Day Trip: Shelburne Falls

day trip shelburne falls, massachusetts: A delightfully quirky day trip By Andrew Blechman

The Bridge of Flowers

This was my first trip to Shelburne Falls, and I was awfully glad to have made its acquaintance.

As I peer into its broad storefront window filled with eclectic impulse buys, the proprietor of Wandering Moon, Laura Felsch, waves for me to come on in. Inside there’s handcrafted silver jewelry by Felsch herself, as well as medieval-themed wall tapestries, a smart-looking collection of international pocketknives, a mix of books about architecture, animals, and social commentary, and curated gift cards. “We’re kind of a mix of all sorts of things,” Felsch explains. “When we first opened 26 years ago, we had a medieval theme. But now we incorporate different periods, like Arts and Crafts”, she continues, pointing to several period lamps. “I can’t really sum up what we are except it feels like a living room filled with beautiful things. We’re unique, so I recommend you just look around and enjoy yourself.” Which is how I’d sum up Shelburne Falls itself: deliciously unique in a way that instills the desire to browse and explore. A 90-minute drive from Great Barrington (and about an hour’s drive from Pittsfield), Shelburne Falls fits what I’m looking for when it comes to a successful daytrip: a friendly destination well under two hours away with a scenic drive, natural and cultural attractions, quirky feel, great strolling, and an array of unusual yet delicious restaurants. This was my first trip to Shelburne Falls, and I was awfully glad to have made its acquaintance. First there’s the drive out there. Sure, you can take the Mass Pike, head up I-91, then jog back west. But the better drive is the one through the “Hill Towns” east of Pittsfield through Dalton and then up, up, and more up. The more altitude you gain, the more rural it becomes. This is a region of Massachusetts that’s filled with scenic byways. If you drive out from South County, you’re likely to travel along at least two of them. If you take a longer route back via North Adams on the granddaddy of scenic byways—the Mohawk Trail—you’ll travel along or cross another two or three. If you do travel up through Dalton and the Hill Towns, you might consider visiting Zoar Outdoor Adventures in Charlemont, about eight miles west of Shelburne Falls, and the go-to place for whitewater rafting, kayaking, and ziplining. When you arrive in Shelburne Falls, the first thing you’ll notice is how it straddles the Deerfield River. The two bridges connecting the riverbanks are immediate visual standouts. The car bridge is an old iron structure dating back well over

100 years. And right next to it is a popular local attraction named the Bridge of Flowers—a defunct trolley bridge that was repurposed into a landscaped pedestrian bridge 80 years before Manhattan’s High Line was similarly transformed (reopening in June, check website for date). Just downriver from the bridges are the falls themselves, and below them are the famous Glacial Potholes, bowl-like rock formations that, while not actually formed by glaciers, were formed over thousands of years by this impressive cataract in the Deerfield River. Shelburne Falls is an historic village designation, and not an actual municipality. Rather, each bank of the river is its own town—Buckland on the west, and Shelburne on the east. Once a popular salmon fishing spot for the region’s indigenous peoples, the area was incorporated in 1775. It was mainly agricultural until the start of the industrial revolution, at which time the river was harnessed to power mills. Those mills kept going until recent decades, when they either closed or moved shop. Remnants of that era include a factory outlet for Lamson, famous for its forged cutlery and located on the Buckland side of the river. Sprinkled among all the durable kitchen knives and utensils are factory seconds, which are great bargains. I couldn’t even locate the imperfections on the spatula and the “mighty mini masher” that I bought—perfect for hand-mashing potatoes and cauliflower with ease. The next economic wave to hit Shelburne Falls was a creative one—artists, gallery owners, restaurateurs, who helped restore aging buildings along Bridge Street as well as the old mill buildings. It’s this creative influx that gives the historic village its unique charm. As you stroll along Bridge Street on the Shelburne side of the river, you’ll come across eclectic stores like Felsch’s Wandering Moon, or Flora! in a building the size of a railcar cantilevered

Left: View from the Bridge of Flowers

Clockwise from top: Bulk food at McCusker’s Market, Shelburne Falls Bowling Alley, an eclectic assortment of new and used at Retreads, vases at Salmon Falls Gallery.

over the river. Watermark Gallery at 1 Deerfield Avenue sells contemporary art. The biggest gallery in town is perched above the Buckland side of the river—the Salmon Falls Gallery. It’s owned by renowned glassblower Josh Simpson and features his work and that of other artists using different media. Down the street is the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum (reopening July 3) that features a 15-minute trolley ride as well as an old pump handcar—guaranteed to be popular with youngsters. When it comes to food, Shelburne Falls is uniquely equipped. For a small village, it has some of the grooviest restaurants I’ve come across in a while. Queen of the ball here is the Gypsy Apple Café, located in a storefront on Bridge Street. It seats fewer than 20, and Chef Wescott’s menu is similarly spare yet beckoning. In the warm weather, a back patio adds seating for another dozen. Another miniscule favorite—this one seating fewer than a dozen—is Delicatesse, (take out only at this writing) which features hand-rolled bagels with lox, potato latkes, a pickle plate, and frisée aux lardons with poached eggs. Yum. I stumbled across another restaurant on Bridge Street, called Hearty Eats, and was psyched to see all sorts of salads and fish dishes on the menu. Not in the mood for a big meal, I opted for the fresh falafel and slaw plate. You’d be amazed at how many people don’t get falafel right. But here, it was perfect, as was the bed of fresh slaw. It was only later, when ordering a dairy-free and gluten-free seed-filled cookie, that I realized this cozy stop was actually vegan and free of gluten. Put simply, the food was so delicious that I hadn’t even realized. I quickly made up for that lack of gluten when I walked over to Baked, a bakery on Deerfield Avenue, and ordered a scone. Sadly, there was little room left for an ice cream shake at the local pharmacy—Baker’s—that still features a counter with swivel stools and a soda jerk. And it’s not for show. This is just how Shelburne Falls rolls—groovy, authentic, unique. If I hadn’t been pushing the clock, I’d have opted for a hike up to the High Ledges, a series of trails on Audubon land above town that have views of the entire valley and Mount Greylock in the distance. Shelburne Falls is nestled between two peaks, Massamet and Bray Mountains, so there’s plenty of great hiking. This time around, I settled for a view of the falls around the corner from the bakery. With its brick, stone, and wooden buildings dating back well over 100 years, its functional supermarkets and food co-ops, three bookstores, and a gem of a public library, Shelburne Falls is a joy to stroll around. It’s so picturesque that Hollywood has come calling several times. The Judge with Robert Duvall and Labor Day with Kate Winslet were both filmed there. Star-shaped plaques reminiscent of Hollywood’s Walk of Fame are affixed to many a building in town, including the Town Hall, which happens to house a volunteer-run movie theater on the top floor! And as if a turn-of-the-century town hall with a movie theater weren’t enough, around the corner and down an alley there’s the nation’s second oldest continuously operated bowling alley. And as if that weren’t enough, it’s candlepin bowling! Cozy with just eight lanes, the Shelburne Falls Bowling Alley has been in operation since 1906 (closed due to COVID, reopening soon). Candlepins, if you haven’t played, is akin to ten-pin bowling except that the balls are the size of pomelos, the pins are skinny, and if they fall down and remain in place, you just play on. The best part is you get three tries per turn. And if you wanna celebrate a win, the other best part is the $3 16-oz. drafts of Pabst Blue Ribbon. If bowling makes you hungry as well as thirsty, you’ll have a good excuse to walk back across the river to the popular West End Pub or Blue Rock restaurant. Or if you’re an occasional health geek like me, you can pop over to the historic McCusker’s Market, now run as a satellite natural foods store by Franklin Community Co-op of Greenfield. You’re bound to meander across many of your own finds. In addition to the three bookstores, there’s an artist’s co-op, and a bunch of nicely curated thrift clothing stores. And on your way home, if there’s still time in the day and room in your tummy, don’t forget to make a stop at the Old Creamery (only outdoor seating at the moment) in Cummington, a delightful food co-op and gathering place up among the Hill Towns.