Foliage in southeastern Massachusetts is every bit as breathtaking as that found in northern New England. And easily accessible roads with less traffic can make the journey even more enjoyable.

Whether your come from near or far, these favorite routes will help you to enjoy fall in all its glory. Along the way, many other interesting sites will be hard to neglect ...

Coastal Villages Trail
The Coastal Villages Trail actually begins just west of the Massachusetts border in Rhode Island. From Rhode Island state route 77 south, travel to Tiverton Four Corners and bear left onto state route 179 east. Route 179 will take you to route 81 south, which leads into the village of Adamsville, still in Rhode Island.

Travel east on Adamsville Road, and then turn left onto Main Road in beautiful Central Village near Westport, Mass. While in Central Village be sure to stop at Lees Market. Lees is more than a supermarket. It’s a gourmand’s delight, a great stop for those looking for some food to take on the road with them.

Leaving Lees, bear left back onto Main Road to continue your journey. Another great stop in Central Village is Partners Village Store & Kitchen at 999 Main Road (www.partnersvillagestore.com). It offers distinctive gifts, paper goods, local books, and great soups, sandwiches, cookies and breads.

The trip gets serious now. From Main road in Westport’s Central Village, bear Left onto Hix Bridge Road and cross route 88. While on Hix Bridge Road, stop off at Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery (www.westportrivers.com) at 417 Hixbridge Road.

At the winery, taste award-winning wines and visit the retail store. This establishment sells wine, foods and highly regarded cookbooks. Owned and operated by the Russell family, the winery is a bucolic stop in a hectic world.

A little farther down Hix Bridge Road, make a brief detour right onto Horseneck Road. Buzzards Bay Brewing (www.buzzardsbrew.com), also owned by the Russell family, is located at 98 Horseneck Road. The locally produced Buzzards Bay brew is definitely worth a taste.

Back on Hix Bridge Road, which shortly turns into Gidley Road, you’ll pass farm fields and beautiful foliage. Gidley Road bears right. Follow it straight into Russell’s Mills village. There, stop at Davoll’s General Store, in operation since the Revolutionary War. It’s an authentic general store, with room upon room to explore.

Russell’s Mills Road begins just outside Davoll’s General Store. Stop at Salt Marsh Pottery (www.saltmarsh.com) at 1167 Russell’s Mills. It’s renowned for its pressed/painted flowers on clay designs, and the showroom is a must-see.

Continue on Russell’s Mills Road until you see the right-hand turn for Padanaram Village and West Street. Continue through this residential neighborhood before merging onto Gulf Road. Travel over the causeway in Aponegansett Harbor, which leads to the center of Padanaram Village.

While not as old as its biblical-inspired name, Padanaram is a quaint and charming village. It is home to the New Bedford Yacht Club and is one of the finest sailing ports around. Small shops and galleries dot the village’s two main streets. End your Coastal Village Trail driving tour by enjoying coffee and dessert at Cecily’s Café on Bridge Street.

Route 140: Taunton, Norton, Attleboro
Let’s say you’re pressed for time, have about 45 minutes to spare and long for a drive to relax your mind and recharge your senses. Try Massachusetts route 140 either north or south between Wheaton College in Norton and the Taunton Green (Taunton city square). Or, extend the drive all the way to Attleboro.

Surprisingly, this drive is much more beautiful, and far less crowded than you might imagine. It winds along beautiful country roads populated with antique shops, lakes and pumpkin stands.

Beginning at the Taunton Green, travel north on state route 140. Approximately 1.5 miles outside the Green, the beauty begins. It’s a winding drive through neighborhoods, with plenty of great foliage trees and a few surprising finds.

About 2.2 miles into the drive, bear left toward the La Salette Shrine in Attleboro. The signage is clearly marked and the shrine is a beautiful destination. At the 4.5-mile mark you’ll enter Norton. At seven miles you’ll find yourself in a quintessential New England village center, where state routes 140 and 123 intersect at Wheaton College.

End your journey here or continue north on route 140 through Mansfield to Attleboro. Along the way you will pass the popular Tweeter Center, site of man` summer concerts; the TPC Boston private golf club; and the Massachusetts Golf Museum. All are located just off route 140 in Norton.

Route 118: Swansea, Attleboro
This tour is so unexpected. From Interstate 195, take the route 6 exit and head toward the Swansea Mall. Bear left toward the mall from route 6 and keep the mall on your left, passing it entirely. You’ll see the signs for state route 118. Prepare yourself for a wonderful drive.

Although the total distance for this tour is less than 15 miles, give yourself more time, especially if you want to stop at the many farm stands, pumpkin patches and other sites along the drive.

Francis Farm (www.francisfarm.net), which has been hosting clambakes for more than 100 years, is located off route 118, which is 6.5 miles from the beginning of route 6.

Back on route 118, you’ll find Rehoboth Village, about 7 miles north. Just west of the village is the Carpenter Museum, which celebrates Rehoboth’s history. And quite a history it is … Rehoboth is the birthplace of public education with the nation’s first public school in 1643. It’s also the site of the final battle of King Philip’s War, detailed in Nathaniel Philbrick’s book Mayflower.

From route 118 you’ll cross route 44 and continue following route 118 until you see signs for La Salette Shrine. Officially known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette, the shrine has beautiful, heavily treed grounds with walking trails throughout. It is a peaceful end to a beautiful drive.

Fall River: Taunton along the Taunton Heritage River
This trail is a pleasant discovery for everyone who travels it. With more than 20 places worthy of a stop, it offers something for everyone.

Obtain the Taunton Heritage River brochure, pick your spots and set off. The brochure is available through the Taunton River Watershed Alliance at www.savethetaunton.org.

Start on route 138 either in Taunton or Fall River. This will take you closest to the river and all its sites. In addition to fabulous foliage, several areas are a feast for nature lovers.

In Taunton, the Gordon Owen Riverway has trails for hiking along the Taunton River, with parking at the Armory Building.

Also in Taunton is the Boyden Wildlife/Nature Refuge on Cohannet Street. It encompasses nearly 50 acres along Three Mile River with trails, boardwalks and more.

On County Street in Dighton is the Berkley-Dighton Bridge, a one-lane iron bridge build in 1888. It’s the oldest swing bridge in Massachusetts and offers rustic views of the Taunton River.

Two more stops in Dighton and Berkley are sure to draw your attention: the Bristol County Natural History Center at Bristol County Agricultural High School on Center Street and Dighton Rock State Park and Museum on Bay View Road. The Natural History Center has a walking trail and wildlife displays. The Dighton Rock State Park and Museum offers 85 acres and a museum with the mystery of Dighton Rock waiting for you to solve.

Between Somerset and Dighton is Riverfront Drive, a 6½-mile stretch with estuary grasses, river scenes and historic homes. From route 138 in Somerset, turn right on Riverside Drive and follow along the river to South Street. Turn right onto High Street, which turns into Pleasant Street and continues north paralleling the river. Go past Broad Cove into Dighton where Pleasant Street rejoins route138.

Closer to Fall River is the Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve. It consists of 13,600 acres of forest, including the Freetown-Fall River State Forest and watershed lands around North Watuppa Pond and the Copicut Reservoir.

In Somerset Village is Waterfront Park on Main Street, with newer lighting and sidewalks. Also in Somerset is the Bradbury Museum of the Somerset Historical Society at 274 High St. It features the work of local 18th-century potteries and chronicles the history of clipper ships that dominated the river during the 1840s.

And no trip is complete without viewing the Taunton River from Bicentennial Park in Fall River, and stopping at Battleship Cove, which claims to be the world’s largest historic naval ship exhibit.

All in all, you can make 31 stops along the Taunton River, where archaeologists have documented human activity for the past 12,000 years.