Leo dropped us an email the other day...

Hi, we are first time visitors in the Southern States of the US. We are planning a trip from NYC to Miami, visiting the Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Pwy. On our way to Jackson/New Orleans we planned to stay in Tupelo overnight and driving down the NTP. We will be there mid-September. Will the leaves be changing colors then? Or is this too early? Do you have some tips which are a must cruising down the NTP? Thank you

-- Leo from the Netherlands

My answer below...

For some reason, there have been quite a few people searching for the Judds' family farm here on this site.

Not sure what the correlation is... except maybe people have heard that they live near the Natchez Trace Parkway. And I have to admit, every time I'm on the Trace, I can't help but glance over at The Judd's family farm.

You can actually get a great look at both, Naomi Judd and Ashley Judd's homes from the Natchez Trace Parkway -- near Garrison Road in Leiper's Fork, Tennessee.

This is me finally getting to be the passenger for once.

This shot reminds me of these other shadows & reflections I've captured.

Imagine what it would be like if God dropped a million boxes of crayons from the blue sky above, and they landed on the Natchez Trace Parkway.

That's what it was like this week, as I witnessed peak colors of red, orange and golden yellow on the northern end of the Parkway near Nashville.

More photos below...

...They're here!

The colors of Fall are upon us. Come along, and enjoy the view...

I rode out on the Natchez Trace Parkway today to see if the leaves had started changing colors yet.

The answer: Yep!

As you can see, the leaves are just now starting to change colors...

Better hurry. Here's what things will look like in a few short weeks!

This year, I can definitely say: "I saw Tennessee's peak colors!"

As evidenced by the pictures I took of Fall colors along the Natchez Trace last weekend, I was one of the lucky ones to see firsthand Tennessee's natural beauty ...at its peak!

But what a difference a day makes. Just check out this photo of a tree I photographed last Saturday, then again the very next day:

This rapid loss of foliage was due to a very windy night -- one which stripped many of Tennessee's trees of their colorful leaves in a matter of hours.

So, I decided to hop in my Jeep

...with dog in tow.

I wanted to see how the colorful landscapes had changed along the Natchez Trace

...overnight.