Family Fun During the Fall Season

Massachusetts

Boston BabyZone Guide suggests you try her favorite tour for seeing the colors and sipping apple cider. Follow Route 2 West to North Adams and enjoy the ride! You can end your trip at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, Boston Art Museum's best kept secret. The trip will take you about three hours from Boston, and on the way, you'll find spectacular views of valleys flooded with color. Orchards along the drive offer apple cider and maple syrup, a New England tradition. If you are particularly ambitious you might even start your search for the perfect Halloween pumpkin!

Colorado

Who says all the great scenic fall drives are on the East Coast? Not our Colorado Guides, who insist that the Rockies have as much to offer as any of those "hilly areas" back East. West-central CO offers a golden view as the aspen trees turn yellow, seemingly overnight. One recommendation is Route 550 between Silverton and Ouray. Hurry up and get out there, though, as foliage at the higher elevations tends to turn early.

Illinois

Hundreds of miles of colorful drives await lucky travelers in Illinois. From scenic rivers to rocky bluffs, to stretches of beautiful forest, Illinois has it all. One of the best fall drive plans is to spend the weekend driving along the Ohio River Scenic Route in Southern Illinois. During your day, stop for a relaxing afternoon at the Shawnee National Forest. Consider a road trip along the scenic bluffs of the Great River Road in Western Illinois. Along either drive, you will find dozens of activities, from fall festivals to corn mazes, to everything in between.

Minnesota

Minnesota is probably best known for the cold winters; however, this beautiful state of 10,000 lakes has more than just snow. Before the chilly winters, we have Guide Kathy's favorite season, autumn! Fall in Minnesota is a wonderful time to take the family out for a weekend drive to visit an apple orchard, corn maze, pumpkin patch, farmers market or best of all, to see the fall colors. You won't have to go far. Within the Twin Cities Metro area, the Mississippi, Minnesota and the St. Croix Rivers are good locations for fall color watching. Each river is lined with paved paths for biking or walking. Another fun way to view the fall colors is on a paddleboat trip down the Mississippi. Many boat tours are arranged especially for this season. The Farmer's Markets in Minneapolis and St. Paul are sure to be stocked with autumn's harvest, including pumpkins!

California

The West Coast California Guides want to remind you that some of the most spectacular scenic drives are waiting for you on this side of the country! Has anyone NOT heard of the fabulous Pacific Coast Highway? Immortalized in song, most recently in on the new Paul McCartney album, the PCH can inspire anyone! Consider California Highway 1. Along the way, you can't miss sites such as the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Take a gander at Bixby Bridge too, and be stunned by a vista that you will never forget. And what would a California Drive be without stopping at Morro Bay or Monterey Bay. Just one of many more wonderful destination recommendations is the Shasta National Forest.

Pacific Northwest

Moving up the West Coast, Washington State has too many scenic drives and destinations to even consider listing, but the top recommendations this time of year are Mount Baker Scenic Highway and a few special spots in the Cascades. Particularly notable are Ingalls Lake and Lake Ann. Wonderful hikes (about three miles on easy-to-follow trails) and spectacular views of Mount Rainier will be something to remember. Horseshoe Lake is a slightly longer hike of about five miles, but worth every step. Those with older kids who can handle the walk will be rewarded with a memory to last a lifetime.