Turner Falls, Flowers and Pot holes

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When my friend Nancy , her kids and I went to Magic Wings in Deerfield we came back to RT 2 this way and had seen the falls at Turner Falls. That day they were really flowing. Today I had to make my way over a bridge that was under construction and couldn’t see the falls at all.

When I reached the other side I saw a building marked Great Falls  Discovery Center .

 I found the parking area and headed down in hopes that they could tell me what happened to the falls. On the way I smelled lilacs! At first I didn’t see any lilac bushes so I wondered if it was my imagination. I slowed down as I approached the building and got a whiff again. That’s when I spotted the small white lilac bush. I love lilacs so of course I had to take a picture. I wish I could bottle that fragrance too!

“Time to smell the flowers” over I entered the Great Falls Discovery Center. I was impressed. It was huge and the displays were both educational and entertaining. The Center is run by the National Fish and Wildlife refuge. I was only there  for a few minutes but I wish I would have had more time to explore. The ranger explained that the flow of water over the falls is controlled. If some of the flow is being directed to the hydroelectric plant then the falls themselves will be smaller. When the plant opens the spillway, the flow increases. She told me I could follow the path around the building and across a little bridge  and I would be able to see the falls.

 There is also a canal that runs alongside the river.

 Before I left she also mentioned that they have a fish ladder exhibit that was opening on Sunday. It sounded interesting but since I would be in Arizona I explained that I wouldn’t be able to see it then. I would try to return at a later date.

I followed the path and crossed a foot  bridge over the canal. The path then wound down a little hill. I spotted a tree that a beaver had felled and then I heard the falls.

A young man was standing on  some rocks fishing. He pointed out where the falls were and explained that the water was low right now. He said if we heard a siren we needed to head for high ground in a hurry. The siren means the hydro-electric plant is about to open the spillway.

I watched the falls for a few more minutes and headed back up the path. After all, I still had more stops to make.

Back at the car I realized that the directions to get back to RT 2 that I picked up weren’t correct. I found myself driving around a bit before I got myself back on track. Once back on RT 2 westbound I started looking for the Bridge of Flowers. This was a must see stop for me this trip.

It has been years since I first went to the Bridge of Flowers. I thought it was in North Adams but I was wrong. It’s actually in Shelburn Falls. The Bridge of Flowers is the only one of its kind in the world. Originally built as a trolley bridge around 1908. The bridge crosses the Deerfield River between the towns of Shelburn and Buckland. Around 1928 the trolley was abandoned.

The bridge is a 400 foot, 5 arch concrete span. In 1929 Antoinette & Walter Burnham suggested converting the old trolley bridge into a giant flower bridge. It took about a year before it became a reality. The bridge is planted with over 500 varieties  of flowers, all planted and tended by volunteers. The flowers are chosen to assure that there will be blooms all growing season. The first blooms begin to flower in early spring and last all through late fall.

While I was in Shelburn Falls I figured I might as well take a look at Salmon Falls and the Glacial Pot holes.

 These are natural pot holes that formed over several hundred million years. It was getting late in the afternoon and I sill had the rest of the Mohawk Trail to finish before 6pm arrived so I didn’t have much time to explore. In the “old days” I can remember going right down to the rocks and exploring up close but today I didn’t see any place to safely get down to the pot holes. Still the falls were beautiful and the pot holes clearly visible from a wooden deck.

It was time to move on. The Mohawk Trail winds down as it enters New York and I mean that quite literally. The last bit of the Western section is a series of hairpin  turns and switch back curves.

 The drive is extremely picturesque. From the Elk on the trail 

to The Indian Trading Post

 there was still a lot to do but it was time to wrap up this journey for one day. I made it to my sister’s just in time at 6pm!

Tomorrow is another day and another adventure awaits!

Are we there yet?

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Having passed the “Fruitland” exit I continued along RT 2 heading west. There are a number of bridges along this route and a couple of them are really pretty. The first one I came upon that bears mentioning is the French King  Bridge which crosses the Connecticut River. There is something about the clean lines of this bridge that just really appeals to me. I think I read somewhere that it is a 3 span “cantilever” bridge but I just think it’s nice. Apparently people who know bridges agreed with me because way back in 1932 this bridge was awarded “Most beautiful Steel Bridge” by the American Institute of Steel Construction.

I actually stopped and parked the car so I could walk out on the bridge to see the river passing under it.

Back on the road I pulled into the little town of Gill. As I passed the town line sign I spotted some goats in a pen by the side of the road. There were a lot of picnic tables around so I wondered if this was a makeshift petting zoo or something. I pulled into the first gas station I came to so I could top off the tank and then turn around to backtrack.

The little pen was set up next to the Wagon Wheel restaurant.

There was a nanny goat and 2 kids.

They were the cutest little family. I pulled into the parking lot and grabbed the camera. I dropped to my knees next to the pen trying to get some nice close up shots of the kids. They are such teases. They’d look at me and just as I got the camera focused they’d bounce away. While I was so engrossed a heard a man’s voice right behind me ask me “You want to buy a goat?”

 Turns out the young man was the owner of this little family and the small produce stand that was offering vegetables, flowers, maple syrup and manure ( for fertilizer) for sale.

After getting a good chuckle I asked him seriously why he brought the goats. He said he would sell them but also people stopped to see them and that gave them a chance to see  his farm stand. I guess it works. It got me to stop! 🙂

I began to chat with him and a couple of young ladies that were there as well. It turns out that he runs a farm called Lally Laggy Farm. The actual farm is located in Lydon and is farmed the old-fashioned way, with draft horses. Molly and Maggie are American Creme Draft horses and are very rare. There are fewer than 400 alive today. He is working 186 acres that he leases. He raises some grass-fed beef cattle as well as his goats.  He said the farm has a Facebook page so I have to check it out. From the brief visit we had it sounds like he is really trying to make a go of this farm. He said he has hay and firewood as well as seasonal vegetables and flowers for sale. Before I left him we agreed that I can make arrangements to go out to the farm to really see what he’s doing with it. I can’t wait for that visit!

Since it was about lunch time I figured I’d try out the Wagon Wheel Restaurant since I was parked in their lot. I think their slogan was “roadside food the way it should be” or something like that. I liked the sound of it.

There’s seating inside or at the picnic tables outside. I ordered from the window for outside seating. When my number was called I picked up my sandwich and fries and retired to a picnic table to enjoy my meal.  They have a drive-in menu reminiscent of older days: grilled burgers, hotdogs, salads, fresh fish, homemade soup and homemade ice cream plus soft serve ice cream….yum!

Lunch over I chatted with my new friends of Lally Laggy Farm for a few more minutes and then headed off to my next stop; the little town of Turner Falls.

Fruitlands Museum

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Moving along RT 2 I spotted a sign for Fruitlands. I had forgotten that this museum was in this area. I didn’t have time to stop today butit sure brought back memories. I visited the grounds about 10 years ago with some friends from Atlanta, Ga. As I recall it was in the fall because the trees were turning colors. It always surprises me when someone from out-of-state asks me about an attraction in my backyard and I haven’t heard of it. That’s part of the reason for this blog. My everyday travels as I learn about my own area and state as well as my “BIG” vacations.

Anyway I remember saying I would go to Fruitlands and having no idea what it was so I’d like to take just a moment of your time to tell you a little about this place. Unfortunately I have no pictures since I didn’t stop this time but that just means I will need to be descriptive.

My friends were interested in Fruitlands because it chronicled the Shaker Experience which evolved in Harvard and Shirley, MA. It all began in June of 1781 when “Mother” Ann Lee and a group of early Shaker Leaders came to the area as missionaries and decided to stay establishing a settlement.  Shaker Villages  sought to provide basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing. In order to meet these goals some commercial enterprises were developed to generate necessary capital by buying and selling goods and services to the non shaker settlements that they referred to as “the world” .

The Shaker Office at Fruitlands was built in 1794. It was moved to the Fruitlands property in 1920.

Fruitlands was the dream of Clara Endicott Sears. She wanted to preserve  a part of New England’s rich cultural history. A woman of means, this wealthy Bostonian purchased the farm that was known as Fruitlands. Bronson Alcott established a transcendental community on the property in 1841. It was not very successful and only lasted about 7 months.

You may have picked up on the name Alcott. It is the same Alcott family from Little Women. Louisa May Alcott is the 2nd daughter of Bronson Alcott. She wrote about the failed commune experience in her book Transcendental Wild Oats. The Farmhouse at Fruitlands where the Alcotts lived is open for viewing. It was declared a national historic Landmark in 1974.

You will also find the Native American Gallery which contains a  number of significant artifacts from the Plains, Northwest Coastal, Arctic and Southwest cultural areas. The gallery honors the spiritual and cultural presence of the first Americans.

The Art Gallery contains a permanent collection of over 230  nineteenth century portraits and more than 100 Hudson River School landscapes. The collection includes paintings by Albert  Bierstadt, Robert Weir, John Frederick Kensett and many others. Collections contain silhouettes, mourning pictures, textiles to name just a few.

It’s a very interesting and bucolic place. Since it’s been awhile since I’ve been there I should return and provide you with my form of visual aids…pictures!

Johnny Appleseed Country

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As I head west on Rt 2 the first thing I notice are signs for the many apple orchards in the area along with the State Parks. It seems like there a different  state park sign every couple of miles. RT 2 in this area is a divided highway, not the meandering country road I think of when I envision the Mohawk Trail. The speed limit varies between 55  and 65 depending on the stretch of road so pay attention to the signs or you may get snagged for speeding when that was not you intention at all, you just missed the speed change sign!

I made my first stop at the Johnny Appleseed rest area and visitor center, a modern facility right on RT 2 with restrooms, vending machines, pet walk and gift shop. I picked up a few brochures to the area attractions so I can plan a return trip just to explore this area.

Of course there are the apple orchards, Beautiful to look at in spring and supplying us with fresh honey from those busy bees out pollinating the trees so we can have a fall harvest of apples. Many of the orchards off  “Pick Your Own” when the time comes. A great day outing for families and singles alike. Orchards have to maintain all year even though the apples are seasonal so most have bakeries or ice cream, cider for sale  and Market Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. Lancaster has a well-known Farmer’s market .

The area is loaded with trails; trails for hiking, trails for mountain biking, even horseback riding. There are scenic areas for wildlife viewing. 3 long distance trails wind through the region. There’s the 95 mile Midstate Trail that runs from Rhode Island to New Hampshire, the Tully Trail, a 22 mile loop that follows the Tully River Valley in Royston, Orange, and Warwick and finally the Metacomet-Monadnock/New England National Scenic Trail that winds through the hills  east of the Connecticut River.

You have wildlife viewing  in the Oxbow National Wildlife refuge and Bolton Flats offers close up views of the Nashua River and it’s flood plain. Clinton is home to  park of the Wachussett Reservoir where trails offer views over the water.

Speaking of Wachusett, Wachusett Mountain in Princeton is not only a winter destination for skiing and snowboarding but crisscrossed with day trails ranging from 1/2 mile to longer loops of a 1/2 day or more. At the summit you are standing at 2,006 ft with views that range from Boston to the Berkshires and the list  goes on.

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Lace up your boots, pick a direction and head off for a day of outdoor adventure just a short drive from Boston!  Do I sound like a travel brochure? Only because there is so much to do here that I never realized existed. I can’t wait to come back to explore some more myself!

And I’m Off!

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Friday dawned clear and bright, a warm spring day…finally! Clearly this was going to be one of the best days we’d seen this spring even if it was Friday the 13th. I just knew it was going to be a good day! The packing was done, the car was loaded, just one more chore and I would be on my way.

I turned the car northward on RT 140 to pick up RT 495. I hadn’t gone far when I spied a vintage auto on the side of the road. It wasn’t as pristine as the one I saw in New Bedford but not everything (or everyone for that matter) ages well. The car had a For Sale sign on the window. What a great opportunity for someone with a hobby of restoring antique cars.

After grabbing a couple of snapshots I moved on marveling at what a beautiful day it was after a week of gray clouds and rain. It really lifted my spirits. I think sunshine can do that to you and spotting that car, well, I just felt it was an omen for more wonderful discoveries to come.

It wasn’t long before I saw the on ramp for RT 495, a typical “super highway”. Now I’m not saying super highways can’t be beautiful  but I was anxious to get beyond this leg of my journey because today my destination was the Mohawk Trail.

The Mohawk Trail started life as a Native American Trade route connecting the tribes of Massachusetts with those of upstate New York and beyond. The Trail followed the Millers River and the Deerfield River as it  crossed the Hoosac range. Today the Mohawk Trail is part of Massachusetts RT 2 which was created as one of the United States first Scenic Highways. It follows much of the original trail from Orange, MA (known for its jump school for parachutists) to Williamstown, Ma (home to Williams College and Clark Art Institute). That’s about 65 miles of scenic highway through the Berkshire Mountains. Around the western portion of the roads you pass through Mohawk Trail State Forest which is known for Bobcat and Black Bear sightings.

Years ago when I first moved from New York to Massachusetts I would often take this route home as a change of pace from the Super Highway…US 90 otherwise  known as the “Mass Pike”. It might be a little longer but there were no tolls and it was far more fun.

I was anxious to see what changes if any had been made to the area in the ensuing years.

My exit for Rt 2 came up quicker than I expected. I was picking it up in the middle of the state so I had the choice of RT 2 east or West. To the east is Walden Pond, home of Henry David Thoreau  and the towns of Lexington and Concord, renowned for their part in the Revolutionary War. But my destination was to the west. I was on my way to visit my sister in New York and a pleasant, scenic drive was the way I wanted to travel. So now that I’ve made it this far, let’s get this adventure on the road!