Some people travel great distances to see the leaves change color in New England. We are lucky here in North Florida to have some late fall/early winter color change as well. You can drive around Suwannee County or take a short boat ride down the river to get a front row seat for some vibrant, natural colors.

There are few things more relaxing than being alone and viewing the splendors of nature. When I lived in Miami it was frequently hard to find a place that was not crowded. I found the Everglades to be one of the few places in South Florida where you could get away from all the people and just enjoy nature. Another way to avoid the crowds is to buy a boat. There are far fewer boat owners than car owners. It does not need to be an expensive boat. A canoe or kayak will work just fine. There will always be fewer people on a given waterway than on a nearby road.

If you get a chance to travel down the Suwannee River in early March, you will enjoy the beauty of the river and some colorful trees on the banks. The trees are just starting to come to life then and many of them will have new leaves that are a beautiful, red color. The reflection of the red trees and the blue sky on the water is breathtaking. Since the Suwannee River has so many bends and curves, it is easy to have a stretch of the river all to yourself.

Since there are more cows than people in Suwannee County, it is not hard to have a stretch of road all to yourself. If you take Hwy 51 South towards Mayo, and turn left at the flashing light in Luraville, you will be heading East on 180th Street. This is one of the best roads for viewing the colorful leaves. It is a twisty road and parts of it have a tree canopy over head. If you turn right off of 180th street onto 176th street, it will lead you to Hwy 349. There you can turn left to head back to Hwy 51 or turn right to get to O’Brien and Hwy 129. At certain times of the day, you might not see another car from the time you turn off of Hwy 51 until you reach Hwy 129.

Another option for viewing the leaves changing color is to plant a deciduous tree in your yard. A pear or maple tree would work great. This method does not require any gas money. I hope you plant the tree in your front yard, because you never know who might be driving by enjoying a moment of solitude. That person would probably enjoy some bright colors to look at.

Eric lives in Suwannee County and is a public school educator. He is an independent contractor. You can reach him at miamistyle8@gmail.com.