Well, its that time of the year again and for our readers in the right parts of the country - a compact vacation on a tank of gas. Sure, the fall festivals and quaint white church steeples make Vermont Fall Foliage a world-class destination, but, with the right timing (check out our friends at Foliage Network) and a warm sweater - you are ready to hit the parks and forests of the United States and watch the transition from Green to Yellow to Orange. (And we are not talking about the Terror Alert Status!).
Thanks toCheapOair Buzz for this picture:
Here is our 2009 fall foliage destination guide:
Fall Foliage around Boston:
Massachusetts Fall Foliage is a no brainer - early in the season - head north to New Hampshire, later follow the coast south - from Maine to Connecticut. Nearest to Boston - try Lexington, Concord and Walden Pond. To really see the fall colors in style, consider one of the many
Fall Foliage cruises leaving from New England ports - Rhode Island up to Maine.
NY Foliage:
Each borough - Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens (Alley Pond Park - Leaves and Tashlich), Brooklyn and even Staten Island has good and accessible leaf peeping - just hop on the subway (or ferry). Feeling a bit more adventurous, but still no car? You can get a hour-long moving show of
Hudson Valley Foliage from
the train (Metro North). Make sure to get a seat on the left side of the train going north or the right going south. Skip rush hour for better fares and less cellphone chatter.
If you have a couple of days to dedicate to
New York State fall foliage (and wine tours and more) head north early in the season, while Central Park is still green and check out the
Adirondack fall foliage in September.
Chasing Fall Foliage South:Global warming or not, the leaves change later as you go south. If you'd like to combine some foliage viewing with an urban weekend and maybe take in a show or get
tickets for a football game - pick a different city each weekend from Boston down to Washington DC. Philadelphia is a good place for your
Fall Foliage PA headquarters and a drive up the Potomac is a great way to see the Maryland Fall Foliage 30 minutes out of the Capital.
Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Mountains lose their crowds and turn yellow, gold and red in the fall and late October is a good time to close out the
West Virginia fall foliage season.
And for the 3 people a year who search for "Pittsburgh fall foliage" - we have two pointers - Grandview Avenue and Fallingwater. For our fans out west:
Its a different experience, the Colorado fall colors, the wild-west towns, the snow covered peaks (and sometimes even, the snow) and the mix of evergreens and aspens. Fall Foliage in Colorado can be less than an hour outside of Denver - try Georgetown, or a bit further, Estes Park.
Further south, you can even find some decent
New Mexico fall foliage spots near Albuquerque, Santa Fe and in the Four Corners region of the state.
And what would a back to school season trip be without visiting the
shopping malls?
