Granted, New England does often have magnificent colors rather regularly, though not always. I can remember well the views from atop mountains in central and southern New Hampshire that were a feast for the eyes, with color as far as one could see. From the White Mountains westward into Vermont and upstate New York, it was a delight.
But I have to admit that many other places can be just as wonderful in October. The mountains of Pennsylvania, Virginia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Arkansas also put on colorful Fall shows to take your breath away. In fact, I have seen Fall colors in Tennessee that were brighter and better than many I've seen in New England.
Out here in the west, the high country of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and even Nevada the Fall colors can be magnificent too. With the brilliant blue skies and rugged mountains as a backdrop the western colors are not to be missed. We have yellows, oranges, reds and various hues of green that dazzle the eye. Quaking aspen and cottonwoods that turn yellow are a delight, especially when framed by red rocks and evergreens in the high country. Scrub brush turns marvelously red too and covers the hillsides, especially in southwestern Colorado and parts of Utah. That drive over Soldier's Pass on U.S. 6 from Price to Spanish Fork in Utah often has one of the finest displays of Fall color anywhere.
And in eastern Nevada, high up on the slopes of Mount Wheeler in Great Basin National Park, the colors we've seen in late October are as terrific as any we've seen. That can be said for many small red rock canyons in Arizona, when the cottonwoods turn yellow. We've found many delightful spots in that region well worth return trips year after year. Even here in New Mexico, just a few miles southeast of Albuquerque, there is Fourth of July canyon that gets its name from the colors as brilliant as fireworks. That's in the Manzano Mountains on the east side of the Rio Grande.
Yup ... Fall colors are a treat no matter where you find them. It's just not necessary to drive 1500 to 2000 miles to view Mother Nature's picture show.