From beautiful coastlines, to beautiful mountains, four unique seasons…New England at its’ finest…
This past week I have focused my posts on the small town I hail from in Massachusetts and some of the surrounding towns as well. I’ve shared what it is like to have relocated across the pond and what it entails to come back across the pond for visits and connecting wit family and friends.
Massachusetts is only one sixth of New England. As in one of my prior posts, New England is made up of six states ~ Massachusetts, New Hampshsire, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont and Connecticut. And central Massachusetts is only a very small sampling of all this beautiful state of Massachusetts has to offer!
See my prior post below with more detail of the geography of Yank vs. Brit countries:
A little bit more about Massachusetts ~
As I’ve mentioned before, I hail from central Massachusetts, about 45 minutes west of Boston. I grew up in Worcester and raised my family in Millbury and Grafton. Worcester houses 8 colleges/universities! Assumption University, The College of the Holy Cross, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the University of Massachusetts Medical School, just to name a few! Worcester is also home to the Hanover Theater, the Woo Sox (the farm league for the Boston Red Sox) and has a diverse art and cultural district. Millbury and Grafton are small suburban towns that border Worcester.
Massachusetts (and all of New England) has 4 distinct and wonderful seasons.
Spring can start anytime from mid-March to the end of April! This past week (mid to end of March) has seen warm and sunny spring days with temps in the high 50’s to low 60’s Fahrenheit (13 to 15 degrees Celsius). A couple of days we’ve seen rain, one day a slight dusting of snow, and one day I had to let the car run with the defrosters on to melt a thin layer of ice!!! But still, the grass is getting greener, the trees are starting to bloom and flowers are budding.
Summer months can run from May to September with extreme temps hovering in the low 100’s Fahrenheit (37-39 Celsius). There may be summer thunder storms that often times produce hail and occasionally there may be tropical storms, tornado warnings or hurricanes! Mostly the temps in the summer average between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit (23-24 Celsius) with few rainy days. Summer activities include boating, swimming in the sea and lakes, hiking, family barbecues, etc .
The Fall (Autumn) season can start anytime in September and usually can still be lovely weather through the month of October, with temps averaging in the mid 50’s to mid 60’s Fahrenheit and if we’re lucky more than a few days in the 70’s as well (13 to 16 degrees Celsius). In the fall months, once the weather starts to cool, the leaves turn the most amazing colors! People from all over the world travel to New England in the fall to see the spectacular array! We call them “leaf peepers”! Fall is also a time for apple picking, pumpkin picking, canning fruits and veggies for the winter, and long walks through the plentiful hiking trails. The fall is the time of year when true New Englanders start to “nest”. They start planning for the winter months, ensuring they have enough chopped wood, coal or pellets depending on what they use for heat. They will think about having their furnaces cleaned/maintained, have their tires changed to snow tires…New Englanders like to be prepared!
The winter months in New England can be brutal and can last from mid-November through the beginning of March. This year folks were generally lucky in Massachusetts with very little snowfall (to the dismay of all those snow plowers out there who rely on heavy snow to ply their trade!). Temps can reach dismal negative degrees. A winter temp in February can be as low as -10 Fahrenheit (-24 Celsius)! It can be so cold that frostbite warnings are given as frostbite can set in to extremities in less than ten minutes! Schools may be canceled due to snow (usually if it’s more than 6 inches or so) and also may be cancelled due to extreme cold (as there is such a danger of the kids waiting at the bus stops). However, even though the snow and cold can be dangerous, and the days are long and dark, a crisp winter day, with fresh white snow is absolutely beautiful and serene. There is an utter silence after a snowfall that makes one look and take notice of the natural beauty. Activities in winter include skiing, ice skating, snowmobiling, snowman and snow angel making, snowball fights and always a cup of hot chocolate and a warm fuzzy blanket by the fire…with the New England Patriots playing (and winning) on TV!
There are lovely coastlines in Massachusetts, Cape Cod being one of the most well know vacation (holiday) spots. There are beautiful mountains for hiking in western Mass. There are plentiful lakes and open picnic areas, as well as numerous campgrounds (camp sites)!
A few weeks vacation (holiday) and you can not only visit lovely Massachusetts, but all of the other 5 New England states are all easily reached in a less than 2-5 hour drive!
So you decide….which season calls to you? What time of year do you want to visit Massachusetts??
New England has so very much to offer!
From gorgeous coastlines to beautiful mountains, four unique seasons…New England at its’ finest…
This past week I have focused my posts on the small town I hail from in Massachusetts and some of the surrounding towns as well. I’ve shared what it is like to have relocated across the pond and what it entails to come back across the pond for visits and connecting with family and friends.
Massachusetts is only one sixth of New England. As in one of my prior posts, New England is made up of six states ~ Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont and Connecticut. And central Massachusetts is only a very small sampling of all this beautiful state of Massachusetts has to offer!
See my prior post below with more detail of the geography of Yank vs. Brit countries:
A little bit more about Massachusetts ~
As I’ve mentioned before, I hail from central Massachusetts, about 45 minutes west of Boston. I grew up in Worcester and raised my family in Millbury and Grafton. Worcester houses 8 colleges/universities! Assumption University, The College of the Holy Cross, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the University of Massachusetts Medical School, just to name a few! Worcester is also home to the Hanover Theater, the Woo Sox (the farm league for the Boston Red Sox) and has a diverse art and cultural district. Millbury and Grafton are small suburban towns that border Worcester.
Massachusetts (and all of New England) has 4 distinct and wonderful seasons.
Spring can start anytime from mid-March to the end of April! This past week (mid to end of March) has seen warm and sunny spring days with temps in the high 50’s to low 60’s Fahrenheit (13 to 15 degrees Celsius). A couple of days we’ve seen rain, one day a slight dusting of snow, and one day I had to let the car run with the defrosters on to melt a thin layer of ice!!! But still, the grass is getting greener, the trees are starting to bloom, and flowers are budding.
Summer months can run from May to September with extreme temps hovering in the low 100’s Fahrenheit (37-39 Celsius). There may be summer thunderstorms that often times produce hail and occasionally there may be tropical storms, tornado warnings or hurricanes! Mostly the temps in the summer average between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit (23-24 Celsius) with few rainy days. Summer activities include boating, swimming in the sea and lakes, hiking, family barbecues, etc. .
The Fall (Autumn) season can start anytime in September and usually can still be lovely weather through the month of October, with temps averaging in the mid 50’s to mid 60’s Fahrenheit and if we’re lucky more than a few days in the 70’s as well (13 to 16 degrees Celsius). In the fall months, once the weather starts to cool, the leaves turn the most amazing colors! People from all over the world travel to New England in the fall to see the spectacular array! We call them “leaf peepers”! Fall is also a time for apple picking, pumpkin picking, canning fruits and veggies for the winter, and long walks through the plentiful hiking trails. The fall is the time of year when true New Englanders start to “nest”. They start planning for the winter months, ensuring they have enough chopped wood, coal or pellets depending on what they use for heat. They will think about having their furnaces cleaned/maintained, have their tires changed to snow tires…New Englanders like to be prepared!
The winter months in New England can be brutal and can last from mid-November through the beginning of March. This year folks were generally lucky in Massachusetts with very little snowfall (to the dismay of all those snow plowers out there who rely on heavy snow to ply their trade!). Temps can reach dismal negative degrees. A winter temp in February can be as low as -10 Fahrenheit (-24 Celsius)! It can be so cold that frostbite warnings are given as frostbite can set into extremities in less than ten minutes! Schools may be canceled due to snow (usually if it’s more than 6 inches or so) and also may be cancelled due to extreme cold (as there is such a danger of the kids waiting at the bus stops). However, even though the snow and cold can be dangerous, and the days are long and dark, a crisp winter day, with fresh white snow is absolutely beautiful and serene. There is an utter silence after a snowfall that makes one look and take notice of the natural beauty. Activities in winter include skiing, ice skating, snowmobiling, snowman and snow angel making, snowball fights and always a cup of hot chocolate and a warm fuzzy blanket by the fire…with the New England Patriots playing (and winning) on TV!
There are lovely coastlines in Massachusetts, Cape Cod being one of the most well know vacation (holiday) spots. There are beautiful mountains, lovely bubbling streams, waterfalls, and plentiful hiking trails in western Mass. There are numerous lakes and open picnic areas, as well as numerous campgrounds (camp sites) and more hiking trails throughout the state! There is the city of Boston for exploring (especially the history between the Yanks and Brits), Boston Harbor (harbour), art and science museums galore! When you visit you have to try the New England classic foods…clam chowda, fresh seafood by the netfulls!
A few weeks’ vacation (holiday) and you can not only visit lovely Massachusetts, but all of the other 5 New England states are easily reached in a less than 2–5-hour drive!
So, you decide….which season calls to you? What time of year do you want to visit Massachusetts??
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