Tis the season for Cheetos trees. That’s what my daughter calls the blaze orange foliage that lights up the landscape near our home. The trees around here really do look like they’ve been sprinkled with the dust and crumbs you’d find at the bottom of a bag of cheese doodles. It’s like the Jolly Green Giant downed an entire bowl of cheese puffs, and then wiped his hands on the trees’ leaves. Makes me hungry just looking at them. But sitting in my home looking is so boring. It’s time to turn over a new leaf this fall by taking … Continue reading →

My bucket list contains a ton of high-flying adventures (and even more non-stop food binges), including taking a hot air balloon ride to view nature’s magnificent color show in Asheville, North Carolina. The area is a Mecca for leaf peepers, but instead of viewing the awe-inspiring burnt oranges, golden yellows and fire-engine red leaves from the ground, I would love to get a bird’s-eye-view of the Pisgah National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains from 500 to 2,000 feet in the sky. Of course, hot air balloon rides are not the only unique ways you can view fall’s spectacular colors. … Continue reading →