One of the most popular activities in the fall is to take a fall foliage tour in New England. Whether you go to New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut or Vermont, you won’t be disappointed in the breathtaking colors of the changing leaves on the vast trees of the New England area. Every year, tourists from around the world flood the New England area to embark on one of the best vacations they’ve ever had the pleasure of taking. If you are thinking of heading to the northeast United States this fall for such a tour, Massachusetts is replete with scenery and history. There are hundreds of fall foliage tours you can take whether it is by biking, walking, driving or even through the air. The following information will help you plan such a trip to Massachusetts:
Tour – Concord to Deerfield
Concord is rich with early American history and is a lovely town in Massachusetts where authors Thoreau, Alcott and Emerson lived and completed some of their most famous works. You’re probably familiar with Walden Pond as well. If you would like to take a history rich Fall Foliage tour the one from Concord to Deerfield is one of the most popular. This tour follows Route 2 which is also known as the Mohawk Trail. There are state parks and forests along the route.
Tour – Athol to North Adams
This tour takes approximately an hour and a half to complete and is beautiful. Athol is a community located between the Tully Mountains (north) and the Quabbin Reservoir to the South in North Central Massachusetts. This tour involves Route 2 but for specific directions go to www.newenglandtimes.com/new-england-fall-foliage/mass-fall-foliage-tours.shtml.
If you’d rather take to the road on your own and make up a route as you go, there are a number of fall foliage driving tour areas to explore. Some of the more interesting routes include Jacob’s Ladder Trail, the nickname for US Route 20, which is very hilly and an alternative route to the Mass Pike.
There is also the route from the Berkshires of western Massachusetts to the top of Mount Greylock, which will take you on New England’s first official scenic road.
Hotels/Restaurants
There are some very nice bed and breakfasts places and historical getaways in Massachusetts. Be sure and check the proximity of these to the town you plan on touring. Here are a few:
1. Stonover Farm, 169 Under Mountain Road, Lenox, MA 01240, Phone: (413) 637-9100 website: www.stonoverfarm.com
2. Historic Merrell Inn, 1565 Pleasant Street, South Lee, MA 01260, Phone: (413) 243-1894, toll-free (800) 243-1794, website: www.merrell-tavern.com
