Sunday, May 28, 2017

KOA at Natural Bridge Virginia

Our family had a great time at the KOA in Natural Bridge, Virginia. The camp staff was friendly and accommodating; the kids loved the pool and the playground (equipped with an old-school merry-go-round that I haven't seen since childhood). This campground had something for every type of camper -- RV spots with decks, spacious tent-camping spots, small and large cabins -- it was great.

Its right next door to a drive-thru animal safari park, which was amazing. We took our time driving through, and we saw hundreds of beautiful animals. Watch out for the buffaloes (not nice). Then, we went to the walk-thru portion of the zoo. It was also fantastic, with the animal exhibits right next to the walkway. We especially loved the kangaroos. Our daughter really liked the bird sanctuary, which housed parakeets that would eat from your hands.

The Natural Bridge and the hiking trails that surround it were beautiful. If you like history, there were plenty of placards to explain how the area was settled and its ongoing preservation. Here's a picture of the Natural Bridge. The photo hardly does it justice. It was incredibly huge. The people hiking on top looked like the size of ants from where we were standing.

One section of the trail
included a living history exhibit of Native American culture. It was interesting to learn about the tribe; several descendants where there to explain their way of life.

We also visited the caverns (photo left). It was about 20 degrees colder down there than at the surface, and it was darker than dark (a little scary). There were so many beautiful things to see, and the tour guide explained the science and history of the caverns. I wish my kids had been less distracting (they were too little to be interested in stalactites and stalagmites), so I could have learned more.

We spent four days there, and we were never bored. There's a lot to see and do. Highly recommend this spot for your next family vacation.