山裏人家,平凡人家.
寫寫自己所經曆的,所見的,所聞的 ,所想的...
來美後至疫情前自駕遊那麽多年總共跑了美國三十來個州，疫情中不方便跑國外，幹脆自駕遊把美國遊個遍。東北秋葉遊後美國自駕遊完美收工。
我們喜歡戶外，自駕遊中徒步走道是必不可少的項目，我們把這戲稱為“開疆闊土”，“宣示主權”。哈哈，回歸自然，回歸本性。
動物中，撒尿劃地盤的動物主要是哺乳動物，包括獅子、老虎、豹， 棕熊、牛、馬、羊等。此外，大熊貓這樣的動物也會采取類似的行動。這些動物的尿液中攜帶獨特的化學成分，這些化學物質的氣味可以被同種的動物所識別，通過這種方式，動物能夠標記自己的領地，宣誓所有權。
與先前不同，在遊了artist bluff 後，（除了波士頓）以後的行程中亞裔麵孔不見了，我們兩張亞裔臉簡直成了遊客中稀有的”大熊貓”。
整個秋葉遊的行程中我們走了許多步道，但同一天走的兩條步道印象特別深刻。
步道：Severance Mt trail , 來回花了1小時45分鍾，來回2.6英裏，一路上就我們倆人，爬到山頂，哇，風景這邊獨好，連綿起伏的群山，三四個高山湖泊被群山環抱，滿山遍野，萬紫千紅的秋色盡收眼底，山頂見到一位坐在岩石上約近三十歲的小白獨行俠，出外徒步時，不管什麽人一見麵仿佛像老朋友一樣一見如故，聊起原來他是住在離此地三四小時車程的城市，每隔一段時間會來此地享受孤獨，沉澱下來，重新充電。聊完他便下山了。
我們拍拍拍，小坐一會我們便打道下山，這時碰到一對剛上山頂的小白小情侶或小夫妻，俊男美女，超級靚眼，打過招呼後我們繼續下行，回眸一瞥，好一幅溫馨浪漫的圖畫，一對年輕的背影麵朝漫山遍野五彩繽紛的秋色，天人合一忘我沉浸在這美妙的大自然中，不求地久天長，隻求曾經擁有，這浪漫時刻也是給人生留下深刻印象的那一刻：隻有你和我。趕緊掏出手機，拍下這美好的瞬間，必須收藏。
下山中途又碰到一個正在歇腳的近60歲老白婦女獨行俠。聊了幾句。連我們總共6 個人。
走完此步道後繼續驅車前行，來到一條步道Panther mountain trail, 我們到入口處時，隻見一條通知，還有兩天此步道就要被關閉，某人還叨叨了一句，“怎麽這麽早就要關閉了，還是十月中旬呢”。
那天無風，一路上萬籟俱靜，一根針掉地上都能聽得見，班得瑞的”寂靜的森林”在耳邊回響。一路上，隻有釘掛在樹幹上簡單藍色路標指示方向，我一路欣賞，一路拍照，走得慢。某人走得快，他總是這樣，走一段路回頭接應我。咦這家夥又不見了。樹林、樹林還是樹林，突然腦海中閃現要是出現一隻熊怎麽辦的念頭？趕緊打住，多想想心裏要開始發毛了。
走到一個岔路口，有三條小道，不知往哪走？就停在那等，等某人來接應，等了好久，某人回來了，理所當然被臭罵幾句，我們的幹糧，飲水，衣服都在他的背包裏，要是迷路，我可能就“壯烈”了。原來不顯眼的路標在右上方不遠處的樹幹上，我眼神不好沒看見。
快接近山頂時，步道越來越窄，隻容一人通過，路標又不明顯，一下雪什麽都看不見，怪不得步道要早早封了。山頂也沒什麽好景色，但對我們來說也算是一種別具風味的體驗吧。
除了這兩處印像深刻的徒步，還又另兩處景觀值得一提。
Hoosac tunnel: 此鐵路遂道1875年完工，全長4.75英裏，近150年，至今仍在使用的鐵路遂道，，此遂道建成時為北美第一長，世界第二長，難得的是此鐵路遂道現在還在使用。沿著hoodsic river 開車，一路上風景如畫，很少有房子，停車路邊，準備拍照，一農莊婦人馬上向前詢問有何需要幫忙。河中間三個貌似聖誕老公公把橡皮筏拋錨固定在江心垂釣，見我在拍照，三個人同時招呼招手，拍好後，我掉轉鏡頭, 三位白胡子又同時舉起手，於是我的手機留下我和江心三垂釣的老頭合影。
來到鐵路隧道，遊人總共七八個，碰到一位一身短打的業餘攝影愛好者，我穿著毛衣加後外套還覺得冷，架著鏡頭，等待準備拍攝火車出隧道的那一刻，此兄超級熱心，給我們介紹隧道旁走1英裏有一瀑布，我們因為另有安排，也就作罷。再說我們已看過伊瓜蘇瀑布，對其他小瀑布已提不起興趣了。
Williams College，這座建於1873 年的文理學院為美囯數一數二的文理學院，我家大娃當初申請大學前收到該學院提供免費機票及相關費用，參觀他們學院，大娃對文理小學院不感興趣，自然也沒有接受offer , 但此學院的名字刻在腦海裏，這回我們去東北部自駕遊幹脆參觀一下，建於1893年的校舍非常緊湊美觀，逮住一個背著書包的小白女孩詢問，女孩非常熱心，給介紹了建築物的歸屬，這是圖書館，那是….. 末了，問她“你喜歡這個學校嗎？”回答道非常喜歡。
15天的吃住行，
住：有Marriott 的連鎖就住，我們是會員，會員一年有1 晚免費住宿及一次免費升級，這回給免費升級了三次沒用積分，有時酒店會主動給免費升級，到Boston 時，用積分換升級也沒有，因為全滿了，這回15天的行程用積分免費住了5個晚上，對於新會員，有時促銷會給相當於5個免費住宿，所用信用卡住宿加油購物都有積分。對於經常出行的驢友挺合算。沒有萬豪的連鎖店，就住其他大品脾的連鎖店。有時地方太小，也隻好住汽車旅館，多年前住在一個印度人開的汽車旅館，發現有臭蟲，深夜逃離，都留下陰影了。從此 住宿時行李箱不放地上，隨時拉上箱子拉鏈。
吃：我們是國際胃，什麽國家的食物都能吃，吃的最多的是日餐，好吃，健康。有時一萬人的小城都有挺不錯的日本壽司店，韓國，（最好是夫妻老婆店，英語講不利索的，地道）泰國的，墨西哥的輪著吃，老美餐好的也挺好吃的，新鮮牛排，小羊排，海鮮烤的能不好吃嗎？
我家某人最辛苦，我們住宿通常隻訂一兩個晚上，靈活機動，某人負責開車，訂宿及安排行程，我負責找吃的，煮吃的，通常早餐酒店吃，中餐前不著村後不著店肯定吃幹糧，所以晚餐一定要吃好，Google 和yelp找評分4.5以上的(至少4以上），不光看評分，還得要菜品圖像。（上過當）出去自駕遊在小城裏市不能吃中餐，最難吃，多年前訂了酸辣湯，端上像刷鍋水，在另一家中餐館訂的三個菜端上來，三個菜一個味，brown sauce 的味道，簡直敗壞中餐的名聲，從此在小城不吃中餐，吃什麽菜都比中餐好吃。東北緬因數州產龍蝦，超市有買活龍蝦及有填好料的龍蝦賣，40幾刀龍蝦，魚加蔬菜，拿回來，蒸或烤或煮，小酒搭搭，吃得不要太舒服。
indian lake，遊人不多，很喜歡。
Severance Mt trail 的山頂景觀。
Severance Mt trail 山頂
車窗外山裏人家
秋色倒影
車窗外的小城
途中小城
傍晚抵達酒店外的晚霞
Hoosac tunnel
Hoosac tunnel旁的業餘攝影師。（經他同意的）
Hoosac tunnel 鐵路橋上的景色。
hoodsic river 河中心三垂釣的“聖誕老公公”。
Shelbourne Falls.
建於1793 年的著名文理學院，Williams College, 130 多歲了，非常精致漂亮
東北隨處可見的加頂小橋，躲雨歇馬的地方。
日餐
老美海鮮餐館的菜，入口即化的五花肉，烤帶子及crab cakes ，精致又美味。
2022自駕遊所跑的地方
附賞秋詳細行程表,供有意自駕遊的網遊參考。
New England Fall Foliage Trip
October, 2023
Day 1 Fly to Boston and rent a car at Boston Logan International Airport
Day 2 Visit Harvard Medical School, Harvard Botanic Garden, etc.
Day 3 Drive to Acadia National Park, MaineStopped by Ogunquit and drove through several small towns along coastal highway 1. Then stopped by Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, and continued to drive along Old Route 1 along the way in Brunswick, Bath, Rockport, and Camden.
Day 4 Acadia National Park.Drove up to the summit of Cadillac Mountain and sightseeing.
Drove Park Loop Road inside Acadia. This included Jordan Pond (hiked along the lake), Bubble Rock (hiked), Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Cliff and some more.
Day 5 Continued sightseeing at Arcadia NP and then drove to New Hampshire White Mountain at North Conway.
Visited Bass Harbor Lighthouse and nearby rocky coast.
Drove to Schoodic Peninsular and stopped by Raven Nest overlook and Schoodic Point.
Drove to North Conway.
Day 6 Thu East side of White Mountain and railway trip
Drove along east part of Kancamagus Scenic Byway and stopped by Saco River Covered Bridge, Albany Covered Bridge, Lower falls scenic area, and Rocky Gorge (walked along Swift River).From Rocky Gorge drove up to Bear Notch Road. At the end of Bear Notch Road, drove north to Crawford Notch State Park. Stopped by Highland Center (Railway Station) and hiked up the Mount Willard trail (3.2-mile round-trip to a clifftop overlooking Crawford Notch).
Next, continued north to view the Mt. Washington Cog Railway, which goes up to the summit of Mount Washington, the tallest mountain in the northeastern US at 6,289 feet.
On way back to Residence Inn, stopped by Diana’s Baths and Cathedral Ledge and then drove through the town of Jackson.
Day 7 Drove west through Kancamagus Scenic Byway and visit Franconia Notch State Park
Returned to Kancamagus Scenic Byway and drove west, stopped by several overlooks.
Hiked up to Artist’s Bluff to Bald Mountain loop trail (1.4 miles, 436 ft elevation), but did not see anything because of thick clouds.
Stopped by Echo Lake.
Droved along the Mountain Tram Station and Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza.
Droved to Sugar Hill to see scenic vista.
Day8 Franconia Notch State Park, Flume Gorge, Artist’s Bluff
Visited Flume Gorge, a relatively easy 2-mile loop hike to see multiple waterfalls, streams, and covered bridges.
Stopped by Boise Rock.
Visited Littleton town ,Hiked to Artis it’s Bluff again. This time it was very crowded but very nice views at the top.
Day 9 Sun Sightseeing at Stowe and Smugglers’ State Park
Stopped by Vermont’s pretty capital, Montpelier (downtown and Vermont State House).
Visited Ben & Jerry ice cream factory and Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury VT.
Toured Stowe’s white-steepled Community Church and the downtown.
Drove VT 100 north from Stowe to Jeffersonville and stopped by several overlooks in Smugglers’ Notch State Park VT.
Stopped by Alchemist Brewery in Stowe.
Day 10 Sightseeing along VT 100 from Burlington VT to Adirondacks NY
Sightseeing at Burlington lakeside of Lake Champlain.
Stopped by Church St and Market Place in Downtown Burlington.
Stopped by the World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet, Burlington VT.
Stopped by Warren and Mad River Valley.
Stopped by Woodstock and visited March-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park and hiked along Quechee Gorge, Vermont’s deepest gorge.
Drove through several VT small towns/villages (Newfane and Williamsville Covered Bridge, Dorset, and Manchester).
Day 11 Visited Adirondacks State Park NY.
Scenic drive to Indian Lake and sightseeing along Indian Lake and Diamondbacks Lake.
Hiked at Severance Mt trail (2.6-mile round trip) and hiked to Panther Mountain at Chestertown.
Day 12 Drove from Glens Falls to Williamstown
Stopped by Albany, New York State’s capital city, and Washington Park, State Capital, and Downtown
Stopped at Hair Pin Turn and Golden Eagle Restraint for pictures.
Hiked at Busby Trail to Spruce Hill, 3-mile round trip, elevation 680 ft. and visited the nearby North Pond.
Drove through the town of North Adams and visited Williams College.
Day 13 Thu Drove from Williamstown to Boston
Drove up to Mount Greylock Summit (3491 ft) and then drove east along Mohawk Trail (65 miles long from Williamstown to Greenfield MA)
Stopped by Hair Pin Turn for pictures.
Stopped by Wigham Western Summit and “American’s Switzerland”.
Stopped by Whitecomb Summit.
Visited Bissell Covered Bridge and Hoosic Tunnel and drove along Hoosic River.
Visit Bridge of Flowers, Glacial Potholes and the town of Shelbourne Falls.
Stopped by Poet’s Seat Tower in Greenfield and Turner Falls (Great Falls Discovery Center), MA
Stopped by French King Bridge to take photos, Millers Falls MA
Day 14 Visited Boston suburbs
Day 15 Visited Downtown Boston and Fly back to home.
Visited Boston Downtown (South Church, The Embrace, Public Garden, Boston Commons 1634, and others).
三個菜，一個味道。哈哈，我們也上過當！知道我們在美東的人的苦處了吧，要吃像樣的中國菜，隻能去中國人集中的地方。我們這裏，中國人少，平時出門，就吃西餐。我們喜歡吃西餐，是被逼出來的。
西式的五花肉，真是入口即化，說實在的，中國的紅燒肉，我還沒吃到過入口即化的呢。