Bridge of Flowers -- Shelburne Falls, Mass

An abandoned street trolley bridge transformed into a Footbridge for your senses.



On a trip between Brattleboro, VT and home, I had an extra hour or so to kill, so I followed the sign I've been wondering about for so long: "Bridge of Flowers Next Right." This time I bit: the light was going to be good, and I had a camera with me, so I took the exit to Shelburne Falls.

One problem, which I suppose is understandable: No Dogs. This is a sensitive topic with me because we just added a new puppy to the family roadtrippers (her name is Moxie).

It's not a long walk -- 400 feet -- so it wouldn't be that great for dogs, it's mostly a nice place to stroll with an ice cream cone after dinner. And there happens to be a nice little tavern with a porch overlooking the bridge. And I saw people walking around with ice cream, so I suspect there's an ice cream store there as well.

The Shelburne Falls Women's Club tends more than 400 species of flowers, shrubs, and vines on the bridge which blooms early spring through late fall. The trolley ran twenty years over this bridge before closing in 1928. The following year it was converted into the bridge of flowers. Don't forget to leave a donation in the can at either end of the bridge.