This week I’m at home visiting my parents before Joey, Tom and my long journey out west. My mom has come up with a bunch of great little afternoon excursions for me to see as much of my own little part of the world as possible before I go trying to see as much of the rest of America as I can manage in one summer. What she came up with for this 65 degree early May Tuesday afternoon was to go to Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts to see The Bridge of Flowers and the Glaciated Potholes.
The Bridge of Flowers is the only one of its kind in the world (according to the literature I found at the Shelburne Falls visitors center). The bridge was originally a trolley bridge, but when the trolley line became obsolete in 1928 the bridge became more or less abandoned. Antoinette and Walter Burnham transformed the concrete eye sore into a beautiful horticulture project. Over 500 varieties of flowers are planted and tended to by hand by dedicated volunteers and as my mom and I walked across the bridge enjoying the gorgeous flowers and lovely smells there was one such volunteer hard at work in the middle of the bridge.
Right near the bridge are the Glaciated Potholes. At first I wasn’t sure what to expect- the only explanation my mom gave me was that they were potholes in the river which didn’t make any sense at all. As it turns out the rocks are very cool colors and designs and the potholes are actually still being formed today. About 13,500 years ago the last glaciers were melting and as a result a local river flooded. When that happened large rocks and gravel were swept down into the river and as these rocks were turned over and tossed around by the current they actually bore into the riverbed below and created large holes. Looking down at the riverbed today you can see the actual rocks that are creating the holes still inside the potholes. It was pretty cool. Tomorrow we’re off to a large famous antique fair with my mom’s friend Cindy. I’m not sure what I’ll see there, but if it’s interesting you’ll be hearing from me soon!
Until then America.
~Sarah