Category Archives: scenic drives

Kancamagus Highway

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A winding mountain road curves through a dense forest of vibrant autumn foliage, with red, orange, yellow, and green treetops stretching across rolling hills under a partly cloudy sky.

The Kancamagus Highway — A Fall Ride I’ll Never Forget A vintage maroon-and-white Honda Gold Wing motorcycle with a large Windjammer III fairing and hard saddlebags sits parked indoors on a concrete floor, showing detailed pinstriping and chrome engine components.

There are some roads you don’t just drive — you remember. For me, one of those is the Kancamagus Highway, winding through the White Mountains in full October color. Years ago, I rode it on a motorcycle, the air sharp enough to sting my cheeks and the leaves swirling behind me like confetti. It wasn’t just a scenic drive. It was freedom, pure and simple.

Riding the Kanc in Full Fall Color

A motorcycle with two riders leans into a curve on a forested road, motion blur showing their speed as they pass dense green foliage and a yellow road sign.The Kancamagus is made for motorcycles, especially in the fall. No straining to see the colors from inside a car — it’s all wide open. But dress warmly. Leathers are almost a necessity. October is cold anyway, but the mountains add their own bite, and the Kanc sits deep in northern New Hampshire. It’s 35 miles of highway through the White Mountain National Forest, running from Lincoln to Conway.

At its highest point, you reach an elevation of 2,855 feet. It may not tower like the Rockies, but it’s a good, steady rise. There’s a sign marking the summit, and it’s worth stopping for a picture — one of those “just so you can say you were there” moments.

You can drive straight through. It’ll take you two to three hours depending on traffic, and October is prime leaf‑peeping A narrow waterfall flows between tall moss‑covered rock walls in a shaded gorge, with a wooden footbridge above and green forest vegetation surrounding the scene. season. But it’s even better if you stop along the way. One of my favorite waterfalls is Sabbaday Falls. The trail is clearly marked, there’s parking, and a short hike takes you to a multi‑tiered waterfall. Easy enough for a family walk.

I’ve gone moose‑watching in the area and never seen any along the Kanc, but I’m told to beware — moose, deer, and black bear all use the highway, especially around dawn and dusk. It’s bad enough in a car, but you definitely don’t want to meet one of those animals on a motorcycle.

There’s more to see than just the fall colors: Rocky Gorge, Lower Falls, and all the little pull‑offs where the mountains open up in front of you. All in all, the Kanc is one of my favorite drives — a stretch of road that stays with you long after the ride is over.

Fast‑moving river water cascades over rocks, creating white rapids surrounded by smooth stone formations and a dense forest of evergreen and deciduous trees.

 

Driving the Mohawk Trail

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Large bronze elk statue standing behind a black metal fence in Charlemont, Massachusetts, a well‑known roadside landmark along the Mohawk Trail with a house and trees in the background.

“The Elk of Charlemont — guardian of the Mohawk Trail.”

The Mohawk Trail Elk

If you’ve ever driven the Mohawk Trail, you’ve probably met this fellow — the famous elk statue standing watch in Charlemont. He’s been greeting travelers for generations, a quirky landmark from the old roadside‑attraction era. Locals simply call him The Elk, and for many of us, he’s the unofficial mascot of the Mohawk Trail. Seeing him always meant you were on one of New England’s most scenic drives, where the road bends, the hills rise, and the pace finally slows down.

A Fast Life on the Mass Pike

When I first moved to Massachusetts, most weekends were spent racing back and forth to New York where my family lived. I’d rush out of the house, toss an overnight bag in the car, and shoot straight onto the Mass Pike. Then I’d drive like a bat out of… well, let’s just say the posted speed limits and I weren’t always on speaking terms. It became a game — how much faster could I make the trip this week compared to last. I was lucky. Out of all those runs, I only got stopped once.

Breaker Breaker 19: The CB Era

A person in a tan cowboy hat and red shirt sits in the front seat of a moving vehicle, speaking into a CB radio microphone. Behind them, another person with long brown hair looks out the window while brushing their hair back. The blurred scenery outside suggests the vehicle is in motion.

A close-up of a handheld CB radio microphone used for two-way communication.

Back in the ’70s, my need for speed had a little helper: the CB radio. Breaker Breaker 19 — any smokies ahead? Sometimes I’d slide into a “rocking chair” between two big rigs and we’d fly down the highway together. But one day, I decided to try something different.

Discovering the Mohawk Trail

Instead of putting the pedal to the metal, I went north on 128, cruised right past the Mass Pike entrance, picked up Route 2/2A near Concord, and headed west. Welcome to the Mohawk Trail.

You don’t take the Mohawk Trail for speed. You take it to enjoy an old‑fashioned, winding two‑lane road. It wanders through tiny villages and hamlets, follows rivers and streams, and even throws a full 180‑degree hairpin curve at you.

hairpin curve on the Mohawk Trail

That’s one turn you definitely don’t want to take at highway speed.

Briight fall colors and foliageFall Foliage at Its Finest

In the fall, the scenery is spectacular. Maple trees blaze bright red, and every other tree seems to toss in its own color for emphasis. The road winds through the Berkshires, always curving, always meandering — which makes perfect sense. For centuries, the Mohawk Trail served as a Native American footpath connecting tribes between the Hudson and Connecticut River valleys. Once automobiles arrived, it was only natural that a motor road would follow the same path.

One of America’s Oldest Scenic Byways

Today, the Mohawk Trail is one of the oldest scenic byways in the country, and it rewards anyone willing to slow down. Soak up the atmosphere. Explore the little towns and villages. This is some of the most beautiful country in all of New England. The Mohawk isn’t a route to rush through — it’s meant to be savored.

A Drive Worth Remembering

It’s still one of my favorite drives, even if I don’t get to enjoy it as often as I used to. Maybe that’s why it remains so special to me. So the next time you have a few extra hours and want an old‑fashioned road trip — a true Sunday‑afternoon drive — think of the Mohawk Trail and give it a try. You might be surprised by how much you love it.

 

WMEO Fall Foliage Update — October 2026

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Two cats sit behind a WMEO 9 news desk delivering a “Fall Foliage Update.” Banner, an orange tabby wearing a black bow tie, and Balboa, a sleek black cat, face the camera with a microphone between them. A teddy bear and toy mouse rest on the desk beside their WMEO press badge. Behind them, a large screen shows a vivid autumn landscape of trees with red, orange, and yellow leaves along a riverbank under a blue sky.

🍁 Live From the WMEO 9 Weather Desk, This is your Fall Foliage Update

WMEO 9   We Meow- You Listen

Banner (Weather Desk): “Good morning, New England! Banner here with your official WMEO Fall Foliage Update. Peak color has exploded across New Hampshire and Vermont, and experts say this is the most vibrant season in over a decade. Reds, oranges, yellows — the whole region looks like it’s been set on ‘autumn mode.’”

A calm pond reflects a dense forest of trees in peak autumn color, with bright red, orange, yellow, and green foliage lining the water’s edge under soft natural light.

Balboa (Anchor Desk): “Well, that explains why the humans keep stopping in the middle of the road to stare at trees. Personally, I prefer indoor foliage — specifically the houseplants I’m not supposed to chew. But yes, the mountains are glowing, and leaf‑peepers are already out in full force. Brace yourselves.”

Banner: “Thank you, Balboa. For on‑location coverage, we now go live to our Autumn Correspondent, Pumpkin Spice, reporting from somewhere inside a leaf pile.”

Pumpkin Spice (Leaf Pile Reporter)

Pumpkin Spice, an orange tabby cat dressed as a WMEO field reporter, sits partially buried in a pile of colorful autumn leaves. He wears a black hat with an orange band and small leaves tucked into it, and holds a WMEO microphone in his paw. A WMEO press badge hangs from a blue lanyard around his neck. Behind him, New England mountains covered in peak fall foliage rise under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

Pumpkin Spice (Leaf Pile Reporter): “Pumpkin Spice reporting LIVE from Leaf Central! As you can see, I am fully immersed in the situation — literally. Experts say this is the best foliage season in over ten years, and judging by the amount of leaves currently stuck to my hat, I can confirm the data is accurate.

Up north, the White Mountains are glowing. Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom is showing off. Northern Maine is basically a postcard. Sunny skies, temps in the low 60s… perfect conditions for leaf‑peepers and terrible conditions for anyone who dislikes raking.

A curving paved road winds through a dense forest of trees in peak autumn color, with bright red, orange, yellow, and green foliage lining both sides under a partly cloudy blue sky.

Peak color will last about a week in the mountains before drifting south. Translation: more leaves for me to sit in, and more tourists for Banner to yell at from the Weather Desk.

…and with peak color expected to drift south over the next week, leaf‑peepers should prepare for maximum crunch conditions. I’ll remain on location — mostly because I’m stuck — but for now, this is Pumpkin Spice reporting LIVE from the leaf pile.

Banner, Balboa… back to you at the desk.”

Banner (Weather Desk): “Thank you, Pumpkin Spice. Please try not to sink any deeper — HR says we’re out of replacement microphones.”

Balboa (Anchor Desk): “And if anyone sees a small orange reporter buried in leaves, please do not attempt to rake him. He is part of the broadcast.”

Banner: “That’s your WMEO Fall Foliage Update for today. Stay safe, enjoy the colors, and remember — if you’re stopping suddenly to admire a tree, maybe use your blinker.”

Balboa: “We’ll be back tomorrow with more WMEO coverage. Until then, keep your paws warm and your leaf piles cat‑free.”

Two cats sit behind a WMEO 9 news desk as if hosting a broadcast. The orange cat on the left wears a dark blue bow tie, while the black cat on the right sits beside a small gray mouse toy and a brown teddy bear. A sheet of paper with red markings lies on the desk. The front of the desk displays the text “WMEO 9” in large yellow letters and “Thank you for watching” in white. The blurred newsroom background features blue and red tones.

 

Vermont’s Fall Colors

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A white steepled church sits in a small Vermont town surrounded by vibrant autumn foliage, with red, orange, and yellow trees, a grassy foreground, a winding stream, and misty mountains rising in the background.

🍁  Vermont’s Route 100 — From the Triangle to the Trees

After wandering through the mysteries of the Bennington Triangle, it turns out the perfect next stop is… Bennington itself. Because that’s where Vermont Route 100 begins — the most scenic drive in the entire state, and honestly one of the best in New England.

Route 100 is Vermont showing off. This winding two‑lane highway runs the full length of the state, more than 200 miles from bottom to top, hugging the eastern side of the Green Mountains the whole way. In October, it becomes a rolling ribbon of color — hills blazing in red and gold, quiet lakes reflecting the sky, rivers slipping through the trees, and covered bridges popping up like they were placed there just for your camera.

A curving paved road with double yellow lines winds uphill through a dense autumn forest, surrounded by vivid red, orange, yellow, and green foliage on both sides.

It’s the kind of road where every bend feels like a postcard.

You pass through tiny villages with white steeples, old farms tucked into the hills, waterfalls you can hear before you see, and long stretches where the forest arches overhead like a tunnel of color. We stayed on Route 100 almost the entire way, with just one detour planned: Smugglers’ Notch up north — because honestly, how do you resist a name like that?

A winding paved road curves through a bright autumn forest, with yellow and orange leaves forming a colorful canopy overhead and a large mossy rock sitting beside the road.

If the Bennington Triangle gave us Vermont’s eerie side, Route 100 is the soft, golden, leaf‑peeping side — the part that makes you roll the windows down, breathe in the cold air, and remember why fall feels like magic.

 

An Old Fashioned Road Trip

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Enhanced view of the Badlands showing colorful layered rock formations, rugged hills, and a winding road with cars and an RV traveling through the landscape under a partly cloudy sky.

The Lost Art of the Road Trip

Ahh, the road trip. It’s a lost art, and this year it’s been on my mind thanks to the 100th anniversary of the Mother Road. Yes, Route 66 — the ultimate American road trip — is still celebrating, if the headlines can be believed.

Thinking about Route 66 made me remember how different road travel was when I was a kid. So buckle up and let’s take a little drive down memory lane. And by the way… we didn’t have seat belts when I was growing up.

Rule #1: Never Let the Tank Drop Below Half

This was the big one. The rule. The commandment.

Never let the gas tank fall below half. No matter what.

And honestly? I still follow that in winter.

Why it mattered:

  • We didn’t have 24‑hour gas stations
  • Fuel gauges weren’t always reliable
  • Stations could be miles apart
  • You needed enough gas to stay warm if you got stuck
  • A half tank reduced condensation in the fuel line

It wasn’t a suggestion — it was survival. Half a tank or bust.

Rule #2: CB Radios Were Our Lifeline

I bet some of the younger crowd doesn’t even know what a CB radio was. But for road trippers, it was essential.

With a quick “Breaker Breaker 1‑9”, you could:

  • talk to truckers
  • learn about trouble up ahead
  • find out where the “Smokey Bears” (police) were hiding
  • get recommendations for the best cup o’ joe

If you wanted to make time, you found a couple of truckers, slipped into the “rocking chair” between them, and put the pedal to the metal.

Rule #3: Map Reading 101

We weren’t just good at reading maps — we were excellent.

No GPS. No cell phones. Just paper maps that folded into more creases than an origami swan.

It helped to have a passenger who could read the map while you drove, but even kids learned how to follow the lines and symbols.

Rule #4: Scenic Overlooks Were Mandatoryrangeley overlook

“What’s that? A scenic overlook?”

Pull over.

Not slow down. Not glance out the window. Stop the car completely.

Kids tumbled out, parents took pictures, and every stop looked exactly like the last one — except for the sign telling you which overlook you were at. We got very good at photographing signs.

Rule #5: Change in the Cup Holder

Before EZ‑Pass, SunPass, or anything-pass, we had:

  • nickels
  • dimes
  • quarters
  • and whatever random coins lived in the cup holder

If you were on the New Jersey Turnpike, you needed toll money every few miles. The cup holder was basically a portable bank.

Rule #6: The Cooler Was Sacred

You’ve heard “Don’t leave home without it”? For us, that meant the cooler.

It was packed with:

  • ice
  • soda
  • sandwiches
  • snacks
  • and “adult beverages” for the folks

No McDonald’s on the roads we traveled. Lunch was whatever Mom packed, eaten at a rest stop picnic table with ants for company.

Rule #7: Entertainment Was… Minimal

Hang onto your hats, kids — there were:

  • no tablets
  • no built‑in TV screens
  • no cell phones

If you were bored, you looked out the window.

Games included:

  • counting cows
  • spotting license plates from different states
  • singing songs
  • and yes… 99 Bottles of Beer (which felt like it lasted the entire trip)

Road Trips Then and Now

Road trips today are easier, faster, and more comfortable — but they’re missing that old‑school charm. The cooler, the CB radio, the paper maps, the scenic overlooks… they were part of the adventure.

And maybe that’s why Route 66 still captures our imagination. It reminds us of a time when the journey mattered just as much as the destination.