to supply the liability insurance to the homeowners. We are opening this year. We purchased a drag for the grass which we bought from Traverse City.

“The first trail starts in Sandusky and goes to Deckerville, about 22 miles. There is also a trail from Sandusky to Deckerville and all the way up to Forestville near the Red Balloon Saloon on M-25. Round trip, that is about 48 miles.

“We will have GPS maps available on the website and hopefully will also have these maps published,” Faith said. The club website is www.thumbsupsnowmobileclub.org.

The 100-member strong club also has been given permission to use the Old Gulet Road in Huron County.

“The landowners have been very supportive and only in a few instances do we have to go around. We just went out banging on doors and they signed up for five years,” Faith said.

The Thumbs Up Snowmobile Club has ambitious plans to expand their territory in the near future.

‘We have 150 miles of snowmobile trails proposed going from Jeddo to Bad Axe and back to Deckerville and possibly even over into Bay City. Future plans beyond that call for trails in the Port Austin and Sebewaing areas, but we have to get more members in those areas,” Faith said.

The fall golf season finally has arrived. And when this time of year swings into action, fewer crowds and fall discounts are par for the course.

Scott Downey, head professional at Currie Municipal Golf Courses in Midland, said playing golf during the fall is popular for several reasons.

“Fall play can be nicer than summer play because you can enjoy the fall colors. It’s a little different scenery,” he said. “And being able to play at a discount at courses that are usually higher priced always adds to the interest.”

Downey said about 10 years ago courses realized having discounted rates could raise the number of golfers. The fall season in Michigan's golf industry usually starts after Labor Day and runs to Oct. 31.

The size of the crowd, however, is usually left up to Mother Nature.

At Verona Hills Golf Club in Bad Axe, PGA professional Terry Ernst says playing in the fall is a popular pastime for his members, as well as guests. Like most courses in the Thumb, Verona Hills offers discounts to non-members during the fall season.

"It's a good time to get out and play," Ernst said. "As long as the weather holds, it's a great time to try out different courses."

Marty McGuire, director of public services for the city of Midland, agrees. He said many golfers like to explore during the fall, and the discounts help persuade players to play at courses other than their home one.

He added, “If you’ve got good days and good rates, it makes (fall golf) that much more attractive.”

Many courses also host club events in the fall rather than the spring or summer due to player traffic.

Verona Hills hosts its version of the Ryder Cup in the fall to prevent it from interfering with outside play. It also brings the elements into play.

"Some years, it's been 60 degrees and sunny," Ernst said. "Other years, it could have snowed at any time."

Gregg Clark, co-owner of Sandy Ridge Golf Courses in Bay County, said, “We’re always open until the end of October, but depending on the weather we may or may not stay open longer.”

Clark said the fall season doesn’t come without grumbling from some golfers. “The downside, which you might hear some people complain about, is the leaves and how they don’t like them,” he said. “We try to keep them blown in the woods so people don’t lose their golf balls.”

All courses, though, do implement a local "fall leaf rule." That means any player who loses a ball in the leaves — and it's agreed upon in the group — can play from that general spot without penalty.

Chris Van Benschoten, pro shop manager at Twin Oaks Golf Course near Saginaw, said another possible reason for numbers sometimes being lower in the fall than the spring is the condition of the greens. Van Benschoten said this time of year most courses aerate their grass (the process of taking cores of soil from the ground which creates passageways in the soil for the nutrients to get to the turf grass roots). The holes that the machine pokes sometimes makes the greens bumpy, not ideal for playing conditions and putting.

“It’s something that needs to be done every year, but we try to do it in the fall when the leagues are done,” he said.

Courses need to aerify their greens, fairways and tees to keep them in top shape. If it's not done, the soil and grass could become infected with diseases which could hinder play the following season. Without oxygen, the grass becomes weaker and will eventually die.

Through updated golf course maintenance technology, though, most of the holes created in the grass though aerification are overgrown in a short period of time.

"It's something that does come into play when courses do it, but it's something that needs to be done, especially in the fall," Ernst said.

It’s girls’ night out and time for some fun. First, shopping for that special handbag or stunning piece of jewelry. Next is lunch — prime rib, anyone? The final touch is a massage and a manicure. Where can you go for this kind of full-service pampering? New York? Chicago? Detroit? Try Riverwalk Place in downtown Gladwin.

Small town doesn’t mean small amenities. Places like Gladwin offer a full range of restaurants, shopping and family events.

Riverwalk Place sits off Gladwin’s main street overlooking the riverfront.

Marketing director Amy Coté said women often come to Riverwalk for a night out. “Women come from everywhere,” she said. “It’s a destination location. A lot of people come with their women friends.”

One stop is R.W. Threads, a women’s boutique with one-of-a-kind specialty items ranging from casual to dressy.

For the decorator, Blackberry Lodge offers rustic and log furniture for that up-north cabin or right at home. The Lodge also has little extra touches. “They’ve got great candles,” Coté said.

Haircuts, massage, pedicure and manicure are offered at the Oasis Salon and Spa for those wanting to be pampered.

“We’re right on the river. You can see fish in the water, canoers,” Coté said. “Almost like a touch of country in the city.”

This fall provides a great chance for a day trip to catch the sights and sounds of Frankenmuth.

Herb Zeilinger, Motorcoach and Group Travel manager with the Frankenmuth Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau, said visiting as the leaves change color will prove to be a fun trip to “Little Bavaria.”

Must-see attractions for a first-time visitor include:

Frankie the hay dog

Before stopping anywhere else, check out Frankie. He is a little too big to play fetch, but he’ll certainly stay for visitors to the chamber’s office on Main Street. The large dog, made from bales of hay and other materials, is sure to grab people’s attention.

Over the last few years Zeilinger has crafted different displays after being inspired by hay bales he saw on display during a trip to Germany.

“This year I’ve got a giant hay dachshund, or wiener dog,” he said. “They were bred over in Germany to ferret out badgers from farmer’s fields.”

In previous years he has made people, steins, angels and a birthday cake with the bales.

Frankenmuth River Place

Next make a stop at the Frankenmuth River Place. This collection of more than 30 shops and attractions, located on Main Street, includes many activities for people of all ages.

Through mid-October people can take narrated tours of the Cass River on a 70- ton paddle wheel boat.

“Our Bavarian Belle River Boat will continue to run in October as long as the weather’s nice,” Zeilinger said.

Also at River Place are a European mirror maze, indoor bumper car facility and laser light shows. Through December the 15- to 20-minute shows take place in the courtyard at 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

An option for those in the Halloween spirit is Midnight Manor.

“It’s mid-Michigan’s only year-around haunted house,” Zeilinger said.

It features more than 60 animated features to scare and entertain visitors.

Shopping

While downtown visitors can visit a variety of gift shops.

“Shopping along Main Street is a standard for people,” Zeilinger said.

He said the area has fall plantings to decorate the streets and plenty of trees for those on color tours.

Restaurants, including those at the Bavarian Inn and Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, have special meals awaiting visitors, Zeilinger said.

Another must-visit site in Frankenmuth is Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland. “People are preparing for the holidays so Bronner’s is always buzzing like crazy,” Zeilinger said.

The year-around Christmas store touts itself as the world’s largest, and features more than 50,000 trims and gifts.

Water park

For a longer visit consider the hotel at Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, which includes Zehnder’s Splash Village water park for a break from the cold weather.

The park features more than 30,000 square feet of water activities. Water slides, lazy river rides, a dumping bucket, hot tub and more await people in the Splash play area.

For more information on Frankenmuth activities, contact the chamber at (800) FUN-TOWN, or (800) 386-8696. Information also is online at www.frankenmuth.org.

FRANKENMUTH — Many people who have traveled through this quaint “Little Bavaria” town know Zehnder’s Restaurant for its famous family style chicken dinners, its beautiful and welcoming dining rooms, the stately architecture, and the variety of delicious bread and pastries along with delightful gift items in the restaurant’s bakery and retail area. What many people may not realize is the rich history behind the Zehnder legacy.

Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year with a history wall, which will be placed off of the restaurant’s lobby. The history wall is expected to be about 36 feet long — after all, there’s a lot of history to cover.

Zehnder’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Al Zehnder said the wall will depict Zehnder’s history from 1856 to the present, starting from when the restaurant was The New Exchange Hotel. Zehnder’s grandfather, William Zehnder Sr., acquired the New Exchange Hotel in 1928 by trading the family farm plus $4,000 in borrowed funds. Zehnder’s opened for business on Mother’s Day 1929 with a seating capacity of 60. Today, the restaurant can seat 1,500.

“We’ve had so much history in our company, we wanted to take the opportunity to bring it together,” Zehnder said. “We wanted to tell it in a professional way.” He said the restaurant already features several historical pictures, and some of these will be included in the history wall.

“People really like the pictures and they ask questions (about them),” he said. Zehnder has been working to gather text and pictures with his sister Susan, vice president of human resources, and his cousin, John, food and beverage director and award-winning executive chef.

“We’ve been working on it for the past few months,” Zehnder said. “We’ve been working with Design Craftsmen in Midland.”

Design Craftsmen, LLC does exhibit master planning, research, content development, design, engineering, project management, fabrication and installation.

The history wall is sure to be breathtaking for Zehnder’s customers. Other than text and pictures, the exhibit will include souvenirs, artifacts, postcards, matchbook covers, newspaper articles, and other historical items.

Once finished later this year, the history wall will be permanent, Zehnder said. “A lot of people don’t know how much history there is,” he said. “The history wall will show how the company has grown over the years. We want to give people a sense that we’ve been here a really long time, and we plan to be here for another 150 years.”

Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth includes not just a restaurant — which serves about a million people a year — as the company also includes The Fortress Golf Course, Zehnder’s Splash Village hotel and waterpark, the Z-bakery and Z-gift shop. Zehnder’s also has a mail-order business. Rapunzel’s Unique Gifts and Yarns is part of Zehnder’s retail, as well.

Al Zehnder’s sister, Martha, is the company’s chief financial officer. John Zehnder’s son, Bob, is the kitchen manager.

For more information, visit the website www.zehnders.com.

Paul Barrera’s belief in old town Saginaw as a moneymaker prompted him to blend history with fine dining when he created Jake’s Old City Grill at the corner of Court and Hamilton streets.

Jake’s, which opened three months ago, is one of the stops on a monthly Hamilton Street Stroll, sponsored by the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History.

For $20, a participant takes a guided stroll along six blocks of Saginaw’s historic section, stopping along the way for a drink here and there, and maybe a history lesson as well. The next stroll is from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 25. Each participant receives a T-shirt and a coupon for discounts on food, beverages and more.

Barrera bought his landmark building and turned it into an upscale restaurant because, he said, “I believe the old town area is a prime development candidate” and because he believes in the city. The land was part of the original Fort Saginaw, built in the 1820s and one of the first white settlements north of Detroit. After the fort was abandoned, the area became Saginaw City or West Saginaw. The 1867 building that houses his restaurant began as a bank, and later had an apparel shop and an American Express telegraph office. It later was acquired by the Carter family and became the long-time women’s clothing shop that bore the family’s name.

Barrera acquired the building six years ago and, although he says he’s not a preservationist, he wanted to bring out the building’s beauty.

“My goal was to create a property that had a more cosmopolitan, big city feel to it,” he said.

That meant stripping off an inch of plaster from the old brick and searching the area to find a 100-year-old fireplace from a home that was about to be demolished. The eatery is full of paneling salvaged from remodeling jobs at old homes, plus many old pictures and a 125-year-old life-size oil painting of Jake Seligman, the colorful Saginaw businessman for whom the restaurant is named.

Owners of other Hamilton Street businesses are happy to share their history with visitors, said Irene Hensinger, executive director of the Castle Museum. The Stable, known for the ski equipment it sells, yields a special surprise when visitors walk upstairs and check out a piece of Saginaw’s history, said Jeff Cottrell, who leads the tours and is the museum’s multimedia specialist. JB Meinberg, which bills itself as a tavern since the early 1900s, has the remnants of an old-fashioned bar in the basement that includes stenciling on the walls and what Cottrell calls “old German writing.” The tour ends at Perry’s Schuch Hotel & Bar, one of Saginaw’s oldest buildings and which once housed a museum. Pre-registration for the stroll is required because space is limited.

Participants must be at least 18. For more information, call the Castle Museum at (989) 752-2861.

Screams. Shrieks.

They’re heard because the Haunted Forest in Midland’s City Forest “is quite scary and a little bit bloody,” said Greg Burrell, who helps make the frightening stuff happen.

And there are some giggles. That’s because youngsters and adults enjoy such sites as the graveyard, cornfield and diner (all haunted), mummy’s tomb, quicksand, House of Pain and the Bates Motel that’s familiar to people who’ve seen the movie “Psycho.”

City Forest is on Monroe Road, a quarter mile west of Eastman Avenue. On Oct. 19-22, volunteer “startlers” will lurk from about 7:15 p.m. until 10 p.m. to frighten and amuse people.

Fog machines and strobe lights contribute to the atmosphere, said Burrell, recreation coordinator for the Midland Parks and Recreation Department.

“We probably have 100 volunteers” each year — individuals and their friends, plus university, school and community groups. They handle the various scary stations, lead people through and help with other tasks, Burrell said.

“We’re always looking for people to help out,” he added.

The Haunted Forest is the biggest annual fundraiser for Midland County’s Special Olympics program. Special Olympics volunteers do some of the work. That includes being in the City Forest chalet on Haunted Forest nights to sell cookies, popcorn, cotton candy, hot or cold cider, hot chocolate and coffee.

A Haunted Forest ticket costs $1 for a child age 11 or younger, or $3 for someone 12 or older.

Depending in part on the weather, than can mean from about $2,200 to more than $4,300 for Special Olympics, said Mary Adams of Midland, volunteer director of the organization’s Midland County unit.

The forest probably is too scary for children younger than 9 or 10, Burrell said.

The 13th annual event will be Saturday, Oct. 21, from 4 to 9:30 p.m. at the Bay City State Recreation Area.

It features a guided walk along a lighted pumpkin forest trail and a chance to encounter some of nature’s most misunderstood critters.

Park interpreters will be assisted by drama students from St. Charles High School who will portray bats, snakes, wolves, coyotes and other animals people often fear and dislike.

The actors, led by Director Mike Rusz, will dramatize how these creatures earned their frightening reputation, why they have been misunderstood and how their existence benefits people and the environment.

“The trail is really fun for youngsters and the young at heart and it helps us dispel some of the myths and stories that make life difficult for these wildlife populations,” said park interpreter Valerie Blaschka.

There’s no admission charge for the Halloween Trail, but either an annual state park vehicle sticker or a one-day fee of $6 per vehicle is required. Also, donations are accepted and given to the high school drama team.

The recreation area is at 3825 State Park Drive, east of North Euclid Avenue. The phone number is (989) 684-3020.

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The Saginaw County Fairgrounds, 11350 W. Peet Road, in Chesaning will be the site for both the Great Jack-O’-Lantern Carnivalé and Haunted House.

The Carnivalé on Oct. 8 offers a full carnival with rides, games, food, contests, arts and crafts. Its admission fee is $3.

Haunted House dates are Oct. 8, 14-15 and 21-22. The admission fee will be announced.

Information can be sought at (800) 255-3055.

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Valley Junction Railroad, at Bridgeport, is offering its 23rd annual Spook Train Ride on and before Halloween.

Passengers on the quarter-size train see 80 scenes — described as funny, cute and scary — along the track, with 250 jack-o’-lanterns lighting the way.

Nighttime hours are 7:30 to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 7:30 to 10 p.m. on other nights. Dates are Oct. 8, 13-15; 20-22 and 27-31. Price is $7 a person, regardless of age. The railroad is at 7065 Dixie Highway. The phone number is (989) 777-3480.

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The Halloween Harvest Zoo Boo is scheduled Oct. 27-29 at the Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square in Saginaw. Hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Oct. 27-28 and 3-7 p.m. Oct. 29.

Children are invited to wear costumes and come trick-or-treating at booths in the zoo, gathering candy and treats along the way.

Advance tickets ($6, or $5 for zoo members) are required. The price includes entertainment and train and carousel rides.

The zoo is at 1730 S. Washington Ave. The phone number is (989) 759-1408.