Scenic drives.... 
CALIFORNIA: Fall color in Southern California? You bet, but it's a little bit later in the season than what you'll find in the North and East. The first week of November is the best time to see the cottonwoods and oaks northeast of
San Diego, in Cuyamaca State Park, on Highway 79. Or try the 23-mile drive along Highway 78 from the town of Ramona to Julian, where apple harvest season runs mid-September to mid-November (
http://www.julianca.com). For more on fall foliage in
California, including mountains and forests in the northern part of the state, visit
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id23487.
COLORADO: Here, fall means yellow cottonwood trees and red and gold aspens. Fall is also mating season for elks, which put on a show by making loud distinctive calls known as bugling.
They can be seen and heard through the end of October and into early November in
Rocky Mountain National Park,
Estes Park, Mueller Park and many other places around the state.
One hourlong drive runs along Highway 141 from
Grand Junction to Gateway, about 50 miles, with elevations from 4,500 to 7,000 feet. The best time to go is early September through mid-October.
In Gateway, Gateway Canyons Resort (
http://www.gatewaycanyons.com) is offering a "Canyon Colors" package that includes a photography excursion with an elk guide, foliage tours on horseback and by ATV, a massage, trout fishing and more, starting at $950 for two nights.
GREAT RIVER ROAD: This route runs along the Mississippi in
Arkansas,
Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, and
Wisconsin. In addition to fall colors and river views, you'll find rustic red barns, antique stores, and historic sites like Mark Twain's hometown of Hannibal, Mo., and the Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa. Details are available at
http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2279/.
MISSOURI: Summertime crowds are gone in Central
Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks but the weather is good and so is the fishing. Oak, ash, maple, redbud, dogwood, hickory, persimmon and sassafras trees usually put on their colorful shows early to mid-October.
Drive along two-lane roads in a 25-mile loop through woods and bluffs with views of the Lake of the Ozarks and stop for lunch at a waterfront restaurant. Start on Business Highway 54 at the Willmore Lodge in Lake Ozark for a six-mile view of Bagnell Dam and the lake. Travel south to the Historic Bagnell Dam Strip. At Route HH, cross the Community Bridge to Route MM west, to Route TT south to Route F north to Highway 5 south.
Continue on Highway 5 south and turn west onto Lake Road 5-88 to the Camdenton Fire Tower. Return to Highway 5 south, turn west on Highway 54, then south on Route D to Ha Ha Tonka State Park. Explore the castle ruins there and enjoy the view from a 250-foot bluff. Return to Highway 54, turn south onto Lake Road 54-85, and end the trip at the Casa de Loco Winery, in a restored historic 1930s fishing lodge. For more information, visit
http://www.funlake.com.
Elsewhere in
Missouri, Highway 100 or Highway 94, which straddle the Missouri River, offer plenty of scenery but also take you through wine country. October is a big month for festivals in the area. Check foliage reports at
http://www.mdc.mo.gov/.
Glade Top Trail Forest Road 147 is a high ridge road near the Mark Twain National Forest, with 23 miles of scenic panoramas of the Springfield Plateau to the northwest and the St. Francis and Boston Mountains to the south.
Sugar Camp Scenic Byway Forest Road 197, between Highway 112 and Highway 86, traverses a ridgetop in the southwest corner of the state. It's a two-lane gravel road with colorful oak, hickory and sugar maples.
MONTANA: Start in
Missoula and head north along Highway 93 around Flathead Lake. Grab lunch in
Kalispell at Red's Wines & Blues (
http://www.redsmontana.com) and continue on to Bigfork, then loop back to Missoula. Along the way, stop in at St. Ignatius Mission to see the 58 handpainted murals.
From Kalispell, head east to
Glacier National Park, which offers mild fall weather, uncrowded roads, colorful mountainsides and an occasional glimpse of mountain goats or bighorn sheep. Highway 2 along the park's southern border follows the scenic Middle Fork of the Flathead River.
Elsewhere in
Montana, the 90-mile drive from Seeley Lake to Swan Lake on Highway 83 provides a good look at the western larch tree, whose needles turn yellow-gold in mid-October.