The Beauty of Fall
Fall Colors! There’s no better artist than Nature when fall rolls around in rural VT. Few regions in America are more glorious in autumn than rural New England. Known for its colonial past, Atlantic coastline, forested mountains, and dazzling fall foliage, it's a realm of covered bridges, country inns, weathered barns, 18th-century farmhouses, mountain lakes,…
The desert southwest has a beauty all of its own. Crystalline blue skies hover above red rocks as cacti and palm trees stretch toward them. Desert dandelions and marigolds, California poppies and golden suncups, and desert lavender and sand verbena stand out against the terracotta and umber landscape in spring and summer. Red leaves stand…
It’s not hard to find fall colors in Colorado. There are more than two million acres of aspen trees in the state -- one billion trees. If placed together, they would cover Rhode Island and Delaware. Add Colorado’s riverbanks, which are lined with cottonwoods (the close cousin of aspens and just as brilliant yellow) and…
Bewitched Statue The first tarot card the psychic at Pentagram turned over was a Sun, which I was told signifies optimism and success. She then proceeded to tell me I would have several opportunities coming my way soon. One would be career-related, the other not. And a third was going to be a distraction I…
Overlooking Heidelberg, Germany from the top of the Philosophers Walk, including Heidelberg Castle above the Old Town and the Karl Theodore Bridge. Frequently void of huge crowds found during summer and the holidays, autumn is a wonderful season to travel. Amid generally pleasant early October temperatures, fall foliage dazzles us with colors that evoke childhood memories…
Aspen medallions dangle from a tree. Autumn has such a distinct scent. You know it when you smell it. All along the trail to Marlette Lake on the East Shore of Lake Tahoe I kept taking deep breaths. While it is really death that is in the air, the power of it gave me energy.…
Ha Ha Tonka State Park near Lake of the Ozarks in Central Missouri. Photo: Courtesy of FunLake.com Autumn arrives in the Midwest without the fanfare of spring storms. Ditto for summer’s heatwaves or the nostalgia associated with winter holidays. One day the treetops are as green as can be, and then? The Big Reveal of…
Cablecar over An Thoi The view from the windows of the world’s longest over-the-sea cable car was magnificent. From our ephemeral perch, more than 500 feet above the Gulf of Thailand, Phong Lan and I looked down upon the fishing village of An Thó’i at the southern tip of Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island. Hundreds of…
A decorative SEOUL sign across Cheonggyecheon Stream, a 5-mile long walking path, below street level, in downtown Seoul. Seoul is often seen as a pass-through city by travelers flying to various parts of Asia. And that’s how my husband and I saw it until, in late 2019, we decided to spend nine days there and…
Marine Iguana and Sally Lightfoot Crab seen from the zodiac When planning our trip to the Galapagos Archipelago, a year-round destination, Ira and I chose to visit during the garoa (dry season) which runs from July to December. Unlike many Northern Hemisphere’s destinations that are inundated with cooler temperatures, overcast skies, and a multitude of…
