This past weekend I traveled north into Zone 5a to take a drive with Mom G. and enjoy some autumn colors. She had already taken a handful of pictures that week around their property as the leaves started to turn.

I really love this one!

In the north eastern area of Lake Michigan there is a 16 mile stretch of scenic highway called the Tunnel of Trees. It is a popular destination in both the spring when the trillium are blooming and in the fall when the expansive stand of trees begin donning fall color. At each end of the drive there are small, northern towns. Here is a shot of the first.

We noticed the color hadn’t progressed as far as in Mom G’s town. When we drove along the lake, there really wasn’t much color, but boy was it a beautiful drive.

At the other end of the drive we enjoyed a warm meal of sandwiches, European coffee, and pastries. On the drive back down to Zone 6a I stopped off at a rest area  to snap some more photos.

I don’t know if I could ever live in an area without very visible changes in season. There is something therapeutic in the waxing and waning of the growing season here.