When you hear “Happy Halloween”, many of you think of costumes, candy, Pumpkins, candy, and scary characters in the neighborhood graveyards. Me? I’m looking out the window at all the colorful leaves down on the ground and feeling a sense of loss and yes, denial that the fall season is “almost“ over. Read about the 6 steps of fall color here.

But is it really over? I will ALWAYS say you shouldn’t think that you are going to drive up into the White or Green Mountains and find the hillsides draped in New England fall colors. You will NOT see this view of the Sugar Hill Scenic Overlook on the Kancamagus Highway on 31 October. I’ve never bothered to go up there, maybe I should, Naaah.

Where you “should” head for the fall colors at the end of October…

You might be hoping that I will say Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine are places to visit, and while there has been a year here or there that I have seen some decent fall colors in the southern/coastal areas of these states (coastal does not refer to Vermont). At the end of October, you WILL//should be looking in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut to find fall colors.

Places to check out in Southern New England

First up Everybody thinks of Salem when it comes to October and more importantly 31 October. I have lived here for 20 years and it’s a very rare occasion that I (willingly) travel downtown during October. Also, the fall colors are hit or miss on Halloween in Salem. You can arrive a week earlier or “later”, yes I said later and still find some wonderful scenes. Here is a comparison image below showing a couple of days before Halloween and a week after the beginning of November

In other words, you are likely to find some scenic locations in Salem to enjoy. One scene will have you jostling to get elbow room and the latter, no one will be seen unless you want company.

Chelmsford Massachusetts, The Millstream Museum

You can read more about this location in this article. As you can see, the Millstream is a wonderful set of buildings to photograph. This was 31 October and the trees show that the fall colors are not perfect but neither are they gone… at least not yet.

No Fall Color up North, is this an absolute… NO!

The following image was shot in a Nashua New Hampshire cemetery near the highway on 27 October 2010. The entire cemetery was these shades of orange and yellow.

But this is a rarity to see this much color in the three northern New England states but every once in a while… It does happen…

Lynn Massachusetts, Flax Pond

One Halloween we were heading home and Lisa and I got caught in the rain. The showers soon left us behind as it was heading east towards the coast. The sun broke through and a rainbow appeared and I was desperately looking for a landscape feature to frame with it but nothing presented itself. I assumed it would soon be gone.

But every time the trees cleared, there it was—the rainbow, seemingly just a step ahead as if it understood my pursuit and reveled in the chase. Its vivid colors playfully teased me, with its elusive end always just beyond reach. The urgency to capture this transient beauty heightened my senses, making me acutely aware of my surroundings as I keenly searched for the perfect spot—a place that not only allowed a safe pullover but also offered a compositional element worthy of the rainbow’s splendor.

Continuing my journey, I navigated the winding roads with frustration and awe, each glimpse of the rainbow renewing my resolve. And then, as if fortune had finally decided to smile upon my endeavor, I arrived at Flax Pond in Lynn, Massachusetts. There, before me, lay the opportunity I had been seeking. A small park presented itself like a stage set for the performance of natural phenomena, and I was the chosen audience, primed with my drone, ready to capture the spectacle from the heavens.

The rainbow hung in the sky just long enough for me to capture a photo of a bright red maple tree with the stunning colors of the rainbow.

Tolland Connecticut

Some years have been good in Connecticut and others not so much. So it’s always difficult to get excited about CT and RI. Last year I got several covered bridges off my to-do list. I still manage to find some nice colors but it’s hit or miss. (We all prefer HITS!)

The Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts

We stopped in Historic Old Deerfield and Greenfield Massachusetts on the 25th of October one year and the was so much to explore. From old historic homes to farms selling Pumpkins and fresh vegetables.

Much of Central Massachusetts revolves around farming so much of what I find to photograph is the produce of the season but over in Greenfield we were meandering through different roads and Lisa said “STOP! I saw a castle”… I turned around and Sure enough, there was a tall brick tower up on the hill. Poets Tower can be driven right up to the base of it. And if you climb to the top… Well, let’s just say the view goes one for a long way.

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Back to Swampscott and Salem Massachusetts

On this Oct 31st we reached Preston Beach in Swampscott Mass, the clouds provided a dramatic conclusion to our day. I made a stop at the Sun Circle Stones, a site similar to Stonehenge, which signifies the fall equinox, as well as other solstices and equinoxes throughout the year. NOT everything is about the fall colors…

Something about Halloween…

There is something about Halloween that I enjoy. I loved going out as a kid, especially on those nights that were especially spooky with a full moon and a bit of a breeze to blow the leaves around and make it seem like someone was following you down the sidewalk.

I have been in Salem for exactly 20 years and I love the spooky vibe the city gives off. The Ropes Mansion has been dressed up during the past few years, just like it was for the Hocus Pocus movie that came out in 1993.

In Conclusion

These are some ideas of places to try at the end of October. I hate to say it but by the end of October and into November, Lisa and I are plum tuckered out. Thankfully the drives are shorter and I want to keep going. The spirit is willing but the flesh is tired. But I will keep my eyes open…

Jeff Foliage Folger

Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage

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