Glimpses of Fall in Massachusetts

By Amy Suski

Fall is undeniably the most beautiful time of year in Massachusetts.  Beauty is around us wherever we go, whether its the walk to school, a drive to the hardware store, or a more deliberate family outing to a local farm.  These are just some of my favorite iPhone pics taken in the Massachusetts towns west of Boston (quality of the photos isn't always great, but you'll get the idea).  Pictured above is the Assabet River -- a favorite for kayakers and swans.  The river flows through the Assabet National Wildlife Refuge, a sanctuary for migratory birds.  

We crossed the river today on our way to Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stowe.  Honey Pot is a local favorite for apple picking, visiting farm animals and buying cider donuts.  On weekends the demand is so high for the donuts that the bakers are continuously at work, and the bags of warm donuts are snapped up as soon as they're brought out from the kitchen.  I would have taken a picture of the donuts too, but we ate them too fast.

The sheep at Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln keep company with other farm and native animals including cows, chickens, goats, owls, woodchucks, foxes, and a fisher cat.  This Audubon working farm is a wonderful place for families to visit any time of year: with vegetable harvests in the summer, maple syrup in the winter, bird watching year round, and farm babies in the spring.  

This is view of the maple tree next to our barn which is just coming into its full color.  Mostly the barn is inhabited by red squirrels, who store their black walnuts all along the rafters, but SOMEDAY I hope to clear them out and put an art studio in there.

Below is the First Parish of Sudbury Meeting House.  Historic churches and meeting houses like this can be found throughout New England.  This shot was taken through my sunroof as I drove by.  (Blame the brightly colored leaves on my distracted driving!)

This is the grist mill at Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury.  It's a working mill built by Henry Ford as a demonstration on how rural areas could generate their own power.  Inside, you can learn about its history and buy wheat flour and cornmeal ground at the mill.

We thought our eyes were fooling us when we drove by this scene on the way to Home Depot: redcoats and Minute Men clashing in a field behind the Wayside Inn.  Over in neighboring Concord and Lexington there will be even more elaborate recreations and skirmishes on Patriots' Day, the April anniversary of the first shots fired in the American Revolution.

This photo was taken on daytrip to Gloucester in late September.   More than just the home port for Discovery Channel lobster and tuna fisherman, Gloucester boasts several stunning historic homes previously owned by sea captains and merchants.  We were visiting the historic Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House when we spotted this sailing vessel crossing the harbor (and yes, that is a castle across the way!)

This enchanting spot is a pond tucked away at Garden in the Woods, a botanic garden full of native plants cultivated by the New England Wildflower Society in Framingham.  The natural setting changes throughout the year with beautiful blooms in the summer, but fall is one of my favorite times to visit.

Finally, this will always be one of my favorite fall pictures, taken during a classroom apple-picking field trip to Carver Hill Orchard, in Stow.  What a beautiful way to end a golden fall day!

All of the places pictured here are just a short drive (15-25 miles) from Boston, Massachusetts. To stay at a local historic inn,  Longfellow's Wayside Inn and the Concord's Colonial Inn are good choices.

The opinions expressed are entirely my own and do not reflect those of the businesses and organizations mentioned.  We did not receive any special discounts or benefits on any of these excursions.  All rights are reserved by KidTrips © 2014.