The Heart Of New England Holds A Breathtaking Massachusetts Valley Brimming With Charming Towns

The Pioneer Valley in the heart of Massachusetts is a 1,200-square-mile stretch of picturesque towns, farmland, and a city — Springfield. It's known both as the "Crossroads of New England" for being at the intersection of I-91 and the Mass Pike and as the "Knowledge Corridor" because of its many educational institutions. The schools in this region often anchor their towns, providing museums and events as well as patrons to support independent boutiques, restaurants, and cozy cafes.

Three of the valley's 35 towns house the Five Colleges. Northampton is home to Smith College and South Hadley houses Mount Holyoke College. Amherst is the location of Amherst College, Hampshire College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In Deerfield is Deerfield Academy, with its beautifully preserved historic village. If you're traveling via public transportation, Bradley International Airport is over the Connecticut border less than half an hour from Springfield, and Amtrak and Peter Pan Bus Lines also serve the region. The gorgeous Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway traverses the state east-west through the Pioneer Valley. This 69-mile former Native American footpath passes through the Pioneer Valley town of Greenfield, so you could head west to the underrated leafy fall destination of the Berkshires with its own pretty small towns after exploring the Crossroads of New England. 

A picture-perfect New England town, Deerfield is full of magnificently maintained Colonial homes on tree-lined streets. Take a tour of Historic Deerfield -– a preserved 18^th-century village -– and have a meal or stay overnight in the elegant Deerfield Inn, which opened in 1884. Yankee Candle company's flagship store –- a homey holiday village with a restaurant — is located in South Deerfield. Here, you can pick up the Scenic Byway Route 116, a picturesque country road that passes horses and cows, silos and open fields. Other small towns along the route include Ashfield and Adams, which has art galleries, boutiques, and the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail.

Explore Main Street in underrated, artsy Northampton with its handcrafted gifts, vintage vinyl, and well-curated bookstores. Pause for a coffee or a meal before heading to the breathtaking campus of Smith College with its 127-acre lush botanical garden and museum featuring famous names in the art world. In addition to touring the beautiful redbrick buildings of Amherst College and the adjacent downtown area, Amherst has two museums that convey very different sides of the literary world. The Emily Dickinson Museum is the home where the reclusive poet lived and the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art displays artwork by "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" author and other well-known children's book illustrators like Maurice Sendak. Across the river from South Hadley is Holyoke, with its white steepled church, town green, and bucolic Mount Holyoke College campus. The origins of the campus as a botanical garden is apparent. Frederick Law Olmsted designed four parks in Holyoke, which is home to the International Volleyball Hall of Fame and the starting point for climbing Mount Tom. Take the 1.2-mile route to the summit for spectacular vistas over the patchwork farmland of the valley and the opportunity to spot hawks.

Many Pioneer Valley visitors will also want to enjoy the attractions in Springfield, the valley's city (that also has some pretty, historic areas). If you're visiting in September, you can get a taste of country life at The Big E, a fair for all of the New England states that runs much of the month. Take out a paddleboat or walk leafy paths surrounded by greenery at the 735-acre aptly named Forest Park, which has a zoo and an impressive drive-through Christmas light display called Bright Nights.

Springfield has a campus with five museums. Two are art museums, one is a science museum and one is history museum. The fifth is about Dr. Seuss, who was born here. The Michele and Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts is known for Impressionist works and the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum is famous for its American landscape paintings by artists including Frederic Church. The world's oldest man-made projector is part of the Springfield Science Museum and The Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History tells the story of how the city evolved during the Industrial Revolution. Anyone who appreciates Dr. Seuss's imagination and creativity –  no matter their age –  will grin from ear to ear at The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, which makes visitors feel like they're inside Theodor Geisel's books. 

If you're traveling with anyone who loves rollercoasters, head to Six Flags New England, a massive amusement park and water park known for its thrill rides. Out of all its attractions, Springfield might be best known as the birthplace of basketball. Hoops fans gravitate to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to see memorabilia about its inductees, watch action-packed film clips, and get out on the court themselves. If you find yourself in Europe, another area with a string of charming towns is on a fantastic wine route in Portugal. If you want to make a trip across the country, there's an underrated charming small town with 130 wineries (no, it's not in California).