Why Do Leaves Turn Red?
Fall is definitely in the air. Crisp mornings, shorter days, longer nights, and the the sounds of crunching leaves under one’s feet are swiftly becoming the norm these days. We recently wrote a blog post for traveling through Virgina and the Blue Ridge Parkway to view beautiful colors.
I’ve been across the country several times this time of year, and there isn’t any time were the scenery is more colorful. One of my favorite trips is through the Midwest and the South during the fall. Traveling via car through the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, any photos or paintings can not reproduce the colors that nature provides.
As a tree starts to prepare for the long winter, it begins to shut down to enter its rest cycle and starts to live off the glucose stored through photosynthesis during the summer. The green chlorophyll starts to disappear from the leaves. In its place, the yellow and gold colors start to emerge. Amazingly enough, the yellow and gold are always in the leaves. However, the green chlorophyll covers up the yellow and gold during the summer months. The red and orange colors start to show in the fall, because the glucose is trapped in the tree’s leaves after the photosynthesis has stopped. Cool nights and sunlight causes the glucose to change into the tree’s brilliant reds and oranges hues that we all love. Brown leaves are from the waste that is left in the leaves.
The leaves are at their peak at different times across the country. The cooler air helps the leaves change the colors, so the northern states’ trees change much earlier than those in the southern states. For a quick overview or to find your state’s projected leaf peak time, check out this site all set for foliage!
It is also a great source if you are planning a a long weekend, or an autumn get-a-way strictly for leaf watching. There’s nothing like flying into an East Coast airport when the forests are bursting with color! After all, no one puts on a show better than Mother Nature. So, take some extra time and hike through a park, forest, or down a nature trail and enjoy all that Mother Nature has to offer.
If you are planning on taking an airline trip, be sure to check out ParkRideFlyUSA. Don’t waste time driving around the airport lot looking for a space. We offer guaranteed airport parking reservations at lots right next to the airport. For one low price, you can get a parking space, a ride to and from your airport terminal, and help with your luggage. We make your airport parking easy. Give our service a try, we are sure you will never want to cruise the economy lot again at the airport!
