My time spent poking around the roads less traveled in western North Carolina has unhappily come to an end. Fall in these parts is as good as it gets. Some locals I spoke to talked about the colors not being as brilliant this year, maybe because the area had a lot of rain through the summer. Yes, the foliage was a little muted, less fiery reds and more jewel tones – amber, rust, topaz, etc., but it never ceases to create a sense of awe. Just drop dead gorgeous. I left Asheville before dawn this morning and headed for the Brevard area, remembering a particular valley that I visited a few years ago. It was foggy in the low-lying areas until the sun finally blasted through at about 9am, and within half an hour all the fog was gone. By 10:45 I had used up the best light and it was time to set my course for home. There is so much that I love about Brevard; the farms, the rural valleys, the waterfalls … Next year I won’t bother to go anywhere else. A great day but now it’s time to do laundry, pay bills, get ready for work tomorrow, etc.