Late Illuminations - Slade, Kentucky

Natural Bridge State Park


For some months now, Bill and I have been planning on a day journey to visit a picturesque natural rock formation that spans an ancient river gorge. Bill has been most excited about showing me the world of Eastern Kentucky in which he grew up. On the phone he described the incredible views available to those who are willing to climb up a steep trail to the top of this old Appalachian river gorge. I was hopeful of seeing breath taking images much like those the great landscape painter Albert Bierstadt was able to capture on canvas in the 19th century.

Alas, the day we had available to visit Natural Bridge dawned dark, gray, and wet. This is the third day of dense cloud cover and it is telling on our mood. Yet, we did not let it impede any of our planned activities. About 11 AM we headed west for the Natural Bridge State Park, which is supposed to be the crown jewel of the Kentucky state park system. With the park shrouded in dense cloud and rain at 2 PM it was hard to tell if this is true. All I saw was milky white. I was reminded of the time I invited friends from England to climb Whiteside Mountain in North Carolina, only to see dense white cloud. I told them to imagine a valley floor thousands of feet below. So it was with Bill telling me to imagine what was below.

We did go ahead and hike up to the natural bridge in drizzle and dense cloud. It was very mystical and despite the conditions I was able to get some fine images. The grand fern and tree species that thrive in these mountains require long periods of being shrouded in dense cloud with drizzle. There is a price for everything. The geologic formations are impressive and the park trail maintenance is very good. It was very easy to climb the various trails. This park has many of the pleasant sensibilities I have always found in other state and national parks. It would be easy to shift focus from exotic foreign destinations to nearby state parks. They really do attract a very different unpretentious kind of person. To wit: we encountered a nice talkative fellow on the trail who was a pipe fitter for Ford for 38years.

With some reluctance we left the park about 4 PM, figuring to go to Lexington for the rest of the day and Saturday since the weather was not conducive to hiking about the mountains or capturing grand vistas with a camera.

We quickly changed our plans and decided on an urban outing to some of the Lexington spring festivals, despite the hideous cost of gasoline. Bill pulled up a faded memory of a restaurant down by the Kentucky River, sort of on the way to Lexington. Amazingly, we hunted it down fairly easily, despite an obscure location. We found a distinctive local color place cantilevered over the river, fairly remote from any immediate town. The setting was actually most pleasing, reminding me of many such places in the United Kingdom.

While eating there, the dense cloud cover of three-days duration suddenly dispersed and we found ourselves looking out into brilliant sun for the first time in three days. The late afternoon illuminations in a crisp clear cerulean sky suggested it might be worthwhile to quickly retrace our steps.

We decided to drive the hour back to the park to see if we could actually get to the top of the gorge in time to film the sunset. We actually got to the park at exactly the right time to hike up to the bridge to catch the sunset. It was helpful to do another hike. I really did need the exercise. I can tell the difference when I don’t get aerobic exercise. The hike to the natural bridge is only half a mile but very steep. I think the gain in elevation is about 1000 feet. The views from the top were crystalline clear and did afford views up and down the river gorge. The full moon presently itself at just the right time to illuminate the lavender sky one finds in the east at sunset.

We decided this park really is better experienced as a destination rather than as a mere stop on the way to someplace else. We were able to get a room cancellation and stayed in the resort lodge in the park. The view out the plate glass of our room was much like that from a well-done tree house. The room and its context were really fine.

I was up early enough for a quiet wandering around the lake, and various assorted facilities of the park lodge. Bill sleeps late on vacations so I have a lot of morning time by myself. I get a powerful sense of many people working in this resort and having a truly happy compact world to live in. A square dance facility on a small island was truly compelling. An island has been developed as a single purpose dance floor with bleachers and bandstand. I had powerful images of happy people dancing under the stars and living totally in the moment. The appeal of state parks was really strong while walking about the empty spaces in the early morning.

In the afternoon while walking about and seeing young happy families, my speculations of early morning about family life in state parks were reinforced. It was hard to not resent my childhood having been truncated by alcohol and drugs. I saw some incredible mothers creating magic for their children. A Caucasian couple and two adopted Korean boys were poking around, looking for insects with magnifying glasses. I could not wander what it would have done for my mental health if Mom had me foraging for bugs with a magnifier instead of fetching her pills and drinks.

The dining room in the resort lodge reminded me of a simpler more rustic time from 40 years ago. There is a natural earth tone stone motif of interior design that was common in the 40s and 50s that I find comforting and more enduring than the faddish motifs of the present day. The unassuming pleasant wait staff added to the overall sense of the resort. Bill was nearly in love with the woman who waited on us. It would have taken little to convince me to stay a few more days in this oasis of tranquility.

I now pay a lot more attention to those brown roadside signs. I get a big yield on my tax dollars when I partake of the offerings in these grand parks.