Get Tips for the Best Apple Picking in Massachusetts

Scenic Six

Apple picking, fall mazes and a Nantucket getaway.

You read Scenic SixBoston.com's guide to New England travel. Sign up to get hidden gems, travel tips and must-see places in your inbox every week.

Welcome to Scenic Six!

I am Kristi Palmaculture editor at Boston.com, and I'll share travel information you can use in our six beautiful New England states. I've covered this region for decades and New England is a special place with so much beauty, character and history. Together, we will set off to discover its treasures.

First, apple picking.

It's apple picking season and I took the family to Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow. earlier this month, ranked the best of Massachusetts from our readers and among the the best in the country by Travel and leisure. Find out what a day in Stow's idyllic orchard is like and how much apples cost this year. The outing has all the ingredients for a full day of family fun, with live music, a hard cider tent, pumpkins, mazes, barn animals and much more. A Floridian picking apples for the first time remarked to me, “It actually feels like a fairy tale.” » A fairy tale with cider donuts.

Continue the fall fun in a maze

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

Frolic at a fall fair

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

Travel Tips

• The countdown to fall foliage is on and for those planning a leaf peeping road trip in New England this year, Yankee the magazine is practical week after week forecast map can guide you when reserving your place.

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

Offers and flights

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

• Looking for your next winter getaway? Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa in Whitefield, NH is offering 25% off stays between November 1 and March 31, 2025. On the program this winter at the resort: ice skating, snowshoeing, tubing and cross-country skiing. Guests will also enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides, Christmas tree lighting and New Year's Eve fireworks.

• If your weekend plans involve the commuter train, save money with Commuter train for $10 on weekends. The pass includes unlimited travel between Saturday and Sunday. Travelers can purchase the pass on the app, at ticket counters at North, South and Back Bay stations, and on board with cash or credit. The offer is also available on select vacation on weekends.

I'll leave you with this photo I took earlier this month in the lakes region of New Hampshire. Lake New, considered one of the cleanest lakes in the worldit's 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 getaway, enjoy the journey.

— Kristi Palma