Peter And Evie - Travel blog: Oct 19 - Fall foliage along the Mohawk Trail, along Rt 2, over to North Adams, MA

Oct 19 - it was a cool but sunny day, and the fall foliage was peaking. So we drove the beautiful Mohawk Trail, from Orange, MA all the way over to North Adams, MA.

On the way, we stopped at the Hail to the Sunrise Park, in Charlemont, MA. Now this was INTERESTING. The bronze statue depicts a Native American man in traditional wardrobe looking eastward with his arms extended. He faces the direction of the rising sun and is said to be greeting the Great Spirit. The monument honors the peoples of the five Mohawk Nations that inhabited western Massachusetts and New York State.^[3] The Mohawks that traveled this trail were said to be friendly to white settlers. The monument was erected in 1932 by the Improved Order of Red Men. A group of all white men. What was so interesting was the statue of the Mohawk Indian in "traditional garb". When we visited the Fruitlands Museum, they were in the process of removing the "traditional" native American sculptures, because they were considered to be degrading, and a representation of natives from a white man's perspective. None of that sentiment was displayed at this site in Sunrise Park.
We continued along the Mohawk Trail, said to be traveled by many native tribes, connecting New York and MA. We stopped at the Mohawk Trail State Park, along side the Cold River, which downstream flows into the Deerfield River. The park had a lot of hiking trails, along the river, and up into the mountains next to the river. We ended up hiking a couple miles - a very nice hike. We'd like to return and hike there more. Again, the colors were amazing.
The Mohawk Trail climbs into the mountains of MA. So there are some really delightful views of colorful tree-covered mountains off into the horizon. We stopped at one overview where a statue was erected by the local Elks, of an Elk. Go figure.
The last stop was at the famous hairpin turn along Rt 2, just before entering North Adams. It is a super sharp turn, going up a steep grade. At the point of the turn is a restaurant, overlooking the North Adams valley. Very nice. We turned around and headed home. Great sightseeing day.