My wife and I finally visited our grandson Teddy and his parents over the Halloween weekend. The trees in and around Rochester, New York, where our son and his family live, were at peak color.
While four-year-old Teddy attended preschool in the morning or napped at home in the afternoon, I explored streets and parks for any colorful trees I could find.
I didn’t have to go far. A walk around their neighborhood provided plenty of autumn splendor.
Click the photos to enlarge them.
I also headed to Irondequoit Bay to do some birding. I spotted a few birds, but the colorful trees became my priority. So, I snapped away.
My wife and I easily found the famous Katsura Tree in Highland Park. This native Japanese giant is a 100-year-old specimen and the largest in New York State. Go at the right time, and the tree smells like cotton candy. No wonder it’s a favorite of visitors.
The 100-year-old Katsura Tree in Rochester, NY. Photos by Bruce Stambaugh
From Highland Park, we drove to Mt. Hope Cemetery in Rochester, where Susan B. Anthony and Fredrick Douglass are buried. There, too, the afternoon light played through the trees, highlighting their magnificent colors.
We also enjoyed watching Teddy march around in his preschool’s Halloween parade. Teddy dressed as a magician, and even pulled a rabbit out of his top hat.
© Bruce Stambaugh 2026
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