After spending the night at a truck stop, I was up early on Monday to drive to the Abbey of Gethsemani. A picturesque Kentucky farm and monastery. Thomas Merton? you guys heard of him? Anyway, it was a good place to reflect, think some dep thoughts, then buy some cheese for my friends in DC.
Off I went next to Lexington, where I saw a marker at Phoenix Park, with of course, a statue of a man on a camel on top?!? The pedestral also marked the direction North, and said it was the "zero marker". Got me what's going on, I just thought it incongruous, and I like camels...
Then on to Natural Bridge state park, which is an absolutely beautiful place - I'm very glad I checked it out. It was cloudy and rain/drizzling most of the morning while I was hiking around, which made the lighting difficult, but I got some good pics anyway. The surrounding forest is tall and varied, with Hemlocks, oaks, maples, pines, rhododendrons the whole gamut. It's like a little temperate rain forest micro-climate in there - I'm kind of glad it was raining, since it added to the mood. The bridge itself is hard to picture (I've used my photo of a postcard trick again), but I got a few. I made sure to include a couple of the top, to prove to all that I am being careful.
Bonus of showers at the campground, so I cleaned up my camp and myself, then headed across the highway to Koomer Ridge campground, were I spent the night before packing up and heading east.
Two more stops before taking a break in DC for Thanksgiving: New River Gorge National River, then Shenandoah National Park.
5 comments:
I finally figured out how to log in using a password that works!!
Michael, beautiful photos my friends. You have "the eyes" for it. I don't know why that's in quotes...
That's a really cool way of putting multiple pictures into a blog; wish I'd known about that cool app.
And what fabulous pictures of the fall colors you're getting. Awful purty. Cool natural bridge, too!
Too bad you showered. Phil, Danielle, and Blake and Marcia were all telling me how they hoped you would just hang out at their houses, flaking off dirt.
Don't get cold out there! It's been chilly 'round these parts.
Nope, there aren't too many photos!
We're enjoying them all. You really have some tremendous shots...I'm sure Dano may be thinking of rendering some of them...with your permission, of course.
Mommy took out the "lupa" to see who that guy was at the edge of the bridge?? Remind you of any one?
Keep 'em coming. We enjoy the blog comments humor as well.
I like the dual Sanch tramp!
The camel rider is clearly an X-marks-the-spot kind of thing! Secret map hidden underneath the statue, to a treasure buried up north! Hidden by ancient Arab immigrants to the Americas! Jeez. You could have made us all RICH!
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