2007 Fall Vacation -- Great Smoky Mountain NP and The Blue Ridge Parkway

My 2007 Fall Vacation. 11 days, 2850 miles.

When I was in Pennsylvania in 2006, there were a lot of places where the trees were turning fall colors. I would have taken more pictures, and found other places of interest, but I was sicker than a dog and was miserable. Even though I forced myself to play tourist, I could have done a better job.

So I had this brilliant idea for my 2007 fall vacation. Go find some fall colors. Simple, yes?

Well, no. Plans couldn't be made until Annual Pass rates were announced by Disney. That happened on August 19. Hard reservations were made for October 21 through the 27th. I'd be back in Chicago by the 29th.

Now, part of this brilliant plan was to go wherever the trees were turning color. If it was Pennsylvania or New York, so be it. Ideally it would be the Blue Ridge Parkway. But I would even go to Tennessee, Mississippi, wherever. No problem for mid-October, right?

Well, no. At the start of October, I start checking websites that track color changes. Well, between the drought and the warm fall, the trees are either turning from green to dead, or they're staying green, not a whole lot of color. By mid-October, things still hadn't changed.

A decision had to be made on where to go, and it's the Blue Ridge Parkway. Even if the trees aren't turning color, it'll still be a nice drive, right?

Well, no. It would have been a nice drive, except for the fog. Low clouds, actually, but at 4000 feet, it's fog. Fog so dense that not only could you not see if the trees were turning color, but you couldn't see the trees. Not to mention we didn't even see the sun until we were twenty miles from the mountains.

I want my money back.

Great Smoky Mountain National Park

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Blue Ridge Parkway

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