The Best Fall Road Trips

Gas House Pike, New Market, MD

Lately, I've been sharing several pictures of fall colors taken during past road trips. Doing some research into the topic, I found an MSNBC article about where to find the best fall color. The article is two years old, but most of the links are still useful and I found several new places I'd like to visit in the fall. Here are my favorites:

"A Pennsylvania autumn is one you'll never forget"
The tagline from Fall in PA is backed up by some beautiful pictures of fall colors throughout the state of Pennsylvania. The site shares where to go when with their fall foliage report. More information on hiking and biking trails, driving routes, and special destinations will make your experience even better.

"Discover the Asheville Autumn Experience"
Explore Asheville also has a fall color report on its site. Suggestions for scenic drives and other activities are provided, as well as a page listing visitor favorites for foliage views.

"Experience Ozark Fall Foliage"
The Fall Foliage Report at Fall in the Ozarks starts October 15th this year. This site has information on hiking and biking trails, scenic drives and several tips to help you plan your trip to the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas and Missouri.

No fun tagline, but a lot of good information
Yankee Magazine has tips for fall colors in New England on Yankee Foliage. The site has daily color reports, foliage forums for different states, a foliage blog, and suggestions for scenic drives and fall events in New England.

If you have a favorite fall road trip, please share it with us in the comments. Thank you!

Related posts:
Driving the Highest Pave Road in North America
Fall Colors on the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway
Friday Photo Post: Shenandoah National Park
Friday photo Post: Blue Ridge Mountains

Driving the Highest Paved Road in North America

Echo Lake

Yesterday I mentioned driving the Peak to Peak Scenic Highway when we lived in Colorado. Another scenic drive that we enjoyed was the 14 mile Mount Evans Road which ends at an elevation of 14,230 feet above sea level. There are several places to stop along the way. If you go, consider packing a picnic and allow time for exploring.

The last four to five miles of the road closes early in September, but you can still drive up to Summit Lake at about 12,000 feet. It is cold and windy at that elevation, so if you go, bring warm clothing.

Summit Lake

Fall Colors on the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway

During the fall, one of my favorite things to do is take road trips to enjoy the trees changing colors. Last week, I mentioned a road trip on Skyline Drive in Virginia. When we lived in Colorado, we took several trips like that. One beautiful drive is the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway from Black Hawk/Central City to Estes Park.

Once we reached Estes Park, we also enjoyed the fall colors and elk watching at Rocky Mountain National Park. The best time for fall colors is usually the last week in September and the first week in October.

Friday Photo Post: Shenandoah National Park

I'm excited because Doug and I will be in Washington D.C. for our anniversary next month. Just thinking about our trip brings back memories of when we lived in Maryland. These pictures are from a road trip we did on the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park.


At the southern end of the drive, one of our last stops was at the Blackrock Summit parking lot at mile marker 84.8. A short 10 minute walk led us to Blackrock and a fun climb up to some amazing views.

Book Review: Lois on the Loose

If you've ever thought about riding a motorcycle from Alaska down to Argentina, you might want to read Lois on the Loose: One Woman, One Motorcycle, 20,000 Miles Across the Americas by Lois Pryce. Her incredible story is filled with adventure from the very beginning, and will either make you start planning your own trip, or cross that crazy idea off your list of things to do.

Early in the book Lois writes, "A road trip isn't about being somewhere... it's about going somewhere." I liked the sound of that, but as I read the book, I wondered if her focus on "going" was at the expense of enjoying the places she passed through.

She admits to having White Line Fever, "that old gnawing obsession with what lies ahead, and an inability to simply be in the time and place." That focus helps Lois keep going during some of the more unfortunate parts of her trip, but it also means fewer descriptions of the places she stayed during her travels.

Her best writing is in the descriptions of her adventures on the road and her interactions with other people. Her experience with a police officer in Vancouver, British Columbia, and her reaction to the backpackers in Vilcabamba, Peru are two examples that made me laugh, even as I knew (hoped) they weren't typical.

The most vivid descriptions are about one of her companions, Amalia. As I read about her, I couldn't help but think that Lois should have had TravMonkey's list of ways to ditch your travel mate. Of course, as soon as I think Lois can't possibly take any more of Amalia, something horrible happens, and I'm left feeling awful for my uncharitable thoughts.

As if to prove her philosophy that a road trip isn't about being somewhere, after 286 pages describing her journey, Lois writes one paragraph about being in Ushuaia. If you are looking for a great story of adventure on the road, I recommend this book. If you want to read about the places on Lois' route, I'd look elsewhere.

From other travel blogs:
Vagablogging has another review of Lois on the Loose, and Justin Glow has an interview with Lois on Gadling.

The Hometown Invasion Tour

Looking at travel articles in Digg, I came across a travel blog that caught my interest. The Hometown Invasion Tour is about Justin Sailor's road trip around the United States. He is staying with different families in each state, "documenting hometown life through photography, interviews, and journal writing."

I browsed through some of his archives and found interesting stories about the places he has stayed. I enjoyed reading about his stay in White Bear Lake, a small town not too far from where I live. I also liked his post The Simple Life.

Justin started his trip before Scott and Fiddy of Hitch50, (they hitchhiked across the U.S., hitting 50 state capitols in 50 days), but he hasn't had as much publicity. I think it's a great site. Check it out!