(C)2016 Douglas W Davis
Yesterday we visited Grandfather Mountain, a privately owned
park here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Grandfather Mountain is famous for its
Mile High Swinging Bridge.
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| (C)2016 Douglas W Davis |
The cross piece in the middle of the bridge, shown above, marks
the point. The bridge was rebuilt in 1999 and no longer swings as much as it
used to. Now when the wind blows across it, the bridge “sings,” playing notes
much like the sound of a harmonica.
Our furry family members did cross the Mile High Swinging Bridge with us. Though my Schnauzer was not crazy about it, he crossed it bravely. Once on the other side, we did not continue on to the highest point as that would have required some treacherous hiking over slanted and broken rock. I have been to the peak before, so knew I was not missing out on the experience.
One of the many hiking trails on Grandfather Mountain begins
there in the parking lot of the Swinging Bridge gift shop and museum.
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| (C)2016 Douglas W Davis |
The trail is labelled as being one for experienced hikers only.
While I am an experienced hiker, with my hip as it is now I am no longer able
to tackle a trail like this.
The hiking trails are off limits to dogs anyway,
so I wouldn’t have tried it yesterday because I had my miniature Schnauzer with
me.
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(C)2016 Douglas W Davis
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On the drive back down the mountain we found a beautifully
scenic spot for our picnic. The photo above shows one of the vistas we had from
the sight.
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| (C)2016 Douglas W Davis |
Standing on the edge of the parking area was a majestic fir tree rising like a lone sentinel against the backdrop.
While enjoying our picnic lunch, we met another couple who lived
in the area and they filled us in on several other places to visit we had never
heard about. It turned out he was a retired special education teacher and she
was currently working as a high school biology teacher. After we left and were
once again on our way down the mountain, my wife commented on how teachers always
seemed to find each other no matter where they went.
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| (C)2016 Douglas W Davis |
As we left the picnic area we were serenaded by the splendid
fellow in this last photo. I could hear him singing as we got closer to our
truck and was lucky enough to spot him there in that bare branch. Even better,
I was lucky enough to get several pictures of him as he sat watching us.
Instead of flying away, the brave feathered crooner broke back into song as we
got into our truck to leave.
All in all it was a wonderful trip and I was able to take many
photographs of geological and natural wonders that abound on Grandfather
Mountain, many of which I look forward to sharing with my students next school
year.
As always, I remain,
The Exhausted Educator
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