Hit the road for a scenic fall drive

By BETH HARPAZ / AP

NEW YORK — Fall is the nicest season for rolling down the car windows, taking a drive and enjoying the scenery. Stop along the way to pick pumpkins, visit a winery, or stroll a woodsy trail sparkling with reds and golds. Watch the cranberry harvest in Massachusetts, take a moose tour in Maine or an elk tour in Colorado, or drive the Great River Road along the Mississippi River.

Here are a few routes around the country to consider as you plan your autumn outings.

Virginia-North Carolina-

Tennessee

Virginia was named one of five “up-and-coming wine regions” in the world in the July issue of Travel + Leisure magazine, which mentioned Barboursville Vineyards, Breaux Vineyards, and Linden Vineyards among the places worth visiting. The Monticello Wine Trail, located in the Charlottesville area near Thomas Jefferson’s historic home (about 120 miles from Washington D.C.), showcases 21 wineries, monticellowinetrail.org/. October is also “Virginia Wine Month,” with festivals, special events and package deals; details at virginia.org/wine.

Elsewhere in Virginia, just 75 miles from Washington, D.C. in the town of Front Royal, you’ll find the entrance to Shenandoah National Park — www.nps.gov/shen/. The drive runs 105 miles to Rockfish Gap, where it meets the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can drive Skyline in a day with stops along the way at scenic overlooks and loop trails through the woods. The 1.3-mile Limberlost Trail (at milepost 43) is a magical walk through a dense forest of towering trees, perfect for a family outing.

The Blue Ridge Parkway — nps.gov/blri/ — runs 469 miles from Virginia through the Blue Ridge Mountains to North Carolina, ending at Great Smoky Mountains National Park — nps.gov/grsm/ — in Tennessee. Take a week to explore the entire parkway, or pick a section for a day trip or an overnight. Highlights include Mount Mitchell State Park, home to the highest peak in the East; scenic Linville Gorge; Roan Mountain; Mount Pisgah; Shining Rock Wilderness Area, and the town of Cherokee, where you’ll find the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and Oconaluftee Village.

The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in North Carolina — blueridgeheritage.com — is offering a new multi-attraction pass this season called The Go Blue Ridge Card, which provides discounts and special offers at 35 merchants, attractions and restaurants from the Thomas Wolfe Memorial and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville to Chimney Rock Park, Rockhouse Vineyards and the Swinging Bridge on Grandfather Mountain. The online card price for adults is $79 for two days.

Great River Road

This 2,000-mile road runs along the Mississippi River in Arkansas, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, and Wisconsin. In addition to fall colors and river views, you’ll find rustic red barns, antique stores, and historic sites like Mark Twain’s hometown of Hannibal, Mo., and the Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa. Details at byways.org/explore/byways/2279/.

New England

Nothing compares to the explosion of red, yellow, orange, green and gold across New England each autumn.

Yankee Magazine is a great resource for planning trips in the region. Check out event listings and scenic drive suggestions at yankeefoliage.com/. One attraction recommended by Yankee for a family outing is the eight-acre Davis’ Mega Maze in Sterling, Mass., north of Worcester, open through Nov. 11 — davisfarmland.com, $14.95 adults, $12.95 children.

Elsewhere in Massachusetts, head to Wareham, about an hour from Boston, for the Cranberry Harvest Celebration, Oct. 6 through 7. For more cranberry tours and events around Massachusetts, visit cranberries.org/cranberries/bog—tours.html.

In central and northern Maine, the farther north you go on Route 201, the fewer towns you’ll see. But watch out for moose and logging trucks! Start the trip in Skowhegan (exit 133 off of I-95), and in 75 miles, you’ll be in Jackman. The National Scenic Byways Program refers to the winding road as the Old Canada Road Scenic Byway. Just past Jackman is the border with Quebec. Loop back south of Jackman by taking Route 15 east to Rockwood and Greenville on Moosehead Lake. While you’re at the lake, take a moose-watching tour — mooseheadlake.org/moose.shtml. Head back to Skowhegan by taking Route 15 to Dover-Foxcroft, then Route 150.

For Connecticut, you’ll find fall drive ideas at CTvisit.com/driving—loops/fall—loops—main.asp. The Litchfield Hills Driving Loop, a scenic 100-mile route through small towns, begins in Torrington at the intersection of Routes 202 and 63. Head north on Route 8 to Winsted, then Route 44 to Canaan. Take Route 7 past the historic West Cornwall Covered Bridge across the Housatonic River. From there, Route 45 heads to Warren and becomes a scenic road around Lake Waramaug. In New Preston take Route 202, then south on Route 47 to Washington Depot and north on Route 109 to East Morris. Route 63 heading north takes you back to Litchfield, then east on Route 118 to Route 8 to close the loop.

Enter Vermont via Interstate 89 and start a scenic 100-mile loop at Exit 9. Head south on Route 100B to Route 100 along the Mad River. You’ll see rolling hills, family farms, and the Green Mountains. Route 100 is also home to interesting shops like Mad River Glass Gallery and restaurants like the 1824 Inn. Take a right on Route 17 west toward the Appalachian Gap (known locally as the “App Gap”) mountain pass through the Green Mountains. Stop at the top to sightsee or hike on The Long Trail. Continuing west on Route 17, look for signs to Lincoln, and loop back to Route 100. Go through Lincoln to Granville and stop by Michael Egan’s glassblowing studio — eganglass.com/ At the junction of Route 125, stop at the Old Hancock Hotel for a meal. Follow Route 125 west from Hancock to Middlebury.

In Rhode Island, a classic autumn drive begins on Route 3 from Exit 1 off I-95 toward downtown Westerly. Follow Route 1A to the seaside village of Watch Hill, and take a spin on the nation’s oldest carousel. Stroll along Bay Street before following Route 1A and Route 1 north through Charlestown, Wakefield and Narragansett Pier. From Wickford, follow Route 102 north through the Pawcatuck Borderlands. Look for signs for farmstands and pick-your-own orchards. In Chepachet Village, you’ll find antique shops, including the Brown & Hopkins Country Store. Continue north on 102 to Nasonville and Wright’s Chicken Farm, a family-style restaurant. Head north on 102 to 146 South and back to I-295. For more information on fall in Rhode Island, go to visitrhodeisland.com.

In New Hampshire, the Connecticut River Scenic Byway parallels New England’s longest river. Meander through the towns of Charlestown and Claremont, across Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge to Windsor, Vt., and cross back to New Hampshire, where you can also stop in at the Dartmouth College and Hood Museum of Art. In Cornish, stroll through 150 acres at the former home of sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Details at byways.org/explore/byways/2487/.



Autumn camping

in Kentucky

‰Johnny Molloy, author of “Best in Tent Camping — Kentucky,” suggests five campsites that highlight the beauty of the fall season.



‰Energy Lake, Land Between The Lakes — Energy Lake is an ideal example of enhancing natural resources to create a better recreation area. Scenic lake, just-the-right-size campground with great nearby activities.



‰Bee Rock near Somerset — Vacationers have been coming to Bee Rock for a couple of hundred years to get away from it all.



‰Holly Bay, London — Great walk-in tent sites on one of Kentucky’s cleanest, clearest lakes, where recreation opportunities are all around you.



‰Cumberland Gap, south of Corbin — This national park, situated where Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia meet, is one of the South’s hidden jewels.



‰Kingdom Come, near Whitesburg — Numerous rock outcrops offer scenic vistas at the state’s highest park and campground.

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