Fall Color Trips Around St. Louis. FOLKS ARE ALWAYS ASKING ME...WHAT IS THE BEST LOCAL TRIP TO TAKE TO SEE THE FALL COLORS AROUND STL...HERE ARE SOME IDEAS FOR YOU: REMEMBER--PEAK COLOR WILL BE THE LAST 2 WEEKS OF OCTOBER....AND THE COLORS SHOULD BE PRETTY GOOD. FALL COLOR TRIP #1: This trip will take us north and west of downtown...lets start on I-70 and get off on highway 79...about a mile or so west of St. Peters...head north on 79 going through Winfield, where the bluffs will be full of color. Keep going north to Elsberry and head all the way to Clarksville...check out the skylift here too. The return journey...take south bound highway W heading for good color in the Cuivre River State Park. The park drive will be a lot of fun. Out of the park...connect with highwat 47 westbound to Troy and its back to I-70 on highway 61. Depending on how much time you want to take on stops...the entire trip should take about 4 hours. FALL COLOR TRIP #2: This trip starts around Eureka just off I-44...lets go southbound on 109 to House Springs to pick up highway 30...making the run around Franklin and Jefferson counties. Highway 30 swings close to I-44 where you can pick up highway 47 to Washington, MO. Then we start a loop--westbound on highway 100 to Hermann...check out the vineyards for Octoberfest fun. The cross the Missouri and head back to Washington on highway 94. Once in Washington...go eastbound on highwat 100 to Grey Summitt...check out the arboritum then continue to Pond...taking a side trip around Babler State Park...highway 109 will take you back to I-44...the entire trip--again depending on stops should take 4 to 5 hours. FALL COLOR TRIP # 3 Start in Alton, IL...head north on the Great River Road to the ferries that will take you ovee the rivers into St. Charles county...then work your way through the farm and river land back to St. Charles. This trip is wonderful...but can take a lot of time...depending on the wait at the ferries...the first ride is short--the second is longer. There are fees for the rides. Check out the great country side and stop at some of the many local farms for apples, pumpkins and good eats. COLORS: YELLOWS....Aspen, hickory, elm, birch, poplar and beech. RED....Maples, dogwoods and ash. YELLOW/ORANGE....Persimmon and sugar maple. FALL COLOR INFO: 1-800-354-4595 This is the U.S. Forest Service fall color hotline or this web site from the foreast service: fs.fed.us/news/fallcolors/ Missouri: MO Department of Conservation Fall Colors mdc.mo.gov/nathis/seasons/fall Why Colors Change During the spring and summer seasons, leaves are busy producing the necessary foods for trees to grow. Within each leaf, food is produced in cells that contain chlorophyll, which gives leaves their green color. Chlorophyll works by using energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars and starch. For most of the year, other colors within the leaf are masked by large amounts of green chlorophyll. Fall changes in daylight and temperature trigger a special membrane layer of cells to form between the leaf and the tree, blocking nutrients from flowing into the leaf, which causes the food-making process to stop. Chlorophyll within the leaf breaks down, allowing other colors from other pigments to show through: Carotene absorbs blue-green and blue light, and reflects yellow color. Examples: Aspen, birch, hickory. Anthocyanins absorb blue, blue-green, and green light, and reflect red color. Examples: Red maple, red oak, sumac. Eventually, the leaf falls from its own weight or the wind, leaving behind a leaf scar where it was attached to the tree. Evergreens do not lose their needles - unlike broad-leafed trees, evergreen needles have a waxy layer that protects the foliage from freezing. Weather Makes a Difference Fall color is highly dependent on the weather conditions before and during the change. Red Colors: Warm, sunny days followed by cool nights (not freezing) are thought to bring about brilliant red colors. Sunny days promote the production of sugars within leaves, and cool nights prevent sugars from moving out of leaves. High levels of sugars and sunlight produce anthocyanins, which are responsible for reds and purples. Yellow Colors: Because carotene, responsible for yellow hues, is found in leaves yearround, yellow colors tend to be relatively constant from year-to-year. Delays: A late spring or prolonged summer drought can delay the appearance of fall colors. An unusually warm period during the fall season can result in less intense colors. Have fun...take your time and enjoy. Dave
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 20:19:11 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015