Covered Bridges

Last Saturday we went on a little exploration. We went with some friends to Parke County, Indiana to see some covered bridges. It was a little early in the season, most of the trees still had no leaves, but it was still pretty. We started in Rockville, Indiana and picked up some brochures and a map (which is always good to have). We were all hungry by the time we got there and unfortunately, Rockville did not have many choices to eat. I can't remember the name of the restaurant we ate at, but everything was "handmade." On the menu, you could choose from "handmade" hamburger or "handmade" chicken tenderloin. I have no idea what "handmade" means. I got the "handmade" chicken sandwich. It was not that great, but it gave us the energy we needed. After lunch we were off on our adventure. Here's the first covered bridge we saw.Pretty cool, huh?

We weren't sure if we were supposed to drive through this bridge or not. The bridge says, "Cross this bridge at a walk." So we got out of the car and walked through it. :) The bridge was made in 1856!

Then came the dilemma, do we drive through this bridge or take the below alternative route...After a quick survey of the situation we decided to cross using the below route instead of the bridge. We later learned that most of the covered bridges you can drive through. The ones you're not supposed to drive through are clearly blocked. Oh well.The most famous covered bridge is in Bridgeton. It's famous because of the waterfall going under it.

There is a Mill that is near the bridge. We went inside and after eating some ice cream, we met the owner of the mill. He told us a lot about the mill, the bridge and how the town came to be. This website tells more about Bridgeton and the mill.

After explaining, how white flour is made (using bleach) the owner said his favorite saying "The whiter the bread the sooner you're dead. Eat whole wheat and stay on your feet." I don't know about you, but I think I'll try to eat more whole wheat!It was a fun trip and we only saw 4 of the 30 covered bridges. We'll have to go again soon.