The Royal Gorge – Grand Canyon of Colorado.  World’s highest suspension bridge.  Sounds impressive, right?  The boys enjoyed it, but I was a little underwhelmed.  It may have had something to do with the fact that I couldn’t look around while crossing the bridge.  It’s a wonder I made it across at all.  (I still have a terrible fear of heights)  My first attempt ended in retreat after about 15 feet.  Nobody told me that the bottom of the bridge was covered in (what looked to be) old wooden planks and that there were GAPS between them!  The bridge is over 1000 feet above the Arkansas River and it’s 1/4 mile long!  Plus, they let CARS drive over the thing!  I was sure it would collapse while we were on it and we would all plummet to our deaths.  The boys, however, weren’t convinced.  “Hey, Mom, look at this,” they’d taunt.  Very funny.  

Unfortunately, I had to go across.  They have ingeniously placed all of the “park” activities on the other side.  There is a petting zoo, covered wagon rides, a wild west show, a theater with a movie about how the bridge was constructed, food and gift shops, and a giant slingshot that will hurl you out over the canyon if you like that sort of thing.  My children actually asked if they could do that!  As if!

On the return trip my little one offered to escort me across, so I took his hand, took a deep breath, and off we went. At one point Daddy decided that the rest of my family would never believe that I actually walked across the bridge without a picture, and he asked the boys to pose near the railing.  BAD DAD!  First of all, my escort left me and I was standing there all alone.  It was really windy!  I could have been blown right off the side.  Second, if he thought I was going anywhere near that railing he had obviously forgotten who he was married to.  I did my best to inch into the camera frame and the shot is priceless.  I tried to smile, but it looks more like I’m in pain.  Smiling mouth plus furrowed brow.  I’m wringing my hands in front of me.  In the background my kids are leaning on the railing.  If I had known I would have had a heart attack.  Yep…I actually paid for that experience.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget Griffin asking me on the way back over the bridge, “Mom, why are you squeezing my hand so tight?”  Oops.  I didn’t know I was.  Later he wrote in his journal, “I helped my Mom get across the Royal Gorge bridge and she was real scared.”  Cute.  Maybe he won’t forget it either.