Today we drove most of the way across Massachusetts from Fall River to Lenox. We knew we'd be a few weeks early for the best of the fall colours. aren't yet at their height, but still many trees are turning, and its wonderful driving through tree-lined roads, enjoying the colours and the sunshine.We made a great little find, detouring a few miles off Route 9 near Worcester to stop in Howe State Park, part of Spencer State Forest. The visitor place wasn't open, but we just stopped next to a mini waterfall and had lunch listening to the stream and watching the leaves being to drop from the trees.Loads of familiar place names in MA: Gloucester, Worcester, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Nottingham, Bedford, Cambridge, Plymouth, Bristol ... I write this in Ware (where!) having stopped at a Friendlys for a drink. This was a throwback to a US family holiday 20+ years ago, where the only places we ate seemed to be Friendly's.After a long drive we landed up at Lenox, within walking distance of Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Pops Orchestra. (Also home to another great memory from a family holiday of old.) Shame we're a few weeks too late to hear them. But the place we're staying - the Apple Tree Inn - has some fantastic views over the surrounding hills.