Last week we headed north east, so this past Friday we pointed the swagger wagon south west and met up with our friends Marc, Le Anne, Rhys and Elloree in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Our home for the weekend was the Kieffer's RV, where we slept in comfort and ate campground gourmet - spice rubbed grilled chicken, Greek potatoes, cinnamon sugar biscuits and Persian kabobs - thanks to Marc, a fabulous chef (if you are ever in Charlotte, NC, stop by one of the three Mellow Mushroom restaurants Marc and Le Anne own).
Loved the whole experience of RVing. Watching the kids have a blast running around during the day and relaxing by the camp fire at night. It's refreshing to the soul to be surrounded by nature's beauty, kids laughing and playing without electronics, talking late into the evening with wonderful friends, then climbing into a warm nest (with plumbing!).
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| Yeah for Marc's cooking!! |
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| Rhys and Owen making campfire biscuits |
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These two ... Le Anne and I say all the time
that they must be related. Or they are going
to end up married! |
Natural Bridge State Park
The Natural Bridge is an amazing geological formation. The Cedar Creek carved a gorge in the limestone terrain, leaving a bridge arch (which you drive across on US 11) that is 215 feet high. And now for your free history lesson from Wikipedia:
The Natural Bridge was a sacred site of the Native American Monacan tribe, who believed it to be the site of a major victory over pursuing Powhatans centuries before the arrival of whites in Virginia.
Some believe George Washington came to the site in 1750 as a young surveyor on behalf of Thomas Fairfax. To support claims that Washington surveyed the area, some tour guides claim the initials "G.W." on the wall of the bridge, 23 ft. up, were carved by the future president. Legend also has it that George Washington threw a rock from the bottom of Cedar Creek over the bridge. In 1927, a large stone was found, also engraved "G.W." and bearing a surveyor's cross, which historians accepted as proof that he indeed surveyed the bridge.
Thomas Jefferson purchased 157 acres (635,000 m²) of land including the Natural Bridge from King George III of England for 20 shillings in 1774. He called it "the most Sublime of nature's works". Jefferson built a two-room log cabin, with one room reserved for guests, beginning its use as a retreat. While President, in 1802, he personally surveyed the area.
Natural Bridge was one of the tourist attractions of the new world that Europeans visited during the 18th and 19th centuries. Vacationing guests from all over the world took day trips from Natural Bridge on horseback or horse-drawn carriages to explore the countryside.
I don't think any of my pictures do it justice; it's really quite awe inspiring in person. We walked the whole Cedar Creek trail, stopping along the way at a recreated Monacan village and ending at the Lace Falls (and of course visiting the gift shop after!).
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| Our mini Dr. Doolittle |
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| See the joey's legs sticking out of Mama's pouch? |
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Owen was thrilled to see his favorite animal,
the cheetah |
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| Four day old baby camel |
What a great getaway. Now Bob and I are going to have to start saving up for our own Minnie Winnie!
1 comment:
Great pictures. Didn't know all of this was in VA! Looks like a fun time.
Aunt Cathy
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