Time to file our final fall color report for 2020! Hurricane Zeta brought some decent wind gusts that took down most of the fully changed leaves in our neighborhood of Pisgah National Forest late last week, but color remains at a few places nearby.
We are well on our way to having one of the more colorful fall seasons in our 13 years at the Inn on Mill Creek Bed & Breakfast! Mother Nature has really outdone herself in 2020, perhaps knowing that we needed this beautiful break in a chaotic time. Let’s see where things stand with the progression of fall foliage in the mountains around Asheville, NC, as we head through the third full week of October.
It’s our final week of fall color reports for 2019 and there are still plenty of oranges and reds in the landscape here around Asheville as we head into the late fall season, thanks to Mother Nature delaying the start of the color show this year. And some areas just south of us are at peak now, so even going further into November, leaves will be changing depending on where you go.
It took seven weeks, but it was worth the wait for gorgeous fall color in the Asheville area. Mother Nature took her sweet time and rewarded our patience (OK, we weren’t patient the whole time) with some brilliant fall foliage. Early November peak? Sure, why not!
Getting very, very close to peak color around Asheville… finally! Whew. Thought it would never get here. And it’s during Halloween week, which is perfect since the holiday comes with all kinds of fall imagery, including pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns. Which, by the way, have you ever seen our carved “pugkin”? Soooo fitting for a B&B with pugs.
When it comes to leaves on the trees, some early changers fall, some late changers stall… such is typically the case with mid-October in the North Carolina mountains. One difference this year is that the early changing leaves are about a week late. So let’s try to figure out what Mother Nature is thinking during Week 4 of the fall foliage season.
Week 3 of the fall foliage season in western North Carolina is feeling a lot like the night before Christmas, or the day before you get to see a loved one after several years apart, or the moment before you get served your very favorite dish at your very favorite restaurant. Anticipation is building, something special is coming soon, the hints are there… patience… it’s hard!
We’re headed s-l-o-w-l-y into the second week of the Fall season in terms of fall foliage, but there are definitely some hints of color here and there (thank you, sourwood trees). Let’s see where to go daytripping to hunt for some early Fall color and which tree we’re profiling this week!
Autumn is finally here, and with six to eight weeks of great fall color ahead, the mountains of Western North Carolina are sure to bring inspiration and joy. And sweater weather, yay! The Asheville area has one of the longest fall seasons in the world, and we’re just getting started with week 1 of our fall foliage reports. Let’s begin!
It’s party time at Biltmore and you’re invited! From February 8 to May 27, 2019, a fabulous costume exhibit called A Vanderbilt House Party is happening at Biltmore Estate in Asheville. You won’t believe the detail of the clothing and who helped put the exhibit together. Think Downton Abbey… ready to learn more?
