Fall Color Show Closes Early Throughout Most of Michigan, Says AAA

DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 25, 2006 -- Wet and cold weather, including snow, brought the curtain down fast on the 2006 fall color show, with most of Michigan now past peak, reports AAA Michigan.

In the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula, brown hues are replacing the once-dominant reds, yellow and oranges, and many leaves are already on the ground.

According to observers at Kensington and Stony Creek metro parks in Milford, the last, best chance for viewing will be found this weekend, with muted colors dominating the landscape.

In Southwest Michigan, color development is at 100 percent. Naturalists at Blandford Nature Center in Grand Rapids say peak there is still some color left, but cold weather has left many trees bare without completely turning.

Fall color watchers looking for the best viewing opportunities can call Travel Michigan at (888) 78-GREAT (784-7328) for color updates provided by AAA Michigan each Wednesday through October.

Updates also will be posted at http://aaa.com/ (enter ZIP code, click ABOUT AAA tab), or visit http://www.michigan.org/ .

AAA Michigan offers automotive, travel, insurance and financial services to more than 1.6 million members in Michigan. It is part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the largest affiliation of AAA clubs in the Midwest, with approximately 4.1 million members in eight states. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation, a not-for-profit organization with more than 49 million members in the United States and Canada.

NOTE TO EDITORS: This will be the last fall color report for 2006.