It’s time for trees to begin their fall magic act.
PORTLAND
Labor Day has come and gone. Kids are back in school. Many coastal innkeepers are shutting down for the season.
Just when tourism is dying down in many places, though, a number of inns across northern New England are gearing up for the short-but-important money-making season: fall foliage.
And there will be brilliant colors thanks to adequate rainfall in the summer, along with warm days and cool nights in September.
Then again, the fiery colors of fall never disappoint, said Mike Greenwood, professor of tree physiology at the University of Maine.
“I’ve been here nearly 20 years,” the professor said, “and my opinion is that the foliage has been good every one of those years.”
For the tourism industry, it’s a frenzied three- to four-week season as innkeepers seek to take advantage of the leaf peepers arriving on cruise ships, on flights from Europe and in buses and cars from all over.
At least a few inns in northern New England reserve some of their highest room rates for the fall foliage season.
The general rule of thumb is that trees in northern Maine reach their peak color in the last week of September. Central regions reach their peak in another week or so, followed by the trees along the coast.
It starts with the first appearance of bold hues of red maples as nature begins working its wonder. Then come the sugar maples’ vibrant yellows and oranges as the palette expands. Joining the symphony of color are ash trees’ red and yellow, and more golden yellow from birch, aspen and larch.
Some folks believe a wet summer makes the colors more magnificent. The warm days and crisp evenings have something to do with it, as well. If so, then most of the region has met both of those requirements.
Greenwood said shorter days trigger the process. Then the colors begin to show as the chlorophyl and sugars are digested, unmasking the red, yellow and orange pigments. The leaves eventually turn brown and drop.
The combination of species, the weather and timetable for shorter days all have a role in making New England’s colors spectacular.
Some say the two-year drought in the region caused muted colors, but Greenwood is not so sure about that. It would take a far more serious drought to cause leaves to wither without changing colors, he said.
Then again, he conceded there hasn’t been much research into what factors would produce the most vibrant colors.
Some places, like Rangeley, rely heavily on leaf-peeping as a warmup of sorts for the winter tourism season.
“It’s a time when we get the largest amount of foreign travelers, people from England, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. I’ll find that in the dining room we have few English-speaking guests,” said JoAnne Taylor, managing innkeeper at the Rangeley Inn & Motorlodge.
Likewise, Maine Line, one of the state’s biggest charter bus companies, is preparing for a busy season. All 27 buses are booked for the duration of the season, said Mitch Beaulieu, sales manager.
“It’s about four weeks where every piece of equipment is on the road every day,” Beaulieu said.
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On the Net:
Vermont: http://www.1-800-VERMONT.com
New Hampshire: http://www.visitnh.gov
Maine: http://www.mainefoliage.com
AP-ES-09-22-03 1509EDT
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