In the end, our timing was perfect because we didn't miss the spectacular color of the Pin Oak in our front yard. It was perfect ending to The Leaf Tour.
Read MoreOne of the purposes of the trip was to let our creative sides work with the colors of nature in the autumn. We were able to see such beautiful examples of what the Smoky Mountains look like when they peak, and in our case this year we were about a week ahead of peak color. As we drove higher in elevation we saw bands of color where the nights had gotten cool enough to trigger the change, but in general it was still too warm when we had timed our trip.
Read MoreThere is an unique quality to light in the autumn. The skies seems a little bluer, and there is a goldenness to the light. During our recent "leaf tour" we noticed how the light surrounding the Great Lakes seems to add brilliance to the leaves. This year the colors were not as bright as I have seen, but the trees that were changing were striking against the predominately green background.
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