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Peak Foliage in North Western Vermont!!
Trip Color Report for 11 Oct 2008
by Jeff "Foliage" Folger
Color on northern route 89 about 3-5 miles south of St Albans
Good color up north. Turn off 89 onto route 36 then turn right onto old french hill road. Taken Sat Oct 11th 08
River road outside Swanton, next to the Mississquoi river 11 Oct 08
An old tractor in a field by the HS that's been there for years... In front of the Mississquoi valley union high school on route 78 in Swanton VT
The sun streamed in on the leaves backlighting the color. River road outside Swanton, next to the Mississquoi river 11 Oct 08
Does anything scream fall like a hayride through the fields? Hartmans farm stand in Sheldon VT on route 78. (11 Oct 08)
Greetings leaf peepers!
I'm having trouble getting a solid signal for transmitting my reports to you. I've found that all the places that have great color also have lousy cell coverage... go figure.
Lisa and I drove up to St Albans Vermont and I noticed not too many of you followed us up there. I noticed this because we were counting all the out of state license plates.
I'll give away one of my photo greeting cards if you can tell me???
We counted 14 non-Vermont plates visiting Vermont and if you can guess where the furthest state plate was from I will send you a greeting with a shot of the foliage from this fall season and one of my travels. It's a very nice card and envelope suitable for giving to one of your very best friends or even framing! So start putting your comments in this post. Please try to vote only once though and not send in 49 comments as I will only count the first one you send.
Anyway we traveled up from Salem Friday night (I-95 down to I-93 then north to NH) to White River Junction. Let me tell you now!!!
Never do that!
It was so stupid because the rest of New England (and a few other states) choose to do the same thing too. So we sat in traffic all the way to the First rest stop on 93 where I got off to stretch my legs.
The parking lot was packed with 200+ cars, trucks, and a few RVs. 99% of them there to head to the White Mountains! I told you this past week that the color was good but you could save yourselves the trouble and do southern NH and be just as happy? With out all the traffic... (IMHO)
We got on 89 and left most of the traffic on 93 slogging it out to the north and we made it to White River Junction. We found a Super 8 with a room for us (smoking, yuck!) We left this morning and amid the fog the sun soon started to shine through and the leaves were good but not peak.
We followed route 114 which parallels 89 and the scenery was very nice and Lisa had to yell at me for slowing us down by stopping for pictures every few minutes.. After all we are expected up north. Seeing that it wasn't working she directed us back onto 89 and we joined all the other leaf peepers heading north.
The curious thing is that when we passed Stowe we didn't see more than one or two. Our assumption is that they dropped into Stowe and from what we could see from the highway was the hills are at peak. There were big sections of reds visible with a lot of golds and orange. So based on this I think most folks will be happy with their decision? Except for the fact that everybody else probably went there with them? To be honest Stowe isn't all that big to begin with so I can only image when the traffic would be like...
Well Sunday Lisa and I headed down route 7 to Barre Mass and the Quabbin Reservoir and I will post a full trip report later this week.
Jeff "Foliage" Folger [1]
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Reader Comments
Comment from Bryan Viggiano on October 14, 2008
My guess is Florida.
Comment from Clyde Ruthroff on October 15, 2008
A picture of foliage is worthless without the location and date.
Comment from Jeff Folger on October 15, 2008
As to the first guess, Yes I saw Florida but it was not the furthest away state from Vermont. I did count MA, ME, NH CT and RI in my count as they all are from out of state...
Now to Clyde's remark, My bad! and I'll go back and put the locations and Date. I took these all on Saturday the 11th of Oct. They were all in the area of Saint Albans VT (also Highgate) and the first one was a mile or two south of St Albans on route 89 on the way in... My Bad... I will correct this in all further postings.. Thanks Clyde...
Comment from Harold Edmondson on October 16, 2008
Jeff thanks for showing the color. Wish is was there if I was then Texas would have been on one of the plates you saw. Texas is my guess. The world thru your eyes is great.
Comment from Jeff Folger on October 16, 2008
Hi Harold, I just saw this guess and Have to say you're dead right! Now you need to email me with your address. if you can go into the foliage forum and look for the thread titled Jeffs contest winner then you can leave me you home address. After I have your address I'll delete the thread...
Congratulations!!! Now I have to come up with another idea for a contest... How about this.... I currently have a little more than 3000 miles totaled up looking for fall foliage. I will open a thread that will stay at the top of the forum and you can make your guesses there. If someone guesses or is the closest to the actual number value of mile that I travel before 1 November 08 then they will win... Also all guess have to be in by the witching hour on Halloween night (midnight 31 Oct) Then on the 1st-2nd after I recuperate from Halloween evening I will post in the blog/forum thread the name of the lucky guesser...
The gift? .... Hmmm how about a boxed set of five 5x7 cards (with envelopes)??? Let me know what you think... Remember You have to register in the forum and leave your guess in the correct thread that is titled Jeff's contest winner. If you post a guess in the blog I won't accept it here.
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