Mild winter days means it’s time to get outside and take in some fresh air. This day’s adventure took me to the Montague area in Western Mass.  Montague is located about 2 hours west of Boston and 30 minutes north of Amherst in the Upper Pioneer Valley. With the Connecticut river flowing through the town, the majority of the infrastructure was built around mill history. Many of the old mill buildings have been converted into shops and restaurants. 

One such building is Montague Book Mill.  The used book store boasts about having 40,000 books and one waterfall, and both features drew me in. The Book Mill is as much a bookstore as a gathering space. The Lady Killigrew Cafe on the first floor of the old grist mill serves coffee, tea, and lunch options with a small dining area looking out over Sawmill River Falls. Many people, including myself, grab a coffee to go and find a comfy place to sit and read within the two story Book Mill space. The 2nd floor is especially inviting with its vaulted ceilings and rustic wood features.  Because it is a used book store, you never know if you’re going to find what you’re looking for, but that is what is fun about it. They even lean into this with their store motto: “Books you don’t need in a place you can’t find”.

While it looks like the restaurant that was housed on the first floor recently closed down, the large outdoor patio space along the river would make this a great palace or a restaurant, so I hope another one opens here in the future.  Also in the complex is a record store, Turn it Up, and a local artisan shop, Sawmill River Arts Collective. 

Another area to check out for local art and unique finds is the village of Turner Falls. The downtown area is about 3 blocks long with a handful of restaurants and stores to enjoy.  One of the quirkier stores is Loot.  Loot features industrial artifacts both in the raw and repurposed into art or other household items.  I could see the bins of parts inspiring people to make their own art (if only I was that creative). 

Just outside of the village of Turner Falls is Peterman’s Boards & Bowls. Set in another historic home (1736 Old Red House), the shop features wooden bowls, boards, and serving utensils of all sizes and finishes. They have a showcase room and a room of seconds.  Because each piece is handcrafted from locally sourced trees, they each have their own character – from the color to the grain variations, from the smooth to raw edges. It took me a fair amount of time to choose one to take home with me.  

At the edge of Turner Falls village is the Great Falls Discovery Center.  Run by Massachusetts State Parks, the Discovery Center is housed in a historic paper mill building and offers information on the natural and cultural history of the area. Inside the Center is a 3-D topographical map of the Connecticut river and several life size wildlife dioramas of the flora and fauna of the area. Connected to this building is a great hall that houses an art gallery as well as a space for events.  

Just behind the Discovery Center, the canal separates from the main river bed, and I enjoyed watching the water rush under the bridge – which at first looked treacherous, but was actually quite sturdy.  It’s also possible to walk down the hill on the other side of the canal to the river to see the dam and bridge from below. For a longer walk, the Canalside Rail Trail follows the Connecticut River from here to East Deerfield for about 3 ½ miles.

I visited two other bridges during my day’s adventure. The first was in the Lake Pleasant Village of Montague, where a small bridge connects two sections of the neighborhood across a ravine.  Built in the 1970s, the bridge has needed several repairs over the years. Those that helped support the bridge’s upkeep have been honored with a named picket along the bridge; hence how it got its title: The Bridge of Names.  

The much larger French King Bridge spans the Connecticut River on Rt 2. The small parking areas on either side of the bridge allowed me to park and walk to the center of the three-span “cantilever arch” bridge for a clear view of the deepest part of the Connecticut River below. The white marble pillars and ornate lanterns at the ends of the bridge create a regal opening to the historic 1932 bridge. 

Across the Connecticut River, west of Turner Falls, in Greenfield is Poet’s Seat Tower. The short ½ mile walk from the parking area up the wide carriage roads ends with the observation tower looking out over Greenfield. In the mid 1800s, local writer Frederick Goddard Tuckerman named this vista “Poet’s Seat” for its inspirational views, so when the stone tower was erected in 1912, they carried on the name.

For another peaceful experience, head south of Montague to the town of Leverett to visit the New England Peace Pagoda. Constructed in 1985, this is the first Peace Pagoda built in the country, and one of only 80 worldwide.  The grand white dome of the pagoda stands at over 100 feet tall. According to Buddhist tradition, these stupas are built to inspire peace for people of all races and creeds. Alongside the pagoda is a peace garden with benches, pathways, and ponds that serve as a place to slow down and take in the surroundings. Down the hill are other Buddhist meditation centers for those who would like to engage in more formal meditation. 

From the rushing waters of the Connecticut River to the colorful flags in the Peace Garden, Montague is beautiful, even in the middle of winter.