Fall in the Ozarks near Branson, Mo.

Mother Nature's Bounty

All it takes is an easy drive to nearby states to catch the changing wonder of fall

When autumn's amber aura sweeps across America's heartland, sentimental sightseers head to river valleys, lakeshores and farm country for glimpses of Mother Nature's bounty of brilliant leaves.

Plump orange pumpkins brighten roadside stands, and flaming branches accent sleepy towns untouched by time. Homemade signs advertise "fresh Apple Cider".

Trees from northern Michigan to the Ozark hills explode in bursts of smoky golds, burnished coppers and vivid reds. In contrast to the bedrock permanence of the farms and villages, autumn's splendor is a short-term engagement. But that just makes the painter's palette of colors all the more precious.

Leaves start to change in early September in the northern reaches of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, accenting the vast expanses of evergreen forests with splashy yellows and fiery scarlet. In the lower Midwest, colors generally peak during the second half of October.

Here are some fall foliage highlights in seven states:

MICHIGAN. In the western part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, golden aspens and red maples emblazon the craggy Keweenaw Peninsula, a finger of land that juts into Lake Superior. The most famous byway is Brockaway Mountain Drive, a 10-mile stretch between Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor. Historic lighthouses dot the rocky shoreline.

Another inspiring route begins in lower Michigan's Traverse City area and goes north to the Straits of Mackinac. It includes the popular Tunnel of Trees drive on Route 119, which follows Lake Michigan for 13 miles between Harbor Springs and Cross Village.

Michigan's most unusual color drive is on a state highway that does not allow motorized traffic. But you can ride a bike or horse carriage along this shoreline road that encircles car-free Mackinac Island, a time-honored resort haven on the straits that separate lakes Michigan and Huron.

WISCONSIN. On the Lake Superior shoreline, drive along Highway 13 or take a sightseeing cruise to view Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, which includes a chain of 22 offshore islands. Rock formations, sea caves, waterfalls and six lighthouses add to the beauty.

In eastern Wisconsin's Door County peninsula, a "thumb" extending into Lake Michigan, travelers come to see the changing leaves and peruse gift shops in little towns like Fish Creek, Egg Harbor and Sister Bay. Often compared to Cape Cod, Door County is renowned for its traditional fish boils, in which whitefish steaks are cooked with potatoes and onions in an iron pot over an open fire.

The Wisconsin Dells, a summer family fun mecca in the middle of the state, gives way to a quieter kind of tourism in fall. Consider a boat ride past the weather-sculpted cliffs along the Wisconsin River. The Dells' trademark Ducks, amphibious World War II vehicles, continue their rollicking land/water tours through October, stables offer horseback rides and golf courses are open.

The vintage Mid-Continent Steam Train in nearby North Freedom makes fall color runs through the Baraboo River Valley on weekends through Oct. 21.

MINNESOTA. In southeastern Minnesota a popular fall driving route is the stretch of Highway 61 along the Mississippi River. Lined with forests of elm, ash, cottonwood, oak and hickory, the road runs through the old river towns of Red Wing, Frontenac, Lake City, Wabasha, Kellogg, Winona and LaCrescent, all noted for their turn-of-the-century charm. Two parks, Frontenac and O.L. Kipp, offer great river views from their hiking trails.

Minnesota's North Shore, an eye-popping drive along Lake Superior, is another leaf-peeper's paradise. At seven state parks along the craggy shoreline, birches and aspens on the miniature Sawtooth Mountains turn gold and yellow. Inland, stands of maple add crimson to the tapestry of color on Sawbill, Caribou and Gunflint trails, roads that run through Superior National Forest.

IOWA. For 80 miles from Dubuque north to the Minnesota line, Iowa's Bluff Country follows the Great River Road, skirting small towns and clifftop parks where aspens cling to vertical walls of limestone. (The road is a 3,000-mile network of federal, state and county roads paralleling the Mississippi River on both sides from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.)

Dubuque, brimming with old-time atmosphere, abounds with specialty shops and bed-and-breakfast homes. River excursions on the Spirit of Dubuque paddlewheeler spotlight the Mississippi Valley's autumn glory. The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium offers wildlife cruises that explore the river's backwaters. Other good bets are Diamond Jo Casino and Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino. History, scenery and riverboat gambling also draw tourists to Clinton and the Quad Cities.

In the rolling hills near Des Moines in south-central Iowa, fall trekkers search out the covered bridges of Madison County, a rural area featured in the 1995 Clint Eastwood/Meryl Streep movie "The Bridges of Madison County" Start the route in Winterset, which boasts the boyhood home of actor John Wayne.

MISSOURI. Along the Great River Road, 100 miles north of St. Louis, is Hannibal, where an 11-block historic district includes the boyhood home of Samuel Clemens, later known as Mark Twain. The home was Aunt Polly's house in "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer". Visitors see the world's most famous picket fence, peruse Victorian-era storefronts on Main Street and cruise the Mississippi on the paddlewheeler Mark Twain.

Every list of heartland fall favorites includes the Ozarks, an enchanting mosaic of hills, lakes and streams in southwestern Missouri and northern Arkansas. October and early November is the time to catch the colors.

Branson, known for its staggering array of music theaters, is the prime tourist target in this neck of the woods. Silver Dollar City, a theme park of mountain culture, stages its Festival of American Music and Crafts from Sept. 13-Oct. 21.

ILLINOIS. The hills of northwestern Illinois attract fall foliage fanatics and those looking for tranquil traces of yesteryear.

In the Rock River Valley between Rockford and Dixon are three state parks‹Lowden, Castle Rock and White Pines. They're all near the town of Oregon, which puts on a big fall festival, Autumn on Parade, the first weekend in October. Dixon has the boyhood home of Ronald Reagan and the only statue of Abraham Lincoln in military garb. Traveling west toward the Mississippi River, stop to shop for crafts along the cobbled streets of Mount Carroll, an old-fashioned town centered around a tree-shaded courthouse. Raven's Grin Inn, a refreshingly creative haunted house attraction, is especially popular in the fall. Not far away are the antiques shops of Savanna and scenic lookouts of Mississippi Palisades State Park.

The region's No. 1 tourist town, Galena, has changed little since the mid-1800s. It's chockful of museums, shops and bed-and-breakfast houses. Galena's chief historical attraction is the home of Ulysses S. Grant, the victorious Civil War general who became the 18th U.S. president. Stop at nearby Chestnut Mountain, a downhill ski resort where you can brush over the treetops in a chairlift for commanding views of the color-flecked slopes and island-studded Mississippi.

In west-central Illinois, the Knox County Scenic Drive, a self-guided ramble through the Spoon River Valley, attracts thousands of leaf-peepers the first two weekends in October. They come for food, crafts and entertainment in 11 rural communities, some with intriguing names like Wataga, Dahinda and Maquon. Galesburg, the Knox County seat, takes pride in the Carl Sandburg birthplace.

At 18 villages in neighboring Fulton County, the Spoon River Valley Scenic Drive also is held the first two weekends in October. Along the 140-mile route, motorists can stop at a restored blacksmith shop, see antique cars and watch apple butter or lye soap being made over an open fire. At the cemetery in Lewistown, the county seat, costumed actors portray local folks described in poet Edgar Lee Masters' "Spoon River Anthology".

INDIANA. October crowd-pleasers in Indiana include several spots in the hilly south.

Fall foliage is almost synonymous with Brown County State Park, near Nashville, an artsy town with more than 300 specialty and antiques shops, plus an active music and theater scene.

Another autumn magnet is the Ohio River Valley, where historic towns like Madison and Vevay brim with architectural treasures and quaint shops. The Madison Chautauqua Festival of Art is set for Sept. 29-30.

Indiana's best-known fall event is the Covered Bridge Festival (Oct. 12-21) in Parke County, an hour or so north of Brown County. Centered around Rockville, the festival offers bus tours that show off the area's trees and 30-plus covered bridges. Hoosier pioneer crafts are demonstrated at Billie Creek Village, a living history museum.

IF YOU GO:

For information on attractions, accommodations and fall events in the Midwest, contact the following state tourism offices:

Illinois, (800) 2CONNECT; www.enjoyillinois.com.

Indiana, (800) 884-4612; www.enjoyindiana.com.

Iowa, (800) 345-IOWA; www.traveliowa.com.

Michigan, (800) 5432-YES; www.michigan.org.

Minnesota, (800) 657-3700; www.exploreminnesota.com.

Missouri, (800) 877-1234; www.visitMO.com.

Wisconsin, (800) 432-TRIP; www.travelwisconsin.com.