Our first morning up on the north shore I followed my usual routine of rising early to watch the sunrise over Lake Superior. Soon it turned cloudy so we decided it would be a good morning to enjoy a drive through the woods. We had the luxury of time.
The sky was gray and the weather cool and crisp. With hot coffee in hand, we grabbed our warm jackets, climbed in our truck, and took off on a suggested fall color tour route.
As we drove around the Tofte-Lutsen area we were witness to some amazing fall colors: red maples, yellow aspen and birch trees standing among the ever-green pine trees with an occasional still green or lime-green leaves on deciduous trees.
At times it felt like we were driving through a fluorescent-lit tunnel. Even though the sky was cloudy the road seemed bright. The canopy of trees with magnificent colors overhead on this gravel, back road was beautiful.
After many years of coming up to this area we know our way around fairly well but we always find something, or somewhere, new to explore. This year we talked to a local business owner and asked where he would drive to look at fall colors. He gave us directions to a back road leading to a lake surrounded by maple trees. We found the road and the lake, and voilà – it was another glorious drive and sight!
This was not a suggested route of the many fall color tour routes up on the north shore. It’s always fun to get off the beaten path and discover something new.
This was our first day up north. We looked forward to colorful days ahead.
How beautiful Valerie. Your timing for fall colors was a wonderful gift. We, too, love those back roads. Thanks for all your awesome posts 😍
You’re welcome.
As you know, anytime on the north shore is wonderful, but it was an extra blessing to see the fall colors!
I have never been to the North Shore in autumn. Those colors are so vibrant. Wow.
The colors were fabulous.
I hope you can get up to the north shore sometime…however, you never know when the colors are going to peak.
Hi Valerie,
I can almost smell the fall air! Autumn is something I miss very much… maybe next year my calendar will allow a trip somewhere to kick around some crunchy leaves. When my kiddos were little I would put them on a blanket and let the leaves shower down upon them. And thank you for the photo of the maple leaves that had not turned yet! I also recall bringing in leaves on a dropcloth for a Sunday activity and letting the 2s and 3s play … in them … as I recall… the cleanup was not well thought out! But they had fun.
I bet the 2s and 3s loved playing in the leaves indoors. Great idea. I can imagine the janitor might have been wondering what happened.
So glad you are not in the path of those hurricanes!
Fabulous pictures… just a touch of color here in IN
Thanks.
It snowed here this morning!