Plan your foliage trip carefully

IF YOU GO

Plan ahead and make reservations early for an enjoyable foliage outing These foliage travel tips from the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing can be applied to almost any popular fall foliage destination:

Make reservations well in advance -- especially if you want to visit on a weekend.

Consider staying in an alternate area. Vermont is a small state and an hour's drive can take you from one side of the state to the other.

Consider a multi-night stay in a resort area with day trips to surrounding sites and attractions.

Book midweek. Properties that fill up on weekends often have vacancies during the week. Contact lodging bureaus at major resort areas for the latest information on availability.

Different varieties of trees change at different times. Red maples are among the first to change, especially those along roadsides and in wet areas.

The earliest foliage change generally occurs in the northern part of the state near the Canadian border and at higher elevations.

"Peak" color is a bit of a myth, since every person has their own ideas of what "peak" looks like. Typically, the fullest color can be found from late-September in the north through mid-October in the south.

Many experienced foliage viewers actually consider late October the most beautiful time in Vermont. Once the most brilliant colors have passed, the hills take on a subtler and richer range of hues that are just as beautiful, if not as spectacular.

--AP