On a recent drive through my old neighborhood, I stopped and stared at the house I grew up in and I imagined the old maple tree that stood tall in our front yard.
That tree was huge, and every year it came ablaze with all the colors of fall foliage.
It was a beautiful sight. That tree also provided the best shade for our house and we spent many days and nights on the porch, enjoying the quiet of the neighborhood and the fresh air.
My buddies and I would gather to play Strat-O-Matic baseball, or flip Topps baseball cards, or just hang out before we went off to fill our days with all sorts of fun.
Living in the northeast provides us with the opportunities that come with four separate and distinctive seasons. We enjoy the spring flowers, the summer heat and the beauty of snow in the winter.
But the best season of all is fall/autumn and fall foliage.
Ever since I was a kid, I have enjoyed taking road trips — short or long drives to take in the scenery on the way to an always fun destination.
Back in the day, before vehicles all had air conditioning, the windows in the car were always down. It was very refreshing to feel that breeze and to take in all that fresh air.
To this day, my old neighborhood is as pretty as any picture you could ever find of fall foliage. There are a lot of tall trees that have leaves of many colors when fall arrives.
My mom and dad and I would go for Sunday drives to take in the glory of fall foliage. Since those days, I have found a couple of road trips that are best taken in October — the roads that lead to some of my favorite places on God’s earth — like Cooperstown and Bethel — both in New York State.
Don’t get me wrong, anytime is a good time to travel to either place, but in the fall, the rides to these two destinations is extraordinary.
And as awesome as the views are on the way to Cooperstown and Bethel, the destinations are well worth the miles traveled.
I have found that Cooperstown, with its Baseball Hall of Fame, and Bethel, the place that hosted the Woodstock Festival in 1969, both offer great attractions and both bring inner peace to your soul.
I’ve been to both places multiple times — recently, I was in Bethel for the 16th time, again visiting the museum and touring the site. We always pay homage to Max Yasgur’s former alfalfa field, pass by the famous ponds, visit downtown White Lake and stop at Yasgur’s Farm.
This trip never gets old, even though we do.
And I have also been to Cooperstown many times — the best visit was with my dad. We went there in the fall a couple of years before he passed. I wanted him to see the Hall of Fame because guys like my dad, who devoted most of their lives to promoting baseball in small towns, should have a place or a plaque in the Hall of Fame.
I plan to head to Cooperstown and to Bethel again in October.
I am told that Pennsylvania has a longer and more varied fall foliage season than any other state in the nation — or anywhere in the world.
We are extremely fortunate to live in a region where fall foliage happens every year, and it is always spectacular.
So plan your road trip, whether it be around the block, out to Tunkhannock, up to the Pocono Mountains or to Cooperstown and/or Bethel and enjoy!
We really are lucky to live in one of the few parts of the world where nature has one last fling before settling down into winter’s sleep.
Because before long, we will be shoveling a foot or more of that beautiful, glistening snow.
And always watch for those roadside stands that sell apples and cider and pumpkins. You might even find a more elaborate place along the road where you can browse for a while and stretch your legs — and maybe purchase a delicious pie.
Some of you might even be more daring and decide to travel further north into New England and see more of what the best season has to offer.
Years ago, I did a lot of fishing along the Delaware River. The most picturesque scenes you could ever see were near the New York border. A train would always pass during the time we were trying to catch walleyes.
Great memories of great scenery and fun times.
And we always threw the fish back.
But the memories remain forever.