As summer turns to fall, some of the most spectacular sights to see are right outside your own front door. And if you're one of those people that enjoy taking in the fall colours, I've got news for you … you have a name! And thy name is "leaf peeper."

And take note, leaf peepers, the next two weeks are the time to see the peak of the fall leaf season. No offense to the West intended, but the proliferation of maples and birches in the East definitely make this a season best experienced in Eastern Canada.

Some of my favourite spots include;

The Algoma Central Railway's Agawa Canyon Tour Train. It is truly amazing this time of year. The rail cars are newly renovated and there is now a camera at the front of the car that broadcasts to new flat screens in the passenger cars so you can get a "conductor's view" of the train journey. There is also a GPS triggered commentary that announces points of interest and shares the history of the region. There are packages available that include train tickets, two night accommodations and options for meals. Act now, the package is available only until October 10th and seats are only available on October 5th, 6th, 7th and the 10th.

Nova Scotia's Cabot Trail is a spectacular drive year-round but at this time of year, it's even better! From October 7th through 15th is the 15th annual Celtic Colours Festival, featuring community dinners, shows and great musicians including Ashley MacIsaac and the Barra McNeil's.

Throughout Quebec from the Eastern Townships to Charlevoix, ski resorts have turned into fall festival headquarters with a variety of hillside leaf peeping opportunities coupled with BBQs, live music and numerous family activities. In some cases, you can even take a helicopter ride.

And don't forget our neighbours to the south, from Vermont to Massachusetts; New England does a great job showcasing the season. Maine has a very cool new attraction called Biking the Rails. It's a "rail bike" excursion along the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railway. Rail bikes are four-wheeled open air cars with two or four seats that ride on a railroad with pedal power. Pedals are at the front and the cars have space for storing a camera or snacks. Excursions happen on the restored railway between the central Maine towns of Knox and Thorndike, taking riders through a spruce forest, past ponds, swamp and rolling fields. Railway staff lead the three-hour trips, which take place through October and must be scheduled by appointment.

Many of these destinations have dedicated information pages on where to see the best leaves, as well as blog forums where people can post the day to day changes.

Nova Scotia Fall Foliage page

Leaf Watch Forum - a live forum for people to post updates.

Best places (on map) to see fall leaf colours

Ontario - http://www.ontariotravel.net is live and Ontario Parks has an update on their website http://www.parkreports.com/fall