• Fall means an explosion of color at the gardens
The Gulf Coast's long warm season of garden flowers begins in March, with the spectacular blooming of the Southern Indian azaleas. And it closes in November with a spectacle equally enchanting: The explosion of mums at Bellingrath Gardens and Home near Theodore.

• Alabama: The big box of fall color
The colors were peeking out from under the pine trees as far south as Monroe County this weekend, and the oaks in northeast Alabama will be absolutely on fire this week. One of the coolest Octobers I can remember has brought on an unusually early show of Alabama leaf color.

• GARDEN CHRYSANTHEMUMS
Every fall, when these giant flowers erupt from a deep green sleep in front of the azaleas, neighbors catch their breath and ask, what is that?

• A city rich with: What might the Gulf Coast learn from one of North America's richest and most livable cities?
If you want to know where you are, it sometimes helps to know where you're not.