Already one of the most scenic roads in America, the Blue Ridge Parkway becomes a cherished Southern spectacle come October. To make the most of what the parkway has to offer, Appalachian State University biology professor Howard S. Neufeld, better known as the “Fall Color Guy,” shares his favorite spots along the way.

Few people in North Carolina know more about what makes trees tick than Dr. Howard Neufeld, a professor of biology at Appalachian State University. To his thousands of online followers, Neufeld is better known as the "Fall Color Guy" because of the weekly updates he shares this time of the year. According to Neufeld, North Carolina hasn't always had the same variety and vibrancy of fall color.

Dr. Howard Neufeld at Appalachian State University, who manages the “Fall Color Guy” Facebook page, said the high ridges are starting to show some color, but many trees are already dropping their leaves before turning color because of the drought conditions.

Around this time of year when the color starts to change in the trees, we pay attention. Most of us watch the leaves turn in real time. Others work to skip ahead, to predict when exactly we’ll see our fall colors, how vividly, and how long. One such person is Dr. Howard Neufeld, a professor of biology at Appalachian State University. Better known by the public as the Fall Color Guy, he monitors the weather, temperature, and color activity here in the mountains, and makes predictions accordingly.

The New River Conservancy and New River State Park are working to reopen Elk Shoals to the public through a plan they are calling ReWilding Elk Shoals. A team from Appalachian State University's Appalachian Studies program participated in planting native trees in the flood plain at Elk Shoals on Sept. 20.

Online shopping giant Amazon revealed a carbon footprint Thursday that rivals that of a small country and vowed to reduce the damage to the planet by cutting its use of fossil fuels. "Its greenhouse gas emissions are about 85% of the emissions of Switzerland or Denmark," said Gregg Marland, a professor at the Research Institute for Environment, Energy and Economics at Appalachian State University.

You agreed to stick it out through sickness and health and for richer or poorer, but marital vows don't address the other big things that can untie your knot. In one Appalachian State University study, for example, experts asked 52 couples to reminisce about fun times they had experienced both alone and together; those who liked to recall shared laughs were most satisfied with their relationships.