There’s no better way to enjoy the magic of a Traverse City autumn than to get out and walk about in it. Photographs are pretty, but there’s really no substitute for smelling the aromas of fallen leaves, listening to them crunch underfoot, and feeling the cool breeze brush your face as you surround yourself with in the sensory overload of this lovely, brief season.
Tag - Fall Color
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the fall color from below – looking up from the seat of your bike or your car as you pass a blazing hillside of red, gold and orange maples. Hard-core foliage fans, however, won’t be content until they’ve climbed the summits of a few hills to enjoy the autumn display from above.
There are lots of ways to experience fall color in the Traverse City area: driving, hiking, cycling, or simply staring out your hotel window. One of the most rewarding is to combine a color tour with a paddling adventure by canoe or kayak.
It’s important to know where you should go to see the best display of fall color. After all, a true foliage connoisseur knows that it’s not just about finding a bunch of trees in full flame. It’s a matter of finding that perfect spot with just the right balance of tone and hue, with a proper framing and at least one interesting feature – a barn, perhaps, or a body of water -- to add a little artistic flair to the scene.
There are advantages to taking a color tour by car. You can cover a lot of ground -- and you don’t have to worry that windy, cold or rainy weather will ruin your experience. (Although sometimes I think a little rain can actually make the colors look brighter.) But the best way to experience the full sensory overload of autumn -- the sound and smell of those new-fallen leaves, the feel of the breeze -- is to get out and spend some time hiking or cycling one of our many trails.
Fall is my favorite season, and the Traverse City area abounds in places where you can almost always find great color.
Early fall color just south of town
By MIKE NORTON
Fall is on its way. Little by little, hints of red and gold are appearing among the trees. The days seem to alternate between razor-sharp clarity and a dreamy blue haze, and the air is sweet with the scent of apples and woodsmoke.
And
The view from Pyramid Point -- and yes, it really is that color!
By MIKE NORTON
I’m looking out my window right now at a misty landscape where rain squalls chase each other across the surface of the Bay like fretful and obnoxious children. Good weather for ducks, as they used to say – and I
