Fall Foliage
Fall was once Maine’s best-kept secret.
No longer! Visitors have discovered our lively
harvest festivals, sparkling clear weather, and
of course, Mother Nature’s brilliant display.
Against a backdrop of rocky coastline and
mountain pines, Maine’s vivid maples and
oaks set the scene for hiking, biking,
paddling and golf. Fall brings food and wine
celebrations, agricultural fairs, and music
festivals. Colorful farmers’ markets and
produce stands beckon. Apple orchards
invite you to “pick your own.” Birders spot
migrating hawks, warblers and shorebirds.
And there’s more: Fall is peak season for
Maine lobster, too.
To help you plan your Maine foliage tour, in September and October the Maine Department of Conservation posts weekly reports on foliage conditions throughout the state on its Web site located at http://www.state.me.us/doc/foliage.The first foliage report for 2010 will be September 15th. Also, for current foliage condition updates, the Maine Office of Tourism offers a toll-free foliage hotline from mid-September through Columbus Day: 1-800-MAINE45 (624-6345).
 The melting of hues from green, to yellow, to burnt orange and reds begins as early as mid-September in Fort Kent in the North, and as late as the end of October in Kittery, at Maine's southern tip. The actual process of change begins in August as the warm weather wanes and Maine's 57 species of broadleaved trees begin preparing for autumn. The trees refuse to slip quietly into hibernation. Instead, nature marches out with much fanfare, trumpeting the bright oranges and yellows of sugar maples, the purples of white ash, the scarlet of red and mountain maples, and the rich browns of black and white oak. Mixed in are the deep greens of pines and other conifers. Few sights satisfy the soul like the brilliant colors splashed across Maine's forests each autumn.
|
| |
