The Drama of Creation is a special evening activity at the Natural Bridge.
beginning its use as a retreat. Jefferson considered the Natural Bridge and the passage of the Potomac River through the Blue Ridge Mountains at Harpers Ferry to be two of the most incredible natural sites in America and described them as "monuments of a war between rivers and mountains, which must have shaken the earth to its center." Approximately 270 years later, my best friend Julie and I decided to do our own surveying of the bridge and we were not disappointed. Julie and I live equidistance apart in Virginia and North Carolina, so Natural Bridge State Park had us meeting practically in the middle. I was at first disappointed that I couldn’t see the bridge from the entrance to the park, but the wait was worth it. Once inside the visitors’ center, we paid the $8 visitor fee for adults ($6 for children). You can stay a while to watch a park film, talk to a ranger, or browse the bookstore and gift shop. There are two ways to travel to the bridge: walk or ride. I chose ride, my intrepid friend chose to walk. It was a moderately strenuous walk for her and in the end she chose to take the tram back. The view fromthe bottomwas one of themost spectacular things I’ve ever seen. Seemingly rising out of the creek bed was this natural wonder, 215 feet of solid rock
carved by the fingers of nature and Cedar Creek. We sat on one of the comfortable benches and, of course, asked a passerby to take our photo. We continued on the Cedar Creek trail under the enormous bridge, which winds past a saltpeter cave and Lost River to Lace Falls. We stopped to explore the Monacan Indian Village with colorful reenactors showing the life of a typical Native American settlement. The Monacan Indian Nation is one of 11 Native American tribes recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia. The original territory of the Siouan-speaking tribe and its allies comprised more than half of present-day Virginia. After a lovely morning by the bridge, we checked back into the Natural Bridge Historic Hotel and Conference Center, just a short walk from the entrance to Natural Bridge, where we signed up for a light show that night beneath the bridge. After a delicious dinner, we were transported to the bottom of the bridge and were in for a magnificent treat. During the night pageant, the mountain sides form a vast stage. Scenes move and change with a presentation of the Drama of Creation, accompanied by classical music and moving lighting effects. We discovered there were many other venues to explore
NATURALLY VIRGINIA
COAST TO COAST FALL MAGAZINE 2020
14
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