Blue Valley Overlook, Nantahala National Forest, Highlands, North Carolina

Views like this one of Blue Valley are what bring tourists to *precious* Highlands, NC, the kind of place where folks wipe their bottoms with $100 bills.

Northbound Leaf Watchers, Mountain View, Georgia

The Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains further north are being swarmed with leaf watchers heading north on 441 from Atlanta. That line of cars was solid all day!

Golden Hour, New River Gorge National River, Grandview, West Virginia

Evening light and shadows settle over the New River Gorge, as seen from the Grandview, West Virgina, overlook.

The Facilities, Summit Lake Campground, Monongahela National Forest, Richwood, West Virginia

Rich autumn colors give even the crapper and trashcan that certain charm.

Autumn, Augusta Springs Wetlands, George Washington National Forest, Augusta Springs, Virginia

Cool waters are warmed by the reflection of autumn colors, a last blaze before winter.

Trees Aflame, Notch Lake, Hunter, New York

Is it the trees that are catching fire? Or my soul?

Fall Begins, Schoharie Creek, Catskill Mountains, Jewett, New York

I swam these creeks as a child, climbed these mountains. Smells of petrichor and ripe apples call me home.