Some of the southeastern parts of the state are embracing the summer tourism season as long as it can.
Peak foliage season in southeastern Connecticut is still about a month away.
"The leaves are temperamental. In the big breeze they do fall off," said Paul Maugle, owner of Maugle Sierra Vineyards in Ledyard.
Maugle hopes that doesn’t keep happening. After his grape harvest, he said the longer the leaves stay on the vine, the better for next year.
He’s looking on the bright side. The recent heat means a longer tourism season for him and several other businesses in the southeastern part of the state.
“Mother nature is confusing the trees,” said Richard Hines, owner of H&H Landscaping out of Ledyard.
There were a few cool nights where the leaves started to change color, according to Hines, but then the fall heat hit and leaves started to keep growing.
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“And the cold weather will come in and it will make (the leaves) pop and drop real quick,” Hines said.
Some of his maple and ash trees are already almost completely bare.
Over in East Lyme at the Inn at Harbor Hill Marina, it still looks like summer.
“It’s a little bit disappointing but we can send people to the Quiet Corner,” said the assistant innkeeper Amber Laroux.
But for this beach town, Laroux said the summer-like temperatures helped their bottom line.
“There’s no beach passes anymore, so there’s less crowds there at the beach. So people are getting the last minute getaway,” she said.
