Is global warming dimming fall’s leaf show?

by Catherine Bodry on

It appears as though the usual spectacular autumn show in the Northeast has gotten somewhat dull recently. Where some trees would explode in vibrant reds, orange, and yellows they now go from summer’s green to winter’s dull rust.

Tom Vogelmann, a plant biologist at the University of Vermont, says that autumn has become too warm to elicit New England’s richest colors. The bright fall colors that have made New England autumns so famous are the result of broken down green chlorophyll, and trees need cold nights in order to break the chlorophyll down. Warmer nights mean less broken-down chlorophyll and thus less color. Additionally, warmer weather has contributed to a spread of fungi that attack red and sugar maples, the trees that produce the brightest fall displays.

The potential for non-spectacular autumns has some New England tour operators worried. The business of leaf-peeping brings in hundreds of millions of dollars, and Northeast hotels and tours book up nearly two years in advance.

[via LA Times]

Springfield, Vermont Wins Simpsons Challenge

by Justin Glow on

USA Today announced today that Springfield, Vermont (pop. 9,078 in 2000) has won the Simpsons movie Springfield Challenege. The small town received 15,367 votes out of 109,582, less than almost 1,000 more than the much larger Springfield, Il. If my math is correct (and it rarely is), that’s 1.6 votes per person in Springfield, VT. Weird!

The new Simpsons movie will premiere on July 21 at the Springfield Movie Theater located at 26 Main St.

The Simpsons Movie: Springfield Challenge

by Justin Glow on

Since the exact location was never explicitly revealed in any episode of The Simpsons, fourteen Springfields across America are currently battling it out to decide which town should be the true home of Homer and family.

Each of the fourteen Springfields in the running — Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont — have created a video that showcases why they should be chosen, and each is now available on USAToday.com to watch.

The winning town will be awarded to the right to host the premiere of the movie before the U.S. release date of July 27th.

Log onto USAToday to watch the videos, and cast your vote for which town you think should win. If you have no particular interest in any of cities, cast your vote for Missouri, because…well, I live in Springfield, Missouri, and somebody has got to win, right?

Hitch50 Comes to a Finish

by Adrienne Wilson on

Remember Scotty and Fiddy? They started off about two months ago on a mission to hitchhike their way to the state capitals of all 50 states in 50 consecutive days. (Yes, even Alaska and Hawai’i.) Erik gave them some link love early on in their adventure and now that they’ve completed their fantastic voyage from state-to-state it’s time to recap. On October 10, 2006 the two young men headed off into the cold, dark, unfriendly land we know as the United States… Okay, that’s not true. They did head off on October 10, 2006 and I’m sure part of the whole thing was not only set up to score some free travel, but to show that there is a little kindness in the hearts of Americans everywhere for two men with extended thumbs. Now, whether or not they stuck out their thumbs or just prearranged every single ride, you’ll have to find out on your own by visiting the Hitch50 site.

They did spectacular job blogging the whole shebang which includes photos and video. I kept tabs on the fellas by text messaging, hoping to give them a lift at some point in their journey, but they moved a lot faster than I imagined they would. Their mission was successfully completed the mission on November 28, 2006. Way to go guys!

Fall Foliage Links

by Erik Olsen on

Well, it’s that time again when deciduous leaves around North America explode with color and hordes of shutterbugs jump in their cars and gawk from their cars as nature’s version of Laser Floyd slowly unfolds before them. Of course, those living in places like So. California are, once again, out of luck. Folks living in states without seasons do not get treated to the changing fall colors. You have wonderful weather all year round and having no fall colors is your punishment. So there. Whereas those of us who live in the Northeast are soon to battle with extreme cold and ice clogged streets and sick commuters spreading their death spores on crowded subways. For tolerating these things, Northeasterners are given a week or two during September and October to celebrate how creative mother nature can be with a palate of reds, yellows and oranges.

And so, dutifully, as we do each year, we offer a few links to the best places to see fall colors in the hope that you will go out and see them, take a few photos and then submit them to our gadling Flickr site. For that, the best photos will be rewarded with a Photo of the Day award. Lucky you.

First, let us direct you to a list of the Top Ten places in the US provided to MSNBC by Shermans Travel. The list here actually covers the country, with Colorado making the list due to the changing aspen trees there. They also give a nod to The Catskills, the Columbia River Gorge,
and the Great Smoky Mountains, among others.

Next, take a look at this list over at Fodors, which provides not just the location of fall colors, but the best time to go. This list focuses on the northeast, including the states of Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire and so on. I actually prefer this last link because they are more helpful in getting you there and offering info on hotels and interpretation. Of course, the sad part is that I’m late in getting this post up, so in some places in the Northeast the colors may have already passed their peaks. But I do know that this coming weekend is supposed to be one of the best to get out, so consider adding a road trip to your weekend plans.