Before I moved to Virginia from Oklahoma, I spent hours searching online for awesome sights to see once I settled into my new home. Moving to southwest Virginia meant exhilarating adventures on winding roads through forest-covered mountains leading to rivers, valley streams, and waterfalls. I showed photos to my best friend, Sarah, and told her, “This is where I want to live, among towering pines, vast mountains, and thunderous waterfalls.”

Finding a Waterfall
by Dee Bowlin

When I get to Virginia, 
I’ll find a postcard waterfall,
a river racing o’er a mossy ledge,
tumbling down a rocky wall.

I’ll hike a narrow forest trail
in search of magnificence
until I hear the thunderous roar 
of water in the distance.  

I’ll stand before the crystal falls, 
let blowing mist caress my face,
see sunshine glisten on each drop,
in awe of its force and grace.

The rocks below the falls are smooth
from constant pounding day after day,
as mounds of bubbles and green foam 
soon dance their trauma away.

Surrounded by towering mountains,
I’ll follow the river downstream, 
taking the memory home with me,
wrapped in a beautiful dream.

When I get to Virginia— 
I’ll find a postcard waterfall. 

I have lived in Virginia for thirteen years now. With camera in hand, there is nothing like a road trip to the mountains to make me appreciate the wonders of nature. A waterfall is still my favorite find.

One sightseeing adventure took me north of Roanoke on US Hwy 220 to Alleghany County and the Alleghany Highlands. While driving up the mountains five miles north of Covington, Virginia, I came upon one of the largest waterfalls in Virginia—Falling Spring Falls. This remarkable cascade falls eighty feet from an overhanging ledge and is visible from the highway with no hiking involved! The sight mesmerized me as I snapped photographs to preserve the gorgeous memory. I called Sarah to tell her I found the waterfall of my dreams.

I met Walter a few years later, and since then he has been my guide to see the sights of Virginia. He has lived here since he was a child, but to my surprise, when I told him about Falling Spring Falls, he had never been there. I was tickled that I could take him somewhere new, and a road trip was in order. We drove north to the falls. What fun it was to see the expression on his face as he stood in awe of this majestic waterfall.

I also told Walter about a covered bridge I’d visited near Covington, so we traveled eleven miles south from Falling Spring. The Humpback Covered Bridge, constructed in 1857 over Dunlap Creek, is 110 feet long and 4 feet higher in the center than at either end. The bridge’s covered arched design was meant to increase longevity and keep the midpoint above floodwaters. Walter was impressed with the stately bridge and lush surroundings and thanked me for taking him there. I am now officially on his list of guides in southwest Virginia. 

Note: We were chaperoned by Otis and Four who insisted on having their picture taken at the bridge.