“Traveling and sketching in the off-season—when children and college students have returned to school and many people are back at work—feels so much more like the earlier artists’ and travelers’ experience of our national parks and monuments,” says Seattle-based author and artist Molly Hashimoto, describing the autumn colors in her recently released book, Colors of the West: An Artist’s Guide to Nature’s Palette (Skipstone, $24.95). “The sense of discovery is keener when there are fewer people. And the visual thrill of brilliant fall colors is augmented by all our senses: the silence, the fragrance of dry leaves, the feeling of the chill morning air. Beyond that, we know that the shorter days mean that winter is coming, so we value these hours even more.”

Hear the author speak more about Colors of the West at 7 p.m. on October 19. Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, 17171 Bothell Way NE, #A101; 206.366.3333; thirdplacebooks.com