Leaf Peeping in New England
[Leaf peeping is an informal term in the United States and Canada for the activity in which people travel to view and photograph the fall foliage in areas where leaves change colours in autumn, particularly in northern New England]
When I was teaching it meant holidays could only be taken during the school holidays when it was more expensive and busy. And I couldn’t tag on to the OH’s conferences either. Which is why during one October half term we decided to do a fly drive holiday to the eastern side of the USA and do a spot of leaf peeping.
We began our trip in Boston where we stayed in a city hotel for a couple of nights before returning to the airport to pick up the hire car.
We arrived late on the Friday – just before midnight and were shown to a very second rate room as although we had specified a late arrival it seemed our actual room had been given to someone else. We were moved to a much better room in the morning and after breakfast we headed out to explore the city, beginning with the famous Public Garden where we had hoped to see the Swan Boats, but they were closed for the season, and we completely missed the ‘Make Way for Ducklings’ sculptures. I remember reading the book of the same name by Robert McCloskey to my daughter when she was a child.
From there we wandered around the Beacon Hill area, one of Boston’s oldest neighbourhoods and full of charming, narrow cobblestone streets, federal style row houses and gaslit streetlamps.
And as our visit was shortly before Halloween it was decorated with pumpkins and skeletons and all things ghostly!
It takes time to walk a block in Boston, there is so much architectural detail to see. There are a lot of tree-lined streets and parks. And cars.
After dinner we set off to find the Old State House and wander down to the harbour where we followed the harbour walk as far as the Boston Tea Party museum, which was closed, before heading back to the hotel.
A lot of this will have changed by now (this visit was in 2007) I know that the Northern Avenue bridge was in danger of being demolished along with the rundown Tender’s House next to it. The bridge is unique in that it is a rotating swing bridge built in 1908.
(It was closed in December 2014. Apparently there were plans to reconstruct it as a pedestrian/cycle only bridge, but because of Covid the project came to a halt in 2020. The Tender’s House was partially demolished in 2008. The boarded up and rambling structure served for nearly a century as a home for the keepers of the rotating swing bridge – who had to be available, night and day, to let ships through. As one local said “This is demolition by neglect” )
Boston is an interesting city, though I would not like to drive in the city centre, even driving through the tunnels (a later post) was enough to give me nightmares.
TRAVEL WORDS 
I remember the Robert McCloskey book with affection too! And the daughter to whom it was read went on a school exchange to New England when she was 14 or so, and loved Boston. I’m unlikely to get there now, so your account will have to do for now. A good second!
I was looking forward to seeing Boston, but it wasn’t quite what I expected. The historic area and the harbour were nice, but the traffic was horrendous. It must have been wonderful to go there on a school exchange. We had a girl from the Netherlands and she would only eat chips! My daughter declined to go and stay with her as they didn’t really hit it off. She was probably homesick.
What a shame. Emily got on well with her swap, and both our families kept in touch for some years. But yes, other inter-country swaps haven’t been as successful. One in France was a particular nightmare.
The historical part of Boston does look interesting, though it is not a part of America I ever considered visiting. As it turned out, I never got to America at all, so it is always nice to see your photos of that country.
Best wishes, Pete. x
Yes, the historical area was interesting. Downtown with all the skyscrapers, not so much, the harbour walk was nice though.
It always looks an interesting city. There’s a lot to be said for park and ride in keeping the traffic down. New England in the Fall has that romantic sound to it 🤗🩷
Do US cities actually have park and ride? I always found most people used their cars. I usually used public transport in the cities and picked up the hire car when we were leaving.
Yes, but how long ago is that,Jude? I’m assuming things have moved on, but I don’t know. 🤔🩷
Well I won’t be going back to find out 😂
The trees are so beautifully colourful, just as one would picture it. (For those of us who haven’t been). Was keen to go to Boston once upon a time but several people since have said there’s better places to see first, Stateside.
More trees to come. I’d probably skip Boston, but further north is spectacular and also Cape Cod.
I don’t think we did Boston justice, on reflection. Beacon Hill looks lovely for a wander but we found it all a bit too European feeling 😁
I liked the older part, but it seemed to be a very busy city, like London I suppose. Nice around the harbour. But I was glad to move on.
I’ve been to Boston a couple of times, but never in the Fall (though we did see the duckling sculptures). The colours in the trees you show are just gorgeous.
Yes, the trees are definitely worth going to New England to see. I am glad we did it.
The autumn colours are so rich. We don’t get that deepness of colour here in Queensland. I would enjoy seeing all the historical aspects of the city.
We don’t get those colours here either, unless in gardens or arboretums where these American trees are grown. And colour always depends on heat through the summer.
Talking of which are you caught up in that really cold spell that’s hit Queensland?
We sure are! It’s not just Queensland, but all down the eastern half of the country. We’re right up on the Great Dividing Range so it’s always a few degrees cooler here than on the coast. We even had frost the last two mornings and that doesn’t happen often.
Some of those tender tropical plants will suffer. When Cornwall got hit by snow in 2018 a lot of plants were lost.
We don’t have any tropical plants in our garden. There is still one tomato plant and it’s in a protected spot so it is going fine. It was much warmer today, up to 20 degrees again. Perfect winter weather.
Hah! That’s the temperature here today. I expect there are more tropical plants on the coast.
Yes, and they don’t get frost there. It’s a lovely day today, warm and sunny.
Leaf peeping, well, that’s new to me. Gorgeous images of autumn. Visiting Boston sounds appealing. I’m enjoying your Postcard series, Jude.
Thanks Suzanne, glad you are enjoying the trips. I’m not deleting many photos though!
I love the idea of leaf peeping and those fiery oranges are fabulous. I enjoyed your tour around a place I would never otherwise see.
Apparently quite a thing in the USA. People plan holidays around maps of where the best colours are supposed to be. All depends on the weather though, as usual, and a hot summer helps produce those sugars that cause the colouration.