Beginning today, there is an Indian summer in the Twin Cities. The next four days will be part of this Indian summer as well, with high temperatures of around 60 degrees Fahrenheit on all of these days.
I took these photos at Lake Ann Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota, from 4:02 to 4:09 p.m.
I visited Lake Ann in Chanhassen, Minnesota, this evening. Chanhassen is now at peak fall colors according to the Fall Color Finder webpage by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources:
It will be rainy and snowy for the rest of the week (today is Monday), so it’s likely I won’t photograph fall colors again until next year.
I took these photos from 5:58 to 6:16 p.m.; the sunset was at 6:18 p.m.
My mom and I ventured out with our puggle, Missy, again today to see Sibley State Park two hours away in New London, Minnesota. As the map to the right shows, the state park is at the peak time for fall colors. (Be sure to utilize the Fall Color Finder webpage with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.)
We spent most of our day driving, but it at least didn’t take long to get some spectacular scenic photos.
I took these seven photos from 3:54 to 4:23 p.m.
Today, my mom, my puggle (Missy), and I visited Fort Snelling State Park for the first time (though my mom says she did once visit the cemetery for a funeral). Because Fort Snelling is spread out over such a wide area and is so integral to Minnesota’s history, the photos below actually comprise three cities and three counties. That being said, the first location, Big Rivers Regional Trail, isn’t part of Fort Snelling, though the trails do connect to it.
I decided we should visit this state park because it was recommended today by the Fall Color Finder from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, who, in the photo to the right, also show that this area is at the peak time for fall colors.
I took these six photos from 4:13 to 5:21 p.m.
I regret the premise of my last article from October 11 titled, “The Last Nice Autumn Day at the Arb?” Minnesota’s leaves are keeping their color longer this year, so I now say the best day for fall colors is yet to come. In the picture to the right, one can see that much of the Twin Cities—including where I live in Chanhassen—is still at near-peak.
I encourage everyone to utilize the Fall Color Finder from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. In years past, I’ve visited some of the state parks, which are denoted by circles on the map. I’m not sure if I will visit any state parks this year, but I certainly would be up to it if my mom is interested in another excursion in the woods.
I took these six photos today from 10:33 to 11:22 a.m. at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Minnesota.
It’s possible today is the last nice autumn day of the year at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Minnesota. I say this because, (1) according to the Fall Color Finder by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, my area is at near-peak (orange):
and (2) the next three days will be rainy and breezy, which will likely cause many of the leaves to fall.
Here are seven photos I took today between 10:19 and 11:03 a.m.
I visited the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Minnesota, this morning. I took these photos from 9:00 to 10:10 a.m.
Today, I made my first post-Covid visit to the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul. The Minnesota State Fair is the largest state fair by daily attendance in the United States. I took these photos from 8:52 to 10:22 a.m. and used my Canon EOS R with kit lens.
My mom and I went to the first day of Chanhassen’s 40th annual Fourth of July celebration this evening. We’ve gone for the last three years now. I posted photos I took last year with my Google Pixel smartphone, which obviously limited image quality. This year, I made sure to bring my Canon EOS R. I also coordinated our time so I was able to take photos at the golden hour and the blue hour. The golden hour is the hour before sunset, and the blue hour is the hour after sunset (as an aside, it works the opposite way for sunrises). The sunset was at 9:04 p.m. tonight; these photos were taken between 7:58 and 9:25 p.m.
Less than a week ago, I visited the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Minnesota. Unlike this prior visit, it was overcast today, which is actually a good time to photograph anything with vibrant colors.
I took these photos from 5:59 to 6:20 p.m.
