Fall Color Update - November 9, 2016

Choose your report:
Valle Crucis/Boone • Asheville • Waynesville • Hendersonville • Greenville • Knoxville

Valle Crucis/Boone, NC – I have to ask you a question…Can you believe the leaves this year? The color was phenomenal and long lived. In the Boone vicinity, you’ll see a stray maple that is still hanging on to its leaves, but mostly the lone survivors are the mighty oaks with their tans, browns, and russets.

The weather is going to remain mild for a few more days. The highs are going to be anywhere from the upper 40s to the low 60s with the lows at night mostly in the 30s and 40s. That’s pretty close to normal for this time of year. The weather is always changing, so be sure to check with Ray to see what the FORECAST is before heading out. 

It won’t be long until we’ll have snow on the slopes and people will be coming to enjoy skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating instead of leaf looking. The snow sport season in the South is usually open by Thanksgiving and remains open, conditions permitting, until mid to late March. You can check the slope conditions with a visit to this WEBSITE. 

Of course, now people’s thoughts are turning to a different kind of tree. A Christmas Tree! The High Country is a great place to come and find the perfect centerpiece for your family’s holiday celebration. There are many choose and cut farms where you can head out into the field and find the perfect tree for you. Lots of them offer hayrides, hot chocolate, crafts, and other fun activities to make the experience memorable. Here’s a LINK for you to find a local grower to cut your tree. 

The Watauga County Farmers’ Market remains open through the last Saturday in November weather permitting. Now’s a good time to pick up some “keeper” apples for the winter along with some cabbage, greens, and other fresh vegetables that are still being harvested. You can learn more with a click HERE.

I’ve enjoyed sharing reports and photos with you during this year’s Fall Foliage Primer. I hope you’ve found the information interesting and useful. This week’s photos are from Price Lake. It was a beautiful day to paddle on Sunday. I hope to visit with you again next year. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Asheville, NC - It’s hard to believe that we’re only two weeks away from Thanksgiving! It’s been a lovely, though unusual, fall with the months of September and October both feeling more like August. With two cold fronts moving into the Asheville area this week, we’re due to get another taste of fall mid-week and this upcoming weekend. Sweater weather is definitely overdue and very welcome, indeed!

This year’s unusually long color season is ending its run in the Chimney Rock and Lake Lure area as well as in Downtown Asheville. The ginkgo trees along Wall Street are always the last of the trees to turn downtown. Make a little time this week to cruise along this lovely lane, canopied with yellow fan-shaped leaves. The gingko leaves that have already fallen create a dreamy snow-like affect as they pile up in leaf-laden drifts on the sidewalks. (See the gingko trees in daytime and nighttime in the photos above.)

Another of my favorite late fall spots is Kimberly Avenue and the surrounding Grove Park neighborhood. The maples and birches are on fire with reds, oranges, and yellows this week. This past weekend, we also ventured down to Flat Rock, NC, to visit with our farm animals at the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site. There’s so many things to enjoy at this beautiful National Park that our family tries to go once each fall, winter, spring, and summer. It was especially fun to see how much the baby goats had grown since we first met them a few days after their birth this past April. You can find out more about the Carl Sandburg home, goat dairy, hike to Big Glassy, and their many other offerings HERE.

Looking to the weekend ahead, the River District Artists Studio Stroll is a festive and stress-free way to get a jumpstart on your holiday shopping. Check out glass blowing demonstrations, try your hand at the potter’s wheel, and lose yourself in any number of galleries. This bi-annual event has quickly become a favorite among locals. And with every purchase you make, you can feel good about supporting Asheville artists. The event is from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. this Saturday, November 12th, and Sunday, November 13th. There’s more information HERE.

The following week, Taste of Asheville returns on Thursday, November 17th.  Sample food, beer, and wine from over 40 of Asheville's best local restaurants, breweries, and wineries. The Asheville Independent Restaurant Association hosts this fundraiser annually, and this year, local musicians and buskers will provide the kind of entertainment you’ll only find in our colorful and quirky little city. Snag a ticket while they last HERE.

The sun will be out this week in addition to a great deal of smoke. There are currently over a dozen forest fires burning throughout our Western North Carolina area. Air quality will be compromised, so take caution in the weeks ahead when planning outdoor excursions. Ray has all the weather news you need HERE and the Asheville Citizen Times offers more detailed information about the fires affecting our region HERE.

Thank you so much for making time to read the Fall Foliage Primer this year. I hope you and yours enjoy a wonderful holiday season and that 2017 finds you happy, healthy, and making time to enjoy the many gifts nature has to offer. Until next fall… cheers, friends!

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Waynesville, NC - You can still see some beautiful colors around our town, bright oranges and reds, but most have fallen to the ground. The weather has been cooler, which has been refreshing. It is predicted to be sunny with clear skies most of the week, so hikes will be beautiful! This fall season has been different than in the past, but the leaves were spectacular as always. I always look forward to seeing the colors appear on the mountains, that change in the weather, and the visitors who come to see our beautiful town.

To be a little more specific about the weather, our highs are expected to be in the 60s with lows in the 30s. That's about normal for this time of year. A frost or freeze is predicted for Saturday night, but still no rain that would help with the wildfires in the local area. To get a local forecast to help plan your visit, click HERE. 

Now would be a great time to take a horseback ride. The views should be far reaching and spectacular. Give the Queens Farm Riding Stables a call to book your ride. Here's their telephone number 828-926-0718.

Take in a movie at The Strand at 38 Main. It's a small movie theatre, and they also have live music, too. Trolls is showing now. 

For a hike this week, check out the Richland Balsam overlook. It's at milepost 431 on the Blue Ridge Parkway and is at an elevation of 6,410 feet. You can reach the summit on a 1.5 mile, self-guided loop that passes through a spruce-fir forest. The most popular photo taken at this location is in front of the sign that says it's the highest elevation. 

The first show in HART's Winter Studio Theatre season is November 12 at 7:30 p.m. It is Nora Ephron’s “Love Loss and What I Wore.” Ephron is best know for her film’s “When Harry Met Sally,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” and “You’ve Got Mail.” The current play was created by Ephron and her daughter, Delia Ephron in 2008. The play went on to open off Broadway to rave reviews in 2010. Ephron passed away in 2012 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

I hope you enjoyed the parade of colors. It was fun finding the best places to share with you during the Fall Foliage Primer. We look forward to seeing you during the holiday season - there're are so many special events and happenings. See you soon!

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Hendersonville, NC - Well, it's that time again. Time to watch leaves slowly drift to the ground and skitter down the street, time to cut the last flowers of autumn and bring them inside to enjoy, time to gather together with friends for the upcoming holidays, time to bury our nuts for the long cold winter nights and time to say “so long” to all our leaf lookers until next year. We will miss you!

The weather will be more seasonal this week with highs in the low to mid-60s and lows in the 40s at night. It will be nice to have cooler weather, so we can pull out our warm woolies and winter boots to wear. You can find a local forecast with a click right HERE.

Leaf color is still quite beautiful here in Hendersonville. The yellows have started to fill the yards and streets instead of the trees, but the reds and oranges are still vibrant and glowing. All the beautiful color in the higher elevations has cascaded down into the valleys; Hickory Nut Gorge, Lake Lure and Chimney Rock Park will offer great views of the seasonal colors.

A leisurely drive to any of our apple orchards is a great way to see the autumn colors. The orchards are running full steam ahead with lots of apple varieties available.  Two of the most popular orchards are Sky Top Orchard over in Flat Rock and Grandad's Orchard in Hendersonville. For more information, just give a little click to their links above.

This Friday is Veterans Day, and many of our national parks feature free admission for veterans. The Carl Sandburg House will be participating in this on Friday. For more information, visit this WEBSITE. Chimney Rock Park will also be offering free admission to veterans from November 9th until the 13th. For more information please click HERE. Be sure to stop by our store on Main Street before you go, to grab a hiking stick and maybe a map. Both of these parks offer wonderful hiking trails.

Are you are traveling with your pooch or maybe you are looking for that special canine companion or are you just a dog lover? The place to be is Jackson Park on Saturday, November 12th from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. for the first ever Dog Celebration. There will be vendors, speakers on dog first aid, massage for dogs, and other doggie topics. Many animal adoption agencies will be present to help dogs find a forever home. At the end of the day, there will be a demonstration by the Henderson County Sheriff's office K-9 Unit. All proceeds will help with repairs and improvements at the Jackson Park Dog Park. Look HERE for more information.

May you travel safely throughout the year. Best wishes for the holiday season from our family at Mast General Store to your family. See you next September!

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Greenville, SC - Hello Everyone! As you know, this is the last week of our reports, and I just wanted to say a huge thank you from Greenville, SC for tuning in each week. I hope you enjoyed all the reports and the changes in color as much as I have.

Let's start this week off with the weather report. As I am writing this report, I am bundled within 2 blankets. The cooler temperatures really snuck in on Saturday of last week. The morning and nights have been cold with mild relief from the sun in the midday. The temperature this week is not supposed to exceed about 73 degrees with our lowest high being on Saturday; an expected 63 degrees. There is no doubt it's only going to get colder from here. If you are headed to Greenville this week it is probably best to break out the winter clothes and bring some layers for the day. Here's a FORECAST for the week. 

As for color, we have some really beautiful things happening with our trees. I continue to notice yellow and brown being prominent colors in this year's color change. I favor this because it tends to make the orange and red toned trees stand out more. We still need a little more from some of our Ginkos to have them create their yearly yellow blankets, but this isn’t keeping the beech trees from trying something similar. We are seeing some other trees losing their leaves with the oaks giving the impression that they are going to be the first that are ready for the winter season. We will only start to lose our color to the ground from here on out, so be sure to visit us soon.

This weekend I'm excited to say that the Bon Secours Wellness Arena will have some special guests on Friday, November 11th. Needtobreathe!  They are from Seneca, South Carolina. They even have members that attended Furman University, which is nearby. Needless to say, they have made South Carolina proud, and we are happy to have them all back in the Upstate. They toured with Taylor Swift in 2011, and the group was nominated last year for a Grammy. Their shows always keep the crowds lively, and each time it apparent they play straight from their hearts; something you must experience for yourself. Don’t pass up this chance to see true performers blow you away with their album Hard Love. Tickets range from $18.50-$48.50. You can purchase tickets HERE. 

On Saturday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., you can take a step back to the 1800s. Roper Mountain Science Center is hosting the Fall Harvest Festival. There will be a Living History Farm that contains musicians and artisans to better your experience back in time. The whole festival is based on the time of harvest, so you will be gifted with the opportunity to see what it was like for our ancestors to preserve their crops. This is great for anyone who has a love of history or just someone who simply wants to learn more - all while having fun. The event is $7 for children 4-12. Admission for adults is $8. You can call (864)355-8900 for more info or click HERE to purchase tickets. 

A great place to visit this weekend will be Table Rock State Park. There are options for camping, hiking, fishing, renting a cabin, or yet another fantastic spot for a picnic. A favorite trail in this area is Carrick Creek trail. It is a 1.9-mile loop hike that can be considered challenging for some due to changes in elevation. For the park, admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children. For more information visit their website HERE. 

That's all for this year. Thank you for returning to our fall foliage reports each week. We hope to see you here in Greenville soon. Happy Fall!

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Knoxville, TN - I was able to visit the North Carolina Side of the Smokies this past week and see some color left in the woods. Our temperatures in Knoxville have been warm and dry. This has resulted in a lack luster year for local leaf viewing. Most of the leaves around here are still green, so there should be some color still yet to see in and around the valley area. However, a lot of trees are are dropping their leaves due to the drought we are going through. Here in Knoxville, the low temps are still not dipping into the 30s, so you may still want to try going camping and hiking. Here's a LINK to the weather forecast for the area.  

A beautiful East Tennessee Tradition will be taking place right on our very street this Friday. Knoxville will honor our Veterans for the 90th year by having a parade. It will begin at 10:40 a.m. Wednesday at the Knoxville Coliseum, heading up Howard H. Baker Jr. Avenue to Church Street, then turning right and following Gay Street to Depot Avenue. At 11 a.m., all parade participants will halt and face west during a brief ceremony at the reviewing stand honoring veterans. The parade is sponsored by the City of Knoxville and American Legion Post 2. This parade is one of the largest Veterans Day Parade events in the Southeastern United States.  

I am also looking forward to making a trip out to the Obed National Scenic River. There are several short hikes you can take for beautiful views of the river and rocky bluffs that make this park a place on my "must see" list. I am particularly interested in camping at the Rock Creek Campground there. Recently, I learned that on Veterans Day, you can camp there for free! So if anybody is looking to squeeze another weekend camping trip in before it gets cold, may I suggest booking a spot here!  https://www.nps.gov/obed/index.htm

Thanks for checking in and following the leaf change. I enjoy getting out and about on hikes or just driving around to capture the beauty of our area. Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season and all the best in the New Year. 

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