Fantastic Fiction: Natural Bridge's Dinosaur Kingdom II

For those who look to the Halterman Weekend to point them towards Roadside America, you are in luck!  Enter Dinosaur Kingdom II, a Mark Cline attraction, in Natural Bridge, VA.  A walk-through outdoor park of sorts, Dinosaur Kingdom II tells the fantastical story of what might have happened if latent dinosaurs had been awakened and used as weapons of mass destruction during the US Civil War.  Yes, you read that correctly, and yes, it's awesome!

Local artist and author Mark Cline has invented a story where, during the battle of Natural Bridge's Saur Hill, dinosaurs cryogenically "sleeping" in nearby caverns are awakened by the sounds of the battle.  The Union then tries to train them to fight the Confederacy--albeit unsuccessfully, largely because the dinosaurs just eat all soldiers without regard to their loyalties.  The story line is pure fun and never intended to be any form of scholarship--but for the nerds in us, it made a great place to discuss the formation of a good story.  In fact, Kim could totally see a field trip here for budding fantasy/sci fi authors.  There's a companion comic book, and seeing the pages from the book posted at parts of the exhibit honestly inspires reading.

If you go, walk slowly on the gravel paths, looking for surprises beyond the path in the woods, and take a second lap instead of exiting when you come to the out door.  For the most part, the dinosaurs don't move and aren't going to startle you, but there are several fun animations to activate by pushing buttons in the "village" through which you enter.  Be sure to check out the concept art featured in the art gallery of the village and watch the fake documentary about the Natural Bridge Civil War paleontologists--it has a bonus feature of one of the very first cartoons, a short about a dinosaur that G, age 4, adored.  Skip the strollers if you can--this gravel on a gentle grade, but enough to lock most wheels.  Relax and enjoy the all-ages fun--we saw couples, groups of teens, families with young kids.  To make a day trip of this adventure, know you are close to Natural Bridge Caverns, where we understand the DK admission stamp will yield a discount, as well as Natural Bridge State Park, not to mention Lexington, VA--a great place for a stroll and visits to various small museums.  For more fantasy-type fun with kids, check out Boxerwood Gardens.

The End of Another American Wax Museum: Farewell, Natural Bridge Wax Museum

Natural Bridge Wax Museum, the first wax museum Kim ever visited (at age 10), the first wax museum Elijah ever visited (at age 9 months), and the first wax museum Gwen ever visited (at age 14 months), is closing.  We're lamenting the loss of these treasures--the 171+ figures from this site and the wax museum genre in general.  Wax museums, like taxidermy displays in natural history museums, inspire imagination in ways supposedly more "interactive" displays do not.  In the past year, we've seen the closing of the National Civil War Wax Museum in Gettysburg, PA, too.  We suggest you immediately take in a wax museum if you can--introduce your kids to one while we have them.  Here's a plus on this one, right now:  Before closing Labor Day 2014, the Natural Bridge Wax Museum is offering reduced admission and a great sale on postcards in the gift shop (a penny each!). 

The Natural Bridge Wax Museum is an interesting hodgepodge of tableaus with touches of humor.  There are Biblical scenes of Adam and Eve in the Garden, of the Last Supper, and of the Resurrection--and the museum owner is an Orthodox Jew.  There are two famous displays of wax figure Presidents--and there's a George Bush figure also serving as a security guard.  We also swear we saw a figure of former Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis downstairs in the wax figure factory exhibit.  Scenes of history include serious scenes of the US Civil War--and a scene of a truly scary "elevator" that once lowered folks down Natural Bridge and of a silly story where a gentleman traded his wife for whisky.  Check out our family visiting the museum a few years earlier here. 

This article captures the tone surrounding the closure of wax museums, although we're pretty sure it contains an error, as the Harpers Ferry John Brown Wax Museum seems to still be in operation.  Yes, you can still buy wax figures, and some will still be made in Virginia.  Find out more about Dorfman Museum Figures if you are interested.

If you go, take lots of pictures and/or video (both are encouraged) and talk to the museum staff.  We met very friendly workers on this visit, and they told us fun stories like the fact that authorities visit annually to make sure the still in the moonshine scene isn't really making anything!  You should also visit the main Natural Bridge gift shop--we hear they are redoing it sometime soon and that it will sell less "kitsch."  Therefore, we stocked up on Natural Bridge snowglobes today.  Visit here first and you may find some $2 off admission coupons (good if you don't have AAA).  You can mail those penny postcards from the Natural Bridge Post Office downstairs in the main gift shop building, too.  Of course, there are many other attractions at Natural Bridge, including the splendid bridge itself and caverns, as well as two nearby zoos: the Natural Bridge Zoo and the Virginia Safari Park.  If you like to follow the changing landscape of roadside tourism in America, check in here frequently, as there is a move to make the Natural Bridge complex a Virginia State Park. 

If you just want to learn about wax museums, the blog Houses of Wax is a good place to start--even if it hasn't been updated in a while.  We hear some of the Natural Bridge figures are headed to Bible Walk in Ohio, where some may be repurposed into other scenes.  That's always fun--ask Justin if you'd like to be able to spot MASH characters and others from Gatlinburg's former wax museum in Christ in the Smokies displays. 

Nearby Wilderness: Virginia Safari Park

It must be the year of the zoo for the Haltermans.  Justin and Elijah are just back from Virginia Safari Park, commonly known in the area as Natural Bridge Safari Park, and E's fourth zoo visit this year.  This zoo is a drive-thru safari--yes, you read correctly.  You literally drive your vehicle, or ride an open-air wagon, through an expansive zoo that looks like the African veldt, only with Virginia hills inserted.  You are able to buy a bucket of feed and invited to get close to animals including zebras, camels, kangaroos, and others.  Elijah especially enjoyed the aviary in the "Safari Village," a small walk-through area.  He also loved the opportunity to use his new camera to take pictures--in fact, these are his pictures above.  We realize not all our Halterman Weekend destinations are popular, but this one's a Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence winner, a testament not only to fun to be had but also to broad-based appeal. 

If you go, Justin explicitly recommends planning to take one of the wagon rides for an additional charge so you don't worry about your car/driving.  We have plenty of friends who have driven their vehicles through without issue, but we've also met folks who've had vehicle damage like scratches or who have been distracted by their own concerns about driving in an unfamiliar situation so much that they haven't enjoyed the experience as they might have otherwise.  You will need to plan your trip accordingly, as wagons don't run continuously, and you can find out more at the public wagon rides page.  If you are weighing the option of using your vehicle, read the specific requirments at the FAQ page.  It's a great attraction to experience as a group--a family with siblings/friends, an organized school/scout/church group, you get the idea.  Wear weather-appropriate clothes that won't mind a little animal slobber, too.  Picnics are allowed and there's a snack stand; for nearby casual food, try the retro Pink Cadillac Diner.  Don't confuse this destination with Natural Bridge Zoo, a more traditional zoo that is not included in your safari admission price. 

While you are in the area, check out other Natural Bridge attractions.  It would be easy to "add on" one of the "quick visit" attractions like Foamhenge.  As admission to the zoo is good all day long, you could also do a morning drive thru followed by another attraction/lunch and then a repeat drive thru--just keep your receipt. 

More Excursions to Animals: Natural Bridge Zoo and a Jaunt to Lexington

Justin surprised the family with a low-key day out of town that we all appreciated.  First stop: Natural Bridge Zoo.  Kim took a group of kindergarteners there and went as a first grader herself; Justin went as a child and has a picture with his brother under a big fake bear at the site.  As we visted, we found charmingly little had changed.  A family zoo, Natural Bridge maintains a large feeding/petting area with llamas, goats, deer, giraffes, and other animals.  It's home to a number of primates, an alligator, flamingos, a few snakes...it's a menagerie.  Kids are unlikely to mind some troubles with organization, parking, landscaping, and signage.  The North Carolina Zoo it's not, folks, but fun it is.  Take a picnic lunch, buy a small bag of animal food (and grab a bit at the "recycled" animal food area just inside the zoo on the other side of the admission doors), and have a no-frills-zoo good time.  Don't confuse Natural Bridge Zoo with the nearby drive-thru Virginia Safari Park.  We're planning a trip there in July, so stay tuned. 

We drove to Lexington for a late lunch, stopping in at Pure Eats.  Pure Eats is a classy, locovore burger joint inside an old Pure filling station.  It's decorated in a delightful retro style and serves great fries--not to mention milkshakes made with Homestead Creamery ice cream.  It's also close to Lexington's The Antique Mall, an old Roses department store converted into some good junking, particularly for those interested in flea-market furniture.  They also have Toys in the Attic, a vintage toy vendor; and Mike's Postcards, a well-organized and reasonably-priced place to start a collection.

If you go, there's plenty of American roadside to amuse you in the area.  You are obviously near the Natural Bridge area, including the bridge area itself.  You are also in for treats in nearby Lexington, including two historic universities, quaint shopping, and a nifty local ghost tour.

Our Anniversary at the Bridge

Justin and Kim celebrated our 5th anniversary with some time away at Natural Bridge and the charming Natural Bridge Hotel. We were a bit delayed getting out of town (OK, our anniversary really was on July 30), but we enjoyed our little respite right up I-81. The hotel is a classic with a nice dining room and reasonable room rates, particularly for a non-chain. Its character is historic, and if you go, don't miss the display of old Natural Bridge souvenirs off the lobby.

We slid down to the Bridge itself for one of the area's attractions we've never seen: the nightly Drama of Creation show. Using Genesis 1 as narrative and varied pieces of hymns and classical music as accompaniment, the show is a relaxing way to end the day and a throwback to days of simpler entertainment. During our visit, it was quite well-attended.

The Bridge museums are quite varied--and we'd recommend them all in their quirkiness. For this trip, we selected the Toy Museum is a nifty low-budget museum where visitors are guaranteed to want to touch each exhibit. Its layout has been recently revised with less emphasis on history and more emphasis on toy type.

We ate at the Pink Cadillac, an impressively-retro, very casual local diner a short drive from the hotel. Also good for dinner? The Natural Bridge Hotel Buffet--but make reservations, especially on weekends and holidays. On this trip, we ate breakfast at the hotel (less crowded and still good). We also ran up 81 antiquing, heading to the Lexington Antique Mall (great for furniture and recent-tiques), buying lots at the Factory in Verona (always enjoyable), and discovering Shenandoah's Alpha and Omega had closed (too bad). Kim spent a small fortune on postcards that helped her plan some upcoming Halterman weekends, planting the seed for a trip to Lancaster, PA, to see the life-size Tabernacle.

Related Links:
Natural Bridge Hotel and Family of Attractions
Pink Cadillac Diner
Factory Antique Mall

What do you do after a workday?

Both Kim and Justin had work commitments this weekend--Kim on Sunday and Justin on Saturday. So, a quick trip was in order. With all the working, we had to get out of town!

When we were dating, we bought year-long passes to Natural Bridge once. A drive there (just about 30 miles away) brings back memories and gets us out into the sunshine. We went to take Elijah on his first stroll to the bridge and took in the wax museum, too. The new ticket price structure makes it easy to enjoy a lot of the "components" of the area on one ticket in one day (including the toy museum, which is a nifty low-budget museum if there ever was one), but with a half-day only, we went just for the bridge and museum.

The wax museum is a classic hodge-podge of scenes from the Biblical to the historical to the folklore-related. Madame Tussauds it ain't: the figures are not of uniform proportions and some show signs of age. Classic local fun it is, complete with a wax figure factory exhibit in the basement you can tour. There are also some unexpected twists--like the figure of Bush that is now a "security guard" in one of the hallways. They have updated the Presidents exhibit with an Obama figure, and Doug Wilder is in the inauguration scene.

A walk to the bridge is always a lovely way to unwind. Kim vividly remembers a fifth grade field trip here and how she came around the corner expecting to see a bridge she could crawl through and saw this one, "higher than Niagara." Elijah, well, he was impressed with the running water, but he is just nine months old.

If you go, consider eating the buffet at the Natural Bridge Hotel and taking in Professor Cline's. When Elijah is over, we're hitting Dinosaur Kingdom!