Jaunts around New England make this a colorful time of year

After a disappointing start with unseasonably warm, humid weather and periods of heavy rain, fall has finally arrived and our neighborhood is starting to sprout Halloween decorations, talk of football and the World Series is in the air, and it’s time to plan some fall trips and enjoy this all too brief and special season.

I’m already signed up for two trips; one of them with the Guilford Library group going to Salem, Mass. The other, later in the month, a much-needed break from work and caregiving, will take me further afield.

Lots of opportunities exist for quick trips to off-the-beaten track places that result in that getting-away-from-it-all feeling. Here are just a few suggestions:

-Clyde’s Cider Mill, Old Mystic. Tour the only steam-powered cider mill in America and sample hard ciders, apple wine and local honey. Make it a day trip or stay overnight at the Inn at Mystic where they even have cabins for families.

-At Mystic Seaport, they are featuring “Sights and Frights” on Oct. 28 and 29 with lighted pumpkins throughout the village and a roaming fortune teller as well as a costume parade for the youngsters. Call 860-572-5322.

-An overnight escape package is offered at the Interlaken Inn in Lakeville and includes a continental breakfast, a restaurant discount and a $25 Mobil gas card. Call 1-800-222-2909 for details. The Stonecroft Country Inn in Ledyard has “Hide and Sleep” packages that are money savers.

-Visit your local AAA for driving tours to spot the best fall foliage. There is a Connecticut River Loop through Essex, Deep River and Haddam. Another tour follows Route 169 through Litchfield County. Internet sites or state tourist bureaus are also filled with good ideas for family or senior-friendly excursions.

-New Hampshire trips such as a visit to Franconia Notch State Park take travelers through a spectacular mountain pass traversed by a unique parkway. Great for picnics and hikes.

-In Ipswich, Mass., bring the young ones to Russell Orchard for apple picking, animals to pet and homemade ice cream. And if it turns warm, you can take a walk on nearby Crane’s Beach.

-Although Manchester, Vermont, is reported to be the top foliage town, Keene, N.H., takes top honors when it comes to pumpkins. In 2000, they had a record-breaking 23,727 glowing gourds decorating the quaint town. Their pumpkin festival is this weekend. Also this weekend and on Oct. 27-30 as well, at Phillipsburg Manor in Westchester, Horseman’s Hollow Nites includes a terrifying landscape with vampires, witches and ghouls haunting a beautiful old estate. Call 914-631-8200.

-Don’t feel like driving far? River Quest cruises depart from Haddam and offer views of Gillette Castle as well as fall color.

-You could also visit the Peabody Museum on Oct. 29 for their “Mysteries of Halloween” or plan an enjoyable spooky time at the always wonderful Ivoryton Playhouse where “The Woman in Black” starts on Nov. 2. Call 860-767-7318. There’s a Halloween concert on Oct. 31 at 11:59 at Woolsey Hall, 203-562-5666. A benefit concert at 8:30 and 10 p.m. Oct. 29 at Firehouse 12, 45 Crown St., New Haven, features silent horror films with live musical entertainment, 203-785-0468 or firehouse12.com. There will be dramatic readings of that old master of the horror genre, Edgar Allen Poe, Oct. 30 at Lyric Hall, 827 Whalley Ave, 203-915-9971. Small children would enjoy the Halloween party and parade from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Oct. 29 at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, 860-434-5542. The Essex Fright Train, a ride complete with ghosts, runs Oct 28-31; information at 860-767-0103, or perhaps you would like to take the Halloween Express on Oct. 29 and 30 at the Railroad Museum of New England in Thomaston, where costumed passengers will be taken on a scenic 20-mile ride, 860-283-RAIL.

With so much to do and see and with our state and New England at its leafy loveliest, if you don’t find something to do, the goblins will surely get you.

Contact Jean Cherni, certified senior adviser for Senior Living Solutions and Pearce Plus, a helpful, full-service program for seniors contemplating a move, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at 101 Hotckiss Grove, Branford, 06405.

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