New England is full of winding back roads: passageways to adventure, nature, and history. But few, perhaps, are as historic and full of wonder as the famed Mohawk Trail. Its official title is Route 2, and it runs from Cambridge to the New York border, but for a magical stretch from Orange to Williamstown, it becomes something far more than just a road – it becomes the Mohawk Trail. And it turned 100 years old this October 22nd.
As charming and historic as it can be kitschy, the faux Indian trail has a long and storied history as I learned while working on a segment for WGBY’s Connecting Point. Lined with incredible views, full of fall color in the autumn, and decorated with gift shops and viewing towers from a bygone era, it harkens back to a time when we were excited by western expansion and our own history. The birth of the automobile was still recent, and for people who now had the whole country to explore with this fabulous new invention, it was less about the destination and more about the journey.
Like a trip down the Mohawk Trail, Connecting Point takes you on a journey of adventure, history, nature, and tells the stories of the people and places that we call home. We hope you enjoy the trip!
