#leaf-peeping

#leaf-peeping

A patchwork quilt of rustic reds, fiery oranges, and bright golds stretch endlessly into the horizon. From my perch atop Castle Rock, the lake sparkles, dotted with a smattering of foliage-cloaked islands. The autumn air is crisp and refreshing in one of my favorite places to explore this time of year; Blue Mountain Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. The tiny hamlet of Blue Mountain Lake might be small, but it delivers big on beauty.

As someone who has spent decades in luxury travel-curating dream journeys to the far corners of the world-I can say with absolute certainty that my favorite destination is right where I live: Carmel, California, especially in the fall,

Departing from its 1905 depot like a moving postcard, the train follows the Toccoa River, passing sycamores and sourwoods, rolling hills, and farms along the way. It's leaf-peeping without the hairpin turns or crowded parking lots, just windows down and the car doors open wide, a thermos of cider, and the steady click of the rails. The classic trip is a 26-mile, four-hour round-trip from downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia, to the twin border towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee.