It is impossible to predict the exact timing of peak Fall colours but this will normally be within the last week of September and the first three weeks of October.  The dates shown on the map of New England below represent a range where you can normally expect the best show for that area.

A B & B tour starting in Boston should include Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont or Western Massachusetts with stunning views of lakes, rivers, mountain valleys and covered bridges.  Arguably, coastal views are not quite as splendid, owing to the absence of some of the upland trees.

The Fall in New England also brings a multitude of local fairs which include antiques, seafood, music, arts and crafts, harvest festivals, quiltmaking and golf.  These are well worth a visit and you can meet the friendly locals and join in the fun.

The changing colours of autumn signal that the trees are getting ready for winter.  Throughout the spring and summer most of the foods necessary for the tree's growth are made in the leaves.  This food-making process takes place in the cells containing chlorophyll, which gives leaves their green colour.

In the fall, partly because of shorter periods of daylight and the cooler temperatures, the leaves stop making food.  The chlorophyll breaks down and the green colour disappears.  Yellow and orange, previously masked by the green, appear.

The vibrant reds, purples and bronzes come from other chemical processes.  The brilliant red of maples has a sweet side: in the warmth of Fall days, sugar is produced in the leaves and then trapped by the night's chill.  The more sugar that accumulates, the brighter red the leaves turn.

The degree of colour varies from tree to tree.  Leaves directly exposed to the sun may turn red, while those on the shady side of the same tree may be yellow.  Colour also varies depending on the combination of weather conditions.  When autumn is warm and rainy, leaves may have less red colouration.

As colours vary from mountain tops to valleys and from day to day, there's no way to predict when Fall foliage will be at its peak.  This is a time of change, when each day is coloured anew.