By: Gail Leino
Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island are the states for fall foliage in New England. A fall leaf tour can include them all.
Farm visits are almost mandatory. One of the largest at 145 acres and best developed agribusiness locales is Cider Hill Farms, 45 Fern Avenue just one mile north of Amesbury Massachusetts (phone: 978 388 5525). About 35 miles north of Boston this farm, once featured on the PBS program The Victory Garden, grows an incredible variety of apples.
The grounds are visitor friendly with walking paths, picnic area, farm store and planned activities. Accommodations are plentiful with a Fairfield Inn by Marriott nearby. Be prepared for high prices in proximity to Boston.
Eleven hundred acre Lyman Orchards of Middlefield, Connecticut, family run since 1741, offer public fall activities including a corn maze and golf.
Vermont's many Inns and covered bridges (over 100) are enhanced by the spectacle of hillsides covered by scarlet, gold and orange maple leaves. From Mid-September until Mid-October are the best times to view tiny Vermont and visitors will find bike tours or drives on country roads good ways to enjoy these sights.
The Whitney Inn at Black Mountain in Jackson, New Hampshire offers cottages and horseback riding.
The Mansions of Newport, Rhode Island are still open in fall and giving tours to visitors interested in exploring the excesses and luxury written about in such books as, "The Great Gatsby"
The Roosevelt Campobello International Park in Maine would make a good Northern most destination. This 2600 acre park is jointly operated by Canada and the United States at no fee. It was once used as the summer home of President Roosevelt.
A National Parks Pass card purchased from the National Parks Foundation for $50 allows admission to the parks which charge for one full year. This is a good buy for those who travel extensively.
