Idaho Needs to be Recognized for Fall Foliage
Among the places I’ve lived are the Mountain West, Vermont, and western New York State. I’ve seen a lot of changing leaves. What would I consider the best? I don’t have a scientific answer, but I’ve found that what I like best is what I’m beholding at the moment. Two places in the west grab my attention—the area between Ketchum and Stanley, and Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Back east, I found the maple forests in upstate New York unrivaled for the wide variety of colors. Here, it’s the brightness of the changing leaves on a sunny day.
I was a teenager when I learned the leaf-peeping business was popular in the tourist trade. I had stopped at a restaurant for lunch, just after a couple of tour buses had arrived. It’s when I learned old women can take a very long time making a selection at a salad bar!
The area north of Ketchum is my favorite autumn spot in Idaho. I’ve been told that Ernest Hemingway and Gary Cooper used to hunt birds in the fields near the golden leaves. The road along the route may be slightly wider, but they must have found it a profound experience to be among nature’s colors.
I visited Grand Teton one Columbus Day weekend several years ago and spent a lot of treasure eating in the restaurants in Jackson. It was a bit after peak color, but on frosty mornings, there was a diffuse look to the scenery.
I made a Columbus Day pilgrimage to Salt Lake City a couple of years later. Not as much color, but also a lovely place in the fall.
I’m sharing a few memories.
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