Irked by cars and crowds, rural New Englanders try different coping strategies to manage 'leaf-peepers'

Idyllic autumn scenery draws thousands of tourists 
to New England each fall. (Adobe Stock photo)

As fall blows into rural New England, it brings trees decked out in glorious fall shades and plenty of tourists. Residents and local governments in some of the most popular "leaf-peeping" places have had enough. "Locals are pushing for road closures and parking restrictions," reports Jared Mitovich of The Wall Street Journal. Some local stores have started hawking wares that poke fun at tourists.

Despite the tourism revenue "leaf-lookers" generate for some areas, the influx of hundreds of additional people in a single season can overwhelm smaller towns. "They’ve complained about TikTokers trespassing onto countryside farms. . .near-fist fights over trailhead parking — not to mention unsafe traffic blockages on narrow roads," Mitovich writes.

The sheer number of fall tourists to Vermont -- a state with less than 650,000 residents -- explains some of the stress. Vermonters welcome roughly 2.5 million visitors "who come for the idyllic autumnal vistas," Mitovich reports. "A growing number of residents say influencer culture is fueling bad behavior."

Some small businesses have turned to humor to cope by "selling collectible figures titled 'Influencer Trespassing on Private Road': a woman with a long braid under a wide-brimmed hat, smartphone in hand, in front of a leafy landscape," Mitovich adds. Another figurine includes a row of tiny vehicles causing a traffic jam.

The tiny town of Pomfret, Vt., opted to close itself off rather than adapt to the onslaught of tourists. "For the third straight fall season. . . signage will turn away drivers trying to get a glimpse." A Pomfret sugarhouse owner, Michael Doten, supports the blockade, even though it means he sells less maple syrup. He told Mitovich, "People were throwing trash and they were trespassing."

Beyond small towns trying to manage carloads of tourists, popular hiking trails such as Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire get swamped, too. This fall, Franconia park managers "introduced one-way hiking patterns, doubled the number of port-a-potties and increased staffing," Mitovich reports. 

Quick hits: Fall leaf color predictions; Texas water crisis; rural movie for 2020 pandemic; opioid meds for jails

Map from SmokyMountains.com shows fall leaf color projections. Red indicates peak color. 

As autumn begins across much of the U.S., many Americans and tourists plan day trips or vacations to take in nature’s stunning fall colors. "Parts of the U.S. will soon start to see — if they haven't already — leaves and shrubs trade their green hues for vibrant shades of orange, yellow and red as the days get shorter and temperatures get chillier," reports Rachel Treisman of NPR. Explore Fall, TheSmokyMountains.com and Almanac websites offer some of the best "estimates [for] when leaves will change and colors will peak across the country."

Faced with ongoing population growth, an aging water system, and intermittent droughts paired with scorching temperatures, Texas officials and lawmakers are working to address the state's water crisis. But even as solutions are hammered out in Austin, the "state's regional diversity and patchwork of governments complicate matters further," reports The Texas Tribune. "Texas voters will be asked this fall to approve a $20 billion package to protect the state’s water supply. . . . The $20 billion is just a fraction of what some experts believe the state needs to invest going forward." 

In a bid to help balance pharmacy payments, Optum Rx "has increased reimbursement minimums for brand drugs for approximately 2,300 independent pharmacies," reports Heather Landi of Fierce Healthcare. The company's shift to a cost-based model is helping the bottom line of the "more than 24,000 independent and community pharmacies it works with. . ." More than half of all independent pharmacies operate in rural areas of the U.S., but many have closed or struggle to stay afloat due to high operational costs and low reimbursement rates.

When it comes to remembering 2020, many Americans would probably prefer not to recall the year at all. But film director Ari Aster doesn't want anyone to forget. In his latest film, "Eddington," Aster takes viewers back to the early days of the pandemic through the lens of a rural town drama set between a town sheriff and its mayor. Eddington captures the "anxiety, confusion, listlessness, and frustration of those first few months of lockdown as the backdrop for a dark and twisted story of a man, a town, and a country gone crazy," writes Anya Petrone Slepyan of The Daily Yonder. "Ari Aster’s latest rural thriller will give you something to think about."

When individuals suffering from opioid addictions are released from jail or prison, they face a high risk of overdose; however, a recent study shows that medication treatment during incarceration can lower their chances of overdosing upon release. "Use of medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) in jail was strongly associated with lower risks for overdose, death, and re-incarceration after release into the community," reports Shannon Firth of MedPage Today. The observational study was conducted in Massachusetts correctional facilities.

No matter where adults live, it may seem like kids have a different language that includes words that don't mean what they meant even three years ago. Keeping up with what young people are saying can feel impossible for anyone attempting to stay "hip," but not knowing kid-jargon can be a particular nightmare for parents. "As a little bit of an explainer, here’s a quick guide to slang terms that have made a mark in recent months," writes Paul Anthony Jones for Mental Floss. A few "explainers" are shared below.

Kid-jargon can mystify adults. (Graphic by Justin Dodd, Mental Floss)

W in the chat! "W has been used as a slang abbreviation for a win for over 50 years — although nowadays it’s used not just of victories, but of anything that could be regarded as laudable or impressive."

What the sigma?!? "As Merriam-Webster has noted, [the word] sigma has become increasingly ironic, pejorative, and jokey. . . This phrase in Gen Z and Gen Alpha vernacular is roughly the 2020s equivalent of 'What the heck?!'"

Do it for the plot! "If you imagine your life as one big movie, 'doing something for the plot' means doing something bold or risky that, in the retelling of your life story, would act as a major plot point."