Roadlover,
My wife watches the color reports constantly and we pretty much use them to gauge when we leave for the U.P. They have been quite accurate in our experience. We usually go to the U.P. with our TC for a few weeks then back home to take care of things here. Then we'll repack and head up to the Straits and work our way back south following the colors and Sleeping Bear N.P. of course. We wouldn't miss our Fall trips up north period as it puts the exclamation point on every very fine RVing year! Next, take the TC off and get the truck and the 5th wheel ready for our southern trips!
You already live close to the Straits so it's a short trip to the U.P. for you. However, it's 370 miles one way to Tahquamenon Falls for us. Then on to Muskallonge SP, Grand Marais, and Copper Harbor is 670 miles from home and on to the Porkies and Ironwood makes it well over 800 miles. Then back along the Lake Michigan side of the U.P to Fayette and Indian Lake State Parks and the trip is way over 2000 miles with the side trips and never even left Michigan.
So much fun with the TC!