Been there (NE Fall Foliage), Done that...

What a bust! After planning and waiting a year to see the burst of color during New England's fall foliage, we were disappointed that Mother Nature planned things differently this year.

Arriving at the cusp of leaf turning in New Hampshire, we arrived 5 hours late due to a weather related delay in Boston, and reached our destination in Jefferson, New Hampshire around 1230 AM. Luckily for us, the Inn Keepers at the Jefferson Inn left the key and directions to our room where we plopped into the comfy bed exhausted. Mother Nature had deluged New England with a plague of rain and wind, and you know what that does to leaves due to fall off the tree two weeks hence. They fall off early!

Within the State of New Hampshire, Crawford Notch and Franconia Notch had good color, the leaves turning daily to a colorful bouquet over the four days we were in New Hampshire. Also at Stowe, Vermont, about 60 miles from Jefferson, New Hampshire, the leaves were almost reaching peak color.

However, throughout New Hampshire, the leaves were turning later than usual and then the rains came, with wind, and many of the earlier turning leaves fell before the later turning leaves were at full color. So there was color, but many bare trees intermingled.

Timing is everything and the timing of our visit was good, only the weather did not cooperate. The cold rain and wind ended the foliage season before it could come to full bloom.

I hope there will be a next time. But New England is a 3000 mile flight from my location and even the most careful planning can't compete with Mother Nature.

Photo. Crawford Notch, New Hampshire