It's Fall in New England!

There is something that I've pondered for a while, and came up with the answer the other day.  I've been trying to find things around the country and around the world that were unique so that travelers like me would have something special to add to our bucket lists.  The conundrum that I was having was to find what was special about where I live?  Connecticut and Southern New England is special to me.  I moved here because I loved the view, but what about everyone else?  What is that thing that makes people want to come here where I live?  I finally figured it out.  Fall.
There are beautiful places in the fall.  I've been to the Smokey Mountains, driven on Skyline Drive in the Blue Ridge Mountains, gone to the shores of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, spent the harvest season with the Amish folks in Indiana, and many other things.  However, there is nothing that compares to Fall in New England.

  There's that air here that makes you want to get off of I-95 and take a back road just to see the leaves.  This is the time when New Englanders fight against the machine that is Mother Nature and cling to the outdoors that we love until the snow flies for the season.
  Our sense of humor comes out in the displays that we only put in our yard this time of year with scarecrows and ghosts.  Our amusement parks open Haunted Graveyards so that the kids can go at night and have the wits scared out of them.


 

This is the time when New England has their country fairs and also the Big E, or the Eastern States Expo.  Here in New England we don't have state fairs like other places do, so they gathered all the little states together and have one in Springfield, MA.  But I like the little ones.  All the locals come out for food and contests, local band music and just to see old friends that they don't see any other time of year.
 
We pull out all our best country stuff in New England in the Fall.  We have some of the best pumpkin patches and corn mazes you'll ever see.  One of the things that we love to do in the Fall here is visit our local farms and pick a pumpkin, walk a maze, or get some great baked goods on our way home.

We New Englanders love to go to the lake or the shore one last time before winter.  Columbus Day is one of our favorite times of the year.  It's that time that we drive to Vermont for no reason, or go to a festival, or take in a tourist attraction that we could have gone to all year, but seems like a better idea in the Fall.
   Here's something that I never did until I lived here.  We like to take that one last trip out sailing or fishing before it gets too cold.  That's another thing that we like to do in the Fall.  
  Here's quintessential New England though.  There is no better way to view Fall foliage than by scenic gondola ride at one of our many ski resorts.  And, there is no better foliage around to view than here in New England.  Let's just say that if you ever wondered why you might come to Connecticut, Massechusetts, Rhode Island, or Eastern New York even or Vermont or New Hampshire or even Maine--it's for the beauty.  And the beauty is never better than in the Fall.
So, come to a ski resort to take one last ride down an alpine slide and get a great view from a ski lift.  Come and visit a country fair or the Big E.  Come and pick a pumpkin and walk a corn maze.  Come to Lake Compounce or Six Flags and play in a haunted playground.  Come to the shore and sail that one last time.  Take a hike to a beautiful place with a waterfall or a panoramic view.  Take a drive and visit the little shops and farm stands all along the way.  Have some local cider, play some mini golf, and by all means, enjoy Columbus Day Weekend.  It's one of the best times of the year to catch a UConn game or even the NFL.  Fall is the best in New England and it's where I've chosen to spend my life because it's so beautiful.

Here's a rare little piece of me for you.  This picture is of the Barkhamsted Reservoir.  This is literally my favorite place on Earth.  It's the colors of fire in the Fall and it's the main reason that I now live in this area today.  Once it gets in your head, you won't be able to forget about it.
Enjoy!

http://www.yankeefoliage.com/
http://www.killington.com/summer
http://www.new-england-vacations-guide.com/index.html
http://www.thebige.com/fair/
http://www.newenglandusa.com/Fall/Halloween/pumpkin-patch.html
http://www.yankeefoliage.com/drives/
http://visitingnewengland.com/fallfoliage.html
http://www.newenglandexplorer.com/statefairsne.htm
http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/conn-m-footbl-body.html
http://beeradvocate.com/events/calendar/2012/09
http://www.lakecompounce.com/site/events.html
http://www.salemweb.com/hh/
http://www.visitnewengland.com/fairs-and-festivals
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings
http://pixels.com/profiles/terri-dixon.html
 
Don't miss New England in the Fall.  You'll kick yourself.  Have fun!