Cruise the Mohawk Trail

The phrase "Let's get in the automobile" originated in 1914 when Massachusetts legislators declared a 63-mile section of Routes 2 and 2A as the country's first scenic byway and gave it the designation Mohawk Trail. Its capacity to draw drivers into the environment more than a century later is just as alluring. You are in a tiny town. then moving through farmland, above a mountain, and eventually meandering beside a river. It's not I-90, and that's kind of the purpose, which is refreshing.

The Mohican - Mohawk Recreation Pathway, intended as a 100-mile long-distance route from the Connecticut River to the Hudson River, follows the corridor of the ancient Native American trail along the Deerfield River, over the Hoosac Mountains, and along the Hoosic River. This recreational trail, which crosses Todd Mountain in Mohawk Trail State Forest from east to west as the sun rises and sets, is reminiscent of the earlier route. The Mohican-Mohawk Trail connects historical monuments, thriving town centers, breathtaking views, picturesque landscapes, and magnificent forests along its route.

It gives players the option to move back and forth between a river's edge and a mountain range. Currently, 30 miles of the trail—on a disused rail line, a woodland walk, and country roads—are accessible and officially named in Massachusetts. On the Deerfield River, there is a water trail that is another 10 miles long. Despite being originally designed as a hiking trail, several sections are also suitable for bicycling, snowmobiling, riding horses, and paddling.

• Location: Massachusetts