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09/16/2012 05:00 AM

Travel with Val: Fall foliage

As Mother Nature preps for her annual autumn changeover, the state of Vermont is getting ready to show it all off. YNN's Valarie D'Elia filed the following report.

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When it comes to fall foliage it all adds up in Vermont, where 76 percent, a full three quarters of the state, is covered with trees.

"Nearly a quarter of our trees are maples, sugar maples, they have really great capacity for turning red, in addition to yellows and oranges and all these mixtures," says Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation Commissioner Michael Snyder.

On a media visit recently, I caught up with Vermont’s newly appointed foliage forecaster who says it should be an especially colorful season.

"All the factors necessary are in place: Healthy forests, plenty of sunshine and moisture throughout the summer, and all we can do now is sit back and watch it unfold," says Snyder.

Watching it unfold is historically Vermont’s most popular tourism spectacle.

"You’ve got framed views of farm fields and church steeples in the village and that sort of thing, so it's heavily forested and it's got contrast and variety," notes Synder.

Should you plan a trip to Vermont, keep in mind there’s a window of color-tunity.

"Over the first few weeks of September you will see gradual increases in colors, and generally when you hit the last week of September, first couple of weeks in October, somewhere in that range, depending on where you are, you will see peak conditions," says Snyder.

One of the best ways to view the foliage is from the chairlifts above the state’s ski resorts, like the one at Stowe Mountain Resort that offers lots of kid-friendly activities.

To get there, Amtrak is offering a special “Visit Vermont” discount of 20 percent through October 31, including the “Vermonter,” train from New York City.

For more information, visit www.vermontvacation.com/Fall.aspx