Natural Bridge

When Matt and I got married we had a grand plan of how we would spend our weekends. One weekend in Harrisonburg, one sightseeing to local sights (day trips) and two at home. So far that has not been happening, but last weekend we did get got go sightseeing.

We drove about a half an hour north to see Natural Bridge. Natural Bridge was once owned by Thomas Jefferson, engraved upon by George Washington, and also listed as one of the 7 wonders of the natural world (though it is no longer on that list).


It is truly a gorgeous sight. The road at the top of the picture is route 11 (the road that parallels interstate 81). The river is a tributary of the James. The bridge is MASSIVE! The next picture shows Matt in front of the bridge to let you know the scale. It is said that this bridge is taller than the Niagara Falls.
Once we saw the bridge and did our required amount of oohs and ahhs, we went on the nature "hike" that is offered on the same trail.
We stopped by a spring that has a nice gazebo by it. We met a nice couple from Baltimore, MD who was nice enough to take this picture of us.
Soon after the spring we encountered a remake of an Indian village. They had people dressed as characters to answer questions. It was a lot of fun to walk around and see what life might have been back then, at this location.
At the end of the nature trail "hike" we got to see the waterfall. It was a nice leisure walk and a lovely to spend a Saturday.After we returned from the hike we went to the toy museum which is also on the grounds. We went through the museum saying (about every two minutes) "I had one of those" or "I remember that!" It was fun. Then we went through the Wax Museum. The Wax Museum was creepy, informative, and fun. Matt and I actually learned a bit about American history through the museum. If you have a chance you should go to Natural Bridge and the local museums (which are included in the ticket :)

After we left....tired, happy, and hungry we decided to stop off at Buchanan, VA to get some food from the Burger King. Little did we know that it was not only a good place for food, but it was also their annual weekend for Civil War reenactment. So we sat, relaxed, ate, and then found a nice spot to watch a scrimmage. North came to "invade" the south went after them with guns, then came the cannons, finally came the men on horses with swords. It was loud, hot and a great surprise. We did not expect to have this addition to our road trip but it was very fun (I have never been to a reenactment).

What a great and surprising weekend. We only expected to see a bridge, yet we had the joy to see so much more.