A Natural Day

A rare two-headed tortoise spotted at the zoo.

Yes, I know these pictures never turn out, but it is proof I was there, right?

Mr. Washington's and Mr. Jefferson's Natural Bridge

AJ and Lexi with a member of the Monacan tribe.

Today was our "see some of the local history day". We traveled to Natural Bridge, VA, and spent most of the day there. We visited the Natural Bridge zoo which is home to pink flamingos, white tigers, Himalayan bears and many other fun species. After the zoo, we decided to cool off by visiting the Natural Bridge Caverns. We walked 345 ft. below the surface to the deepest caverns on the east coast. The 54 degree temperature was a welcome break to yet another day of record setting heat. I think the kids most enjoyed making ghost sounds in the tunnels. After the caverns, we decided to grab a bite and walk down to what has to be one of the most stunning sights in Virginia. Natural Bridge is exactly what the name implies...a bridge made naturally by the forces of nature. (Here come the boring facts.) It is a bridge that stands 1,160 ft above sea level and is at least 500 million years old. It is 100 ft wide, 40 ft thick, spans 90 ft between its walls and supports a highway without any reinforcement. It was first surveyed by George Washington as property of the King of England and later sold to Thomas Jefferson (with an additional 157 acres) for twenty shillings or about $2.40. We also visited a reconstructed Monacan village where we were able to talk to tribal members about the life of local Native Americans before the arrival of Europeans. Lexi and AJ got a kick out of going into the houses and touching all the animal skins. On our trek to the waterfall, a rainstorm passed through and forced us to turn back. This by far had to be the kids' favorite part of the day because of the endless supply of mud puddles and the free license to get dirty.