Barbara and I frequently drive up to Natural Bridge State Park at Slade and dine at the huge buffet dinner at Hemlock Lodge. The food is usually sumptuous and the atmosphere is good. Often the dining hall is packed on the weekends.

Over the past several years Natural Bridge State Park and the Red River Gorge area has begun to attract increasing numbers of people to their campgrounds and to their rental cabins. Many of these cabins are privately owned. As you drive down the Mountain Parkway at Slade you must have noticed, particularly at night, the many lights of these cabins that set high upon the hillsides of the Mountain Parkway. These cabins can also be found on Route 11 for the first 8-10 miles as you drive toward Beattyville. The Slade area, on a smaller scale of course, is beginning to take on the look of the Smoky Mountain area in attracting recreational minded folks and tourists.

It would appear that rock climbing has become one of the most popular activities that attract people from out of state to the Natural Bridge area. Hundreds of people from all across the country can be found each weekend at the campgrounds and rental cabins. They come by the hundreds to hike and to climb the huge rock cliffs found at Torrent Falls and other areas.

If you are in the Natural Bridge area near Torrent, you can view the death-defying efforts of the rock climbers as they navigate up and across the face of the humongous rock formations found in that area.

It seems most of the rock climbers choose to camp using small tents for shelter. Many of those climbers can be found on Route 11 about a mile before you approach the ramp turning up to Hemlock Lodge. As you view the left hand side of the road, a small meadow will literally be clad with small pup tents. Many of those campers can be observed at a nearby pizza store that seems to be doing a thriving business particularly on the weekends. The nearby parking lot contains cars bearing license plates from all around the United States.

Many others it seems are building small rustic-style cabins in the Natural Bridge and Red River Gorge areas as weekend retreats. Those cabins are constructed on the steep inclines of the hills that often offer a panoramic view of the huge rock formations found in the Red River Gorge area. The rustic wood colors of those structures blend in so well with their natural environment that they often are only noticed at night when they are illuminated.

Powell, Wolfe and Menifee Counties must be getting a real economic boost from the many people who are visiting the Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge areas. Hikers, nature lovers, hunters, rock climbers and regular terrorists are coming in increasing numbers.

It is encouraging to see our Fiscal Courts beginning to realize that perhaps our best hope to improve our local economy and bring in people to our area lies in the tourists business. Breathitt and the surrounding areas offer many natural attributes that people living in large metropolitan areas would find enjoyable it visit. As our nation is becoming increasingly urbanized, people all across America are seeking rural areas where they can enjoy hiking, camping, horseback riding, our wheeling, bird watching, canoeing and simply observing the beauty of natural areas that are found so prevalent in our area.

All of the above activities could be promoted by our governmental units and civic organizations etc. at little cost and perhaps would be our best effort in improving our local economy.

Every tourists or visitor to our area will eat in our restaurants, buy gasoline, stay in our motels, spend in our stores and other commercial institutions, thus improving our economy and creating new jobs.

The recently resigned State Representative from Floyd County, who expedited Greg Stumbo’s return to his old position as a representative, has now emerged as a state employee earning about $60,000 per year. It would seem that Gov. Beshear would have to have been in collusion with Greg Stumbo as this backroom deal was consummated. Gov. Beshear’s shady political deals and incompetent beginning as Kentucky’s Governor is reminiscent of the inept administration of former President Jimmy Carter. Bob Deaton 75 Parson Dr. Jackson, Kentucky 41339