The Spendor of Autumn in America

I've been told that nothing compares with New England in the Fall. I know that the famous Amtrak trip that winds through Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and the Adirondacks of up state New York promises its ticket holders splendors galore. While New England may be the grand prize, I have had the pleasure of driving through the Carolina's, Tennessee and the Ouchita and Ozark Mountains of Arkansas in the prime of their autumn beauty. I remember being speechless looking 20 miles across a valley in the Ozarks as half a dozen white church steeples poked their tips out of tens of thousands of red, yellow, gold and amber hard woods. So for me, definately the Ozarks were my favorite Autumn "ahhhh" moment.
As an Oregon resident, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the beauty of my beloved Northwest in the fall. Each year, my wife and I try to make the scenic drive along the McKenzie River from Eugene up to Bend. Perhaps our favorite is Highway 138 out of Roseburg which traces the world famous Umpqua River and Umpqua Fly fishing Wilderness and winds up at breath taking Crater Lake National Park.
As you may have guessed, October is my favorite month, Fall my favorite season and Thanksgiving my favorite holiday. All of those are ripe with grand memories. In the mean time, please share a great autumn moment and a place in America everyone should see.

Mexican Food

I try to limit my intake of mexican food to say............. no more than 5 days per week. Unfortunately with age comes nagging issues like triglycerides and persistent heartburn otherwise it would be huevous ranchos  for breakfast every morning. I have eaten mexican food from Boston to San Diego, from Houston to Denver and when I'm on the road at meal time, the first thing I look for is that red, white and green sign that says "Best Taco's in Town." Now with that said, I am here to argue that there is absolutely no better mexican food in the country than Bakersfield California. (Unless it was those carne asada tacos off that one taco truck in Modesto) But for sitting down with chips, salsa, a cold beverage and your favorite plate accented with rice and beans......Bakersfield gets my vote. Now what say you; Where did you find the best mexican dish in America?

People, Places and Experiences

If you were to google "Average Joe" I would be shocked if my name didn't come up. I was an average student, had average jobs, lived in average neighborhoods and try as I did, never became a better than average athlete. Now this is the spot that a guy with any brains at all mentions that he did marry an extremely "above average" girl. (Average does not like sleeping on the couch)
As a shameless self promotion, all you researchers out there looking for the average response to anything could save millions by just asking me first. By the way, I make lots of mistakes, some huge, some small but they usually end up averaging out.
Now I may be an average Joe but I love to meet exceptional people, visit exceptional places, eat exceptional food and  experience exceptional moments. I hope to share people, places and events with you but I especially hope to hear your stories. I really want to know what America looks like through your eyes.
Tell me about a great American destination you've visited and the food and people that made it worth recommending to others. Be brief but let us smell the food, see the landscape and meet the folks that you think makes America exceptional.