Spontaneaous Detour

With all the fun we had on our trip, coming home is the worst, wouldn't you agree? You're tired, the van is dirty/stinky, and you know you'll have to face life when you return. We drove part way of our 12hr drive and got up the next morning to drive the rest. When we reached the Virginia border, we realized the high point Mt Rogers was not too far off our path. It is a Harris family goal to conquer every high point, so with a quick clasp of the hands, Mat and I charged for it. It was a little over 8 miles to the top, so Mat was going to have to sprint to the top, while I tended the kids. (note: he had already ran ten mi that morning, but I'm married to a machine, so I knew that wouldn't slow him down)



What's neat about this high point is that there is a herd of about 200 wild ponies roaming the range. You can feed them straight from your hand. Mat was lucky enough to see them.



We also stopped to see the New River Gorge Bridge. On bridge day, which is held on the third Saturday in October, more than 450 BASE jumpers from 10+ countries and 40+ US states will leap from the bridge, hundreds of rappellers will descend on fixed ropes, and up to 200,000 spectators attend.

Here are a few facts about the bridge

Longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere with a 1,700’ span
Second highest bridge in the United States at 876’
The bridge length is 3,030’

I always wanted to see this festival, but never had the chance.