There’s nothing quite as relaxing or awe-inspiring as meandering through the hills and valleys on Vermont’s Route 100 at the peak of fall. The crisp autumn air tickles all the way to the lungs with each deep breath and the cascade of color takes you to some fairy-tale place. As one of the most cultural, natural, and recreational highways along the eastern region, Route 100 is often tagged as the most scenic New England drive. Coast through small farm towns where ripening pumpkins mimic the orange Ash beside the general store. As you reach Thundering Brook Falls, ditch the car for a painted hike or ride the gondola up Killington Peak for a sea of temperate shaded treetops.
Anytime of year, the edge of the Green Mountains as well as the Black River and Lake Rescue provide a charming avenue to explore along 100. But, come late September and early to mid-October, that charming highway transforms into the unimaginable. First, the green waves on the mountains begin taking on subtle hues of reds, golds, oranges, and yellows that soon blossom into a vibrancy that warms you to the core. From the mountains, the color begins to creep down into the river valleys where slight splashes of sunlight reflect off the coursing waters and the autumn breeze makes the shades of fall perform an afternoon ballet. And when the color begins to fade, and you can feel the dance is dying, take another turn on the route. As leaves begin to plunge from their springtime sprouts, views of the mountains weave with golden browns and burnt orange hues before the dormant winter comes howling in.