On New Year's Eve day, Richard and I found the covered bridge on the Arabia Mountain trail! Isn't it a lovely sight? Months ago, when we walked on this same trail, we asked some of the bikers if they knew of a covered bridge but not one single person had ever seen it or even heard of it! I just looked up the name of the bridge's designer, Merle D. Grimes and discovered that he passed away in 2010 at the age of 53. He had planned and developed trails in Georgia, Colorado and also, the island of Kauai. A valued friend of nature... I really love that. I remember reading that this bridge was based on the designs of Horace King, one of the principal bridgebuilders in the South during the 19th century. His son, Washington King, built the covered bridge which was originally over the Oconee River in Athens, Georgia (built in 1891) but was moved to Stone Mountain park in 1965. Would you like to see some photos of that bridge?
Do you see that cars can drive across but on the left side there, it is for people who WALK! It is so pretty to look out from this bridge onto the lake...
These photos from Stone Mountain were taken on June 11th of this past year..."Merle would want us to search out some part of nature each and every day even if that journey is in our own back yard and experience the joy of the outside world...
Jeff Shoemaker, The Greenway Foundation
View of the sunrise from our house on December 31, 2011. (Taken by Richard!)
Hi Kay, thanks for visiting and for your comment. Like you, I have an English heart. Don't know how much of the blog you saw but thought you might appreciate this post (http://www.audreygoeslocal.blogspot.com/2010/04/all-things-english.html). I love Stone Mountain ~ you're lucky to live so close! And don't you love Dawn's blog ~ I know I do! Take care and Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteHello Audrey!
ReplyDeleteI just went back to your blog and read your post "All Things English" and it had me smiling and chuckling. Now, you are younger than I am so you can't appreciate the Beatles the way that I do but I am in total agreement about the Rolling Stones, can't stand them!
Even though I have been married to my English husband for 28 years now, I can only manage an English accent that sounds like Dick Van Dyke from Mary Poppins!
Yes, I LOVE Dawn's blog! I am amazed at her talent and beauty.
And Stone Mountain is awesome! Let's go climb it right now, no wait, it might be in the teens tonight, better wait...
I want to be there!
ReplyDeleteSP
It is beautiful, Kay, and I remember well when you first wrote about looking for the covered bridge and how nobody seemed to know anything about it.
ReplyDeleteToday it is sunny and bright out there, so I guess I'll talk RJ into a walk across the fields after breakfast :-)
That is so beautiful. We don't have wooden covered bridges here in the UK, I've only seen these bridges in films, they're sort of iconic.
ReplyDeleteSP,
ReplyDeleteSo happy that you find it beautiful too. Many people just take covered bridges for granted, many of them have been destroyed. Progress!
Librarian,
ReplyDeleteI knew YOU would remember! We kept looking around every corner for this bridge, and were finally rewarded. Someone had told us that it existed but that it was small and was only on the trail and not over water at all. It took me 27 steps to go across the bridge and it is over a babbling brook. (It may sound like a cliche to say "babbling brook" but that is exactly what it was!)
I'll bet you are a valued friend of nature! :-)
Wendy,
ReplyDeleteMy in-laws in England have some coasters for coffee/tea that have covered bridges on them (all from New England, I think) and recently in a flood, one of the covered bridges was washed away in Vermont, I recognized it from the coaster in England!
I think that they are beautiful AND useful. If you get a chance, read about Horace King, engineer and bridge builder. Pretty fascinating story to me.
Lovely area & pics! How sad that the bridge's designer passed away so young - he's left behind a beautiful legacy.
ReplyDeleteHi Kay...wanted to stop by to say Happy New Year to you! Loved this post,I would love to see a covered bridge in person (wood??) I fell in love with them while watching the movie 'The Bridges of Madison County'! I don't blame you at all for getting out into the beautiful outdoors as often as you can - we try to as well, although so different from yours. Loved the pictures taken in June - they remind me of the warmth & green to come! Happy 2012 to you both, may it bring only good things xo
ReplyDeleteHey Jane,
ReplyDeleteWe really love "our" parks! I also felt saddened by his early death, but as you say, he left behind beautiful trails and bridges all over the country, a lovely legacy.
Hey Rachel!
ReplyDeleteI will think of you when I see any covered bridge, that I am seeing it in person (or in wood!) That's funny! I like thinking of the warmth & green to come... I hope this year brings only good things to you and yours!
Kay, thank you so much for sharing this. I didn't know anything about the covered bridges. How cool this one is, and what a legacy he left.~~Dee
ReplyDeleteHello Kay, i just popped by from Saras blog (Come away with me) after seeing you comment on her stitched flower picture on her bookshelf. I made it for her, its so lovely to see it sitting there amongst her books. It was a gift to her after she sent me a hand stitched heart which she made for me.
ReplyDeleteI love your 'about me' over in the side bar, you have an interesting story!
Aqeela xx
Dee,
ReplyDeleteThank you! Glad you liked the covered bridges, as much as I do. :-)
Aqeela,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for leaving me a comment to tell me that! That stiched flower picture is SO PRETTY, and it IS lovely sitting there next to her books.
Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I really appreciate it!
Please drop by again!
Very beautiful photos! We saw the covered bridges in Indiana a long time ago and loved them.
ReplyDeleteKauai? No kidding! That's amazing.
Kay,
ReplyDeleteOh good, I was hoping that you would see this!
I thought of you when I read he did trails in Kauai. Small world! Also, do you see that photo of myself at the covered bridge? It looks as if I have a flower behind my ear, but alas, it is just the red tail-light of the truck parked behind me! HA!