Natural Bridge, Virginia – a 150 year old tourist trap!
Given this creative slump that I am in, I thought it best to get outside and back to nature, as they say that is always good. It was.
Not too far from me is a natural bridge, which is also not too far from the Blue Ridge Parkway. It has been a tourist attraction for hundreds of years and supported a hotel, a gift shop and a fine restaurant for about as long. Of course there was a fire at the restaurant which burned down some of the hotel back in 1850 something, but they seemed to have recovered.
This is not a park, but it appears privately owned. It would be a treat to meet the family that owns this place, as they have to be eccentric. There is also a wax museum – why I am not sure – except to extract a bit more money from the tourists. I did not bother visiting.
It was a nice walk, but I was not impressed. There are dozens of natural bridges out west that blow this one away – and they are in publicly owned parks.
In any event, I will come back when the autumn leaves peak and spend a night at the hotel – as the best time to view the bridge is at sunrise and sunset – and I read they have a killer seafood buffet on Friday nights.
Hmmm – I am so looking forward to autumn, but I don’t belong here. I’d do much better in Lake Tahoe, or about anywhere in the West.
But I am here in the Blue Ridge Mountains for the season; I am stashing away the cash and I will make the best of it. I’ll be back to Piney Point next weekend, and soon back to Mexico to pick up a sweet severance package from the crooks at Bombardier!
