This year’s Fall Color Tour is a good way to enjoy the autumn foliage while getting a close up look at some interesting places, including the new Detroit Mountain Recreation Area, the Weedy Lake Winery south of Audubon, and the new Discovery Center at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. “We have a really unique area,” said Cleone Stewart, tourism director for the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. “There’s the prairie grasses, the hardwoods and the dark pines in the background.” And of course, this area also has tamarack trees, which look like evergreens. Just before the needles drop in autumn, the needles turn a beautiful golden color, giving the stands of tamarack a striking contrast to the fall foliage.
Ray Swanson of Detroit Lakes has taken the tour many times, though he won’t be able to this year because he’ll be out of town. “I like it,” he said. “You see the scenery, you see different things you don’t see normally, and you see it in a different way.” The bus toured areas ravaged by the Green Valley Fire last year, for example. Menahga Mayor Pat Foss served as a step-on guide and gave riders the inside story on the big wildfire. The Lake Country Scenic Byway Association Fall Color Tour is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. Deadline to sign up is Sept. 25. Depending on how many participate, either one or two motor coaches will be booked for the guided tour. Lunch is provided as part of the fee. Call the DL Chamber at 847-9202 for more information. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078336","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"700"}}]] Highway 34, a state-designated scenic byway, is a featured route on the tour. It offers a variety of fall colors as landscape transitions from tall prairie grass in the west to the dark conifers and yellow, pale greens, oranges and reds of hardwood trees further east. Minnesota’s wet early summer should produce a colorful fall leaf display, but experts warn that it could come and go quicker than usual. “We’re anticipating a beautiful fall color display,” said Patricia Arndt of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Parks and Trails Division. “It will move across the state quickly, though, so we encourage everyone to get out and enjoy it while it lasts.” The DNR has an online site that can help people find the best shows. The site also allows people to upload their favorite fall color photographs and to find where there are programs ranging from fall color walks to searching for Bigfoot. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078337","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"300","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"450"}}]] The site is updated each Thursday with the latest fall color information. On Monday, it showed almost all of Minnesota with less than 10 percent of peak fall colors, although an area west of Bemidji already has up to a quarter of its trees at peak. Colors typically peak mid-September to early October in the northern third of Minnesota, late September to early October in the central third and late September to mid-October in the southern third. Peak fall color typically lasts about two weeks, but that can vary widely, depending on location, elevation and weather. Minnesota should have good weather for color lovers next weekend, although rain could fall on much of the state before Friday. For the most part around the state, the weekend is forecast to be in the 60s with dry weather. To get into state parks and recreation areas, a $5 day permit is needed, or an annual $25 permit is accepted. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078338","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"300","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"450"}}]] One popular fall destination is Stillwater, Minn., which Travel and Leisure Magazine ranked as the third best town to see fall colors in the country. The magazine’s editors said a good way to see those colors is on a paddleboat cruise on the St. Croix River. More information on Minnesota’s fall colors is available at http://tinyurl.com/mnfall or call 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mobile device users can go to http://mndnr.gov/mobile.This year’s Fall Color Tour is a good way to enjoy the autumn foliage while getting a close up look at some interesting places, including the new Detroit Mountain Recreation Area, the Weedy Lake Winery south of Audubon, and the new Discovery Center at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. “We have a really unique area,” said Cleone Stewart, tourism director for the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. “There’s the prairie grasses, the hardwoods and the dark pines in the background.” And of course, this area also has tamarack trees, which look like evergreens. Just before the needles drop in autumn, the needles turn a beautiful golden color, giving the stands of tamarack a striking contrast to the fall foliage. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078335","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"325","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"700"}}]] Ray Swanson of Detroit Lakes has taken the tour many times, though he won’t be able to this year because he’ll be out of town. “I like it,” he said. “You see the scenery, you see different things you don’t see normally, and you see it in a different way.” The bus toured areas ravaged by the Green Valley Fire last year, for example. Menahga Mayor Pat Foss served as a step-on guide and gave riders the inside story on the big wildfire. The Lake Country Scenic Byway Association Fall Color Tour is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. Deadline to sign up is Sept. 25. Depending on how many participate, either one or two motor coaches will be booked for the guided tour. Lunch is provided as part of the fee. Call the DL Chamber at 847-9202 for more information.
Highway 34, a state-designated scenic byway, is a featured route on the tour. It offers a variety of fall colors as landscape transitions from tall prairie grass in the west to the dark conifers and yellow, pale greens, oranges and reds of hardwood trees further east. Minnesota’s wet early summer should produce a colorful fall leaf display, but experts warn that it could come and go quicker than usual. “We’re anticipating a beautiful fall color display,” said Patricia Arndt of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Parks and Trails Division. “It will move across the state quickly, though, so we encourage everyone to get out and enjoy it while it lasts.” The DNR has an online site that can help people find the best shows. The site also allows people to upload their favorite fall color photographs and to find where there are programs ranging from fall color walks to searching for Bigfoot. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078337","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"300","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"450"}}]] The site is updated each Thursday with the latest fall color information. On Monday, it showed almost all of Minnesota with less than 10 percent of peak fall colors, although an area west of Bemidji already has up to a quarter of its trees at peak. Colors typically peak mid-September to early October in the northern third of Minnesota, late September to early October in the central third and late September to mid-October in the southern third. Peak fall color typically lasts about two weeks, but that can vary widely, depending on location, elevation and weather. Minnesota should have good weather for color lovers next weekend, although rain could fall on much of the state before Friday. For the most part around the state, the weekend is forecast to be in the 60s with dry weather. To get into state parks and recreation areas, a $5 day permit is needed, or an annual $25 permit is accepted. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078338","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"300","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"450"}}]] One popular fall destination is Stillwater, Minn., which Travel and Leisure Magazine ranked as the third best town to see fall colors in the country. The magazine’s editors said a good way to see those colors is on a paddleboat cruise on the St. Croix River. More information on Minnesota’s fall colors is available at http://tinyurl.com/mnfall or call 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mobile device users can go to http://mndnr.gov/mobile.This year’s Fall Color Tour is a good way to enjoy the autumn foliage while getting a close up look at some interesting places, including the new Detroit Mountain Recreation Area, the Weedy Lake Winery south of Audubon, and the new Discovery Center at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. “We have a really unique area,” said Cleone Stewart, tourism director for the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. “There’s the prairie grasses, the hardwoods and the dark pines in the background.” And of course, this area also has tamarack trees, which look like evergreens. Just before the needles drop in autumn, the needles turn a beautiful golden color, giving the stands of tamarack a striking contrast to the fall foliage. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078335","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"325","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"700"}}]] Ray Swanson of Detroit Lakes has taken the tour many times, though he won’t be able to this year because he’ll be out of town. “I like it,” he said. “You see the scenery, you see different things you don’t see normally, and you see it in a different way.” The bus toured areas ravaged by the Green Valley Fire last year, for example. Menahga Mayor Pat Foss served as a step-on guide and gave riders the inside story on the big wildfire. The Lake Country Scenic Byway Association Fall Color Tour is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. Deadline to sign up is Sept. 25. Depending on how many participate, either one or two motor coaches will be booked for the guided tour. Lunch is provided as part of the fee. Call the DL Chamber at 847-9202 for more information. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078336","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"700"}}]] Highway 34, a state-designated scenic byway, is a featured route on the tour. It offers a variety of fall colors as landscape transitions from tall prairie grass in the west to the dark conifers and yellow, pale greens, oranges and reds of hardwood trees further east. Minnesota’s wet early summer should produce a colorful fall leaf display, but experts warn that it could come and go quicker than usual. “We’re anticipating a beautiful fall color display,” said Patricia Arndt of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Parks and Trails Division. “It will move across the state quickly, though, so we encourage everyone to get out and enjoy it while it lasts.” The DNR has an online site that can help people find the best shows. The site also allows people to upload their favorite fall color photographs and to find where there are programs ranging from fall color walks to searching for Bigfoot.
The site is updated each Thursday with the latest fall color information. On Monday, it showed almost all of Minnesota with less than 10 percent of peak fall colors, although an area west of Bemidji already has up to a quarter of its trees at peak. Colors typically peak mid-September to early October in the northern third of Minnesota, late September to early October in the central third and late September to mid-October in the southern third. Peak fall color typically lasts about two weeks, but that can vary widely, depending on location, elevation and weather. Minnesota should have good weather for color lovers next weekend, although rain could fall on much of the state before Friday. For the most part around the state, the weekend is forecast to be in the 60s with dry weather. To get into state parks and recreation areas, a $5 day permit is needed, or an annual $25 permit is accepted. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078338","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"300","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"450"}}]] One popular fall destination is Stillwater, Minn., which Travel and Leisure Magazine ranked as the third best town to see fall colors in the country. The magazine’s editors said a good way to see those colors is on a paddleboat cruise on the St. Croix River. More information on Minnesota’s fall colors is available at http://tinyurl.com/mnfall or call 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mobile device users can go to http://mndnr.gov/mobile.This year’s Fall Color Tour is a good way to enjoy the autumn foliage while getting a close up look at some interesting places, including the new Detroit Mountain Recreation Area, the Weedy Lake Winery south of Audubon, and the new Discovery Center at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. “We have a really unique area,” said Cleone Stewart, tourism director for the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. “There’s the prairie grasses, the hardwoods and the dark pines in the background.” And of course, this area also has tamarack trees, which look like evergreens. Just before the needles drop in autumn, the needles turn a beautiful golden color, giving the stands of tamarack a striking contrast to the fall foliage. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078335","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"325","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"700"}}]] Ray Swanson of Detroit Lakes has taken the tour many times, though he won’t be able to this year because he’ll be out of town. “I like it,” he said. “You see the scenery, you see different things you don’t see normally, and you see it in a different way.” The bus toured areas ravaged by the Green Valley Fire last year, for example. Menahga Mayor Pat Foss served as a step-on guide and gave riders the inside story on the big wildfire. The Lake Country Scenic Byway Association Fall Color Tour is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. Deadline to sign up is Sept. 25. Depending on how many participate, either one or two motor coaches will be booked for the guided tour. Lunch is provided as part of the fee. Call the DL Chamber at 847-9202 for more information. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078336","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"700"}}]] Highway 34, a state-designated scenic byway, is a featured route on the tour. It offers a variety of fall colors as landscape transitions from tall prairie grass in the west to the dark conifers and yellow, pale greens, oranges and reds of hardwood trees further east. Minnesota’s wet early summer should produce a colorful fall leaf display, but experts warn that it could come and go quicker than usual. “We’re anticipating a beautiful fall color display,” said Patricia Arndt of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Parks and Trails Division. “It will move across the state quickly, though, so we encourage everyone to get out and enjoy it while it lasts.” The DNR has an online site that can help people find the best shows. The site also allows people to upload their favorite fall color photographs and to find where there are programs ranging from fall color walks to searching for Bigfoot. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078337","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"300","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"450"}}]] The site is updated each Thursday with the latest fall color information. On Monday, it showed almost all of Minnesota with less than 10 percent of peak fall colors, although an area west of Bemidji already has up to a quarter of its trees at peak. Colors typically peak mid-September to early October in the northern third of Minnesota, late September to early October in the central third and late September to mid-October in the southern third. Peak fall color typically lasts about two weeks, but that can vary widely, depending on location, elevation and weather. Minnesota should have good weather for color lovers next weekend, although rain could fall on much of the state before Friday. For the most part around the state, the weekend is forecast to be in the 60s with dry weather. To get into state parks and recreation areas, a $5 day permit is needed, or an annual $25 permit is accepted.
One popular fall destination is Stillwater, Minn., which Travel and Leisure Magazine ranked as the third best town to see fall colors in the country. The magazine’s editors said a good way to see those colors is on a paddleboat cruise on the St. Croix River. More information on Minnesota’s fall colors is available at http://tinyurl.com/mnfall or call 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mobile device users can go to http://mndnr.gov/mobile.This year’s Fall Color Tour is a good way to enjoy the autumn foliage while getting a close up look at some interesting places, including the new Detroit Mountain Recreation Area, the Weedy Lake Winery south of Audubon, and the new Discovery Center at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge.“We have a really unique area,” said Cleone Stewart, tourism director for the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. “There’s the prairie grasses, the hardwoods and the dark pines in the background.”And of course, this area also has tamarack trees, which look like evergreens. Just before the needles drop in autumn, the needles turn a beautiful golden color, giving the stands of tamarack a striking contrast to the fall foliage.
Ray Swanson of Detroit Lakes has taken the tour many times, though he won’t be able to this year because he’ll be out of town.“I like it,” he said. “You see the scenery, you see different things you don’t see normally, and you see it in a different way.”The bus toured areas ravaged by the Green Valley Fire last year, for example.Menahga Mayor Pat Foss served as a step-on guide and gave riders the inside story on the big wildfire.The Lake Country Scenic Byway Association Fall Color Tour is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. Deadline to sign up is Sept. 25.Depending on how many participate, either one or two motor coaches will be booked for the guided tour. Lunch is provided as part of the fee. Call the DL Chamber at 847-9202 for more information.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078336","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"700"}}]]Highway 34, a state-designated scenic byway, is a featured route on the tour.It offers a variety of fall colors as landscape transitions from tall prairie grass in the west to the dark conifers and yellow, pale greens, oranges and reds of hardwood trees further east.Minnesota’s wet early summer should produce a colorful fall leaf display, but experts warn that it could come and go quicker than usual.“We’re anticipating a beautiful fall color display,” said Patricia Arndt of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Parks and Trails Division. “It will move across the state quickly, though, so we encourage everyone to get out and enjoy it while it lasts.”The DNR has an online site that can help people find the best shows. The site also allows people to upload their favorite fall color photographs and to find where there are programs ranging from fall color walks to searching for Bigfoot.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078337","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"300","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"450"}}]]The site is updated each Thursday with the latest fall color information. On Monday, it showed almost all of Minnesota with less than 10 percent of peak fall colors, although an area west of Bemidji already has up to a quarter of its trees at peak.Colors typically peak mid-September to early October in the northern third of Minnesota, late September to early October in the central third and late September to mid-October in the southern third.Peak fall color typically lasts about two weeks, but that can vary widely, depending on location, elevation and weather.Minnesota should have good weather for color lovers next weekend, although rain could fall on much of the state before Friday. For the most part around the state, the weekend is forecast to be in the 60s with dry weather.To get into state parks and recreation areas, a $5 day permit is needed, or an annual $25 permit is accepted.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078338","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"300","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"450"}}]]One popular fall destination is Stillwater, Minn., which Travel and Leisure Magazine ranked as the third best town to see fall colors in the country. The magazine’s editors said a good way to see those colors is on a paddleboat cruise on the St. Croix River.More information on Minnesota’s fall colors is available at http://tinyurl.com/mnfall or call 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mobile device users can go to http://mndnr.gov/mobile.This year’s Fall Color Tour is a good way to enjoy the autumn foliage while getting a close up look at some interesting places, including the new Detroit Mountain Recreation Area, the Weedy Lake Winery south of Audubon, and the new Discovery Center at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge.“We have a really unique area,” said Cleone Stewart, tourism director for the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. “There’s the prairie grasses, the hardwoods and the dark pines in the background.”And of course, this area also has tamarack trees, which look like evergreens. Just before the needles drop in autumn, the needles turn a beautiful golden color, giving the stands of tamarack a striking contrast to the fall foliage.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078335","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"325","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"700"}}]]Ray Swanson of Detroit Lakes has taken the tour many times, though he won’t be able to this year because he’ll be out of town.“I like it,” he said. “You see the scenery, you see different things you don’t see normally, and you see it in a different way.”The bus toured areas ravaged by the Green Valley Fire last year, for example.Menahga Mayor Pat Foss served as a step-on guide and gave riders the inside story on the big wildfire.The Lake Country Scenic Byway Association Fall Color Tour is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. Deadline to sign up is Sept. 25.Depending on how many participate, either one or two motor coaches will be booked for the guided tour. Lunch is provided as part of the fee. Call the DL Chamber at 847-9202 for more information.
Highway 34, a state-designated scenic byway, is a featured route on the tour.It offers a variety of fall colors as landscape transitions from tall prairie grass in the west to the dark conifers and yellow, pale greens, oranges and reds of hardwood trees further east.Minnesota’s wet early summer should produce a colorful fall leaf display, but experts warn that it could come and go quicker than usual.“We’re anticipating a beautiful fall color display,” said Patricia Arndt of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Parks and Trails Division. “It will move across the state quickly, though, so we encourage everyone to get out and enjoy it while it lasts.”The DNR has an online site that can help people find the best shows. The site also allows people to upload their favorite fall color photographs and to find where there are programs ranging from fall color walks to searching for Bigfoot.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078337","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"300","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"450"}}]]The site is updated each Thursday with the latest fall color information. On Monday, it showed almost all of Minnesota with less than 10 percent of peak fall colors, although an area west of Bemidji already has up to a quarter of its trees at peak.Colors typically peak mid-September to early October in the northern third of Minnesota, late September to early October in the central third and late September to mid-October in the southern third.Peak fall color typically lasts about two weeks, but that can vary widely, depending on location, elevation and weather.Minnesota should have good weather for color lovers next weekend, although rain could fall on much of the state before Friday. For the most part around the state, the weekend is forecast to be in the 60s with dry weather.To get into state parks and recreation areas, a $5 day permit is needed, or an annual $25 permit is accepted.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078338","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"300","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"450"}}]]One popular fall destination is Stillwater, Minn., which Travel and Leisure Magazine ranked as the third best town to see fall colors in the country. The magazine’s editors said a good way to see those colors is on a paddleboat cruise on the St. Croix River.More information on Minnesota’s fall colors is available at http://tinyurl.com/mnfall or call 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mobile device users can go to http://mndnr.gov/mobile.This year’s Fall Color Tour is a good way to enjoy the autumn foliage while getting a close up look at some interesting places, including the new Detroit Mountain Recreation Area, the Weedy Lake Winery south of Audubon, and the new Discovery Center at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge.“We have a really unique area,” said Cleone Stewart, tourism director for the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. “There’s the prairie grasses, the hardwoods and the dark pines in the background.”And of course, this area also has tamarack trees, which look like evergreens. Just before the needles drop in autumn, the needles turn a beautiful golden color, giving the stands of tamarack a striking contrast to the fall foliage.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078335","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"325","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"700"}}]]Ray Swanson of Detroit Lakes has taken the tour many times, though he won’t be able to this year because he’ll be out of town.“I like it,” he said. “You see the scenery, you see different things you don’t see normally, and you see it in a different way.”The bus toured areas ravaged by the Green Valley Fire last year, for example.Menahga Mayor Pat Foss served as a step-on guide and gave riders the inside story on the big wildfire.The Lake Country Scenic Byway Association Fall Color Tour is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. Deadline to sign up is Sept. 25.Depending on how many participate, either one or two motor coaches will be booked for the guided tour. Lunch is provided as part of the fee. Call the DL Chamber at 847-9202 for more information.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078336","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"700"}}]]Highway 34, a state-designated scenic byway, is a featured route on the tour.It offers a variety of fall colors as landscape transitions from tall prairie grass in the west to the dark conifers and yellow, pale greens, oranges and reds of hardwood trees further east.Minnesota’s wet early summer should produce a colorful fall leaf display, but experts warn that it could come and go quicker than usual.“We’re anticipating a beautiful fall color display,” said Patricia Arndt of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Parks and Trails Division. “It will move across the state quickly, though, so we encourage everyone to get out and enjoy it while it lasts.”The DNR has an online site that can help people find the best shows. The site also allows people to upload their favorite fall color photographs and to find where there are programs ranging from fall color walks to searching for Bigfoot.
The site is updated each Thursday with the latest fall color information. On Monday, it showed almost all of Minnesota with less than 10 percent of peak fall colors, although an area west of Bemidji already has up to a quarter of its trees at peak.Colors typically peak mid-September to early October in the northern third of Minnesota, late September to early October in the central third and late September to mid-October in the southern third.Peak fall color typically lasts about two weeks, but that can vary widely, depending on location, elevation and weather.Minnesota should have good weather for color lovers next weekend, although rain could fall on much of the state before Friday. For the most part around the state, the weekend is forecast to be in the 60s with dry weather.To get into state parks and recreation areas, a $5 day permit is needed, or an annual $25 permit is accepted.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078338","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"300","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"450"}}]]One popular fall destination is Stillwater, Minn., which Travel and Leisure Magazine ranked as the third best town to see fall colors in the country. The magazine’s editors said a good way to see those colors is on a paddleboat cruise on the St. Croix River.More information on Minnesota’s fall colors is available at http://tinyurl.com/mnfall or call 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mobile device users can go to http://mndnr.gov/mobile.This year’s Fall Color Tour is a good way to enjoy the autumn foliage while getting a close up look at some interesting places, including the new Detroit Mountain Recreation Area, the Weedy Lake Winery south of Audubon, and the new Discovery Center at the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge.“We have a really unique area,” said Cleone Stewart, tourism director for the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. “There’s the prairie grasses, the hardwoods and the dark pines in the background.”And of course, this area also has tamarack trees, which look like evergreens. Just before the needles drop in autumn, the needles turn a beautiful golden color, giving the stands of tamarack a striking contrast to the fall foliage.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078335","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"325","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"700"}}]]Ray Swanson of Detroit Lakes has taken the tour many times, though he won’t be able to this year because he’ll be out of town.“I like it,” he said. “You see the scenery, you see different things you don’t see normally, and you see it in a different way.”The bus toured areas ravaged by the Green Valley Fire last year, for example.Menahga Mayor Pat Foss served as a step-on guide and gave riders the inside story on the big wildfire.The Lake Country Scenic Byway Association Fall Color Tour is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. Deadline to sign up is Sept. 25.Depending on how many participate, either one or two motor coaches will be booked for the guided tour. Lunch is provided as part of the fee. Call the DL Chamber at 847-9202 for more information.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078336","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"350","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"700"}}]]Highway 34, a state-designated scenic byway, is a featured route on the tour.It offers a variety of fall colors as landscape transitions from tall prairie grass in the west to the dark conifers and yellow, pale greens, oranges and reds of hardwood trees further east.Minnesota’s wet early summer should produce a colorful fall leaf display, but experts warn that it could come and go quicker than usual.“We’re anticipating a beautiful fall color display,” said Patricia Arndt of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Parks and Trails Division. “It will move across the state quickly, though, so we encourage everyone to get out and enjoy it while it lasts.”The DNR has an online site that can help people find the best shows. The site also allows people to upload their favorite fall color photographs and to find where there are programs ranging from fall color walks to searching for Bigfoot.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"1078337","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"300","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"450"}}]]The site is updated each Thursday with the latest fall color information. On Monday, it showed almost all of Minnesota with less than 10 percent of peak fall colors, although an area west of Bemidji already has up to a quarter of its trees at peak.Colors typically peak mid-September to early October in the northern third of Minnesota, late September to early October in the central third and late September to mid-October in the southern third.Peak fall color typically lasts about two weeks, but that can vary widely, depending on location, elevation and weather.Minnesota should have good weather for color lovers next weekend, although rain could fall on much of the state before Friday. For the most part around the state, the weekend is forecast to be in the 60s with dry weather.To get into state parks and recreation areas, a $5 day permit is needed, or an annual $25 permit is accepted.
One popular fall destination is Stillwater, Minn., which Travel and Leisure Magazine ranked as the third best town to see fall colors in the country. The magazine’s editors said a good way to see those colors is on a paddleboat cruise on the St. Croix River.More information on Minnesota’s fall colors is available at http://tinyurl.com/mnfall or call 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mobile device users can go to http://mndnr.gov/mobile.
