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Sunday, Oct 2, 2011 7:00 PM UTC

Leaf peeping across the country

From the Green Mountains to Crater Lake, the best places to glimpse fall's fleeting beauty SLIDE SHOW

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Topics: Trazzler, Travel,

Leaf peeping across the country

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A note about Trazzler's slide shows: We don't do top-tens or best-of lists. Nor are we so morbid or presumptuous as to tell you where you must go before you die. The world is far too big and fascinating to encapsulate in any kind of definitive list. We simply chose the places that our writers have contributed that make us think, laugh and dream about our next adventure. Are we missing a place that you love? Visit us at trazzler.com and click "write a trip" to add it.

There’s just something about October … the waning light, the long shadows, the reap-what-you-sow natural order of things. We may not live in an agrarian society anymore, but most of us still feel a primal pull this time of year to the fields and forests of the fall countryside. A whole travel industry has sprung up to accommodate our desire to do little more than meander under the blue skies and look at leaves.

If the story of spring is a fragile romance full of hope, then that would make autumn a perfectly plotted, three-act tragedy we can’t tear ourselves away from. Blossoms are ephemeral, but we know a long summer is waiting in the wings once they fall to the ground. Autumn’s climactic last burst of color and deciduous denouement stirs different, perhaps deeper feelings. These 13 drives will take you into the leafy heart of North America where you can revel in fall’s fleeting beauty. Share your favorite fall road trips in the comments.

You can find more autumnal travel on Trazzler.

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More Megan Cytron.

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Every Sunday, Salon presents a feature from Trazzler spotlighting surprising travel stories from across the globe. Unexpected discoveries and strange, wonderful treasures are condensed into slide shows that entertain as much as they educate.

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