FROM CITY STREETS to gravel roads, Randy and I have traveled many miles in October to view the fall colors. Autumn rates, undeniably, as my favorite season except for the part of knowing what comes next—the cold and snow of a Minnesota winter.
We’ve stayed close to home, driving around our home county of Rice and also heading into portions of neighboring Le Sueur County, then Nicollet and Blue Earth counties. Admittedly, the lack of color has sometimes disappointed us. Blame the current drought, the too-warm weather or the hazy, dusty skies of windy days. Yet, the color is there, just not as abundant or brilliant as some years.
Favorite area fall color spots include Valley Grove churches near Nerstrand Big Woods State Park, Dudley Lake in Rice County and right here in Faribault, along city streets, on the campus of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, along the Straight River bluffs and even in our own backyard.
It’s not too late to catch some of the colors. But they are fading, morphing, with many trees now stripped of leaves.
We hope to take one last fall color drive along the Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota…if it’s not too late. Time is fleeting.
Fall color drives are rooted within me. As a child, my parents, siblings and I piled into the Chevy each autumn for a Sunday afternoon meander along the Minnesota River Valley from the Granite Falls area to Morton. That annual outing imprinted upon me the seasonal beauty of September and October in Minnesota. I felt then, and still feel now, a close connection to the land during fall color drives.
There weren’t a lot of colorful trees on the rural southwestern Minnesota prairie where I grew up. There weren’t even all that many trees. Maybe that’s why I appreciate the trees blazing orange, red and yellow into the landscape in this area of Minnesota.
I love slowing down to view stunning tree lines or a single brilliant red leaf. The nuances of nature, of the countryside, of small towns this time of year are worth noticing. And appreciating. Soon winter will be upon us. Stark. Devoid of color.
© Copyright 2024 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Yes beautiful colors of fall are amazing in Minnesota. contrast those with the ever so slight changes to Texas trees which can be caught if you are looking. I love the orange and yellows and who can deny the beauty!!! I miss that. Your Sunday drives as a child must have been so wonderful. we can get to the country here in San Antonio going to the hill country and that is a nice reminder of a slower paced town. thank you for the beautiful reminder of seeing the simple beauty in trees. Yes the next season of white was always in the back of our minds as you mentioned. I love that only in photos 🙂 I know you appreciate these sights more than most with your eye issues too. I hope that is going well too. Enjoy. 🩷kathyg
Kathy, I’m happy I can bring some MN autumn beauty to you in Texas. Yes, perhaps I do appreciate vision more than many people do given my eye issues. My eyes have mostly adjusted to my mega prism prescription lenses. I still struggle with double vision if I’m tired and certainly when I don’t wear my glasses. They go on first thing in the morning. Depth perception issues remain, which stems from all the prisms. I just need to be careful, especially on steps. And I can’t see all that clearly on my computer screen which is problematic when viewing and processing images. Sometimes I ask Randy to look and tell me whether a photo is sharp. I think I need “computer” glasses. But that’s another expense. Next up, checking on hearing aids as I was recently told I could try a specialized hearing aid that may help me given I’m profoundly deaf in one ear. We’ll see. Thanks for caring, Kathy.
Very very nice. One thing I noticed this year is the sunny side of trees tend to get color first. Not sure why I never noticed that before. I’ll have to go visit VG cemetery soon. A lot of history there! Thanks for sharing your fun.
Oh, yes, there’s a lot of history in the VG Cemetery. This visit I focused on the newer section, where I found some really inspiring messages on gravestones. I’ll share those at some point. I did notice that many of the older tombstones are in need of cleaning and repair. Given your work at Oak Ridge Cemetery on that very issue, I expect you will think the same. There’s your next target cemetery.
I also love seeing the array of autumn colors and nature in all its different phases. so interesting how it all rolls out with great differences, even when relatively close together
I bet you have some splendid color in Michigan too.
it is really lovely –
Fall drives looking at leaves are the best! Thanks for the tour.
I agree. The BEST.
Such lovely colors in such beautiful settings (churches and rivers). I’m always drawn to the bright reds and purples, they are such a rarity to find.
The setting can make all the difference for sure.