Get tips for the best apple picking in Massachusetts

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Apple picking, fall mazes, and a Nantucket getaway.

You’re reading Scenic Six, Boston.com’s guide to New England travel. Sign up to get hidden gems, travel tips, and must-visit spots in your inbox every week.

Welcome to Scenic Six! 

I’m Kristi Palma, a culture writer at Boston.com, and I’ll be sharing travel information you can use across our six gorgeous New England states. I’ve been covering this region for decades and New England is a special place with so much beauty, character, and history. Together, we’ll set about exploring its treasures. 

First up, apple picking. 

‘Tis the season for picking apples and I took the family to Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow earlier this month, ranked the best in Massachusetts by our readers and among the best in the nation by Travel & Leisure. Find out what it’s like to spend the day at the idyllic Stow orchard and how much the apples cost this year. The outing has all the makings for a full day of family fun, with live music, a hard cider tent, pumpkins, mazes, barn animals, and more. A Floridian and first-time apple picker remarked to me, “It feels like you are actually in a fairy tale.” A fairy tale with cider doughnuts.

Continue the fall fun in a maze

Willy Wonka and mazes, what could be better? Davis Mega Maze in Sterling will debut “The Wonka Maze” on Saturday, where visitors can search for a golden ticket while exploring three miles of “mind-boggling puzzle networks,” wrote the farm. What’s more, there will be seven food tents serving everything from gouda mac and cheese to gourmet fried dough and more than 60 family-friendly activities including live music, a zip line, and reptile shows. The spot is a favorite of USA Today readers, who recently named it among the top mazes in America.

Frolic at a fall fair

Finally, who’s ready for the Topsfield Fair? America’s oldest agricultural fair opens Oct. 4 and runs through Oct. 14. A popular New England tradition, the fair will bring carnival rides, live music, rodeos, art shows, exhibits, and nearly 300 vendors. There’s a beer garden and plenty of food, including deep fried Oreos and the fair’s famous Gobbler sandwich, which is basically a Thanksgiving dinner in a sandwich. Early bird tickets are on sale for $15 a day and kids under age 8 are free with an adult admission ticket. The price for 10 fair rides is $33. 

Travel tips

• The countdown to the fall foliage is on and for those planning a leaf peeping road trip in New England this year, Yankee magazine’s handy week-by-week forecast map can help guide you as you book your spot. 

• Fright Fest at Six Flags New England in Agawam opened Saturday with a new haunted maze  called Camp Killamore. For those counting, that makes a total of five haunted mazes at the park this season.

Deals and steals

• Fans of Netflix’s “The Perfect Couple” can book a Nantucket getaway inspired by the popular Elin Hilderbrand story.Travelers can stay in a Hilderbrand-themed room at 76 Main Ink Press Hotel, enjoy a guided tour of island spots featured in the book and show, receive a copy of the book, a bottle of wine, and house-made cookies for a starting rate of $429.   

• Eyeing your next winter escape? Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa in Whitefield, N.H. is offering 25% off stays between Nov. 1 and March 31, 2025. On tap this winter at the resort: ice skating, snowshoeing, tubing, and cross-country skiing. Guests will also enjoy carriage rides, a Christmas tree lighting, and a New Year’s Eve fireworks display. 

• If your weekend plans involve the commuter rail, save money with $10 commuter rail weekends. The pass includes unlimited travel between Saturday and Sunday. Travelers can buy the pass on the app, at the ticket windows at North, South, and Back Bay stations, and on board using cash or credit. The deal is also available on select holiday weekends.

I’ll leave you with this photo I took earlier this month in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Newfound Lake, billed as one of the world’s cleanest lakes, is so beautiful. Where have you traveled lately? Please share your photos by sending them to [email protected] and they may be featured in an upcoming Scenic Six newsletter. 

Whether you’re traveling this weekend or planning your next escape, enjoy the journey. 

— Kristi Palma