We had driven past the sign for the Jay Covered Bridge more times than we could count this summer.
Every time we passed it, there was some version of, “We really need to stop there sometime.”
And, like so many places you pass when you’re staying in an area for a while, “sometime” kept getting pushed to another day.
This week, we finally stopped.
The Jay Covered Bridge sits along the Au Sable River in the small town of Jay, New York, surrounded by the kind of Adirondack scenery that can make even a quick stop turn into something worth lingering over.
According to the historic marker, the bridge was erected in 1857 by George Burt and is the sole remaining wooden Howe truss bridge in Adirondack Park. It was restored to its original site in 2006.
That alone made it worth taking a closer look.
A Little History Along the Way
One of the things we enjoy about slowing down and exploring smaller towns is discovering how much history is tucked into places we might otherwise drive right through.
The information at the bridge tells some of the story of Jay itself, a town established in the late 1700s and shaped in part by the Au Sable River running through the valley.
But while the history is interesting, it was the bridge and the river that really kept our attention.
Getting a Closer Look
Standing beside it gives you a much better appreciation for just how substantial an old wooden bridge like this really is.
The weathered boards, the heavy timbers, and the river flowing beside it give the whole place a character that would be easy to miss if all you ever did was drive past the sign.
Then we walked through.
There is something about stepping inside a covered bridge that immediately feels different.
The light fades, the wooden structure surrounds you, and suddenly you are walking through something that has been part of this little corner of New York for generations.
The View From the Bridge
And then there was the view.
Looking through the opening of the bridge, the Au Sable River winds through exposed rock with the Adirondack hills rising beyond it.
It was one of those scenes that made us wonder why we had waited all summer to stop.
We stood for a while watching the water work its way between the rocks and listening to the river below.
Sometimes you travel a long way to find a beautiful place.
Other times, you’ve been driving past it for months.
Finally Taking the Turn
Full-time travel has given us the opportunity to see a lot of places, but it has also taught us something else: being somewhere for a while doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve really explored it.
There are always another road, another sign, another trail, or another little piece of history waiting nearby.
The Jay Covered Bridge had been one of those places for us all summer.
Now we can finally say we took the turn.
And we’re glad we did.
