Trip to Natural Bridge
- sarahwilk24
- Oct 9, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 17
Lace Falls & Apple Orchard Falls
93 pieces | LEGO: 41677 (retired)
Assembled by Andrew Deese, December 2024
Interaction Rating: 5 / 5 (interaction with the set is encouraged)
October 8 - 10, 2022
With Hunter driving, he and Sarah set off on a Saturday morning for a campground near Natural Bridge in Virginia, a location neither of them can recall the name of. It was in such a remote and mountainous area that they lost GPS and cell service before they even found the campsite. After setting up, they checked out a little lake and beach that they'd spotted on the way in. Sarah enjoyed reading by the campfire, and Hunter played the part of a mountain man with his axe, cutting up fallen tree limbs. The camp stove they brought (but hadn't tested beforehand) didn't work, so they had to cook everything over a fire, an unexpected challenge for Sarah with her dietary restrictions, but they managed to make it work.
The next morning, they set off for Natural Bridge without access to GPS and were unsure of its location. Sarah had visited the park before and was delighted to see Hunter's reactions as a first-time visitor. They marveled at the natural rock formation, so large it was hard to take in. They walked on the main trail under the bridge leading to Lace Falls, where a kind stranger took photos of them. Hunter immediately changed the background image on his phone to one of the new photos. That evening, they learned how fast potatoes cook (and burn) when placed directly in hot coals.
On the final day of their trip, they packed up camp and drove to the Blue Ridge Parkway, finding themselves on a deserted and precarious gravel road through gorgeous terrain, the leaves near peak color. When GPS started working again, they found the Apple Orchard Falls trail. The sun was bright, but the air held a high-elevation chill. They began their descent, near-falling much of the way down to the bottom of the falls (knowing the whole time that they would soon have to climb back up). At the bottom, they found themselves at the basin of one of the most beautiful waterfalls they’ve ever seen. They found a bench perfectly angled so that they could see the whole expanse of the falls without craning their necks too badly, and they settled into each other. They could have stayed there all day. The trek back up was challenging, and Hunter left a nice pair of sunglasses on the last log where they took a break. They drove back home feeling grounded and rested, their chests buzzing with the warmth of their growing love for each other.
Photos from their weekend in Natural Bridge.