Day 13 & 14 Natural Bridge, Virginia & Coalwood, WV

Day 13 Buchanan Movie Theatre, originally uploaded by Gail S.

We traveled from Roanoke via Highway 11 North to visit Natural Bridge, Virginia. Along the way we passed through the town of Buchanan where we stopped to take photos of the Buchanan Theatre. This quaint burg is on the bank of the James River in the Shenandoah Valley. While walking down Main Street, I greeted several people, none of whom spoke to me. Could it be the motorcycle helmet, leathers and neck gator that put them off?

Day 13 Natural Bridge Hotel, originally uploaded by Gail S.

We were surprised to see this grand hotel at the site of the Natural Bridge complex. Folks, this is in the middle of nowhere! Clearly this is a well-established tourist destination.

Day 13 Dino & Cowboy in the Shenandoah Valley?, originally uploaded by Gail S.

We were especially surprised to see this dinosaur being ridden by a cowboy just outside the Natural Bridge gift shop! It is an advertisement for the wax museum located in the complex. Our ticket included admission to the museum, but we didn't take advantage of it because we spent so much time at the natural bridge site.

Day 13 Natural Bridge, originally uploaded by Gail S.

This 20-story natural bridge was created by erosion from Cedar Creek which runs underneath. Take a look at the scale of the bridge compared to the people in the photo!

In 1750 it was surveyed by 18-year old George Washington who left his initials on the wall of the bridge. Later, Thomas Jefferson purchased the bridge along with 157 surrounding acres. It is still privately owned today.

We were surprised to learn that we had crossed the bridge via Highway 11. How did we miss this enormous gorge when we crossed over? We examined it on the way out and discovered a 10-foot fence obscuring our view along with a distracting billboard pointing the way to the complex.

Day 13 Monacan Village, originally uploaded by Gail S.

The mile-long Cedar Creek nature trail features a re-creation of a Native American village complete with two interpretive guides - a married couple. We spent some time chatting with the guides about the area and the exhibits in the village.

Day 13 Corn at Monacan Village, originally uploaded by Gail S.

This dried corn was part of the corn cake cooking demonstration at the village.

Day 13 Virginia Snake!, originally uploaded by Gail S.

If you are going to hike a nature trail, you must be prepared for nature! We encountered three of these non-poisonous snakes on the banks of the creek. It was a relaxing hike that we thoroughly enjoyed. We recommend a visit to this Virginia destination located just a few miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I must confess that I am posting this entry about events that took place almost two days ago. Since our visit to Natural Bridge, we have left Roanoke to head to the October Sky Festival in Coalwood, West Virginia. The festival came about after the movie based on a book by Homer "Sonny" Hickam about his days in the 1950s as a "Rocket Boy" in a small coal mining town in West Virginia. Fans of the Coalwood books (3 memoirs written by Sonny) are interested in seeing the town, meeting Homer and the folks from Coalwood and helping to preserve the rich heritage of this fading area.

Because of a last-minute cancellation, Sid and I were fortunate to get a room at a motel filled with people from the town who return every year for a reunion. We spent the evening visiting with people featured in the books and others who grew up in Coalwood. We learned about the town and its people, but mostly we were privileged to be included in a group of old friends who enjoy being together again. Since Coalwood has no motel, we are staying in Welch, WV. It is early Saturday morning. In a couple hours we will travel to the festival. I'll post my impressions of the experience tomorrow.