Traveled 2528 miles to Smoky Mountains, Tennessee to take pictures of fall colors, I came home empty-handed. It was too early in the season and fall colors had just begun to emerge on the surface. Our trip was planned around a football game for the guys and prior I did not have any idea when is the best time to see fall colors in the region. It was too late to realize that I was ‘victimized’ to trade fall colors for a football game.
We were told by many locals that we were about two weeks too early to see the full-blown fall colors. I could have stayed home and just drove a few miles to find fall colors. Leaburg Lake is nowhere close to being a tourist destination. However, the smoky backdrop can easily mimic the look of smoky mountains and the tree colors around the lake is definitely more brilliant than that in the Smoky Mountains when I was there.
Oregon has mostly evergreen trees, such as Douglas firs, cedars, and hemlocks. Deciduous trees like maples, birches, and dogwoods are the ones whose leaves change colors in fall. Green is still the dominating color in fall while red, yellow, and orange become the complimentary colors. Tennessee has mostly deciduous trees that grow in tremendous density. When leaves’ color changes in fall, the results are supposed to be intense and dramatic.
According to the Atlas of Trees, the University of Oregon has about 3908 trees in 537 species. Can you believe it? I have lived in the same town for 21 years but this was the first time I actually walked the campus. I was very impressed by the classy and sophisticated architecture and landscape. Undoubtedly with great varieties of species and large numbers, fall colors at the campus are stunning. Just to show one picture taken at one of the parking lots.
Below is a WOW-looking tree at the campus. The leaves’ color is a deep peach with an orange tone. It is much taller than the 4-story building and much wider than my wide-angle lens can handle…
I have been to Matthew Knight Area at least 3 times to watch basketball games. I often think the dome-shaped building with a glass facade is an outstanding piece of architecture. Under the clear blue sky and behind two yellow trees, it looks more like an art museum than a sports arena.
Just to post a few…
Fall colors are here, at home, within your reach. I don’t know what to think when I went out of my way to cross the country to look for something is rightly home.
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