Autumn Morning
Went outside a few minutes ago and the sun was slowly rising in the east-southeast and the frost crystals clinging to the grass split the light into a thousand little rainbows and it was so quiet you could hear the multi-colored leaves fluttering and hitting the ground.
This is said to be the best week of the year for autumn color here in Indiana, but I won't be making any major journeys to become a "leaf peeper" since there are plenty of spots within five miles that will have good coloring and no crowds.
Many years ago, we went to visit my sister in Virginia around this time of year and the whole crew decided to go for a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway and check out the scenery. (Google Images for Blue Ridge Parkway)
For those who don't know, the BRP is about 450 miles of twisty two lane road running through the mountains from Shenandoah National Park on the north to Asheville, NC on the south. It has many ares to enter or leave the Parkway--you're not stuck for the whole 450. Speed limit is posted at 45 mph (or lower). Even in summer, it is one of the most scenic drives in the eastern U. S.
Now, during leaf season, 10 to 15 is about the best you can do as everyone seems intent on seeing it all without stopping at one of the several viewing locations and doing a bit of hiking. Compounding this, people are out on this narrow--but well-maintained--highway in monster motor coaches they can barely handle on a four lane highway.
I'm sure the folks in VT, NH, ME and MA see much of the same when the peeper come to visit their area, much as Brown County, Indiana does. Traffic snarled for miles and everyone except the driver with their faces pressed to the window (sometimes the driver is very distracted also).
I guess what I'm saying is that there are many, many places close to home where you can get a good show without the crowds. This applies to leaf color or just nature in general. Head out to the woods and just sit and listen--nature will come to you--if you are patient. You just have to wait and look.
This is said to be the best week of the year for autumn color here in Indiana, but I won't be making any major journeys to become a "leaf peeper" since there are plenty of spots within five miles that will have good coloring and no crowds.
Many years ago, we went to visit my sister in Virginia around this time of year and the whole crew decided to go for a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway and check out the scenery. (Google Images for Blue Ridge Parkway)
For those who don't know, the BRP is about 450 miles of twisty two lane road running through the mountains from Shenandoah National Park on the north to Asheville, NC on the south. It has many ares to enter or leave the Parkway--you're not stuck for the whole 450. Speed limit is posted at 45 mph (or lower). Even in summer, it is one of the most scenic drives in the eastern U. S.
Now, during leaf season, 10 to 15 is about the best you can do as everyone seems intent on seeing it all without stopping at one of the several viewing locations and doing a bit of hiking. Compounding this, people are out on this narrow--but well-maintained--highway in monster motor coaches they can barely handle on a four lane highway.
I'm sure the folks in VT, NH, ME and MA see much of the same when the peeper come to visit their area, much as Brown County, Indiana does. Traffic snarled for miles and everyone except the driver with their faces pressed to the window (sometimes the driver is very distracted also).
I guess what I'm saying is that there are many, many places close to home where you can get a good show without the crowds. This applies to leaf color or just nature in general. Head out to the woods and just sit and listen--nature will come to you--if you are patient. You just have to wait and look.
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