CAPITAL REGION — Gas prices are falling almost as fast as the leaves, and the combination is improving the appeal of an autumn road trip.

Meteorologist George Maglaras at the National Weather Service in Albany said the three-day Columbus Day weekend will be mostly clear with high daytime temperatures in the upper 60s to lower 70s.

“There will be some fog each morning, but otherwise the daytime weather should be sunny and nights should be clear, with lows in the 40s,” he said.

Eric Stigberg at AAA Northway in Schenectady said the price of gas in the Capital Region has fallen this week to an average of $3.37 a gallon for regular unleaded compared to $3.60 a gallon last week and $3.71 a month ago.

“It’s continuing to fall,” he said. “I saw one Mobil station in Amsterdam this morning that was $3.19.”

He said AAA offices in the region were receiving a lot of calls Friday morning from members looking for hotel reservations throughout New England.

“The calls have been for last-minute reservations, mostly in Maine and New Hampshire, but we’re finding most accommodations are booked up,” he said. “If you haven’t made a reservation already, it is best to call ahead to be sure there will be a room when you get to your destination.”

If staying home and taking a walk, bike ride or short-distance drive is more appealing, the state’s I Love New York office is reporting peak foliage season has arrived in the region.

The Web site www.iloveny.com includes a map of the state and the next two weeks are predicted to offer the most brilliant leaf colors.

Preserving those leaves is as easy as collecting and pressing them between books, according to Leslie Rigley, an educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Schoharie County.

“The way I have always preserved leaves and dried flowers is by pressing them between sheets of tissue paper in a heavy book with extra weights on top,” Rigley said. “Check them after about a week to see how they are drying. Most leaves will take at least three weeks to press and dry out.”

Choosing flat leaves that are without bumps or spots will result in the most attractive pressed specimens, she said.

Hayrides, corn mazes, apples and pumpkins also mark the fall season and every county in the region has businesses that offer fruit and fun.

At Schuyler Farms in Schuylerville, owner Ken Macica said Friday his pumpkin crop this year is one of the best he’s ever had.

“We have thousands and thousands of pumpkins,” he said. “Some are tiny and others weigh over 200 pounds.”

He said he has about 10 of the largest pumpkins left and they sell for about $50 each.

Smaller specimens, say 70 or 80 pounds, sell for around $22, he said.

Macica said he does 90 percent of his business on weekends and weather is a big factor in bringing customers to the farm on Route 29.

“A rainy day can be a lost day for us,” he said. “We have a corn maze and hayrides and those aren’t popular in the rain.”

Macica said whatever pumpkins are left after Halloween will be given to a friend who has a pig farm.

“The pigs have a good time with the leftovers,” he said.

At the Indian Ladder Farms in New Scotland, Cecelia Soloviev said the apple trees and pumpkin vines are loaded.

“This weekend we have golden delicious, red delicious, northern spy and Kendall apples that are ready to be picked,” she said. “We have a good crop of pumpkins that are you-pick too.”

She said the farm was one of the few in the region not hit by hail last spring.

“When hail hits the apples it leaves marks that don’t hurt the apple, but they make them less appealing,” she said.