Fall in the mountains.
 

While I spend most of my time in Chapel Hill, NC, I typically spend the weekends with family in southwestern Virginia. This time of year (and this year in particular), the fall colors are astonishing. I took my dad for a ride through some winding back roads, and he showed me some new ones with hairpin corners tighter than I ever thought possible. One of my favorite parts of the drive is only a few miles from their house. Instinctively, I knew this weekend would be peak for pictures. And the weather was just right.

A storm rolled through last night leaving us a bit overcast with some diffused lighting. This is my favorite because the fall colors really pop! Driving over mountains for an hour and a half just enjoying the weather and feeling the road was the most humbling and tangible experience yet in my car. I look forward to the next scenic ride, which will probably be every weekend as the leaves continue to change!

I hope to see scenic pics from others as fall makes it's way to the lower altitudes!

Hmmm bottom picture looks like something out of an initial d movie

Touge calling me

I plan to take pictures up at Bear Mountain, which should be just as scenic as your picture!

Thanks for the replies, guys!

Bear mountain should be gorgeous right now; I was in Manhattan a few weeks ago and Central Park was already beginning to show her true colors. Lol

Gorgeous.

So Jelly

Thanks again for the compliments! I'm looking forward to more weekends and more beautiful photo sessions during my favorite time of year.

I'm hoping next spring (end of March) to go up to Washington DC for the Cherry Blossom Festival for my birthday and get some shots in up there as well. After that... the beach? lol

awesome photos!

as much as Fall is such a beautiful time of the year around here, it just reminds me that Winter is right about the corner and i absolutely HATE winter!!!

I drove to watkins glen a couple weeks ago and the leaves were already changing. I was looking at weather today and it was 36 degrees there already.

Winter is coming.

Ugh, winter. I'll be storing my car in North Carolina when the time comes because winter is at least a month shorter down there!

I used to love winter--cold, crisp days; fresh powder; skiing... but then I realized bikini bodies go away in the winter, and that's just sad. Haha

hah, I'm kind of storing my car this winter.

I have 2 track events left this year, last week october and first weekend november.

Then my car will be kept in corner of driveway anytime salted roads are expected since I don't want salt on my AP racing brakes. But its outside, so will be covered in snow.

I don't mind tho because I have another car I can drive and since I attend track events, I can't get that satisfaction driving on the street. So driving a slow daly is a benefit to me, saves me from reckless driving tickets :)

The Cherry Blossom Festival should be great to go to and take photos. I've heard only great things about the whole thing.

I don't know why you'd store your car in NC for the Winter. I drive year-round, as do most folks here, and no problems. We have a house near Boone, and there are some great roads around there, especially 194, and Meat Camp road. I don't drive my FR-S up there after end of November though. It can get scary. Drive it!

Here in California, I've got nothing but ugly palm trees and tumbleweeds for photo shoots. Totally jealous.

There's an almond orchard nearby that in the spring sort of looks like cherry blossoms to those who don't know better, so I may get photos there :p

That's the same way I feel. I love this time of year but I always have this fear of the season that is right behind it.

Thank you for posting these beautiful photos. It's good to hear that somebody else thinks autumn is the best season of the year! Going out to see the autumn colours is the perfect excuse for a drive, too.

If you're in Bakersfield, aren't you just down the hill from Tahachapi? Aren't there miles of back roads though hill country that's covered with oak trees that should be turning all sorts of lovely colors right about now?

Beautiful photos. I makes me miss my southern Ohio driving roads. I have been in Clearwater, Florida and Savannah, Georgia for the last two months and I see lots of FR-S and BRZ here but I almost feel bad for the guys who own them because there are just no good roads to enjoy them on. I miss my MR-S which is in the garage in Ohio but it would be a bit of a waste to have it here. My wife's Cruze is better suited to this mundane driving. I sure miss taking the Spyder out with my son in his FR-S and seeing the fall colors.

I guess the trade-off for the guys down here is they can drive all year round while my MR-S spends the winter parked in a garage hiding from the snow.

Much appreciate the pictures!

Crap. I always forget about Tehachapi. I need to drive down those roads again when I have a day off.