Road Trip Diaries: The Natural Bridge
by Fayeruz Regan 07.2022
July is the only pure month in summer. It’s not tethered to the end of the school year like June. It doesn’t inundate you with back-to-school messaging like August. July is straight up popsicles, and swimsuits drying on the porch swing.
Since July is so pure, it should be further enriched with a getaway. We took a road trip to Virginia’s Natural Bridge, about two hours west of Richmond. This landmark was so stunning in person, that rows of chairs were set beneath it like pews to accommodate visitors, who sat in silent awe.
Don’t let the rural surroundings fool you; this area of Virginia features so many sights, that you could pack your weekend and still not see everything. Below I’ve listed the best that the Natural Bridge area has to over. May you have your purest July yet.
Natural Bridge State Park
https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/natural-bridge
6477 South Lee Highway, Natural Bridge, VA 24578
540-291-1326
A landscaped path winds you through a moderately easy hike, where you’ll cross over rushing water, and explore a cave. The park even created a replica of a Monacan village. These American Indians considered the Natural Bridge a sacred site. The path is lined with wild hydrangea, and ends with a waterfall.
Of course, the real star of this hike is the Natural Bridge, which soared over our heads in a majestic sweep at 215 feet. It’s a view that spurred a thousand paintings; many of which are on display at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Pay close attention: A tiny portion of the Natural Bridge features a square painted on the rock. It encloses a graffiti carving, left by none other than a young George Washington, who surveyed the Natural Bridge in 1750.
Pink Cadillac Diner
https://www.facebook.com/ThePinkCadillacDiner/
4347 S Lee Hwy, Natural Bridge, VA 24578
Endless diner chains have tried to replicate places like the Pink Cadillac Diner, but they don’t have the grit. Built in 1920, the diner is painted cotton candy pink, with checkerboard floors and a jukebox. There’s even a real pink Cadillac parked out front.
The servers call you “honey,” but not in an ironic way – they are being sincere. Serving pancakes, milkshakes, and a half-pound double-decker Elvis Burger with a secret sauce – foodies with wanderlust travel from far and wide to sample it.
Virginia Safari Park
https://www.virginiasafaripark.com/
540-291-3205
229 Safari Lane, Natural Bridge, VA 24578
In a glorious a throwback to seventies parenting (I’m a fan), visitors at Virginia Safari Park are free to ride in the back of a pick-up truck. This drive-through safari sits on 180 acres of rolling hills in the Shenandoah mountains. Zebras, llamas and every bizarre hoofed animal in between sidle up to cars to feast on your bucket of feed.
We rode behind an open bed truck filled with children, and it was the show we didn’t know we needed. They squealed with glee, fear and disgust at any given moment. An American buffalo yanked an entire feed bucket out of someone’s hand, held the bucket between its teeth and threw it back with a sweep of the neck. Ostriches circled the cars, eyeing everyone suspiciously. Zebras were indifferent but let the children pet them. Meanwhile, a Texas Longhorn decided to lean against our truck; you could hear the faint scrape of their horns on our back window.
Be sure to hop out at some point to feed giraffes from a platform, watch spider monkeys swing from the trees and enter the aviary, where technicolor parakeets use humans as landing pads.
Downtown Lexington
Visitors Center: (540) 463-3777
101 South Main Street Lexington, VA 24450
Downtown Lexington has managed to retain its quaint charm, even while serving cosmopolitan delights. From wood-fired pizza and gelato to a Celtic shop that sells Irish foods and merchandise, it’s as if the outside world congregated to nest in this little mountain town.
What was supposed to be a quick lunch turned into an afternoon of exploring. My husband cannot resist an antique shop, especially if there’s a record collection. Window displays along the sidewalks lured me into boutiques and galleries. Besides, what kind of a person could resist a place called Shenandoah Attic and Victorian Parlour?
All this shopping can take it out of you, so it’s worth mentioning that there are plenty of nearby breweries to replenish your stores. I can’t recommend a specific one, because we just didn’t have the time. Yet another excuse to come back.
Natural Bridge