We are well into stick season in Central Vermont. However as I travel into the valley areas, particularly in the western part of the state, I'm still finding remnants of the Fall colors. For the most part though, the hills have transformed to umber, dappled with dark green, burnt orange and occasional splashes of brilliant gold.

Anyone who has explored the back roads of Vermont probably knows that one can end up in some very interesting situations. For this journey I am equipped with a nimble small SUV and a navigation system. But even with those aids, I failed to make it to Walden today.

At this stage, choosing which towns to visit is a bit like throwing darts at a map. To get the most out of the Fall foliage season, I decide to go north early on, moving south as the foliage fades. Today, I decided to start out in Johnson.