True confession ... I am obsessed with fall foliage!  There.  I've said it.  Wherever we travel and there is an abundance of trees, I pretty much always say how gorgeous it must be when the leaves change.  The hubby says he'd give me just one season where I actually had to rake the leaves and my attitude would change (same with loving snow/having real winter conditions). Alas, this lifelong So Cal resident can see only a smidgen of colors on a clear day driving along Mulholland.

At a vineyard in Queenstown, NZ

What did I love most about our trip to New Zealand and Australia in the spring of 2010?  The foliage (among lots of other things)!  I knew it would be fall there, but it absolutely never occurred to me I would have the added bonus of seeing the gorgeous foliage.

Taupo, north island of NZ

How gorgeous is this?  Not exactly fall, but who cares? (Huka Lodge)

 

The first places that come to mind for experiencing nature's gift would be in the northeast U.S. -- and I know there are cruises (NY to Canada) to take advantage of that time.  My goal here is to get you thinking about the less obvious places both at home and abroad.  Herewith, a list of places. And, if it's too late for this year, a few places you could go in the spring to experience the fall (south of the equator, of course!)  

Denali National Park

1.  National Parks such as Denali in Alaska; Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina; Grand Teton in Wyoming; and in the northeast, Acadia in Maine.  

2.  Ottawa, Canada -- the country's capital is probably considered more of a "flyover" between Toronto and Montreal but is well worth visiting.

Lac Leslie, 60 miles NW of Ottawa

Black Forest

3.  In Europe, certainly Germany's Black Forest (so named because tree density makes it difficult for light to pass through) is a premiere spot.  Having just been there in early May, I can only imagine the vibrant colors on so many trees! 



 

Patagonia

Lastly, if you're traveling when it is springtime in the U.S. but want to see foliage during those months, then head south!  Two suggestions:


 4.  Patagonia, Argentina -- particularly the Lake District.  And of course, one cannot miss Buenos Aires, a world-class city on so many levels.

Queenstown

5. And, back to the beginning, Queenstown, NZ, on the south island.  One of the truly picturesque places on earth....