New England Journey
From apple selecting to spooky excursions to leaf peeping.
![A pair of children plow through the maze at Connors Farm in Danvers.](https://bdc2020.o0bc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/corn-maze-connors-farm-scaled-768x432.jpeg)
‘Tis the season for fall enjoyable, and the North Shore is bursting with autumnal actions for all ages.
From apple selecting to spooky excursions to leaf peeping, uncover methods to refill your calendar with memorable occasions this fall season.
Map: North Shore fall weekend actions
https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1e2IRN1HPkCR11w0MvL6ZO6A9PiDKJsM&ehbc=2E312F” width=”640″ top=”480″
Take pleasure in enjoyable on the farm
![](https://bdc2020.o0bc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/apple-picking-651f13e9be893-scaled.jpeg)
It’s arduous to go unsuitable at space farms in the course of the fall season, however some are actual standouts this yr, in accordance with native specialists and readers.
For excellent reside music on weekends, head to Amesbury’s Cider Hill Farm, Nancy Gardella, government director of the North of Boston Conference & Guests Bureau, informed Boston.com. And, in fact, the farm provides apple selecting, cider doughnuts, and extra. Whereas in Amesbury, it’s additionally price testing town’s many glorious eating places and retailers, she mentioned.
Cider Hill Farm was named top-of-the-line locations to get cider doughnuts in New England by Boston.com readers.
-
Your excellent fall weekend on the South Shore
Smolak Farms in North Andover is one other nice fall vacation spot for hay rides, seasonal treats, and apple and pumpkin selecting, Gardella informed Boston.com. It was additionally named among the many finest locations to get cider doughnuts by Boston.com readers.
Pumpkin lovers, take be aware: Connors Farm in Danvers was voted among the many finest pumpkin patches in Massachusetts by a latest FamilyDestinationsGuide.com ballot. Nation Residing journal additionally named its corn maze top-of-the-line within the U.S.
Go leaf peeping
![](https://bdc2020.o0bc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/3jJ3exU_ga4K-rpCWjOHRDCM-lHI7dxTTe8MmbnnHbE-4507.jpg)
It’s fall in New England, so there’s no scarcity of colourful leaves.
One city price visiting this fall season is Andover, the place guests can take pleasure in a hike — and the season’s foliage — in Harold Parker State Forest or Ward Reservation, Gardella informed Boston.com. Within the latter, guests can seek for the Solstice Stones from Holt Hill.
For guests at Ward Reservation who stick round when the solar goes down, there are nighttime fall excursions hosted by the Trustees of Reservations resembling a full moon hike and a candlelit hike and meditation.
Street trippers can drive alongside the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway, a 90-mile roadway connecting 14 coastal communities from Lynn to Salisbury. It was named one in every of the most effective fall foliage journeys within the U.S. by Fodor’s Journey.
“Gorgeous shows of fall colour greet guests driving alongside the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway, nevertheless it’s the journey by way of coastal communities and porches prettified with pumpkins that units the backdrop for this memorable drive,” the location wrote.
Expertise an award-winning tour
![](https://bdc2020.o0bc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/History-Hauntings-of-Salem-Guided-Walking-Tour-2-614b7724a6324.jpeg)
The historic metropolis of Salem welcomes almost 1 million vacationers throughout October for its month-long Haunted Happenings.
For these seeking to be taught extra concerning the metropolis’s historical past, there are dozens of excursions, together with the Historical past & Hauntings of Salem Guided Strolling Tour, named the No. 1 cultural and historic tour in America by Tripadvisor customers.
“What we love about this tour is that it’s a little bit little bit of all the things of Salem’s historical past and the Salem expertise,” Beth Crowley, proprietor and information, informed Boston.com. “A number of excursions will concentrate on simply the witch trials or simply ghost tales. We mix so our vacationers will find out about our maritime historical past. They’ll additionally do a deep dive into the Salem witch trials of 1692. We’ll additionally expose them to 3 centuries of gorgeous structure as properly. And, in fact, we throw within the spooky ghost tales.”
Discover a historic dwelling
![](https://bdc2020.o0bc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Parson-Capen-House-65202cb9a5348.jpg)
New England has loads of historic houses, and one such gem is the Parson Capen Home in Topsfield, Erin Merrill, assistant city clerk of Topsfield, informed Boston.com.
The Parson Capen Home is the previous dwelling of Reverend Parson Capen, the city’s minister from 1684 to 1725. He constructed the house, now a Nationwide Historic Landmark, in 1683.
Capen was minister in the course of the Salem witch trials in 1692, and members of his congregation have been hanged for witchcraft, in accordance with the Salem Witch Museum.
Talking of Salem: Guests there can tour The Witch Home, one in every of a number of Salem witch trial locations.
“The Witch Home was the house of Jonathan Corwin who was a choose within the Salem Witch Trials,” in accordance with historyofmassachusetts.org. “Corwin bought the home in 1675 and lived there for 40 years till his demise in 1718.”
Exit to a restaurant
![](https://bdc2020.o0bc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/hiddenpighaverhill-652d9c7dcddc0.jpeg)
“There’s a really genuine hyperlocal meals and sipping scene” Gardella informed Boston.com about communities north of Boston.
Historic downtown Haverhill’s industrial buildings supply loads of choices.
Only a few spots serving hungry guests are The Hidden Pig, an American-style gastro pub featured on Phantom Gourmand; Stacks, which serves craft sandwiches and boozy over-the-top milkshakes topped with full-size desserts; and The Faucet Brewing Firm, celebrating its twentieth anniversary this yr.
In Newburyport, the place guests are drawn to town’s historic downtown for its boutique retailers and waterfront eating places, hungry customers can eat at Sea Degree Oyster Bar, Oregano Pizzeria & Ristorante, Black Cow, and extra.
It’s price testing The Grog, a metropolis staple that has been serving patrons for half a century, Richard Burke Jones, city clerk of Newburyport informed Boston.com.
“It has well-known clam chowder,” Jones mentioned. “It’s actually identified for that.”
The pub provides 32 beers on faucet, together with a cider doughnut beer.
Want weekend plans?
The very best issues to do across the metropolis, delivered to your inbox.