There's so much to discover in New England, so why not explore it on a scenic drive? In part one of our three-part blog post, we uncover the best scenic drive for those wanting to explore the art, history & natural beauty New England has to offer.

In New England, the fall foliage is Mother Nature’s annual free gift. In September and October, leaves turn to gold, scarlet, purple, and yellow. See them from a car, bus, or train. Or, from a boat or a mountain top, while peddling a bike or following a hiking trail. To get the best out this route that leads to rivers, unspoiled countryside and great art museums, make sure you have plenty of time on your hands.

Start in …. New Haven, Connecticut

The city is home to Yale University and its 12,000 students, and the University's own art gallery. There is also the Yale Centre for British Art, the best collection of British works outside the United Kingdom… a taste of home!

TOP TRAVEL TIPS

• The 80-minute, student-led walking tour of the Yale campus.
• The self-guided Public Art Tour of the 22 outdoor installations on campus.
• An architecture tour highlighting buildings from the 18th century to modern masterpieces designed by Louis Kahn, Paul Rudolph and Eero Saarinen.
• Drive to Litchfield, Connecticut (60 miles/100km) along scenic Route 10, via Cheshire, and stop by the Hill-Stead Museum, a fine old mansion known for its Impressionist collection and grand gardens.

Litchfield, Connecticut

The small town of Litchfield looks like a film set with its lovingly preserved streets and houses, shops and restaurants.  New Yorkers love to weekend here!

TOP TRAVEL TIPS

• Drive through spectacular fall foliage: Around Lake Waramaug and at West Cornwall, with its covered bridge; at Kent Falls and in Kent, another classic New England town.
• Tour and taste at local wineries.
• See the beauty from the air: take a journey on Aer Blarney Balloons.
• Follow the Housatonic River along Route 7, one of the state’s loveliest roads. Cross into Massachusetts, where Route 7 links picturesque towns, such as Sheffield (antiques) and Great Barrington. Stay in Stockbridge, Massachusetts (60 miles/100km).

Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Seemingly unchanged since Norman Rockwell painted it 50 years ago, the Main Street is 100% New England: sidewalks and white picket fences, clapboard homes and hardware stores. Sit on the porch of the 1773 Red Lion Inn and watch the world go by.

TOP TRAVEL TIPS

• The Norman Rockwell Museum: The world’s largest collection of paintings by America's best-loved artist and the studio where he worked.
• Chesterwood: The home, studio and gardens of America's most recognizable sculptor, Daniel Chester French.
• Naumkeag House & Gardens: an architectural masterpiece with echoes of America's Gilded Age.
• Carry on northwards through charming Lenox to Williamstown with its college and the world-class Clark Art Institute (French Impressionists, Old Masters) in a stunning fall setting. Carry on to North Adams and Mass MoCA, America's largest centre for contemporary arts in renovated 19th-century factory buildings. Drive the Mohawk Trail, one of America’s first scenic automobile routes. Look for the roadside “Hail to the Sunrise” Mohawk statue near Charlemont, and the Bridge of Flowers, a garden on an old trolley bridge, in Shelburne Falls. Continue to Deerfield, Massachusetts. (80 miles/130 km).

Deerfield, Massachusetts

“The Street” is Historic Deerfield’s picture-perfect main thoroughfare, lined with 65 beautifully-preserved 18th and 19th-century houses. Most are private homes; eleven are now excellent museums devoted to New England heritage, as is the impressive Flynt Centre of Early New England Life.

TOP TRAVEL TIPS

• Take a cruise: Northfield Mountain Recreational Area offers fall foliage trips on the Connecticut River aboard the Quinnetukut II Riverboat.
• Zip through nature: The Deerfield Zipline is a thrilling but safe ride: 3 hours, 11 ziplines, 3 rappels, 2 sky bridges.
• Ride a trolley: Board an 1896 trolley at the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum for a fall foliage ride.
• Drive east on Route 2 to Concord (80 miles/130km). En route, take a diversion to Davis Mega Maze, New England's largest cornfield maze!

Has this blog inspired you to visit New England? Check out our Eastern America page here for more holiday inspiration.