New England Travel and Vacation Gazette and Other Wicked Good Content

Maine foliage conditions for Oct. 7. Credit: Maine Department of Conservation, Press Release source: VisitMaine.com. Just got word from the Maine Office of Tourism that fall foliage will be best this Columbus Day Weekend at the lakes and mountains of western Maine and the Mt. Katahdin Region. For those unfamiliar with Maine fall foliage, you're in for a treat. Known to many for its coastal splendor, Maine is also a terrific autumn leaf peeping destination inland, especially around the majestic beauty of Mt. Katahdin (a challenging hike but worth it, as long as the weather is cooperative) and beautiful lake towns like Rangeley. Although Bethel is a famous ski town (Sunday River), the fall can be marvelous here, too, in this quaint, quintessential New England small town. Currently, rangers are reporting high color in the Bethel area with about 50 to 70 percent peak color and moderate leaf drop, according to the Maine Office of Tourism. Without further delay, here is the Maine Offic...

Photo of Walpole Town Forest, Walpole, Mass., by Eric H. If you know of a New England destination that is near or at peak for fall foliage, we would love to hear from you. With the 2009 Columbus Day Weekend fast approaching, we're looking to inform our Weekly New England Travel and Vacation Gazette readers on the best leaf peeping in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and upon review, might appear in an upcoming post. Thanks, in advance, for your future post and for helping us bring the best of New England fall foliage reporting to our online publication! Best regards, Eric Weekly New England Travel and Vacation Gazette

Article and photos by Eric H. The Walpole Town Forest is really the Rodney Dangerfield, of Walpole, Mass.: it gets no respect. Unknown even to many Walpole residents, the Walpole Town Forest is most impressive between South St. and Walpole High School on Common St., with its truly scenic walk alongside the Neponset River. Current foliage is impressive (as evidenced by the photos on this posting), but in a few weeks the mirror-like quality of the river should be brilliantly reflecting the colorful array of leaves. Along this sector of the 365-acre Town Forest, you'll find scenic views from the “White Bridge” and an old dam and waterfall that dates back to 1650. With many more miles of hiking trails, you're sure to enjoy the rest of the mixed forest, ledge outcroppings, and wetland areas, whether it be hiking, horseback riding. mountain biking or cross country skiing (yes, it's not too far away). Hard to believe the Walpole Town Forest resides in the highly developed suburba...