Off The Beaten Path

I think it is true for most of us, that we rush through our days and often fail to see many of the wonderful things that are right in our own backyard. Yesterday, my husband and I were driving down a road we've traveled hundreds of times. For some reason a sign caught my husband's eye. It was just a normal sign that shows the name of the road up ahead if you turn right and the name of the road just past it if you turn left. I have never even noticed this sign. I'm usually just too focused on where I'm going to pay attention to it.

Well, the road that turns off to the left is called Covered Bridge Road. My husband asked if I wanted to drive down that road. I said, "yes", so off we went. As we turned onto Covered Bridge Road, I asked my husband if he thought there actually was going to be a covered bridge. I was very hopeful! As we drove, there was a sign that read, "Pavement Ends" which is fine with me...I live on a dirt road! Then there was a sign that read, "One Lane Traffic Ahead"...Cool!

We rounded a corner and there she was in all her glory! A beautiful covered bridge!!!

This is the Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge.

It was built in the 1840's by a freed slave named Horace King.

It is the oldest and longest covered bridge in Georgia.

 

As soon as we pulled up to the bridge, I took a picture (I only had my phone to take it with) and I sent it to my kids and said, "look what we found!"

They thought it was cool too so we went home, picked them up, and went back with real cameras.

The bridge has a cool lattice design inside and is held together by pegs.

Here are my kids...

I was able to get one picture of my son standing still. But, he's in college studying architecture and was much more interested in how the bridge was built!

My daughter, however, is always aware of the camera!

The bridge crosses over Red Oak Creek. It's a little dry right now but there are signs inside the bridge about 3/4 of the way up showing how high the water was in 1994 during a flood.

The other side...

Plus, my husband and my son...

You'd be a little worn out, too, if people had been driving over you for 170 years!!!

We drove across the bridge and followed the road out to some beautiful countryside.

I can't wait to see it in the Fall!

Be adventurous! Take time to get off the beaten path. There may be something special in your own "back yard" that you are missing!