A Bridge on a Very Nice Day

Bridges do more than just connect land masses or allow you to cross things you wouldn't otherwise be able to cross. They're part of the journey. They bring a different view to the world. They are a marvel—how do they stay up? These are just some of the reasons they fascinate me. They make me wonder, what's over there? What kind of wonderful things lie on the other side? I know—it's a very Anne Shirley view of things. :o)

This is another view of the bridge at Veterans Park. I took this on a hike with my family at the end of this past Winter. It was a warm, beautiful day, and it was so refreshing to experience.

Bridge at Veteran's Park

Our little family visited Veterans Park (Lexington) recently, and took a nice long walk through the meadows and woods. It was a really beautiful day, as you can see! I like bridges a lot, as I've mentioned before, so I couldn't help but stop and snap a few pics of this one. I don't even know what stream this is, though. It's a nice spot, and I really enjoyed being able to get outside and playing in the nice weather. Our dd has been walking for a little while now, too, so it wad a blast watching her deal with new terrain. :o)

High Bridge

High Bridge, 1877

I didn't know it when I took this picture, but this High Bridge is apparently a fairly famous historic engineering landmark. And I just thought it was a cool bridge. On the particular weekend this photo was taken, my little family, along with my husband's cousin and his wife, had decided to visit Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. We settled on a hike, but ended up on the road down to the Dixie Bell and the Kentucky River. We noticed this bridge about half-way down to the river, so I had to stop and snap some pictures of it once we got to the bottom.

As I did a little research on this bridge, I discovered that this High Bridge was the tallest trestle bridge in the world when it was finished in 1877. When it opened, it was the very first cantilever bridge in North America! It is 280 feet above the Kentucky River, and is still in use today.

On either side of the bridge are large, beautiful limestone cliffs and palisades. You can see them in the upper left side of the picture, near that end of the bridge. These types of cliffs line the Kentucky River at many parts. These beautiful cliffs have been quite a surprise for me. I never saw Kentucky as a state with this much beauty, but I'm quickly seeing that my assumptions were wrong.

Bridge over Roupes Creek

Bridge over Roupes Creek
Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park
McCalla, AL

Happy 2010! I think it's appropriate to post a picture of a bridge as we cross the bridge into a new year. I hope you find true Peace and Joy this year. May you experience abundant Grace throughout 2010.

I spent most of by growing-up years in Alabama. My family moved from Illinois to Alabama when I was six, and I lived there until I got married. There were many times (throughout those years) that I visited Tannehill State Park. When I recently visited my family for Thanksgiving, we went out to Tannehill for their Tannehill Crafters’ Open House, and it was the first time I had been there in several years. I remembered certain parts of it, but I had not remembered this bridge. I liked it instantly. Like I've said before, I have a thing for bridges.

Alum Cave Bluff Trail bridge

A couple of years ago, my husband and I spent some time in Great Smoky Mountains National Park for our vacation. One of the trails we did was the Alum Cave Bluff Trail. There are two bridges you cross early on in the hike, and this is one of them. I loved the light . . . not too bright. It made for a very serene location to snap pictures. I love bridges, for some reason, and this one captured my fancy.

The trail is 2.2 miles to the bluff, and well worth the trip. It's a beautiful trail, and goes through a number of interesting rock formations, and through some incredibly beautiful forest. At one point on the trail, you might be able to spot a Peregrine falcon nest, if you know what you're looking for.