David and I decided to take a small day trip to check out a covered bridge that he found online. The first bridge, called the Horton Mill bridge, was constructed in 1934. This bridge is very tall (70 feet in the air) which makes it the tallest covered bridge above any U.S. waterway. When we arrived we had two surprises waiting for us. First, we discovered by looking at the map that two other covered bridges were close by and formed a trail that we could follow. Secondly, there was a sign that read “5 MPH, one car at a time.” David was SO excited that we could drive across because neither of us had driven across a covered bridge before. We waited until another car made it successfully across before we gathered the courage to try ourselves. Although it creaked a little, it was definitely still sturdy enough to drive on.
The Horton bridge was our favorite because of how beautiful the river was underneath the bridge. I think in warmer weather this would be a great place to let kids splash around. David also found several small cracks and crevices to explore which kept him very entertained. My favorite part was looking at all of the rocks covered in moss. I found a very peaceful spot to relax and listen to the water while David was busy exploring on the other side.
Next, we went to the Easley covered bridge. This was the smallest of the three bridges. However, I really liked driving through the surrounding area. In fact, we passed right by Palisades Park which would be an excellent stop for a picnic if you wanted to make a whole day out of the trip.
Finally, we went to the Swann covered bridge which was the longest of the three bridges and probably my favorite to drive across. It also had a pretty river underneath it and a beautiful view of some cliffs. However, this river was larger than the others and didn’t have so many play areas.
Although we drove across each bridge, we also took the opportunity to walk across all of them and enjoy the views! Overall, David and I had an awesome day trip that was completely free. I think we would like to go back and check these bridges out in the warmer seasons as well! 😊
