Drought Sparks Early Fall Color; Travel Picks Expand

A new analysis using the Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey ranked the top 15 richest places in Maine and notes Maine has the lowest median household income among New England states at $71,773. Forecasts show New England foliage is changing about a week early in many spots because severe drought and dry weather are stressing trees, with pockets of high color in northern Maine, northern New Hampshire and Vermont. For leaf-peepers and hikers, guides recommend a Southern New England drive through Connecticut and Rhode Island’s Quiet Corner and mountain towns in South Carolina (Landrum, Greenville, Long Creek), and highlight Maine trails as well as Banff’s Boom and Taylor Lakes and Colorado’s Lower Cataract Lake loop. The Chesapeake Bay Fall Arts Festival in Norfolk, Va., is scheduled for Oct. 5–6 featuring local artists, food trucks and live music. Hikers are advised to layer up, carry supplies and wear hunter’s orange where required.