Autumn is absolutely my favorite time of year, and I know I’m not alone.  I even have friends who now reside in the southwest, but make a special effort to return to Erie for a visit almost every year around this time.  Why?  Because they (a) love the break from the heat of the desert, (b) they love our fall foliage, and (c) hello – I’m here. 

And I thought specifically of them this morning I went for a nice stroll and what did I see when I looked down at the grass?  I saw this:

Then I looked around and I saw this:

And when I looked up?  I got this view:

Yes, the leaves have begun to change.  Not many at the moment, but soon the colors will be gold, brown, orange, and burgundy with remaining bits of green far as the eye can see.  And, as it is every year, it will be a magnificent view. 

And these beautiful views are absolutely free of charge and can be found just about anywhere in Erie County. 

Some of my favorite places for autumn leaf peeping and shutterbugging are:

Wintergreen Gorge

Wintergreen Gorge isn’t just a cemetery.  It’s a great place to do a little bit of walking in the woods and offers a tremendous autumnal color display.  It doesn’t much matter whether your prefer to walk the paved roads that wind through the actual cemetery or you prefer to don your boots and make your way through the dir paths and streams of the woods below, the views from both vantage points are spectacular. 

Erie Cemetery

Old growth trees abound in the Erie Cemetery, as well as some pretty old graves.  If you’re a history buff you can tie in some leaf peeping with a little bit of walk through time, as you check out the names and dates on some of the tombstones. 

Anywhere in Erie

Put on your sneakers and walk out your front door.  Go down the block, to the end of the street, to a neighborhood park.  Erie’s got lovely, majestic trees all over the place. 

LEAF

And speaking of parks… make a point to go check out the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park.  With more than 225 different varieties of trees, Frontier Park is a great autumn destination. 

Feel like taking a drive?

If you’re in the mood to “get out of Dodge,” as a good friend of mine used to say, take a spin on up to Peek‘n Peak.  I’ve been to the Peek’s Fall Festival a few times over the past years and not only is there quite a bit to do and see when you arrive at your destination, but the scenery on the way there is wonderful.

Don’t feel like driving quite that far?  Then how about just heading to North East?  Time it just right, and you can get in some fall foliage and some local wine tasting at the Wine Country Harvest Festival.  Just make sure you roll down your windows on the way, because the wonderful aroma of grapes on the vine can be enjoyed for miles. 

The change of seasons is one of the top reasons I love living in this part of the country.  I like variety.  And, while I might not be fond of the extremes in either direction (excessive heat and excessive cold both make me a bit cranky), I tolerate hot summers and cold winters because spring and fall are so awesome.

So, where are your favorite places to view the fall foliage?