Discover New England’s Fall Foliage & Halloween Fun

If you’re heading over from Scotland, New England in the autumn is honestly such a great experience. We get nice autumn colours at home but over there it’s on another level the trees are just bursting with bright reds, oranges, and yellows. It’s the kind of scenery you see in movies and it’s everywhere along the roads in the parks even in the small towns.

There’s also something really cosy about being in New England this time of year. Pumpkin patches, apple cider, Halloween decorations on every doorstep it all just feels very seasonal and fun. It’s also a great chance to see some classic American towns, try local food and do something a bit different without needing a really long flight.

If you time it right you can get decent flight deals and places like Boston, Salem and the coastal towns are all easy to reach by train. For a week long autumn break it’s definitely worth the trip.

We started planning our trip by keeping an eye on flight prices using Skyscanner. Eventually, we found a great deal, return flights from Edinburgh to Boston with Delta for just under £450 per person not bad for peak autumn season!

We kicked off our New England adventure by flying into Boston but instead of staying in the city we hopped on a train to Gloucester about an hour north. This charming coastal town became our base for most of our trip (5nights) and it was the perfect spot to soak in the stunning New England fall foliage and celebrate Halloween nearby in iconic Salem.

Where We Stayed
Gloucester is a small fishing city with a rich maritime history you might recognize it from The Perfect Storm starring George Clooney. We booked a cosy guesthouse Harborview Inn through Booking. Our spacious room had a beautiful view of the harbour and we loved the peaceful vibe. Evenings were spent grabbing takeout and dining on the balcony simple, quiet and just what we needed.

Why Gloucester?

• It’s close to Boston, cheaper accommodation and much quieter.
• Easy access to Salem for Halloween festivities.
• Is on the Rockport line of the MBTA commuter rail so you can board at Gloucester and be in Salem in 30 minutes or Boston in an hour.
• They run a free Saturday bus to the big nearby Mall, Northshore Mall which takes 30 minutes and was a great day out with my daughter who loved shopping at all the American brands.

We used Gloucester as our base for trips into both Salem and Boston catching the 8 a.m train most mornings. It was a really convenient way to travel especially when we headed into Salem for the city’s famous Halloween parade. The parade marks the start of Salem’s Haunted Happenings each October and features everything from marching bands and dance troupes to locals in elaborate costumes and themed floats. The streets were packed and the atmosphere was bustling.

When the parade ended we were relieved to be heading north to Gloucester rather than south toward Boston, the train platforms and streets were crammed with crowds making their way back into the city. Returning to quiet Gloucester felt like the perfect way to wind down after such a lively night.

One of our days were spent full day shopping at Northshore Mall and it was teen heaven! The free Saturday shuttle bus took us there and back, it was so convenient. My daughter loved exploring the American stores we don’t have back home in Scotland like Garage, Aerie, Brandy Melville, Sephora and Bath and Body Works. And of course we had to try Chick-fil-A for lunch, a first! Great shops, great snacks and great day out.

We also grabbed a taxi to the huge HomeGoods and Marshalls in Gloucester and honestly we were blown away by the Halloween displays and stock. Rows and rows of pumpkins, skeletons, candles, bedding and themed decor we’ve never seen back home, if we could’ve shipped half of it home, we would have!

Just a short drive from Gloucester you’ll find seasonal haunts such as Haunted Overload, Chambers of Terror and Ravenwood Haunted Farm. There’s also Halloween themed events at the historic Hammond Castle, including candlelit spiritualism tours that blend history with paranormal stories. Also in Fall River is the infamous Lizzie Borden House where the real life axe murders of 1892 took place. Now a museum and guesthouse it’s a popular stop for true crime fans.

If your up for a longer drive, The Conjuring House in Burrillville Rhode Island is another notorious spot, that inspired the 2013 horror film The Conjuring and is base on real life experiences of the Perron family in the 1970’s. Today it offers guided tours and overnight stays for those brave enough.

Our Family’s Final Thoughts on New England

Would we come back to New England? Definitely. Seven nights was the perfect length of time to explore and next time we’d base ourselves in Boston or closer to the city. There’s so much to see in the surrounding area from charming coastal towns to historic landmarks that a single base would make it easier to explore without constantly packing and unpacking.

The only downside we found was the high cost of living – food and drinks in particular were noticeably more expensive than we’re used to. That said, the atmosphere, scenery and variety of things to do more than made up for it. New England in the fall was a real treat and it’s somewhere we’d happily return to.

For more details on our day trips to Salem and our overnight stays in Boston

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