Mohawk Trail

I bookmarked a website that shows when foliage will be at it's peak in New England and Western Mass would be at peak by about October 14th.  We decided to take a loooong drive out to the Berkshires on the Mohawk Trail (aka Rte. 2).  Our first stop was at the Johnny Appleseed Visitor Information Center in Leominster cause I had to use the washroom, and I discovered a small gift shop inside so I had to get a fridge magnet!

Once we got west of all the cities, the highway went down to 2 lanes and winds it's way through tiny quintessentially New England towns, and alongside rivers every now and then.

Loved this bridge

Naturally we stopped at this Trading Post for souvenirs and photos.

Before anyone freaks out about how un-PC this is, the trading post is Native American owned.

This is a second trading post but I didn't go in to shop, just stopped for pics.

It was definitely a pretty drive, but I didn't find the foliage all that impressive.  It was just too hot, too late to force the leaves into changing.

This was a pretty vista point. 

Nothing would have induced me to climb down there like those people did!!

This was the first place where there was a sweeping view.

I really hate to be a 'west coast snob' and all, but as compared with the Cascades, Olympics and Sierras, the Berkshires are scenic hills at best.  

My goal was to get as far as the famous 'hairpin turn' in North Adams, which is in the northwestern corner of the state.

This pic was taken from Wigwam Summit.  That's the Hoosac Range in the Berkshires and extends north into the Green Mountains of Vermont.

The town of North Adams.

Not much in the way of colour but it was a beautiful day and view.

Heading downhill to the famous turn. 

I admit that I was surprised the turn was on the back side of the mountain.  When I pictured it in my head, I thought it was at the summit.  

View from in front of the Golden Eagle Restaurant.  The place was packed and there wasn't even room to park.  Russell double parked while I jumped out to get a few snaps. 

Taken on the way home at another spot on Rte 2.

We left the house at about 9AM and we rolled in the driveway about 4:30, also stopping for lunch at 99 on the way home.  

Longfellow's Wayside Inn Grist Mill, Sudbury

The day after our trip to Wellfleet, we decided to head up to the town of Sudbury so that I could knock a few more things off my bucket list.  It was a very warm and humid day....hopefully the last one for the year.  The foliage has been spotty but it was very pretty the day we went.  

This is along I-495.

Our first stop was at Longfellow's Wayside Inn Grist Mill.  I honestly never read anything by him unless forced to in high school English, but apparently he wrote 'Tales from the Wayside Inn'.  This grist mill is down the street from the Inn and was built in 1929.  It was the first of four stops on my itinerary.

It's extremely picturesque.  I don't know if they still use the waterwheel, but it wasn't operating that day.

Russell poked around a bit but returned to the car to sit in the a/c while I walked all over the property, up to the Mill Pond above. 

At the top of the mill above the waterfall.

Mill pond.

October 2016

The fall is passing by so fast just like the rest of the year.  I haven't taken many foliage pictures because it seemed like it lasted a week.  Now the leaves are falling off the trees.  Buzzards Bay continues to disappoint me with the lack of seasonal spirit.  No scarecrows again this year.  Main Street at my end of town is still a disgrace with vacant and crumbling buildings.  Now the park is all torn up to be redone (supposedly better) which means no Christmas tree or decorations down there either.

Did everyone get out to see the beautiful, full Hunters Moon that was also a super moon?  A couple of days before it was completely full, I took the tripod outside and shot 16 pictures in different exposures.  The very last picture was 'the money shot'.  I did like how the moon looks like it's being held up by the tree.

I'm very happy with this shot.  It's so hard to get a good pic of the moon so I'm just going to call this 'good' and not keep trying to get 'the perfect picture' of it.  This one will do nicely.

Another pretty sunset.

I took this near where I grew up in E. Sandwich.  In an odd twist of fate, when I was checking my 'on this day' memories, I'd taken similar photos on the same date as these, in 2012.  

Hoxie Pond

This is a couple of houses down from me.  They've done a great job with their Halloween decorations!

It's hard to believe that we are heading full bore into the holidays again.  I wish time would slow down a little!