Friday, April 13, 2018, Natural Bridge State Park, KY

Finally, we had a sunny day with comfortable temperatures. We were only a few miles from Natural Bridge State Park in Slade, KY, where we heard there was a nice hike.

About a mile from where we parked we saw the bridge with a beautiful golden illumination from below. It made you think it was being lit by a sunrise but it was early afternoon. The rock was not yellow so I have no idea what gave it this hue.

I think the sun is being reflected off light sandy ground beneath the arch from the far side.

The rail and stairs funneled hikers through a crevice in the rock leading to the top of the bridge.

The top of the bridge was wide enough for a nice little road. Quite a few people took advantage of the nice weather for a hike in this popular state park.

Off in the distance, we could see Battleship rock. It was just an easy (i.e., level) additional quarter mile or so and it gave us a great view looking back at the bridge.

Back across the bridge, we realized that most of the steps around the park were constructed with slabs of quarried stone but some of the steps were carved right into the rock.

Joani caught me going through the fat man's squeeze - it was tight! I know there were some folks on the bridge who must have touched both sides at once getting through. I'm sure quite a few people turned back thinking it wasn't worth the risk of getting stuck. We were almost run over by one woman who said she was claustrophobic so she had to move quickly. I guess when there is nothing but stone a foot from your face it could get a bit discomforting if you think about it too long.

Today's hike left us wanting more. Here's hoping spring is finally here!