Tag Archive: berkshires

New England Fall Foliage – Six Best Leaf Peeping Drives

Fall foliage in New England provides a showcase for Mother Nature. Perhaps nowhere else in America, and maybe even the world are the fall colors as stunning and spectacular as October in New England.Fall foliage in New England really begins in August. The shortening daylight hours trigger the deciduous trees to begin the process of shedding their leaves. It happens all around North America, and all around the world.

But in New England it results in a display of special landscapes painted with fiery autumn colors. Why is fall foliage in New England so different and special? It’s a factor of many things but mostly an abundance of different types of deciduous trees, warm autumn days, and cool – but not freezing – nights. When these and a few other conditions are all mixed in the right proportions, then you get the world famous stunning shades of reds, yellows, oranges, and browns on the hills and mountain sides of New England.

Mohawk Trail
View from the Mohawk Trail in Massachusetts

Between mid-September to late-October, visitors flock to New England to see the fall foliage. Many take special bus tours or even train rides. But most take to the road and these six scenic drives offer some of the best autumn views available from anywhere on the planet.

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6 Best Leaf Peeping & Bird-Watching Destinations in New England

The fall season in New England not only provides colorful foliage to leaf-peepers but it’s also a great time for birders as the migratory species use the Atlantic Flyway stops throughout the region on their journey south.

These six destinations – one for each state – provides the best of both worlds for bird spotters, the opportunity to observe their favorite bird species amongst some of the most spectacular fall scenery anywhere in the world.

I apologize now for leaving out so many great spots. Also remember there is no set date for peak foliage viewing with any of these locations as there are many factors that dictate when its peak. I’ve tried to indicate average dates for great foliage but please don’t send me threatening letters if nature decides on other dates this year. Please share your own fall locations that I left out in the comments section at the end of the article.

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5 Bird-Watching Destinations in Massachusetts

In an earlier article I shared my favorite locations for bird-watching on Cape Cod in Massachusetts and today I’ll cover additional destinations for bird spotting in the rest of the state.

Quabbin Reservoir:

Perhaps one of the least known places to watch wildlife in Massachusetts is Quabbin Reservoir. Constructed in 1930’s to quench the expanding thirst of Boston, the reservoir and surrounding watershed area covers 121,000 acres.

Located in central Massachusetts 12-miles east of Amherst it’s a mecca for bird-watchers. Quabbin Park is home to loons, great blue herons, and an abundant array of songbirds. A trip to the park should start out at the visitor’s center and administration building where you can pick up maps and guides. The 3-mile round trip walk from Goodnough Dike to Pepper’s Mill Road is a recommended trip for bird-watching.

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Small Town Living in Massachusetts

In this world of over-development, there are still Bay State communities that have not changed much through the years these are classic towns to live in, or as part of your New England vacation plans! Many Massachusetts communities that we …

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