"Bridge of God"..."Hmm, that sounds like a cool place!" This bridge is a limestone arch which was formed by the Cedar Creek, which runs underneath it. The Monacan Indians, a hunter/gatherer tribe that lived along the East Coast in what is now Virginia, gave the Bridge of God its name.

I'm sure the Monacans were amazed by this bridge's natural beauty when they named it the "Bridge of God." However, upon arriving at the town that was the "home base" for this sight, I was amazed by something other than nature.

In this town, there was a huge building with a gift shop, pool, hotel, game room, and even a shuttle bus down to the actual bridge. I thought we would be hiking a rocky, rough trail down to see the bridge in all its natural beauty. Boy, was I wrong. In addition to the shuttle bus, there was a pathway to the bridge made of paved steps with lights along the sides.

Trying to find somewhere a bit more peaceful, I crept away from the main path. I sat down on a rock, closed my eyes and imagined what this area must have been like before man came and changed it. I could imagine an eagle soaring overhead. I thought about what it would be like to be a bird and have my nest cut down so that a bunch of people could stomp through what was once my quiet little home. That's what I felt like had been done here.

Don't get me wrong - there still is a lot of natural beauty in this area. The Appalachian Mountain chain, which stretches from Northern Georgia to Canada, has many beautiful, untouched forests and wildlife areas. I just wonder how long it will last.

I hope you all will think about this as you look out on the areas of natural beauty near you. Remember the importance of working to preserve and respect our natural environments. Truly, we must think of ourselves as eagles, and work to keep everyone else from messing up our nests.

Nick

Please email me at: nick@ustrek.org