A Fascinating Fall Foliage Forest Drive
Covid did really take a hit on all of us! It was during the same time that delta variant started to show up in India that I also tested positive here in the US. It was at the same time that I had also finished my Masters. So I decided to travel to India. After 100 days of a long stay in India, I had just returned to the US to start my PhD. One of the goals of my PhD is to make the best use of time to travel as much as I can. In October 2021, it was time to go on a fall trip to see the fall colours. What best place can one think of for a fall trip other than Northeastern US. Thankfully, my neighbour and my close friend Sujay’s brother had just moved to upstate New York. So, yes! That was our destination for the 2021 Fall break.
When you develop the habit of doing something for a long time, not only does it become easier but also you gain a lot of maturity from your own mistakes and, of course, from constructive criticism. After having written a few blogs, I have decided to, henceforth, write the blogs differently. I think it is better to give a glimpse of my experience (this is just for me to remember 10 years down the lane) and also write more about the plan and itinerary so that if someone happens to read this (oh! You’re reading! Thanks :P) will get an idea on how to plan their trip and know more about the unknown paradises around us.
Given that it was mid-semester and almost all of us on the trip were PhDs, we did not have the privilege of a trip longer than a couple of days. Consequently, We decided on a weekend getaway. We just had one day (Saturday) to travel around Schenectady and about half of the next day before we headed back to State College. So we decided on a road trip to Green Mountain Forests in Vermont. It is always better to go on a road trip during fall because it is the drive through the forests that you enjoy. It is the vibrant colours that Mother Nature is showing off will you have you spellbound. And for the second day, we had to choose a couple of destinations en route to State College. Thanks to Instagram reels that we found out that Hawk’s Nest Drive and Pocono mountains afforded stunning views of the fall foliage. So the itinerary was pretty much set. We headed off to Sanjay’s place on Friday (8th Oct 21).
We started early in the morning and drove all the way from Schenectady to Somerset Reservoir. It is after entering the Green Mountains Forest that we start seeing the beauty of the foliage. We took the VT-9 road to Somerset. It was undeniably one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen. We had to stop so many times to take pictures and enjoy that view. This probably was a mistake that we did. We stopped so many times that by the time we reached the Somerset reservoir it was dusk and we only had a short while to enjoy the view from there. Nonetheless, the drive was absolutely fantastic. If you’re doing something like this, then my advice is that make as few stops as possible on the way to your destination. I know that beauty of nature can be so inexplicably enticing that you will end up stopping way too many times. It is always better to reach the destination first, enjoy the views and start early so that you can make pit stops on your way back!
On Sunday, we headed back home via Hawk’s Nest drive and Pocono mountains. Hawk’s Nest drive is a small stretch in route 97. The route itself is quite long. But you don’t have to go all the way. It is just that one stretch right next to the Delaware River with the windy road (you will know when you reach that point! It is that beautiful!). We stopped there to enjoy the scenic overlook of the colourful gorge. To say that the hills with fall foliage look exactly like broccoli with astonishingly colourful florets is not even an exaggeration. Enjoying beautiful nature we headed towards Mount Pocono. Again, the drive itself was incredible that we took turns to stand from within the car putting our head out of the sunroof. But, unfortunately, Mt Pocono was completely foggy. We did not even have visibility beyond 30-40 meters. Nevertheless, the drives were stunningly amazing.
Vermont, New Hampshire, Upstate New York and Pennsylvania have staggering scenic spots to enjoy the fall foliage. You should definitely consider these states if you’re around here. Maine is something I have not visited yet. But I will definitely try!
Dream. Travel. Explore.
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