Legendary Natural Bridge

Yesterday Brad had the afternoon off. After a long weekend of him on call, and a busy schedule this week, we were desperate for some time with him.

Brad's Attending Dr. told him about a natural bridge about a half hour away from Casper. Apparently, it is one of only three natural bridges in the United States with water still running under it.

This is what we found:

Isn't it awesome?

It was such a peaceful, beautiful place. The weather was gorgeous. Temps were in the 70's, but with a crisp Autumn breeze. The scenery was beautiful. The cliffs surrounding the river were mostly bright red. Stunning. We even found the name of someone carved into the cliff dated 1923. Crazy!

We spent a few lazy hours there, enjoying ourselves. Brad and Lainy waded in the water and climbed trees. Leah splashed in the river and discovered the taste of rocks and dirt. We had a perfect afternoon.

 

We found out some interesting history behind the bridge. For the Indians who first lived here, the bridge was an evil place. An Indian brave was struck by lightning and killed while standing on top of the bridge. Because of that, the Indians believed an evil spirit dwelt below the bridge so they would not go near it. Later, when white settlers came to the area and had conflicts with the Indians, they learned of the legend of the bridge. When the Indians attacked, the white settlers would escape to the bridge where they knew they would be safe.

We found no evidence of an evil spirit below the bridge. Or did we?

While attempting to take a family picture on top of the bridge, a huge gust of wind came up and knocked our camera down a small cliff. It still takes pictures, but it won't focus. Was it the doings of the Indian's legendary spirit?

Maybe. Either way, we needed a new camera anyway. Ours is WAY outdated (only 5 mega pixels). Anyone have any recommendations? We can't afford a SLR. We just want a good, sturdy point and shoot camera that takes great pictures. So if you love your camera, let me know... Looks like my birthday/Christmas is coming early this year.