Goodbye Massachusetts. The week had been a long, colorful leaf peeping road trip. (Leaf peeping is an informal term for the activity in which people travel to view and photograph the changing of leaf colors in autumn).
Massachusetts, your roadways, highways and biways are all scenic and breathtaking. Endless mountains ablaze with yellow, red and orange served as perfect backdrop to the charming farms, idyllic barns and old mills. Traversing Jacob’s Ladder (Rte 20), we passed by places with population barely reaching 2000. Small, quiet almost forgotten towns of America yet with so much history and unspoiled beauty. Towns that seem to say the colors are normal and so everyday. The uphill 16 mile drive to Mt. Greylock was made pleasurable with the canopy of yellow, brown and gold. The towering War Memorial at the top was just icing on the cake. The 65 mile Mohawk Trail (New England’s first scenic route) was a joy to traverse. Shades of magenta, gold and green made the curves and bends, quaint towns, historic monuments and pumpkin stands all the more picturesque.
This short stay did not fill my camera’s SD card, as I only took a few photos. A Massachusetts foliage road trip is for filling the senses. It is a long drive that cannot be perfectly described only joyfully experienced. It is for taking in the view along your scenic byways; detouring on over-colorful backroads, stopping for homebaked pastry with coffee or a museum visit to appreciate some art. (Also revisiting favorite New England towns and discovering new ones).
Thank you Massachusetts! We had a wonderful time!!
Massachusetts, USA – October 12-16, 2023
