Mid-Best.

Autumn in New York is hailed as the City's prettiest season, and I do agree that cool breezes, choppy rivers, and long afternoons spent tossing the pigskin in Central Park give new meaning to the phrase "urban oasis". But to really discover what makes this season so special, to understand why the long winters and the hot summers are worth all our trouble and discomfort, you must leave Manhattan.

This week I am in my home state of Missouri, rediscovering an oft-overlooked part of America and reconnecting with college friends. My journey began in Saint Louis, where backyards like this are a dime a dozen and where long boulevards seem to burst into flame with Technicolor maple and sycamore leaves.

I could spend all afternoon tromping through these woods - found outside city limits in the village of Chesterfield - but not, perhaps, in these shoes. They are my current daytime favorites - vintage pony hair by the granddaddy of department stores Saks Fifth Avenue, scooped up at Williamsburg's Beacon's Closet.