Charlemont to North Adams
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- Where to Go
- The Best of Vermont
- Rumblings of Revolution
- New, New England Dining
- Boston’s Artistic Expression
- Vermont Leaf Peeping
- Into the Wild
- Vermont Skiing at Its Best
- Visit Vermont’s Maple Sugar Shacks
- Connecticut for Kids
- Vermont’s Covered Bridges
- A Shore Thing
- Vermont with Kids
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- Connecticut’s Wine Trails
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- A Weekend of Vermont Art
- Family Matters
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As the Mohawk Trail continues, it quickly becomes one of the most scenic drives in all of New England, playing tag with the Deerfield and Cold Rivers and opening up on stunning vistas of the surrounding hills.
Sights
The most recognizable symbol along the trail is the “Hail to the Sunrise” Memorial, a half-ton bronze statue of a praying Mohawk man erected near the highway at the crossroads town of Charlemont to pay homage to the Mohawk Indians.
A short detour up Route 8A is the Bissell Covered Bridge, a 120-foot-long span over the Deerfield River. The best panoramic view is at Whitcomb Summit, the highest point of the trail at 2,200 feet.
Events
The acoustics in the Federated Church in Charlemont are near-perfect, making it a beautiful setting for the Mohawk Trail Concerts (75 Bridge St., 413/625-9511 or 888/MTC-MUSE, www.mohawktrailconcerts.org, Fri.–Sat. in late June–July, $15–20), a series that brings internationally renowned musicians to play chamber music.
Shopping
If you’ve ever hankered after moccasins, dream-catchers, or spirit animals enameled on jewelry boxes, you’ve come to the right place. Several Native American emporiums line the trail, including Big Indian Shop (2183 Mohawk Trail, between Shelburne Falls and Charlemont, 413/625-6817, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily), which boasts a 20-foot-tall statue of a Native American man and includes a petting zoo, and the Wigwam and Western Summit Gift Shop (2350 Mohawk Trail/Rte. 2, North Adams, 413/663-3205, www.thewigwam.net), which offers a stunning view from coin-operated binoculars.
© Michael Blanding and Alexandra Hall from Moon New England, 2nd Edition
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