I love the changing seasons. It is so nice to go from the freshness of spring, to the warmth of summer, to the crispness of fall, to the quietness of winter. Here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, we are privileged to take in this ever-changing display of God’s creation, and love sharing it with you.
So what is it about fall that makes it so special?
- The crisp, cool mornings
- The ever-popular color changes of the leaves, known as fall foliage
- The increase of wildlife activity
- The warm but pleasant days
This morning when I awoke, it was down to 45 degrees! These crisp, cool nights really help to kick-start the fall foliage as the chlorophyll (which makes the leaves look green) starts its annual trek out of the leaves, down the tree, and into the roots to rest for the winter. When it does, the leaves get to show off their primary colors.
We’ll see yellows very soon, in fact, a few trees have already started turning. By mid-September, there will be quite a few of them showing off. As we move into October, we’ll begin to see the reds making their entrance. By the middle of that month, green will no longer be the predominant color of the mountains, as the autumn hues really take over. Early November, reds will take over the show, as the early changers will make their way all the way to brown before drying up and falling off.
What this means for you is that even though the time known as “fall foliage peak” typically happens around the middle two weeks of October, you don’t have to cram your getaway into those two weeks to enjoy the changing colors of the leaves. It really is a show that spans about six weeks. So any time between the last week of September and the first week of November would be a great time to visit our cabins in the mountains, and enjoy the wonders of fall.