Best Leaf-Peeping Flight?

Hi Gang!,
Well here in Northeast Tennessee the leaves are starting to change. I
was up in a Piper Cherokee Sunday and the colors are starting to show. I
would say that in the next 2 weeks or so that the colors will be great
throughout my little region of the world. TRI is the biggest airport around
here with numerous smaller fields. Yall come on down and check out the Great
Smokey Mountains.

Patrick

"Richard Russell" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 9 Oct 2004 07:00:05 +0200 (CEST), Nomen Nescio
] wrote:

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

From: (Teacherjh)

The best leaf peeping I've ever had was a low level flight up from
Danbuy to
Springfueld MA. I flew at 500 feet above the trees, and every hill was
a new
burst of color - it was spectacular. It wasn't even for leaf peeping,
it was
aviation related. I was going to visit somebody who had set up a space
shuttle
simulator at the middle school (he wanted some C++ programming done) I
just
got lucky with the time of year and the weather.

Jose

Ah, my hometown. Since Springfield has no airport, where did you land?
And
do you happen to remember which middle school?

snipped.....

You guys are bringing back memories for me. I was born in Chicopee
and spent my formative years in Agawam. Although I only learned to
fly two years ago, the seeds were there very early. I used to spend
my summer days riding my bike to Bowles Field. I can picture the view
from the fence like it was yesterday, even though it was actually over
forty years ago.

Rich Russell

Jay,

Just had a superb leaf flight over the weekend. North out of Grand
Rapids, Michigan; color was getting well under way and got better as
went north; best southeast of Traverse City (Grand Traverse dinner
train runs two-a-day 3 hour dinner runs into the area, perfect time
for it). To my surprise, as we approached the shore of Lake Michigan,
the color hadn't started, apparently the residual warmth of the lake
delays things for some miles along the shoreline. We went north up to
the Mackinac Bridge and crossed over into the Upper Peninsula where
colors got more intense, but the winds had picked up to the point that
to go northwest further into the U.P. meant 30 knots on the nose, so
we turned and landed on Mackinac Island, where the color on the higher
points of the island was spectacular. Next morning we flew southwest
along the lake shore, stopped at one of the most beautiful little
airports on the planet, Woolsey, for a picnic at the WPA-built field
stone terminal building. Lots of picnic benches and places to cook
had we brought charcoal. Then south along the coast to Muskegon,
although the color was spotty, intense in the marshy areas, hardly
started elsewhere. From Muskegon inland color was much better.
Excellent trip, lovely color and perfect weather. I guess it was just
sucking us in for the steel-gray of winter. sigh

Warmest regards,
Rick

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:2NI9d.213796$D%.200022@attbi_s51...
My Top Two votes:

1. Up the Mississippi River valley from Savannah, IL north to LaCrosse, WI.

With this sudden, early cold snap, the colors in the Midwest have abruptly
changed, and I imagine the flight past the bluffs that mark the confluence
of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers will be even more stunning than in
years past. (I'm hoping to do that flight Sunday afternoon.)

2. Over Lake McBride and the Coralville Reservoir, just a few miles north of
Iowa City.

A heavily wooded area of hills and ravines, the late afternoon sun really
digs deep into the parkland forest, setting off the brilliant colors along
the shoreline.

What's your vote?

Jay,

Just had a superb leaf flight over the weekend. North out of Grand
Rapids, Michigan; color was getting well under way and got better as
went north; best southeast of Traverse City (Grand Traverse dinner
train runs two-a-day 3 hour dinner runs into the area, perfect time
for it). To my surprise, as we approached the shore of Lake Michigan,
the color hadn't started, apparently the residual warmth of the lake
delays things for some miles along the shoreline. We went north up to
the Mackinac Bridge and crossed over into the Upper Peninsula where
colors got more intense, but the winds had picked up to the point that
to go northwest further into the U.P. meant 30 knots on the nose, so
we turned and landed on Mackinac Island, where the color on the higher
points of the island was spectacular. Next morning we flew southwest
along the lake shore, stopped at one of the most beautiful little
airports on the planet, Woolsey, for a picnic at the WPA-built field
stone terminal building. Lots of picnic benches and places to cook
had we brought charcoal. Then south along the coast to Muskegon,
although the color was spotty, intense in the marshy areas, hardly
started elsewhere. From Muskegon inland color was much better.
Excellent trip, lovely color and perfect weather. I guess it was just
sucking us in for the steel-gray of winter. sigh

Warmest regards,
Rick

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:2NI9d.213796$D%.200022@attbi_s51...
My Top Two votes:

1. Up the Mississippi River valley from Savannah, IL north to LaCrosse, WI.

With this sudden, early cold snap, the colors in the Midwest have abruptly
changed, and I imagine the flight past the bluffs that mark the confluence
of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers will be even more stunning than in
years past. (I'm hoping to do that flight Sunday afternoon.)

2. Over Lake McBride and the Coralville Reservoir, just a few miles north of
Iowa City.

A heavily wooded area of hills and ravines, the late afternoon sun really
digs deep into the parkland forest, setting off the brilliant colors along
the shoreline.

What's your vote?

"W P Dixon" wrote in message
...
Hi Gang!,
Well here in Northeast Tennessee the leaves are starting to change. I
was up in a Piper Cherokee Sunday and the colors are starting to show. I
would say that in the next 2 weeks or so that the colors will be great
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Two weeks will be past peak. This weekend should be the best weekend.

It is almost always the second week in Oct, around that area.
--
Jim in NC


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"W P Dixon" wrote in message
...
Hi Gang!,
Well here in Northeast Tennessee the leaves are starting to change. I
was up in a Piper Cherokee Sunday and the colors are starting to show. I
would say that in the next 2 weeks or so that the colors will be great
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Two weeks will be past peak. This weekend should be the best weekend.

It is almost always the second week in Oct, around that area.
--
Jim in NC


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We went north up to
the Mackinac Bridge and crossed over into the Upper Peninsula where
colors got more intense, but the winds had picked up to the point that
to go northwest further into the U.P. meant 30 knots on the nose, so
we turned and landed on Mackinac Island, where the color on the higher
points of the island was spectacular.

Ah, that IS one of the most beautiful flights in the world, at any time of
year.

Even with all the places we've flown in the last couple of years, we still
regret not getting back to Mackinac Island. It's one of the most
spectacular flights I've ever made, and we've missed it now for the last
several years.

Next summer, for sure!

What type of aircraft were you flying?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

We went north up to
the Mackinac Bridge and crossed over into the Upper Peninsula where
colors got more intense, but the winds had picked up to the point that
to go northwest further into the U.P. meant 30 knots on the nose, so
we turned and landed on Mackinac Island, where the color on the higher
points of the island was spectacular.

Ah, that IS one of the most beautiful flights in the world, at any time of
year.

Even with all the places we've flown in the last couple of years, we still
regret not getting back to Mackinac Island. It's one of the most
spectacular flights I've ever made, and we've missed it now for the last
several years.

Next summer, for sure!

What type of aircraft were you flying?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"vincent p. norris" wrote in message
...
The conventional wisdom is that this won't be a particularly good year
for color in New England. Not enough stress? Personally, I've figured
that a wet summer (which we had) and a dry autumn is the recipe for
color in the fall.

Dan, some friends and I are leaving central PA on October 18 or 19,
going to Owls Head, Maine, and then on to the Canadian Maritimes.

Any chance there will still be any color that late? We couldn't leave
any earlier.

I flew from Boston down through the NYC area over the weekend. Up around
Worcester/No. CT the leaves were about 30% turned but not much South of
that. Boston still is pretty green owing to warmer temps on the water.

I suspect you'll still see color but more towards the southern part of your
trip and along the coastlines. I hear it was pretty well underway in NH last
weekend.

-cwk.

"vincent p. norris" wrote in message
...
The conventional wisdom is that this won't be a particularly good year
for color in New England. Not enough stress? Personally, I've figured
that a wet summer (which we had) and a dry autumn is the recipe for
color in the fall.

Dan, some friends and I are leaving central PA on October 18 or 19,
going to Owls Head, Maine, and then on to the Canadian Maritimes.

Any chance there will still be any color that late? We couldn't leave
any earlier.

I flew from Boston down through the NYC area over the weekend. Up around
Worcester/No. CT the leaves were about 30% turned but not much South of
that. Boston still is pretty green owing to warmer temps on the water.

I suspect you'll still see color but more towards the southern part of your
trip and along the coastlines. I hear it was pretty well underway in NH last
weekend.

-cwk.

On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 22:28:03 GMT, "C Kingsbury"
wrote:

I suspect you'll still see color but more towards the southern part of your
trip and along the coastlines. I hear it was pretty well underway in NH last
weekend.

It's great. Yesterday driving down Bay Road to Newmarket I was almost
bawling with the loveliness of it. Every year it's like this: it
starts out so muted, and the leaves start falling so early, so you
figure that this is going to be a lousy year, but every year it turns
out better than you remembered.

I'd say we're still a week away from peak foliage here in
Strafford-Rockingham counties (SE New Hampshire). Land at Hampton,
Pease, or Skyhaven (Rochester) on your way "down east".

And don't forget that Maine does trend as much east as north. It could
be a flight to remember. (Today looks like the best one for the
balance of the week.)

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

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