A Trip to Walter’s Ferry
Sunday morning just after church my husband suggested we go for a drive. When we drive, we don’t have a particular place in mind usually. We just drive and make direction decisions on the go. So this particular day our drive takes us on a trip to Walter’s Ferry. I have heard about this place and it’s museum but I have never been out to see it. One of the things I first notice is the bridge and I will tell you, I love bridges! This bridge is closed off but it brought back some amazing memories as I looked at it and drove alongside.
This bridge takes me back to a time growing up in South Dakota where we had a bridge that crossed the Missouri River. As a child I would ask my parents to drive across the bridge and more often than not, I would get my request. Unfortunately, it was only one time when they were driving. As I grew older and was able to drive, I made many many more trips over the bridge. There is just nothing quite like these types of bridges. The concrete foundations that now show erosion from the ever moving waters, the steel that is a symbol of strength and the supports that kept this bridge stable. As a kid, I would lay my head back and watch the steel beams overhead tick by as the sound the tires made on the bridge seemed to keep cadence to the beams. The openness of the beams created a sense of freedom as you fly across the bridge.
Bygone Days
There was no flying across this bridge because it is no longer a working bridge. It’s presence is a reminder of bygone days as progress moves us along to more simplistic bridges that meet our everyday needs. Even though you can’t walk or drive on the bridge, I was able to get fairly close to the bridge even as the road ends and a combination of grass and mud begins. I can see that others have been closer than I because of the footprints left in the mud. It is cold and rainy so I choose to stay on more solid ground as I gaze in wonder at this imposing piece of history. Nostalgia pours over me and brings to mind simpler times. We so often take some of the simplest things for granted. Anymore we get so caught up in life that we forget to see beauty in the ordinary. This bridge that once stood majestic against the skyline is now discarded. Graffiti lines it’s braces and buildings are falling down. If you look beyond all of that, you can see the incredible beauty that this once presented.
Vast Views
As I captured the scenery around the area, you can’t help but realize the incredible history behind Walter’s Ferry. I’m not a historian, but for those of you who are, here is a link to learn more about the past http://owyhee.idgenweb.org/history/hst-walters.html. The river was calm today, but due to the rains and runoff, it is very high. Yet, as you look at the water, it calls to you to journey along my shores and let me show you more of what I see every day. The expanse seems to be never ending and the foliage is just coming alive. It is a good time to be here because everything is beginning to green up but it won’t be green for long. I have tried to capture with pictures some of what I was seeing. There is such a sense of peace as I stand looking out on a major piece of Idaho history. The calming affect that it has as I watch the water move, look at the bridge and remember some of my childhood.
Final Stop
We couldn’t leave the area without actually stopping at the gas station that leads into the Museum. I was not able to get into the Museum area today but I do know that I will stop again
sometime this summer because I want to see the final piece. In the meantime, I did find a video shot in the museum area you might enjoy, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjDcHtHGnRs. In the gas station my husband, Dave, pointed out a cork board with some interesting notices on it. I have captured that as well because I think you will find it interesting. The one that caught my eye was titled “Cattle Theft”. I can honestly say I have seen something like that since I was a little girl living on a ranch in South Dakota. I love the feel of small communities. People seem kinder and no one seems in a rush. Everyone has time to chat and everyone seems to know everyone. They watch out for each other and truly seem to care about what is going on in their lives. The people we met in this store definitely fit that bill. We were welcomed in and made to feel like family.
Closing Thoughts
If I could leave one thing with you today, I encourage you to go out and discover beauty in the ordinary. Take a moment to get out and see something or go somewhere you have never been before. Travelling doesn’t always have to be commercialized vacations to resorts, amusement parks or exotic places. Just turn off the TV, get off the couch or out of your favorite chair and see what the world has to offer. Sometimes the best discoveries cost only a tank of gas! To see more of the views at Walter’s Ferry go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42-E5nCyyeQ