100% Natural (Bridge)

This is the Natural Bridge, a 215-foot high natural stone arch that carries Lee Highway. If you have spent any time in Virginia, you just asked "Uhhh ... which Lee Highway?" Because it seems like every highway here is Lee Highway. To road nerds, and those who lack imagination, this Lee Highway also answers to US-11. Hey! You can't do that! But obviously J. Hey from Philadelphia did, back in 1850-something. Old-time graffiti wasn't for people without significant time to commit. Today was about 8 hours of driving, with the only real break being the hour and a half I spent at the Natural Bridge. After I had been driving for about two hours I stopped at a 7-11 in a small town, and not only did the cashier called me "Darlin'", but people had accents! It is nice to be away from the DC area for a while.

I am spending the night in Asheville, NC before continuing to Atlanta, GA in the morning. Asheville seems to be a run-down yet quirky place. I have seen a lot of former light industrial buildings that have been transformed into spaces for artists. I know, that sounds like what urban planners dream of at night, but it looks like it's happening here. I saw lots of artsy-looking people riding bikes and little scooters.

I had dinner at a really good Thai place (called "Jae") in a deserted-looking strip mall, and next-door was a supermarket that didn't sell any products containing high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils, among other things. It was a handy place to pick up a couple of tasty organic free-range self-actualized pears for the road tomorrow. Bumper sticker seen on a car in the lot: "Keep Asheville Weird."

One more photo for the road, just because it took me so many shots to get this one ... I was so glad I spotted that little icicle.