My first Fall in Virginia! The weather leading up to this season has not been ideal, so colors have been a bit muted this year, but regardless, I'm loving the color that I do have all around me.
Earlier in the month I drove a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which has an access point not far from my home in Galax (pronounced gay-lax) looking for Fall color, but didn't find a lot of it. It was beautiful nonetheless, and not far from that access point is the Blue Ridge Music Center. I had no idea how big of a role Virginia has played in our country's music history. The fabled Carter Family lived within an hour West of me, and their "fold" is still there.
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| Photo of the Carter Family |
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I stamped my brochure to commemorate my
first visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway |
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| Piedmont View from the Blue Ridge Parkway |
Even though the Fall color wasn't popping the day I drove a section of the Parkway, the views along the way were stunning! Closer to home, though, there are other scenic byways that are offering a bit more.
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Looking northwest along Scenic Byway 52 just a
hop, skip, and a jump from home |
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A bit of color where Bland and Wythe counties meet
across from Big Walker Lookout |
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| A pop of red along Scenic Byway 52 |
Lest we forget that we're in the midst of "spooky season", a local garden center had lots of Fall color on display.
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| Mums in every color |
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| The color I chose for my front porch Mums |
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| "Fireball" Pumpkins -- a new favorite |
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The good old standard pumpkin for carving,
along with some more exotic types in the background |
Very close to home (literally across the street), is a beautiful tree in the midst of its Fall color change. The last rays of the afternoon sun lit up the leaves lying on the ground so beautifully.
UPDATE: Thanks to several days of freezing overnight temperatures, the trees were finally able to unleash their beautiful Fall colors.
Last weekend, I drove to Durham, North Carolina to visit with my daughter and Fall was showing itself everywhere. It's so difficult to get a good photo that really shows what the colors are really like, but here are a few photos of some of the Fall leaves I've encountered while walking in my neighborhood.
