The route from October Mountain State Park to our next campsite in southeastern Vermont takes us to Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts at 3,489 feet .
Its peak is located in the northwest corner of the state in the western part of the town of Adams (near its border with Williamstown) in Berkshire County. Although geologically part of the Taconic Mountains, most folks associate Mount Greylock's with its proximity to the Berkshire Hills to the east.
The mountain is known for its expansive vistas of five states and the only taiga-boreal forest in the state.
A seasonal automobile road (open annually from late May through November 1) climbs to the summit, where the iconic 93-foot-high lighthouse-like Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial Tower dominates the scene. What a beaut!
A network of hiking trails criss-cross the mountain, including the 2,179-mile Appalachian Trail. Mount Greylock State Reservation was created in 1898 as Massachusetts' first public land for the purpose of forest preservation.
As we make our descent, we spy the town of Adams nestled in the valley stretching below us.
'Rhoda' (aka GPS) tells us to continue down, down, down the road...until she takes us, you guessed it to a dead-end parking lot! Grrr,' Rhoda', I don't like it one bit when you do this to us! Thankfully, there is no traffic and plenty of room to turn around. I hop out, headphones snugly in place, ten-four! Mike quickly turns the rig around and we are on our way.
The drive is gorgeous, winding roads take us through lush forests and rolling hills. As we enter Vermont, we start imagining how the fall foliage will dominate the landscape when we return in September!
Rounding another curve, we meet a couple of motorcyclists riding in the opposite direction, enjoying the lovely afternoon! In the blink of an eye, the first rider hits a patch of loose gravel and takes a bad spill into the ditch. Mike quickly brings our rig to a halt to check on his condition. Dusting himself off as he regains his composure, he assures us he is fine. We ask if he needs any first aid, but he declines. I notice blood streaming down his right forearm, so I grab a new package of anti-bacterial Wet-Wipes from the glove compartment and Mike tosses them to him. He seems okay, so we continue on.
Mile after mile of roads winding through hills until we come to Hogback Mountain overlook and its glorious panoramic 100 mile view! The Hogback Mountain Scenic Overlook Gift Shop has been a Vermont fixture since 1936, featuring Vermont foods including maple syrup and cheese.
On the approach to Brattleboro, we are soon overtaken by VROOM, VROOOM, VROOOOMING Hell's Angels motorcyclists!
Cool!
The Deerfield Valley Blueberry Festival sounds inviting, so we make the 20 mile drive to Wilmington! A banner stretched across Main Street announces that this is the first day of the festival! We drive and drive and drive some more, a flea market here, a few Antique cars there, but not a blueberry in sight! Oh, well, the Snow Valley ski area is picturesque!
We mosey back to Wilmington, a quaint little village on a clear, babbling brook,
and walk around visiting quilting shops, art galleries, gift shops offering Vermont maple syrup, and a variety of Vermont cheeses, finally finding a lunch that offers....ta dah! Blueberry ale, Blueberry soup and Blueberry pancakes. We opt for chicken soup and a blackened fish sandwich with onion rings! Delish!
We leisurely make our way back to Brattleboro, with visions of fall foliage still dancing in our heads....! The explosion of color can't be too far away now!
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