A Visit to Middle Earth

We didn't actually intend to go to Middle Earth on our vacation this past weekend. However, we did go to West Virginia and visit our favorite biologist. And while in West Virginia we drove up to Fayetteville and visited the longest metal arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. Which goes across the New River Gorge. Which is a national park. But I digress!

While hiking on the Canyon Rim Bridge Trail (which runs down from the top of the canyon about 2/3rds of the way down into the gorge, going under the bridge itself), I am fully convinced we crossed into Middle Earth.






We saw an Ent. Not Treebeard, but certainly one of his kin.











We walked along the Road from Hobbiton to Bree. (Alas, no elves!)










We climbed the Straight Stair towards the pass atop Cirith Ungol.
(We were lucky as no Shelob met us at the top.)









And finally under the bridge itself, as the cars drove by far overhead, we seemed to hear the wail of the Ringwraiths. The enormous bridge made us feel quite Hobbit-like, and as we trekked back up the steep trail we were happy to see the top of the canyon once again!