Week 20 of the 52s...Got It Covered

A whirlwind four days of la familia and many adventures.  My sister arrived early Thursday, then after walking the boys on Friday morning, we headed south to collect the Mother Ship and bring her back to my house for the weekend.  I had already forewarned them both that on the road north, I was going to stop along the way to investigate the last two covered bridges in my quest for this week's 52s.

Pick up Mom, and on the return leg of the journey, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mountains and glorious scenery, Mom casually asks if I noticed the signage for Sunny Valley and the covered bridge.  What?  We're still many miles from the bridges on my map, so I ask Mom to tell me where to turn when the time comes and we'll go exploring.

And damn if we didn't find the coolest little historical village, and the most beautiful...

Grave Creek covered bridge:

 

The windows were so unique, and Grave Creek was so pristine. There was no explanation for the name, though it doesn't take much to imagine why the early settlers would have chosen it...

Before actually crossing the bridge, there was a pioneer museum, an original log cabin and some very cool, authentic covered wagons.  In real life--as opposed to the movies--these wagons were small, cramped, and would have been a nightmare to travel in for months on end.  The pioneers don't get nearly enough credit for their resolve or perseverance...

We all pile back in the car and continue our drive north until we come to the freeway exit for the two bridges on my map.

We find the first bridge easily as it's right in the center of town, though was a real disappointment.  It looked very out of place like it had just been plopped down willy nilly at the edge of the city's park.  It goes nowhere and does nothing.  Turns out, it once lived along the beautiful McKenzie River many miles from it's current forlorn location and was bought and transported by the city fathers some time in the past.

Horse Creek covered bridge:

As we walked the dogs through the really nice park, we came across this amazing structure in the center of the complex.  It was a truly beautiful enormous stage made from many different native trees.  I took this shot across a huge expanse of lawn and imagine the whole town must come here for concerts and events...

Getting back into the car, I happened to glance behind me, and saw this totally cool trompe l'oeil painted on the side of the Community Center building.  It was very colorful and Art Deco-ish, and pretty strange to find in such an out-of-the-way tiny little town, at least to my mind...

We left the town, driving east into the wilderness, looking for the last bridge.  And what a little gem it turned out to be!  One of the smallest--as in shortest at only 42 ft--it might have been totally off the beaten track, but of the five bridges I have visited in my adventures, it's one of my absolute favorites.

Neal Lane covered bridge:

The view out the left window over Days Creek...
 

A closer shot of the wonderful archway.  This was just the sweetest little bridge...

Looking for the bridges was a great diversion on a long drive, with the added bonus of Mom's keen eyesight in spotting the sign for a bridge that wasn't even on my radar.

My journey to find the covered bridges of Madison Douglas County has come full circle from my first foray clear back in Week 5.  I mapped them, searched them out, and photographed them.  It's been such great fun, and though I'm a bit sad for this quest to be over, I'm looking forward to whatever the next adventure brings...