The color quilt of fall is spreading across the state, and here in the Ohio River Valley, we're just now starting to get those deep brushes of orange, yellows and red in our hardwood hills.

Here are a few ways to get out and enjoy the fall foliage as the color comes closer.

Horse-drawn hayrides

Keesee Carriages, the folks who offer horse-drawn carriage rides at Pullman Square, are offering horse-drawn hayrides on their nine-foot-long wagon.

Hayrides, costing $5 each, will be a long ride through the city. They'll be set up at Pullman Square from 2 to 10 p.m. Sunday, as well as 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.

Greg Keesee said he's wanted to offer the rides for a while and finally found a nice big wagon that will fit at least 10 people.

For more info, call the Carriage company at 304-576-4079.

Up the tower, over the city

One of the hidden jewels of Huntington is the hilly Rotary Park, home to two 18-hole disc golf courses, a stone bridge that's on the National Register of Historic Places, picnic facilities, basketball courts, a playground and good trails.

Get a couple of discs downtown at Glenn's, Dan's, the Park District or at Hobby Exchange on 4th Avenue, and go out and throw the courses designed by world champ Johnny Sias.

And if you really want a great fall foliage vista, climb the old tower to get a bird's eye view of the east end from the window up above.

There also are two new 18-hole disc golf courses at Armco Park outside of Ashland.

Go online at www.pdga.com to see more courses in the region.

A ramble into Jesse's woods

A great, off-the-beaten-path place to hike this time of year is in those Kentucky hills once roamed and rambled by Greenup County's famous author Jesse Stuart.

Lose the crowds and the noise in a hike at the 733-acre Jesse Stuart State Nature Preserve, located on W-Hollow Road off of Ky. Route 1 in Greenup County.

Hit the preserves trail, and take a book, a blanket and picnic up in the fields of Stuart's home where there's still a barn and his favorite writing spot, a small white building called Op's Place.

To find out more about the author, go online at www.jsfbooks.com.

Zip sliding away

All of the craziness of Bridge Day might be over, but that doesn't mean the New River Gorge isn't still popping with some wild and wonderful adventure and fall color.

The new TreeTops Canopy Tour at Class VI Mountain River is still open seven days a week through October offering 10 ziplines, five Sky Bridges and one rappel.

For the hardy, they'll also be open everyday but Tuesdays and Wednesdays November through spring.

Go and see the Mill Creek Gorge as you're zipping along high above the color-filled tree canopy. Cost is $89, but West Virginia residents get a discount of $10 per person.

Go online at www.newrivergorgecanopytour.com or call 877-811-5321.

A touch of gray

Glenwood, W.Va., folk artist Earl Gray has his artwork all over the country.

Nowhere is it cooler than the dozen or so faces he carved into the native sandstone rocks along the loop trail at the Huntington Museum of Art, 2033 McCoy Road.

Enter the trail head at the right side of the museum, through the iron eagle sculpture entrance, and hoof it down the hill for the short day-hike that's perfect for kids or people not used to hiking. There's also the new sensory trail, as well, that hooks into the museum's current trail system.

If you're the geocaching kind, go to www.geocaching.com, and print out the coordinates for Forest Face, a cache that pays tribute to Gray's woodland creatures.

Call 304-529-2701.

Get historical with it

Last winter, we were so bored here at The Herald-Dispatch (that's a free joke there, folks) that we created a three-mile historical walk of downtown Huntington that starts and ends at Pullman Square.

Pick up a brochure at The Herald-Dispatch, Empire Books and News, Starbucks or other Pullman Square businesses, and take off on a nice three-mile journey that's filled with some wonderful foliage including 4th Avenue's Gingko trees, as well as the mature oaks along the Avenue of Churches and down by Marshall's campus and at Harris Riverfront Park.

Go online at www.herald-dispatch.com, and click on the walking tour to download and print a PDF of the map. You also can download a podcast of the walking tour.

A rail trail getaway

About two hours away, North Bend State Park, just east of Parkersburg, is home to the North Bend Rail Trail, and come next weekend, a quilter's getaway.

Enjoy the fall colors, and get ready for winter with some classes on everything from machine paper piercing to needlepoint applique. The classes run Oct. 29 through Nov. 1. Go online at www.northbendsp.com.

Into the cellar and out

Dunbar is home to the Wine Cellar Park, a 31-acre city park that has some good hiking trails, including one that goes up to Anderson Lake and then loops around.

Be sure to check out the historic stone Wine Cellars that stored wine until the Civil War.

There's also some good geocaching here.

Call 304-766-0223.

Park it in the neighborhoods

The Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District is known for its crown jewel Ritter Park, which has the loop trail as well as the multi-purpose path that runs along Fourpole Creek from the park to Huntington's west end and the Train Museum.

There also are a couple of good loops in hills behind the tennis bubble and walking on the trails above the outdoor tennis courts over to the Rose Garden.

Don't forget the Park District's other parks, such as McClelland Park (on 27th Street behind St. Mary's) as well as Altizer Park, Westmoreland Park and Harveytown Park, all tucked into the hills with playgrounds and bursting color.

Go online at www.ghprd.org to find out more about Huntington's parks.

Horsing around in southern Ohio

In southern Ohio, head along U.S. 52 east to Scioto County and Franklin Furnace, Ohio, where the Friends of Ohio Horse Park is hosting a trail ride at noon and Fall Festival at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.

Enjoy the best of fall foliage by riding beginner to advanced trails through the Ohio River bottoms, then enjoy a chili supper, trick or treating for the kids and more.

For further information, contact Mike Blackburn at meblackburn_ks@yahoo.com.

Making a run for it

You can watch those fall colors blur on Saturday, Oct. 31, as Greenbo Lake State Resort Park near Greenup, Ky., hosts its Greenbo 5K Challenge on the road through the park. Registration is $15, and the race will start at 10 a.m. promptly. Greenbo, along with Carter Caves, Paintsville Lake and many other Kentucky State Parks, also is hosting a family-friendly Camper Halloween weekend Oct. 30-31, as well.

Go online at www.parks.ky.gov for more info.

Courtesy of Class VI-Mountain River

Taking the TreeTops Canopy Tour at Class VI-Mountain River in the New River Gorge is one unique way to enjoy the fall foliage.

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