tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20360041696445284242024-02-21T07:31:02.943-08:00Bridge TrekDedicated to Walking (and Driving) over High, Long, and Otherwise Scary BridgesBridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-60526706515784217882018-03-26T15:54:00.000-07:002018-03-26T15:54:19.495-07:00Bridge of Lions<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiase_EEJfHg-aRC0JBZYvIHt4X1UCN-WnlFP13FEx-MR4t3S-mhz7W7kDeP503Oggf-jsy9ijsZGQI-SCZJhmyJnGeCF9ptHgPMfMFzWOmJeIc3JZJTEWirG4REApsInx5oHhSW6gqFgs/s1600/IMG_0295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiase_EEJfHg-aRC0JBZYvIHt4X1UCN-WnlFP13FEx-MR4t3S-mhz7W7kDeP503Oggf-jsy9ijsZGQI-SCZJhmyJnGeCF9ptHgPMfMFzWOmJeIc3JZJTEWirG4REApsInx5oHhSW6gqFgs/s320/IMG_0295.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a>Well, we went back on the bridge walking trail after a bit
of a hiatus--alright, a long hiatus. But my wife and I are still ticking. This
time it was to trek to a beautiful bridge, the Bridge of Lions, which connects the downtown
of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>St. Augustine, Florida with Anastasia Island. We didn't find the Fountain of Youth, but I'll say
that walking on the scenic bridge did make me feel just a tad younger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was definitely worth the walk on a beautiful March day. Impressive indeed were the namesake
pair of marble lions that guard the St. Augustine side. We even had our choice of sidewalks on either side of the bridge. The pictures here do not do the bridge justice.</div>
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The Bridge of Lions is a surprisingly long third of a mile or so in length, crossing
the Matanzas River (a part of the Intracoastal Waterway) and just a stone's throw (or maybe
a very long tee shot) away from the Atlantic Ocean. The bridge is not high,
registering about 25 feet above the water according to the definitive source of
Wikipedia (and judging by my keen sense of height, that seems about right). And the sidewalk railings were comfortably solid and high. Not a scary walk,
and complete with a lovely view of boats, water, and landscape below. After
walking on it, we took the drive back to our hotel on Anastasia Island and, to
my surprise, it was a drawbridge (in this case, officially a double-leaf
bascule bridge). The middle span rose just as I, at the wheel, reached the
gates about to come down. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I should
have known. Fortunately, if you can walk across a bridge, not only can you
drive across it, but you can also apparently stay suspended on it for at least a few
minutes while the middle goes slowly up, and<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXdafYp0Np2uMdQV-kjwA8hGG0cIIZjAsX_CpCvrEXk1mbZkvJi9PJJZyoH9OwN8ZD1EOdPt5fz3P8kj5wvLnEIneLipcST_KX2XJ5A029096RZtts9cMVPCrpORzUk31nAGu-3kDAaU/s1600/IMG_5299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXdafYp0Np2uMdQV-kjwA8hGG0cIIZjAsX_CpCvrEXk1mbZkvJi9PJJZyoH9OwN8ZD1EOdPt5fz3P8kj5wvLnEIneLipcST_KX2XJ5A029096RZtts9cMVPCrpORzUk31nAGu-3kDAaU/s320/IMG_5299.JPG" width="240" /></a> then slowly down. We took video (what
else to do?), but it was not very exciting (and not included here).<br />
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Here's a little history of the bridge: The original bridge,
complete with lions of course, opened at the site in 1927. It lasted a good 79
years before needing replacement. A temporary bridge was constructed alongside to carry traffic
for a few years, and the original bridge was significantly reconstructed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it qualifies as a new bridge at the
same location, opening in 2010, and the lions were reunited with the new bridge
a year later. </div>
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<br /></div>
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In sum, it is a very impressive, non-scary bridge.</div>
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<br /></div>
Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-7429606505903770772013-07-24T20:31:00.002-07:002013-07-24T20:33:12.568-07:00Chesapeak Bay Bridge from afar<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Sigh. I've been quiet lately on the bridge trek front. It's
been hard to get excited after walking then driving across the Golden Gate
Bridge late last year. But I've got to note last week's accident on the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge, where a driver and her car, following a collision with a
truck, got thrown over the bridge and then down 27 feet to the water, which apparently
was 10 feet deep at that point. Fortunately, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the amazingly resourceful driver survived by
crawling out of her car and swimming to the surface and then to some rocks.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Several days after the accident, the media coverage
continues. Yesterday there was a front-page article in the Washington Post entitled
<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/for-some-a-drive-across-the-chesapeake-bay-bridge-is-a-harrowing-experience/2013/07/22/e6f1b8b4-f300-11e2-ae43-b31dc363c3bf_story.html">"Long before crash, drive on Bay Bridge could scare,"</a> by Ashley
Halsey III, documenting how many drivers have long been scared of driving
across that bridge. Then I continue with the article to page 4 of the hardcopy Post,
where there was another article entitled <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/how-to-escape-from-a-car-underwater/2013/07/22/be6dccb2-f2e6-11e2-8505-bf6f231e77b4_story.html">"How to flee a car that's underwater," </a>written by Julie Zauzmer, where I guess I learn how to survive
in the extremely unlikely event that my car is pushed over a bridge, I stay
conscious upon hitting the water, and then land in shallow enough water to actually
swim to the surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (Perhaps I'm more likely to accidentally drive into my neighbor's pool.) </span>And perhaps we'll
be hearing more about the Chesapeake Bay Bridge accident, as Ms. Halsey documents how AAA has asked federal experts to
assess whether the barriers on that bridge are high enough. Yes, the Bay Bridge
is very scary. There's a reason we haven't honored this bridge with a bridge
drive--it's simply above our scale of scary. I can't say that all the coverage
has helped make it less scary, although I don't actually make a connection between a freak accident and scariness. </div>
Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-55420321137544839842012-12-31T11:35:00.000-08:002012-12-31T11:35:05.756-08:00Newark Bay Bridge<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It is time to expand
bridge treks to include those done by driving, not just by walking. There are
limits to the number of major bridges that one can walk across, but there are
lots of bridges, for good or for bad, that allow automobiles only. I will concede that, if you're going to build bridges, then transporting vehicles should be their main purpose, so we won't exclude the vehicle-only bridges from bridge treks. And even
though I've said that if one can walk across a bridge, then one can drive
across it, I will also say that it is possible to drive across major bridges without walking
first. At least that's the plan.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83yWs8KnmuPoGqsWix7vaqnTBNQ06Ee1iDh_h_z1Pr73xm38CEJDF-lZs0K8kbw1PI3wytSCyH_0_Ob_qVaExdfAG-VYq8l7xLN1zIIFsW1zKmKke3i6-FrEhgcTcgMN-tD1-ZhQGnXk/s1600/250px-Newark_Bay_Bridge_North_Bayonne_Park_jeh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83yWs8KnmuPoGqsWix7vaqnTBNQ06Ee1iDh_h_z1Pr73xm38CEJDF-lZs0K8kbw1PI3wytSCyH_0_Ob_qVaExdfAG-VYq8l7xLN1zIIFsW1zKmKke3i6-FrEhgcTcgMN-tD1-ZhQGnXk/s1600/250px-Newark_Bay_Bridge_North_Bayonne_Park_jeh.jpg" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our first driving-only
bridge trek, done a couple of days before Christmas, was the Casciano Memorial Bridge. No one really knows it by that
name, but rather as the Newark Bay Bridge or, like reading it off the map,
the I-78 New Jersey Turnpike Extension Bridge. Now I'm sure you know where we
are: in New Jersey. The bridge connects the cities of Newark and Bayonne on
Interstate 78, and yes it does go over Newark Bay and is a major link between
the Holland Tunnel (to New York City ) and northern New Jersey. If you are
going from northern New Jersey to Liberty Park in Jersey City, where you can
get the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, or into lower Manhattan via the Holland
Tunnel, this is your bridge.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33tJc1xlSpXYgyfhQ5kk-0RvHgHI8EipgmvbedB49kbPc6cEammhKLQRMNmp3UBD1NWLQh_0TOfZUOYAu09NH_CrcUMXJ_0QJWN9D9R_FnPNskXYYIdwE-VV4kFSjATcT6TU9cX167LE/s1600/200px-I-78_NJTPX_EB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33tJc1xlSpXYgyfhQ5kk-0RvHgHI8EipgmvbedB49kbPc6cEammhKLQRMNmp3UBD1NWLQh_0TOfZUOYAu09NH_CrcUMXJ_0QJWN9D9R_FnPNskXYYIdwE-VV4kFSjATcT6TU9cX167LE/s1600/200px-I-78_NJTPX_EB.jpg" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The bridge is about
1.8 miles long, and does have a good bit of climb to it. According to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newark_Bay_Bridge">Wikipedia</a> entry, it reaches some 135 feet above Newark Bay, making it about the same
height as, for example, the <a href="http://www.bridgetrek.com/2010_05_01_archive.html">Brooklyn Bridge</a>. However, the bridge was undergoing
construction and it was impossible to see beyond the side barriers. So, it was
anything but scenic, and the drive over it was finished very quickly, unlike walking over
such a bridge. The <a href="http://www.bridgetrek.com/2012/10/golden-gate-bridge.html">Golden Gate Bridge</a>, for example, is about the same length as
the Newark Bay Bridge, and it took upwards of one hour to cross it by foot. (I just
wanted to get those two bridges into the same sentence, which I figure is quite
rare. It is hard to top the experience of crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, but we'll keep looking.) </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I took no photos of the Newark Bay Bridge, but
wiki provides a couple (shown above). The scariness of this bridge was mainly an issue of
having big<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>barriers right up against the
lane, requiring focus, rather than the height. I will say, though, the
bridge did seem to go on and on, and the climb up was noticeable. Ah, the joys of driving over bridges. It's
always something. I will give it a scariness rating of 12 based on its vertical
climb and very narrow lanes, as well as its significant length. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-69097436236227179642012-10-13T09:02:00.001-07:002012-10-13T09:36:23.809-07:00Golden Gate Bridge<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1h_wSB7qaUiAEjU_eaM329UqRat7KLdoX7vX23BZy1xWj6MrZiSOd5pQH5-wip0SKJrHVvvDhm1hcwgm_o2RP6iOJo1iBenFqX33sAF0-e5MwEhNgqcRtPezXUVJcV2MoDwIzy4Edj4g/s1600/100_1359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1h_wSB7qaUiAEjU_eaM329UqRat7KLdoX7vX23BZy1xWj6MrZiSOd5pQH5-wip0SKJrHVvvDhm1hcwgm_o2RP6iOJo1iBenFqX33sAF0-e5MwEhNgqcRtPezXUVJcV2MoDwIzy4Edj4g/s320/100_1359.JPG" width="240" /></a>In the Hitchcock film <i>Vertigo</i>, which takes place in San Francisco and was filmed there, the Jimmy Stewart character has a nasty fear of heights (hence the title), and early in the movie there is a scene in which he has a bright idea to progressively get used to heights,just a little at a time. He picks up a short stool, prepares to step onto it, and says to his friend: “I’ll start with this.” His friend incredulously responds: “That?” To which the Stewart character replies: “What do you want me to start with, the Golden Gate Bridge?”</div>
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Well, we certainly didn’t start our bridge walking treks with the Golden Gate Bridge (GGB), but now we can add it to the list. It was the GGB that, during a visit to San Francisco three years ago, inspired me to start the bridge walking treks in order to deal with their inherent scariness,and indeed a photo that I took of that bridge has been at the top of this site since the very beginning, 2-1/2 years and some 20 or so bridge walks ago.</div>
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The appointed bridge walking hour was a somewhat foggy October morning, temperature in the low 60s, relatively calm winds,and thus a perfectly fine day to walk the GGB. The bridge, which opened in 1937, is some 220 feet above the water, and is a rather long 1.7 miles in length, longer than any of our previous bridge treks, which have topped out at about a mile long.The Golden Gate Bridge is, of course, the icon of picturesque bridges. And that’s viewed from a distance. <br />
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As far as walking across it is concerned, its height, length, and very open railings made it an exhilarating walk, albeit rather scary, at least early on. We started from the north vista point, just on the Marin County side,and walked back toward San Francisco. As my very supportive wife, who has walked across bridge after bridge with me,tells the story, she could barely keep up with my walking at the beginning of the Golden Gate Bridge, as I think I just wanted to get across as quickly as possible. Given that I haven’t actually run or jogged since the Bush Administration (that’s the George Herbert Walker Bush Administration), and given how many parts of my body hurt the day after (and how much), I suspect I came as close to a bridge run as I’m going to come. But we took lots of breaks, and I mean lots of breaks.I eventually calmed down and started to accept the height, took more breaks, eventually touched the side rails about two-thirds of the way across, successfully took the picture of a group of tourists who asked me (go figure), and 55 minutes after starting, we crossed the bridge, where the hop-on, hop-off bus awaited us(having stops on both sides).<br />
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The walk was on the Sunday past, and then a few days later, to try to confirm my view from the very beginning that if you can walk across a bridge, then you can certainly drive across it, I did rent a car (first checking the fine print for a fear of bridges restriction) and drove it across the bridge and back. Yes, they do make you pay a toll for the privilege (heading into SF), which still seems a bit strange to me, but I could more or less comfortably drive across it. And I recommend the spectacular views of the bridge from the relatively unknown Battery Spencer just above and to the northwest of the bridge in the Marin Headlands. <br />
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As far as the scariness rating for walking across the bridge is concerned, the Golden Gate Bridge certainly tops all that we’ve experienced. Using the height, length, and width standard, this one garners a combined 29, with a 9 for height (on a 1-10 scale, with each 25 feet getting a point), a 13 for length (blowing out the 1-10 scale that was calibrated for a mile long bridge being the highest, with diminishing amounts above a mile I guess), and a 7 for its width (relatively low, open railings). The wind was relatively calm, but I think relatively is the key word, so I suppose I could adjust up the scariness rating, but I won’t: this bridge doesn’t need it.<br />
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More bridge walks in the future? Sure, why not?Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-5263660147301018772012-08-05T18:40:00.000-07:002012-08-05T18:40:12.799-07:00Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCDVwStNi3OADlBqK13nQ4ZCDaupvsnAbWBIg_H3ss5GQ_TKlgSdmJ5QXdrGSEqVgiajPp2eaFUL7KEGf5GIymkSPP0ruqomvm69t2VEygNuG5F2BHeSpf87X2nVQrqX8uswIHHZM1xw/s1600/100_0314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCDVwStNi3OADlBqK13nQ4ZCDaupvsnAbWBIg_H3ss5GQ_TKlgSdmJ5QXdrGSEqVgiajPp2eaFUL7KEGf5GIymkSPP0ruqomvm69t2VEygNuG5F2BHeSpf87X2nVQrqX8uswIHHZM1xw/s320/100_0314.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It's time to take a walk across a bridge spanning the Anacostia River in Washington D.C, the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, built in 1949 and named after the former slave who became a statesman and leader of the abolitionist movement before the Civil War--and who also lived in the DC neighborhood of Anacostia after the Civil War. Yesterday morning in DC, a Saturday, the heat (88 degrees at trek-time) and humidity (typically high) were tolerable enough for a quick walk. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv28FzFfDZnUAOTTYjb0mniL8vwUsFBhd7oP-P-swYtLvTD4QtH1xtAF_2LyKnbSTEfGYjwCvuKsTnQZOy98gNT8xMy9NRpU997kj3tljCcsVPD9tkzQ64duCjZQHgQc_NI2xPORRFgrc/s1600/100_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv28FzFfDZnUAOTTYjb0mniL8vwUsFBhd7oP-P-swYtLvTD4QtH1xtAF_2LyKnbSTEfGYjwCvuKsTnQZOy98gNT8xMy9NRpU997kj3tljCcsVPD9tkzQ64duCjZQHgQc_NI2xPORRFgrc/s320/100_0316.JPG" /></a></div>The Douglass Bridge is short, about a quarter of a mile long, and is located right next to the Washington Nationals ballpark on the one side and at the edge of Anacostia on the other; it carries South Capitol Street over the river. The bridge itself is in a poor state of repair, and there are plans in the earliest stages for demolishing the bridge and replacing it as a part of the revitalization of the area surrounding the ballpark. The <a href="http://www.southcapitoleis.com/pdfs/eis/final/04_technical_reports/08_Frederick_Douglass_Memorial_Bridge_Alignment_Study_Report.pdf">architects</a> who proposed several possible replacements pretty much summed up the walking experience: "The bridge is primarily a vehicular crossing and discourages pedestrians and bicyclists." <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8W-_HuReBq6_vYxNLgHsO5Pk6Dsba4jDLFZgMRYpno6RFN7r_cagXXE_vqqaFmQbJ34TP-sQSg1wyq-ytkTn-UIDj-b_wVs7dvlW08AtyTcR4f3awcRY9s7YExWnKbmG7ehmw0aQJzz4/s1600/100_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8W-_HuReBq6_vYxNLgHsO5Pk6Dsba4jDLFZgMRYpno6RFN7r_cagXXE_vqqaFmQbJ34TP-sQSg1wyq-ytkTn-UIDj-b_wVs7dvlW08AtyTcR4f3awcRY9s7YExWnKbmG7ehmw0aQJzz4/s320/100_0318.JPG" /></a></div>We parked near the Stadium on P Street, in one of just a few legal parking spaces in the area (which would probably have become inaccessible once the Nats game started that evening). We walked the short distance to the bridge and found very narrow sidewalks, but nice solid rails that extend up almost to shoulder height, which we always appreciate. Strangely, there were little sections underneath the railings that were open and got a bit big at points, but there was no possible slipping through, I'm glad to report. We encountered just one other person on the bridge, a bicyclist, fortunately when we were at a little cutout in the middle (for sightseeing, I guess). Otherwise, it would be a tight fit for a bike and a person. It's also a drawbridge, though I don't think it goes up very often. Despite the unlikelihood of a bridge raising, we were ready to beat it out of the middle of the bridge at a moment's notice if necessary. At its highest, the bridge is a reported 62 feet above the mean water level, apparently not enough to avoid the need for a drawbridge.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzWxL-Te6yFx5-ZeDf2jTu-JZWeNa26nDTZV0x0s5P59diOwXyRU1RYUAt7jz2RhJi5QUie_JLSgGMfCf0ej57RV6AY0Pn0wEP3CiMz3ApHwJj7H8o4erPnw9EpIxdxXkpzeAlI-I1X8/s1600/100_0322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzWxL-Te6yFx5-ZeDf2jTu-JZWeNa26nDTZV0x0s5P59diOwXyRU1RYUAt7jz2RhJi5QUie_JLSgGMfCf0ej57RV6AY0Pn0wEP3CiMz3ApHwJj7H8o4erPnw9EpIxdxXkpzeAlI-I1X8/s320/100_0322.JPG" /></a></div>There isn't all that much going on at either side of the bridge, unless a ballgame is going on, and the vistas off the bridge aren't exactly great, though it is always great looking at a ballpark. So, I don't know that I can recommend this walk it as a great experience-- but the bridge certainly gets the job done. Someday perhaps we'll have a more picturesque and pedestrian-friendly bridge at this location to report on. The <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/polls/metro/bridgepoll.htm">Washington Post</a> shows pictures of some of the alternative bridges that were proposed.<br />
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As far as scariness ratings go, we give this one a 9 , the sum of a 3 for length, a 3 for height, and a 3 for its width (low because of the high railings, though a little bit of a scary rating because of the narrowness of the sidewalk and that open area under the rails).<br />Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-2850577506151446042012-05-20T15:15:00.000-07:002012-05-20T15:42:03.012-07:00Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEYn-ZzDPSuT8xPtObIaXvZeJ0EfFsHheziOnhyI03FIIwawQKTlOT-t0NW8EKb1VJIHEZBep8HT-ylknRrwQNwTjR92RnJsryUAAEKJQ9SrQ12fBRpcoCnUMLvh_I3MVELrEqcINYAc/s1600/100_8653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEYn-ZzDPSuT8xPtObIaXvZeJ0EfFsHheziOnhyI03FIIwawQKTlOT-t0NW8EKb1VJIHEZBep8HT-ylknRrwQNwTjR92RnJsryUAAEKJQ9SrQ12fBRpcoCnUMLvh_I3MVELrEqcINYAc/s320/100_8653.JPG" /></a></div>A nice Sunday in May was a great time to walk across the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge, which spans the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania and is the link between the two towns of Columbia and Wrightsville that are themselves located between the bigger towns of Lancaster and York. It's a low, 2-lane bridge, about a mile long, built in 1930, and not very busy thanks to the much newer Highway Route 30 Bridge that is just to the north. The Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge is officially named the Veteran's Memorial Bridge, but there are many with that name across the country, and it is more commonly known by the two towns that it connects. There have been multiple bridges at the same location over the past two centuries, with one of them playing a role in the Civil War when Union forces burned it in order to keep Confederate troops--a small part of Robert E. Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania that ended with Gettysburg--from crossing into Lancaster County and making a move toward Harrisburg 30 miles to the north (see blog post by <a href="http://civilwar.gratzpa.org/2011/04/columbia-wrightsville-bridge-flames-on-the-susquehanna/">Norman Gasbarro</a> for a nice description of the battle and burning).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kwXvKwVUCSVlT1v2lSzNm2iY8uFHerZY6-Jy4uFkLcXvzV-ISwIqhgwFE0R0RlYZNQAoC2aaN6s6ZtFhHsVvbT4nl4mseo0GBcMUVQZUzzwwcQmAibwHvzMhOlOffEqPKTW1vz4VSOg/s1600/100_8640a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kwXvKwVUCSVlT1v2lSzNm2iY8uFHerZY6-Jy4uFkLcXvzV-ISwIqhgwFE0R0RlYZNQAoC2aaN6s6ZtFhHsVvbT4nl4mseo0GBcMUVQZUzzwwcQmAibwHvzMhOlOffEqPKTW1vz4VSOg/s320/100_8640a.jpg" /></a></div><br />
But the current bridge isn't a good candidate for burning, being a concrete structure, with multiple arches; in fact when built, it was the world's longest multiple-arch concrete bridge, if you're into records for bridge subtypes. Except for its length, it seems like a small town bridge, with a 6-foot wide sidewalk that is separated from the roadway by just a little curb. With a speed limit of 40 miles per hour, that would normally not be a big problem for walkers, but let's face it, people don't really drive the speed limit, and the barrier on the water side of the bridge is just above waist level, not all that satisfying, providing the not great choice of walking very close to traffic or the edge. Fortunately the roadway itself is very wide for just 2 lanes, so the cars tend to stay toward the middle of the road and leave the walkers to admire the views off the bridge.<br />
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Walking across the bridge, we got nice views of the Susquehanna River down to the south and the Route 30 Bridge to the north. A number of joggers were using the bridge. Just a nice, pleasant walk--except for the cars and the low side rails. We started from the Columbia side to the east, parking just a couple of blocks away from the bridge at the corner of North 2nd and Chestnut Streets. And after walking partway across the bridge and returning to the car, I drove the car across the bridge, with the theory of course being that if you can walk across a bridge, you can drive across it too. Strangely, when driving, you can't even see over the edge to water, because the side railings are solid and set just high enough to obstruct the views. That doesn't seem to be allowed with newer bridges, because people seem to want their bridges to afford majestic views, even though it seems that the drivers should be concentrating on driving; but maybe that's just me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZ4CDjm-86xZAIiboiKyHuqOWW1XY1UiOxgysvdDJaE472gfvJGLFHpHRVQp1bBP3m-0NbsS_YjUo5GDEjHAVCRUrGRjXkzWC67PYhy6AeY-Xxu0Dyxtmc6V7iSJzg0sVfJRBUmB7wtM/s1600/100_8644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZ4CDjm-86xZAIiboiKyHuqOWW1XY1UiOxgysvdDJaE472gfvJGLFHpHRVQp1bBP3m-0NbsS_YjUo5GDEjHAVCRUrGRjXkzWC67PYhy6AeY-Xxu0Dyxtmc6V7iSJzg0sVfJRBUmB7wtM/s320/100_8644.JPG" /></a></div>So, this one was a nice bridge to walk across. As for the scariness rating, I'd give it a 5 for length, a 4 for the width (being close to the roadway and with moderately low, though solid side railings), and a 3 for height (I can't find a reference to its average height above water, so I go by what I see). That's a 12 rating overall, a bit on the higher side of average for our walks.Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-36548513630019734082012-03-18T18:40:00.009-07:002012-03-18T18:54:34.957-07:00Chain Bridge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TpT8B3hqq0eHuv1i49qHAyIHglGMaRK2lmKvBQsAI7Fq7Bf7COu7vqmjAd_B9vqZdrZA0FCeLkg2vSoi9uVwAoTqy0mnOMBbmFUaHZTi51Al-KcqEtNgl2Bi26XF5kvDPCwkzgQ78w0/s1600/100_7363.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TpT8B3hqq0eHuv1i49qHAyIHglGMaRK2lmKvBQsAI7Fq7Bf7COu7vqmjAd_B9vqZdrZA0FCeLkg2vSoi9uVwAoTqy0mnOMBbmFUaHZTi51Al-KcqEtNgl2Bi26XF5kvDPCwkzgQ78w0/s320/100_7363.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721417616661612786" /></a><br />Yesterday was a beautiful March Saturday in Washington, DC, perfect for a walk across a bridge, and we chose the Chain Bridge. This quarter-mile bridge crosses the Potomac River, connecting the far north parts of Arlington,Virginia with Washington, DC. It was the site of the very first bridge crossing the Potomac between DC and Virginia, a wooden covered bridge built around 1800. Time and floods have required several replacements over the years, including three chain suspension bridges in the first half of the 1800s from which the current one gets its name, and others built on stone piers in the mid 1800s that are still used for the current bridge, which was completed in 1939. Just north is Little Falls and, further up, Great Falls, areas with rapids popular with kayakers. The river remains rather rocky at Chain Bridge, and it is only recommended for small craft with knowledge of the narrow and shallow channel.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3GKQoGpEDN-rRVniRIMl6den8tcXFpTsO_N62ZlBqc5YbrQtQZnr9JofthTD3wnoh4OtY0bbYYP_WgrB_0lSIqR86uQthTjGGTrCbEHtbbWU3UZeA72eXKDWSb-NnYuGBq5FsP9ueN4/s1600/100_7356.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3GKQoGpEDN-rRVniRIMl6den8tcXFpTsO_N62ZlBqc5YbrQtQZnr9JofthTD3wnoh4OtY0bbYYP_WgrB_0lSIqR86uQthTjGGTrCbEHtbbWU3UZeA72eXKDWSb-NnYuGBq5FsP9ueN4/s320/100_7356.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721418409441323762" /></a><br />We could park on the DC side of the bridge, where there were a small number of parking spots on the Clara Barton Parkway. The ground slopes steeply down to the river. Some intrepid people trekked down there and were either fishing or just hanging out on the rocks. The area is relatively natural; for example, we could see a number of turtles on this 65 degree day sunning on the rocks and horizontal branches below. There are also steps down to the C&O Canal towpath, which is next to the Potomac River on the DC side of the bridge.<br /><br />The views from the bridge were of the natural scenic variety--no national monuments here. Lots of rocks below, lots of nature. The sidewalk on the bridge is moderately wide, with a side railing at about neck level for me, very safe for walking you'll be glad to know. The ground slopes quickly downward, so while the bridge is level, what starts out as just a few feet above the ground eventually becomes a bit of distance to the water below--I've seen it written that the bridge is 50 feet above the river.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CODDzJnkxrAriQk5JbG_CfDSqjmNYw9GU1c65SIyo20A6P6C4DyBgqgVF8x8sGRuODFSg9jADapbTbXqRUfVR8VgD11I05e9127xOQVmMlp5Oj9CUEz8MyqLOT959pjlN0lsSJUHHSo/s1600/100_7352B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CODDzJnkxrAriQk5JbG_CfDSqjmNYw9GU1c65SIyo20A6P6C4DyBgqgVF8x8sGRuODFSg9jADapbTbXqRUfVR8VgD11I05e9127xOQVmMlp5Oj9CUEz8MyqLOT959pjlN0lsSJUHHSo/s320/100_7352B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721418037441697122" /></a><br />Of course, as with most pedestrian bridges on roadways, the cars are somewhat distracting. It is an urban bridge, so speeds aren't all that high, but nonetheless the cars are but a short railing away from the sidewalk. Nonetheless, the bridge is a nice addition our series of DC bridge walks, given the natural beauty of the area below. If you like that sort of thing, you should definitely head a little further north to the Falls, on either the DC or Virginia sides, where there are parks to hike and see the big falls and kayakers navigating them.<br /><br />As for the scariness of Chain Bridge, the cars seemed scarier than anything, in some cases speeding across the bridge, though the short railing provided needed protection. The steep drop-off of the bridge as it gets to the river does provide some excitement and certainly a nice view of the area. The bridge is very short, though, and the river part shorter yet. We'll give the bridge a scariness rating of 7, with a 1.5 for length, 2.5 for height, and 3 for width (the main issue being not enough distance from the cars, not our usual issue). That makes it one of the calmer walks we've undertaken. Following the previous walk over the George Washington Bridge, this was quite mellow.Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-49293686488084810222011-12-27T18:43:00.000-08:002012-01-02T19:13:47.427-08:00George Washington Bridge - Upper Level<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuN84XhqOhzW2JabwQG3ZH77HdFBs0Q8P2WW23Apy43WN-PLPnyyVZQ1QC0kCxxgqUpvS0h_xThoLsMaUbrm3k23A2msTvfNwHa7qRFSdK33JWFJmKIeCC0pXdBTtg3y0QLhsnPWj5Vw/s1600/gwb+photo3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuN84XhqOhzW2JabwQG3ZH77HdFBs0Q8P2WW23Apy43WN-PLPnyyVZQ1QC0kCxxgqUpvS0h_xThoLsMaUbrm3k23A2msTvfNwHa7qRFSdK33JWFJmKIeCC0pXdBTtg3y0QLhsnPWj5Vw/s320/gwb+photo3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691004748211001362" /></a><br />It's back to the George Washington Bridge, the scene of two previous treks across the Hudson River, but this time it's a walk over the upper level of the bridge, all 212 feet up in the open air worth, rather than in the tunnel-like lower level. It was a rather breezy day after Christmas, around 40 degrees or so, thus a bit of a wind chill especially out in the open and, again, up in the air. Not an ideal day for a bridge walk, but not bad for early winter; and in the end we even took a drive over following the walk.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyX6zeROVTPj7nIlYX-W9jcKKsIrbIyqlo3DAb73C7RDkDiT5kfm9OLEXGl__lr2nKrO1bZA1B2DqAXEiLR1gjn94flWWkJQtqrDx97WixeMzId2IY7rANaFVIKKumQPiyLOa8gFsKx9s/s1600/100_6179.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyX6zeROVTPj7nIlYX-W9jcKKsIrbIyqlo3DAb73C7RDkDiT5kfm9OLEXGl__lr2nKrO1bZA1B2DqAXEiLR1gjn94flWWkJQtqrDx97WixeMzId2IY7rANaFVIKKumQPiyLOa8gFsKx9s/s320/100_6179.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693216397364406242" /></a><br />We--my wife and I had my son this time on the walk--started from the Fort Lee, New Jersey side, which has some parking pretty close to the bridge walkway that is on the south side of the bridge. We quickly passed by the guard who is posted at the beginning of the Jersey-side--not my ideal job location, and certainly not because it's in Jersey. We ran into the guard, or one of his compatriots, months ago on a detour after our walk out onto the lower level, when we checked out the upper level in preparation for this trek--back then he wasn't happy with our taking pictures of the bridge, telling us that no close-ups of the bridge were allowed and to focus our attention on the views off the side. So, we of course complied, and needed and received no attention from him this time. Fortunately, the security truck we saw newly parked next to his post as we came off the bridge was not for us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bv0sdKszSszTq3t1bF1xfC5V5mkU9Nn1_lxFhABCDMwGUr3pu-XlYbyAbh_DEx9vWiqwPsLpsXT3YkYSQhPAOExu38AHY-1D5VIjI6FhTzg9MPdhrZ3KmBtwCjH-sOB1nTw-Oeu1FuM/s1600/100_6181b.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bv0sdKszSszTq3t1bF1xfC5V5mkU9Nn1_lxFhABCDMwGUr3pu-XlYbyAbh_DEx9vWiqwPsLpsXT3YkYSQhPAOExu38AHY-1D5VIjI6FhTzg9MPdhrZ3KmBtwCjH-sOB1nTw-Oeu1FuM/s320/100_6181b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693218471311180322" /></a><br />So, how scary is it walking out on one of the higher and busiest bridges in the United States? I was relatively ok as long as I stayed on the car side of the walkway. The walkway was pretty wide as far as those things go, lots of room to let the bikers go by. Lots of room in case the dreaded rogue wind gust popped up in the direction of the railings. The railings were rather open, good for the views, I suppose, and were just high enough to offer some comfort. However, I still don't like my arms reaching down to touch the top of the railings. Have to work on that. Given that we've been out before on the lower level of this bridge, and were much higher up at the New River Gorge Bridge, I guess there's been some desensitizing--it just didn't feel all that high in the air. Nonetheless, the open railings, not all that high, and the undeniable height of the bridge, made this one the scariest bridge yet trekked, with an official scariness rating of 23--a 9 for height, 5 for length (about a mile long), 7 for width (the open and not all that high railings), and an add factor of 2 for the scary looking towers. That's the highest rating yet, exceeding the rating for the lower level of the GW bridge, and even the 876-foot-high New River Gorge Bridge.<br /><br />So, we walked to the middle of the bridge, turned around and exited back off the Jersey side back to the car, and going to visit family on the New York side, I even drove over the bridge. The theory is that if you can walk over a bridge, then you can drive over it, too. So far, so good: no rejection of that hypothesis.Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-86779633502773917882011-10-20T15:25:00.000-07:002011-10-22T19:08:17.969-07:00Bridge Day 2011: New River Gorge Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgYMocMzUwi0J_RC8f3HkHepq2aWW-ZFHDnzE6chalHYC-mv7z5ejVCX_aq5PXLZepxY_H_0_2p5hwp-UD6jnTmibUAmtc37uJfnF7Q3aUlv7apXxHiCCLd_J0C6jfpNZptzkspK43og/s1600/100_2858.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgYMocMzUwi0J_RC8f3HkHepq2aWW-ZFHDnzE6chalHYC-mv7z5ejVCX_aq5PXLZepxY_H_0_2p5hwp-UD6jnTmibUAmtc37uJfnF7Q3aUlv7apXxHiCCLd_J0C6jfpNZptzkspK43og/s320/100_2858.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665704936857996546" border="0"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpX3dgh0t0GTkKxd7yfONvCUdYi19hnQDak_dCzuS_oLxxXm33bghhe-xeZ5AZ_wNrV5c30c_Qy5j9g_e5vYcHSpx07YgkoBO4nCgCeBRMYPzHnyYrL4tpaCeV9kn2FxhKShk9sCiYV-U/s1600/44200014.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpX3dgh0t0GTkKxd7yfONvCUdYi19hnQDak_dCzuS_oLxxXm33bghhe-xeZ5AZ_wNrV5c30c_Qy5j9g_e5vYcHSpx07YgkoBO4nCgCeBRMYPzHnyYrL4tpaCeV9kn2FxhKShk9sCiYV-U/s320/44200014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665704681220120114" border="0"></a><br />It's time to take bridge walking to new heights, to the third highest bridge in North America, the New River Gorge Bridge near Fayetteville, West Virginia. One day each year, on the 3rd Saturday in October, what they call "Bridge Day", the bridge is closed to vehicles and a festival takes place, with the main entertainment being the BASE jumpers, yes, parachutists who jump off a platform in the middle of the bridge into the gorge below. No sidewalks on this bridge, so this is the only day of the year to be able to walk on out. Going to Bridge Day 2011 was definitely a great experience. I was perfectly happy though to just walk out to the middle and watch the jumpers, with plenty of adrenalin for me coming from being 876 feet above the river below, over three times higher than say the George Washington Bridge or the Golden Gate Bridge. The views are quite breathtaking, and a great time of year for it with the leaves all around at full autumnal peak.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYA-DEjc-2MV9e4wq3dfMKnlxGCm4O9Kqq9OKogGV3c3fVrnkiDtejoR1SKC-IpSpZ0FKAWvO9T6YNZnFsQsE8mpJQNTyFShJBOzoruFG_OpMJ6CPEgTLa8irLig7k1MEYH51vPyoWFSo/s1600/100_2823B.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYA-DEjc-2MV9e4wq3dfMKnlxGCm4O9Kqq9OKogGV3c3fVrnkiDtejoR1SKC-IpSpZ0FKAWvO9T6YNZnFsQsE8mpJQNTyFShJBOzoruFG_OpMJ6CPEgTLa8irLig7k1MEYH51vPyoWFSo/s200/100_2823B.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665706015900729154" border="0"></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVUTsVHj67VUPSgBAwqXEAQTkWLKcO4IjB40J9ifd2U5zmxX1DBuhMxuz8oOYawzzzTHF5iVF40owxHAxiTecVaXgJM0M3tJtnixel4KW0UiH_m6BWy-tnm6EV8LgxdjwfUD8p8BobF4/s1600/100_2866.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVUTsVHj67VUPSgBAwqXEAQTkWLKcO4IjB40J9ifd2U5zmxX1DBuhMxuz8oOYawzzzTHF5iVF40owxHAxiTecVaXgJM0M3tJtnixel4KW0UiH_m6BWy-tnm6EV8LgxdjwfUD8p8BobF4/s320/100_2866.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665706427108704562" border="0"></a><br />The New River Gorge Bridge is the 3rd highest in North America, topped only by Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado and the recently-completed the O'Callaghan-Tillman Bridge near the Hoover Dam between Arizona and Nevada. The New River Gorge Bridge was completed in 1977, and the festival and BASE jumping started shortly thereafter. Fortunately, the bridge is mercifully short, at just over half a mile long. From the surface it looks just like a normal road, like a flat overpass for a four lane highway (2 lanes in each direction), but the great views off the side immediately remove any thoughts of being on a glorified overpass. <br /><br />Why anyone would want to parachute off a perfectly good bridge is foreign to me, and a little disconcerting to see at first. But the 400 or so jumpers lined up for the opportunity. Unfortunately, one jumper was seriously injured when his chute did not fully deploy in time. But the jumping went on. Looking over the railing, we could see the jumpers trying to land in a small circle way below, just on the banks of the river, which if successful would net them $100. Most seemed to land in the drink, in the New River, where boats quickly pulled them out. There were also repellers going down from the bridge on long ropes. <br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwPL2kXHZmoK-qJD64repjbjlP4UdTY9dRpJx6SlM7jPGYRStD2C0FtIx4UBw3ZO2uRmX0q-F-BG-3VsLq7qg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe> Despite how disconcerted I expected to feel at such a height, I was pleasantly surprised on Bridge Day. The sides of the bridge were about chest level, just enough protection from a rogue wind gust, and the sides were almost completely solid. The bridge height also came on somewhat gradually, as the gorge widened out below, allowing some time for acclimation. Nonetheless, there were those jumpers who required renewed acclimation on my part. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ta5R8s5VMCaAJTHeYpUE0E9MTXpWlWTcjvq0yrZUgifqDcMpNk_fzQ5dnVDr0uEy2IYyOrfFL_UZgTCSM7wAUWCRGL_cD9GY6WF2YhnB1YYjs3WnKZurW4SqVai9NU80xZBd0xCdFTE/s1600/100_2875.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ta5R8s5VMCaAJTHeYpUE0E9MTXpWlWTcjvq0yrZUgifqDcMpNk_fzQ5dnVDr0uEy2IYyOrfFL_UZgTCSM7wAUWCRGL_cD9GY6WF2YhnB1YYjs3WnKZurW4SqVai9NU80xZBd0xCdFTE/s320/100_2875.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665706687205518690" border="0"></a><br /><br />We then took a bus down some little country roads to the bottom of the gorge, where we could see the bridge in all its glory, with the parachutists floating down. We also walked right through the area where the BASE jumpers were packing their parachutes for another jump, and we took the bus back up with those happy people.<br /><br />I've been rating these bridge treks for scariness on a 1-10 scale for height, width, and length. But how to rate a bridge on height that blows my scale almost to the stratosphere, since every 20 to 25 feet has been worth about a point, with the idea being the highest bridges I could imagine going over, at about 250 feet, would be around a 10. But at some point, the added height starts to lose its power: can you really tell the difference between the 878 feet-high New River Bridge and a bridge that is say 50 feet lower? So, we'll arbitrarily give the New River Bridge a scariness rating of 15 for height, and combine that with a 3 rating for length, and a 3 for width (thanks to the high railings and solidity). That's a 21 total, certainly the scariest we've experienced yet. I'm hoping that future bridges will now seem like they are barely above the water below.Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-64422322379444161402011-09-18T19:05:00.000-07:002011-09-18T19:45:49.312-07:00Taft Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirta2jGNJg7H_089KyKfKdkRS9huzWE1JD3ij_e8g6HfzQbpv3p6N4EKq2WfUat7lRPk-9OziDEkYoJRZrokdOELEnYFZmyaJ7xEZzqvNXYeXAPFE5L29KdBvosw9XcVE2TVo0QKzqVTY/s1600/100_2619.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirta2jGNJg7H_089KyKfKdkRS9huzWE1JD3ij_e8g6HfzQbpv3p6N4EKq2WfUat7lRPk-9OziDEkYoJRZrokdOELEnYFZmyaJ7xEZzqvNXYeXAPFE5L29KdBvosw9XcVE2TVo0QKzqVTY/s320/100_2619.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653890211540733858" /></a><br />Today was a great, early autumn-like day to take a walk across the Taft Bridge in Washington, DC. A true urban bridge, the Taft Bridge carries Connecticut Avenue over Rock Creek Park, traversing the Rock Creek gorge with the park (and yes, there is a creek) way below. The bridge was completed in 1907, and was originally called just the Connecticut Avenue Bridge. But William Howard Taft, as an ex-President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, apparently walked over the bridge often, and it was named after him in 1931, the year after he died. (A bridge walker marvels about the presidential election of 1912, which pitted Taft against Theodore Roosevelt--namesake of the nearby bridge across the Potomac River--and the winning Woodrow Wilson--namesake of the area Beltway bridge over the Potomac.) <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4I33siPw1z6KAXQrQRJLMfzE3qhybcGw5w7pKR_6o2suBjOvmSwX9zV61znImmWa76GGKsmpLRde3kqGRZWWxzQlJF3oj-4gFPc7GgCRq76Ay2Y0aBBg4rfWZB4SHq0xDEOmvdX4IunQ/s1600/100_2608.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4I33siPw1z6KAXQrQRJLMfzE3qhybcGw5w7pKR_6o2suBjOvmSwX9zV61znImmWa76GGKsmpLRde3kqGRZWWxzQlJF3oj-4gFPc7GgCRq76Ay2Y0aBBg4rfWZB4SHq0xDEOmvdX4IunQ/s320/100_2608.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653891461699489810" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />The Taft Bridge is a concrete arch bridge and is about one-quarter mile long. It is reportedly about 130 feet above the park below, quite believable given how small things looked down there. There is a great description of the history of the bridge from the Streets of Washington web site (<a href="http://www.streetsofwashington.com/2009/11/million-dollar-bridge.html">http://www.streetsofwashington.com/2009/11/million-dollar-bridge.html</a>), describing, among other things, how the bridge was originally called the "Million Dollar Bridge" because of its price tag (though it was actually 15% below that amount). There are also the great lion sculptures at each end of the bridge (2 on each side), which were replaced recently with replicas.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiFQrfu-DrSsmbutenp76cy-d1X4gmJBCy0IIJ4EDZmFB31OOHRinWI2iblKeRZaN3SpC_n3lVOPDw1tYW86izPu9zlvmWmXZ2AztZxdZ-QGaZccv6VkljvTf3KaA1KnW9KxX90HSSyo/s1600/100_2611B.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiFQrfu-DrSsmbutenp76cy-d1X4gmJBCy0IIJ4EDZmFB31OOHRinWI2iblKeRZaN3SpC_n3lVOPDw1tYW86izPu9zlvmWmXZ2AztZxdZ-QGaZccv6VkljvTf3KaA1KnW9KxX90HSSyo/s320/100_2611B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653892148744110546" /></a><br />Walking over the bridge was surprisingly interesting, as the gorge opens up below and you can see quite a ways into the distance. Certainly worth the trip if you happen to be, say, at the nearby National Zoo. We walked on both sides of the bridge. You can see the Washington Cathedral in the distance off one side, and the nearly Duke Ellington Bridge off the other side. The railings are fairly open, and about upper-arm high (on me), thus allowing for the nice views or not providing a lot of protection, depending on your perspective. As for scariness rating, I'd give it a 12, with a 2 (out of 10) for length, 6 for height, and 4 for width (somewhat high, though open railings). Yes, height counts.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmXvX3wgMkTNql6uP2ZRLljWAFyvbSApHPyrOBgMwDsvuYyQcfpyzyzKcORuHcrITOHU_On-AV56j5AIUHgmv7cg0mIqV-Lydco_aEZ5xhVNzWAh_Dl49kTYcAXREW3_arC7r2r92wgs/s1600/100_2615.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmXvX3wgMkTNql6uP2ZRLljWAFyvbSApHPyrOBgMwDsvuYyQcfpyzyzKcORuHcrITOHU_On-AV56j5AIUHgmv7cg0mIqV-Lydco_aEZ5xhVNzWAh_Dl49kTYcAXREW3_arC7r2r92wgs/s320/100_2615.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653894834008381250" /></a>Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-11423981515279264772011-08-14T19:33:00.000-07:002011-08-14T20:01:00.698-07:00Case Memorial Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoRpHtvUyLwuFe4BO63qGKo3lR7KeAkV9R_udwgT-aNQl5dIfzUp2-jTSITl12M3APulyMEGd9mttglqWhIp83kZTpkLg20KRKdakLe17afpir9eP4faPZ7ZZILTnh-UAA51l2vMVcNQ/s1600/26690001.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoRpHtvUyLwuFe4BO63qGKo3lR7KeAkV9R_udwgT-aNQl5dIfzUp2-jTSITl12M3APulyMEGd9mttglqWhIp83kZTpkLg20KRKdakLe17afpir9eP4faPZ7ZZILTnh-UAA51l2vMVcNQ/s320/26690001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640906938276114898" /></a>
<br />An 80 degree August day in Washington, DC, with just a good bit of humidity, is a great day to do a bridge trek. Today we went to the Francis Case Memorial Bridge, one of the lesser bridges in DC (not even earning a Wikipedia entry), but an important commuter artery nonetheless. The Case Bridge crosses Washington Channel, a tributary of the Potomac, and connects East Potomac Park in DC with the waterfront area of Southwest Washington. The Case Bridge carries I-395 and also the Southwest Freeway at that point, and is just northeast of the 14th Street Bridge. The Case Bridge is short, maybe 0.2 miles across, and certainly not very high. It can be accessed on foot from East Potomac Park (look for the tennis courts and the big white tent). East Potomac Park is a great area for biking and sightseeing and is very close to the Tidal Basin and the cherry trees, as well as the Jefferson Memorial. But we've got some bridge walking to do.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLmxnQ3khhW48rR_FqoNRjVuZMZVeXoDaV4qLgu7t-7MXjRUOlOCo87YNM-xxZhAP5_M0CfHhec7h0mZDf-GjWwBn-lkDVczdZVVD0oIjHn5NMqJOPiVSNo8MKMz-JJc1Z9vhwbGNp-E/s1600/26690012.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLmxnQ3khhW48rR_FqoNRjVuZMZVeXoDaV4qLgu7t-7MXjRUOlOCo87YNM-xxZhAP5_M0CfHhec7h0mZDf-GjWwBn-lkDVczdZVVD0oIjHn5NMqJOPiVSNo8MKMz-JJc1Z9vhwbGNp-E/s320/26690012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640907167131721650" /></a>
<br />First a little history is in order. Francis Case was a senator from South Dakota, Chairman of the Senate's District Committee, who died in office in 1962. He championed DC voting rights and was an important player in the passage of the 23rd Amendment to the Constitution that gave DC residents the right to vote for President. He was also instrumental, apparently, in keeping the Teddy Roosevelt Bridge that crosses the Potomac River from going right over the middle of Roosevelt Island, and instead, in a compromise, rerouting the bridge to only the very southern edge of the island. (We've been there. <a href="http://www.bridgetrek.com/2010/08/teddy-roosevelt-bridge.html">Teddy Roosevelt Bridge Trek</a>.)
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<br />Well, the Washington Post reported that the Teddy Roosevelt Bridge, completed in 1964, was already named for the President, so they named the newly built bridge over the Washington Channel for Francis Case instead.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPijGKIvE7jUrnv1dQc8dlYx9QI_Fgwt-4N-wFlp4KAYBWgbzjLUYzO9YExHrepm1qenp8bY1ocRL19dv4CZA6BuVwsbRumwH5MWdCzdrUsz2iYth8hCFtEIYRNyjP2zzPg77IQYdJHSw/s1600/022.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPijGKIvE7jUrnv1dQc8dlYx9QI_Fgwt-4N-wFlp4KAYBWgbzjLUYzO9YExHrepm1qenp8bY1ocRL19dv4CZA6BuVwsbRumwH5MWdCzdrUsz2iYth8hCFtEIYRNyjP2zzPg77IQYdJHSw/s320/022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640907331295406034" /></a>
<br />The views from the bridge are surprisingly nice. There are lots of boats at a marina on the waterfront side of the channel right below. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanHvgnAs7siG3QJKanMW6bd5WQM_Khpg7eHfo8ErL3AjfQuGnUDBZgYELgJBTqRDr0xZ0y8ZwPVlHE9x8TNEINNVaXVXI7-yUZigVwd147_zmVHlzcHsLdvWl0HIjvaCB-GZUsYCGR0g/s1600/26690015.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanHvgnAs7siG3QJKanMW6bd5WQM_Khpg7eHfo8ErL3AjfQuGnUDBZgYELgJBTqRDr0xZ0y8ZwPVlHE9x8TNEINNVaXVXI7-yUZigVwd147_zmVHlzcHsLdvWl0HIjvaCB-GZUsYCGR0g/s320/26690015.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640907524799270258" /></a>The Southwest Freeway is a very busy thoroughfare, thus it is certainly not a peaceful walk. I'd say that crossing the Case Bridge by foot would be an excellent addition to a family outing on East Potomac Park. A nice high railing (chin high for me) protects the walkers, and the walkway is good and wide. It earns a low scariness rating, with 1 for length, 2.5 for height, and (measuring the walkway and railings) a 3 for width, making for a 6.5 total scariness rating, one of our lowest.
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<br />Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-70536542000649766432011-06-14T19:37:00.000-07:002011-06-14T19:55:30.593-07:00George Washington Bridge, lower deck (take 2)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iCTDobCLETwJyEN6Zi_7p6ejlBRL4ImvQaa2PqYgxh9yUZVJorLpkCay3Rt5Nk3oDxfkQEpqpwbMda14dnsV4mqjopJUzmDjl25p4vxsL1-_B7WbMDFAzrJX8Wp4ZRo42FnEV9fNaEI/s1600/100_2188B.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iCTDobCLETwJyEN6Zi_7p6ejlBRL4ImvQaa2PqYgxh9yUZVJorLpkCay3Rt5Nk3oDxfkQEpqpwbMda14dnsV4mqjopJUzmDjl25p4vxsL1-_B7WbMDFAzrJX8Wp4ZRo42FnEV9fNaEI/s320/100_2188B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618270886623307794" /></a><br />It's back to the George Washington Bridge for our second trek across the lower deck. On one Sunday morning every June, the lower deck of the bridge closes for a bike/run/walk as part of a fundraising effort for the American Cancer Society, with hundreds of people participating. We previously reported on <a href="http://www.bridgetrek.com/2010/06/george-washington-bridge-lower-deck.html">last year's walk</a>, and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to participate one more time. <br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0KWs_Mz5QkoNzD8I6OIC5MtjW43JhY46BA7cG69jL2EmyCkFWthvssfe_LPSHGJgYicQoYiKtmyuDpRwqNIfNPlxJ7TDM_wo4ynKA7Ir-yBHiPEnfIBxEd_7a3SyQ1AwkepajTT-Xds/s1600/100_2186B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0KWs_Mz5QkoNzD8I6OIC5MtjW43JhY46BA7cG69jL2EmyCkFWthvssfe_LPSHGJgYicQoYiKtmyuDpRwqNIfNPlxJ7TDM_wo4ynKA7Ir-yBHiPEnfIBxEd_7a3SyQ1AwkepajTT-Xds/s320/100_2186B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618270996322119874" /></a><br />The George Washington Bridge, of course, spans the Hudson River between New Jersey and New York. It is about a mile long and is reportedly one of the busiest suspension bridges in the world. The walk started from Fort Lee on the Jersey side, went across the bridge and then turned right around and returned to NJ, not getting off the bridge in New York. Midway across the bridge are signs saying you are now entering NY or NJ. Unlike last year, when it was quite a shock getting out onto the bridge at 190 feet or so above the water, with no gradual build up whatsoever, this year I was at least prepared. The lower deck of the bridge certainly lacks openness, since the roadway above makes for a bit of a tunnel effect. But there was no mistaking that openness off the side with a great view of downtown New York. It is clearly quite high above the water. Unlike last year, I did make a tentative check of the side railing and walked near the side for a while. Otherwise, though, I was the person who stayed in the exact center of the roadway. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rYoQHJQF2C2JmQFEGYkVZ3lF1RBAN38lBLQyCwsVyq5OLZvpiyse4K48Z4M2ncS9eLyv9_0KegqITCkMLu2zc8WO1k8YjMW8BJSV9Uglb9bEvAIec1Tu4mqPPKz2Rzx4d3DN0ss5d1w/s1600/100_2187.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rYoQHJQF2C2JmQFEGYkVZ3lF1RBAN38lBLQyCwsVyq5OLZvpiyse4K48Z4M2ncS9eLyv9_0KegqITCkMLu2zc8WO1k8YjMW8BJSV9Uglb9bEvAIec1Tu4mqPPKz2Rzx4d3DN0ss5d1w/s320/100_2187.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618271221307668082" /></a><br /><br /> <br />You could hear the cars driving on the top level, just above us, and you could actually feel the bridge moving, but really only when you weren't moving. Some balance thing, I assume, with the clear, desired effect of encouraging you to keep moving.<br /><br />For scariness rating (height/length/width, like the old mathematical formula for volume), the lower level of the George Washington Bridge gets an 8 for height, 5 for length, and 5 for width (solid, though open and not high side supports), for a total score of 18, the highest score we've given a bridge on our treks of the past year. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LV0KzUz5cV2A_RKg8lChXZKfc5aWAFwF_qaeFWUnQCYkRWpv1m2gZTftsGxXVFc1X-n_GExtyen3UiFidS6e6vpHVYoS-cksylem4BVXlpzt_eS6GxcygQnbtmGMDvh-RlYuvbh0KpM/s1600/100_2185B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LV0KzUz5cV2A_RKg8lChXZKfc5aWAFwF_qaeFWUnQCYkRWpv1m2gZTftsGxXVFc1X-n_GExtyen3UiFidS6e6vpHVYoS-cksylem4BVXlpzt_eS6GxcygQnbtmGMDvh-RlYuvbh0KpM/s320/100_2185B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618271933619513746" /></a><br /><br /><br />We do have thoughts of graduating to the top level of the George Washington Bridge, where a pedestrian/bike path hugs the side of the bridge. We did at least check it out this year, going just a little way out. The photo at the top of this post shows the entrance to the walkway to the upper level path. It looks doable, maybe, but the scariness rating will clearly go up.Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-61490767159061323652011-05-15T15:38:00.000-07:002011-05-15T15:52:57.187-07:00Longfellow Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiED3a0Pgv7NLp2UFD2KYLwh947-0XB0GDBL_aIobSwfRQsab73fGN-JaIQ13MmQSGY8aER1BIOaGR6IEwAz1wby6BehRV9sdhw8xRXUrNrvPXbXoddBV-6H0HbfZr06soTg0y_dbMCMzw/s1600/100_2006.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiED3a0Pgv7NLp2UFD2KYLwh947-0XB0GDBL_aIobSwfRQsab73fGN-JaIQ13MmQSGY8aER1BIOaGR6IEwAz1wby6BehRV9sdhw8xRXUrNrvPXbXoddBV-6H0HbfZr06soTg0y_dbMCMzw/s400/100_2006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607076935022891490" /></a><br />It was a great Sunday morning in May for a walk over the Longfellow Bridge, which traverses the Charles River and connects Cambridge with Boston. Now, this is a bridge with character and great views, certainly worth the effort of visiting. If the nearby Harvard Bridge (see earlier post) is for the students, then the Longfellow Bridge is for the more experienced adults among us. The stone and rusty iron bridge has four distinctive stone turrets built on it, giving the bridge the nickname of the "Salt and Pepper Shaker Bridge." The bridge not only carries vehicles (of course) and pedestrians/bikers, but also the red line of the Boston subway system. The group <a href="http://www.kendallsq.com/Resources/Documents/Paul%20Revere-longfellow%2013.pdf">walkBoston</a> couldn't have summed up the experience of trekking across the Longfellow Bridge more accurately: "As a pedestrian on this bridge, you enjoy a sensory feast. Smell the fishy, pungent river. Feel the vibrations of a Red Line train as it rumbles between Boston and Cambridge. Look at one of the best views of the Boston skyline." <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFWuIpI1vbIvRlQW2Mdje46rdFizjcLzSFXL-RncGPCj8Zw84Nuy3AMaL1FsiD-PfS0j4Hr5RfBnzAOedrg3_anLLPGEouE1LwzDfzKW-9HmeJnv50-KvCnJW5T5_f-1P2MbQefgLtC4/s1600/100_2009B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFWuIpI1vbIvRlQW2Mdje46rdFizjcLzSFXL-RncGPCj8Zw84Nuy3AMaL1FsiD-PfS0j4Hr5RfBnzAOedrg3_anLLPGEouE1LwzDfzKW-9HmeJnv50-KvCnJW5T5_f-1P2MbQefgLtC4/s320/100_2009B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607077197329397714" /></a><br />The bridge was completed in 1906 and apparently has had little reconstruction work until now. In 2008, after a support beam was found in need of immediate repair, the red line trains were limited to very slow speeds, two of the four traffic lanes were closed, and one of the two sidewalks was closed. Although the immediate repair was made and those restrictions lifted, the bridge is now undergoing extensive rehabilitation. And it is getting a face lift as well, as the bridge is scheduled to have its rust removed and get its first paint job since 1953. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEili6yQCW6Zqo_bwj4Vl831gFOUHwGrOkeUBNWdL0fa_ukZHvnMsZiEEG3Tng8frkZI6BhYWvhCurPiSK-agNdivgQj1BJIjo2jNE8g-GQSoug3QnkYizz7DtKCDYf6YrTPcahPEy6RU-A/s1600/100_2018.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEili6yQCW6Zqo_bwj4Vl831gFOUHwGrOkeUBNWdL0fa_ukZHvnMsZiEEG3Tng8frkZI6BhYWvhCurPiSK-agNdivgQj1BJIjo2jNE8g-GQSoug3QnkYizz7DtKCDYf6YrTPcahPEy6RU-A/s320/100_2018.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607077474497857522" /></a><br />The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who lived during the 19th century, spent the last chunk of his life in Boston and apparently often walked across the prior bridge located at the same location. He wrote a poem about the previous bridge on that site entitled, simply, "<a href="http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/longfellow/12231">The Bridge</a>." And his poem about Paul Revere's ride ("Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere....") is actually painted on a narrow strip on the sidewalk of the Longfellow Bridge.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKag8mrp3BznvDa-uvvzKgkiT3lliWowqUncwbuFhKSOqitFue1MroGHjY1RIH6XZ4P-cL80J7Q44pGQSm5w9foWIi1-gC4Xw-sqPx3HC-z6JytkHwZPMFMkQPPAG7S6tJnJQyZ01Y5o/s1600/100_2016.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKag8mrp3BznvDa-uvvzKgkiT3lliWowqUncwbuFhKSOqitFue1MroGHjY1RIH6XZ4P-cL80J7Q44pGQSm5w9foWIi1-gC4Xw-sqPx3HC-z6JytkHwZPMFMkQPPAG7S6tJnJQyZ01Y5o/s320/100_2016.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607077765621831522" /></a><br /><br /><br />I don't think a trip to Boston is complete without a trek across the Longfellow. And not a scary bridge walk really, assuming you forget about the disrepair of the structure. I give it a 2 for height, 2 for length at 0.4 miles, and 4 for width (given its wide sidewalks and solid, low chest high railings, though rust ridden), thus a total of 8.Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-53522687287172877472011-05-13T18:27:00.000-07:002011-05-13T18:35:28.142-07:00Harvard Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks93Tgoi07y7fFN1sychu-7jdcuyN2anBVMpbeWnRZrw0Oikslu2D7JGKxFe2XDVKmq36ML6njJI7TQQ75raOUMHMRk4K_slVrdF_Tx8INhHc1IqOnIj2hb7PQuBIS918JYnraBkqnIY/s1600/100_2000B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks93Tgoi07y7fFN1sychu-7jdcuyN2anBVMpbeWnRZrw0Oikslu2D7JGKxFe2XDVKmq36ML6njJI7TQQ75raOUMHMRk4K_slVrdF_Tx8INhHc1IqOnIj2hb7PQuBIS918JYnraBkqnIY/s400/100_2000B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606378222003272946" /></a><br />A family event in early May in Boston presented a great opportunity to do some Charles River bridge treks. First, it's a Friday afternoon stroll over the Harvard Bridge, often called the Mass Ave Bridge because it carries, of course, Massachusetts Avenue. The bridge, which connects Cambridge and Boston, was built in 1891, but reconstructed in the 1980s to the point of now looking completely different (and apparently now being structurally sound). It is not named after the University, but for Reverend John Harvard, after whom Harvard University is named. There is a college right next to the bridge in Cambridge, but instead of being Harvard, it is MIT, which moved to its current location after the bridge was originally built and named.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipZRuNMeccOfrHXf7pouzy12OlKxpiAHQDJ5gGwURAvHlZLYQ-zT9r0_okQ56NfeUKfO4oC5CeG4Wx0D9j5akrtdCTgHGRAGwbVESLqsOcuk9pR29PD0pTioeXGoywTL5DYj3On8BcRU/s1600/100_1986.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipZRuNMeccOfrHXf7pouzy12OlKxpiAHQDJ5gGwURAvHlZLYQ-zT9r0_okQ56NfeUKfO4oC5CeG4Wx0D9j5akrtdCTgHGRAGwbVESLqsOcuk9pR29PD0pTioeXGoywTL5DYj3On8BcRU/s400/100_1986.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606378384087361890" /></a><br />The MIT students have clearly claimed the bridge as their own. The bridge length is famously measured in "smoots," with painted markers on the sidewalk every 10 smoot-lengths, thanks to the efforts of a fraternity in 1958. As the story goes, and this story was confirmed to my satisfaction by a relative who graduated from there, the frat took one of its pledges, Oliver Smoot, and rolled him head over heels across the bridge, keeping measure of how many body lengths they had covered. The bridge is marked at 364.4 smoots long, plus or minus one ear, as measured by those mathematically-oriented students who apparently had an appreciation for potential measurement error. Using standard measurements, the bridge is about 0.4 miles long.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y6hh55SeYd3O_SLhZZyONYwWSoU3d4GJm3VZ5bOaGhoT9Z1HwFdZD7c3V7QCw7HJHGo0XvUhoxC7l0AiXJEsAxXN9h-X2ySg-uhQQE9kmG84wVhtHWAkGyukZrUy8KKjtSc1OB_O5Pc/s1600/100_1995.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y6hh55SeYd3O_SLhZZyONYwWSoU3d4GJm3VZ5bOaGhoT9Z1HwFdZD7c3V7QCw7HJHGo0XvUhoxC7l0AiXJEsAxXN9h-X2ySg-uhQQE9kmG84wVhtHWAkGyukZrUy8KKjtSc1OB_O5Pc/s400/100_1995.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606378609580009122" /></a><br />School was still in session , and the bridge was very popular with students. Lots of pedestrians and, to a lesser extent, bikes. Nice breezes, nice views out in the middle of the Charles. Certainly worth the trek. I will note that the bridge was very, very low -- I'm estimating about 15 to 20 feet above the water (based on my fine sense and a close assessment of photos showing people walking across where I can see how many body lengths it is down to the water). The railings were just a little above waist level, not very reassuring but we'll cut them a break with the water that close to the roadway. In a great movie scene, you may remember that the Sundance Kid (played by Robert Redford) refused to take a huge leap off a cliff into a river below in order to escape capture because, he finally said, he couldn't swim, to which Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) told him "Are you crazy? The fall will probably kill you." Well, Butch would have had to worry about swimming off the Harvard Bridge, given that the fall would be akin to a competitive high dive.<br /><br />We'll give the bridge a scariness rating of 9, with a 2 for length, 1 for height, and a 6 for the low, open railings, though helped with wide sidewalks.Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-40189824795629257582011-02-27T19:50:00.001-08:002011-02-27T20:48:28.807-08:00Manhattan Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaboIb5sqr_ADP2QrFNlcPo82gkrLpqGxy62ayNgHt6RoG0CzIe5l8Rrde5FAIht9TToOVr9C-rfV3GMLrP0NAw34gIU2Nxt_P80P47WlwziYD1vEAG2qE_iXWrVssupxBjl8wu7lWyKM/s1600/100_1705B.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaboIb5sqr_ADP2QrFNlcPo82gkrLpqGxy62ayNgHt6RoG0CzIe5l8Rrde5FAIht9TToOVr9C-rfV3GMLrP0NAw34gIU2Nxt_P80P47WlwziYD1vEAG2qE_iXWrVssupxBjl8wu7lWyKM/s400/100_1705B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578585563856880546" /></a><br />On this night of the Oscars, we give the award for loudest bridge to... the Manhattan Bridge, which crosses the East River between northern Brooklyn and Manhattan's Chinatown. The bridge lies just north of the more well-known Brooklyn Bridge (subject of a bridge trek last year). The Manhattan Bridge does yeoman's work because it makes room not only for motor vehicles, but also pedestrians with a pedestrian walkway, bikes with a separate bicycle path, and subway tracks (hence the award). Despite a little cold weather in late February (definite cold weather bridge trekking garb required), it was time to take a walk across the Manhattan Bridge, and it didn't disappoint. It is certainly worth the time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdzEdRynPAEt4GhpVD0j0Cbivy3-8v3LDUJjenxWL0OddHKlGucKZF9j0dOfICCMwAk-CSUeUgdd55wiA0L5q-u2x4S8i5WOk8Oj_wNs1TggELan47phlvk1kt9b9zQB2AZQxFENNB8LU/s1600/100_1728B.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdzEdRynPAEt4GhpVD0j0Cbivy3-8v3LDUJjenxWL0OddHKlGucKZF9j0dOfICCMwAk-CSUeUgdd55wiA0L5q-u2x4S8i5WOk8Oj_wNs1TggELan47phlvk1kt9b9zQB2AZQxFENNB8LU/s200/100_1728B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578583856300272514" /></a><br />The pedestrian walkway lies on the south edge of the bridge, a little below the main car level, and the subway tracks are right next to the pedestrian walkway. How exactly a subway line goes over a river and not under it is beyond the scope of this discussion, but without a doubt a foot trek over the bridge has a definite urban feel because of those trains going by constantly. I'm pretty sure there was no subway station, however.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybE7FlkoLvYW2YRU9lvH8BGid2kkvYZkVmNDaPe5AQGXXxyed9T7hn2e7k7-IixWJlcHIKWDOFeQog6ikdq9gl9kjJsyrhn-syAqi39LsiHRKtmigv4xet4CmLpFL1kDsYRgRB7NQn_E/s1600/100_1724.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybE7FlkoLvYW2YRU9lvH8BGid2kkvYZkVmNDaPe5AQGXXxyed9T7hn2e7k7-IixWJlcHIKWDOFeQog6ikdq9gl9kjJsyrhn-syAqi39LsiHRKtmigv4xet4CmLpFL1kDsYRgRB7NQn_E/s200/100_1724.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578584250935553026" /></a><br />As a distraction from the loudness, the bridge provides great views down the East River. Through the protective fence along the edge of the walkway, we could easily see the majestic Brooklyn Bridge and also lower Manhattan, and we could make out the Statue of Liberty in the Harbor. The bridge also provides great views of the area of Brooklyn underneath the bridge, which apparently is known as DUMBO ("Down Underneath the Manhattan Bridge Overpass"). And the area underneath the bridge in Manhattan has a great collection of graffiti art on the buildings. <br /><br />I will say that there was something "non-bridgeness" about the trek, because there was no open view across the other side. It was more of a feeling of walking in between a (very steep) river bank and a subway line--and I kind of associate subway lines with land. The openness of many bridges just wasn't there. But, yes, I knew it was a bridge, and I knew we were up pretty high.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioERrurRIZaDWDNDoMTE1zo4PYgOVMtvHub_ix95QloCYleTecnd-YrWXd233L3GQUksjD6Vlv1AiOmagk-4y-cpq3LxUTunRKfVVPoT4Stviai-3qqwds9XwKxM23eUQbQs5sjGcXtQI/s1600/100_1716B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioERrurRIZaDWDNDoMTE1zo4PYgOVMtvHub_ix95QloCYleTecnd-YrWXd233L3GQUksjD6Vlv1AiOmagk-4y-cpq3LxUTunRKfVVPoT4Stviai-3qqwds9XwKxM23eUQbQs5sjGcXtQI/s200/100_1716B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578584549021730802" /></a><br />The pedestrian walkway for the bridge is very utilitarian, getting the job done without much glitz. The walkways are pretty wide, 12 feet or so most of the way, and the fencing put up along the side clearly reduces the views at the relieving cost of security. There were two small cutouts for scenic observation areas, though the view was equally fine just about anywhere. It was our longest bridge trek thus far, at about 1.2 miles. The bridge is listed as having a clearance above the water of about 135 feet, and the walkways were on the lowest part of the bridge. <br /><br />It is important to know the history of a bridge before trekking across it. This one was completed in 1912, so almost 30 years after the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge was designed by Leon Moisseiff, who has the dubious fame as being the designer of the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge; that's the one that earned the nickname of Galloping Gertie and fell apart in a windstorm in 1940. That doesn't instill confidence, but the Manhattan Bridge has stood the test of time. We could feel a little movement, as I suppose we should on a suspension bridge, but nothing near galloping. This bridge gets a scariness rating of 14, with a 6 (out of a possible 10) for length, a 5 for height, and a mere 3 for width because of the lack of openness and the reassuring fencing.Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-3911772700841335472011-01-17T18:26:00.000-08:002011-01-17T18:43:05.755-08:00Key Bridge, Washington DC (north walkway)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzduG1EFdLxwd5FC4yutNvMNk8Si1IpOnrvqmrm4r-dM6fXuYlgaTcuTXkniIje-VpPIIWORc6U8LB0UTfHY0b1WgUHkaZLCt3wS3tJjex4CqG_ZsaPiBRYCwZQVVYeFXGZ4oVwOl-DbA/s1600/100_1534a.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzduG1EFdLxwd5FC4yutNvMNk8Si1IpOnrvqmrm4r-dM6fXuYlgaTcuTXkniIje-VpPIIWORc6U8LB0UTfHY0b1WgUHkaZLCt3wS3tJjex4CqG_ZsaPiBRYCwZQVVYeFXGZ4oVwOl-DbA/s200/100_1534a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563347242654595650" /></a><br />It's back to Key Bridge in Washington, which we walked across back in June, but this time we're going over the north-side pedestrian path. Have you ever gone over a bridge one way, and then coming back have it seem like a totally different experience, with different views, etc? Well, Key Bridge was like that for me, with views up the Potomac River and into Georgetown this time rather than down river to the monuments in DC. But I think there was more to it than that.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJOHIUhG6mdX7yNMUllDwquFS38FNBRH2AeTC-WNPEyx3ezBtt9hdoPDSrsqypTFeJN_G7usMdLHvwwF4oAXYMBG7Wi4C9wE1q2W0OkMZc2mr5_OLUf6W87mbMkfsu8nrrB0v-flyZIA/s1600/100_1542.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJOHIUhG6mdX7yNMUllDwquFS38FNBRH2AeTC-WNPEyx3ezBtt9hdoPDSrsqypTFeJN_G7usMdLHvwwF4oAXYMBG7Wi4C9wE1q2W0OkMZc2mr5_OLUf6W87mbMkfsu8nrrB0v-flyZIA/s200/100_1542.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563347788498540290" /></a><br />The last time I walked across, it was in June, a nice early summer day for Washington DC, about 90 degrees but with low humidity. Lots of people out using the pedestrian path. This time it was about 40 degrees out and, following a whole lot of days with freezing temperatures, the river below had a nontrivial layer of ice on it. There was no water movement on the surface, although it was clearly not "frozen over." I don't know if it's true or not, but I've heard it said that the movement of water below a bridge causes the brain of somebody looking down to have to keep re-equilibrating ever-so-slightly to keep balance, and causes some people dizziness or distress. I will say that looking down at ice seemed a lot easier for me than looking down at moving water. So, just like a walk down through the same nature trail must be a different experience every time, certainly for those who are into that sort of thing, so can be a walk across a bridge.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wHvVaATMSXUQcc6s9Vn-mWSbbfHBf9lhHu5glu4rUte9ceipkfpLswYY0jPqW2-vB7hOuYGh3HujluKFAUAlKWJC7Y57FCDG-yFq2mr6csQb5IAvO-k_cXL8VQoNMwdXUsG24bH0D4s/s1600/100_1538.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wHvVaATMSXUQcc6s9Vn-mWSbbfHBf9lhHu5glu4rUte9ceipkfpLswYY0jPqW2-vB7hOuYGh3HujluKFAUAlKWJC7Y57FCDG-yFq2mr6csQb5IAvO-k_cXL8VQoNMwdXUsG24bH0D4s/s200/100_1538.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563348037289486162" /></a><br />Proof that it was a layer of ice down there, a boat that I believe is called an "air boat" went up and down the river, under the bridge, while we were there (see photo above right). It kind of skimmed along the surface and was propelled, it would appear, by a powerful looking fan. Could be fun. Probably some serious wind chill, though.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-d0_6GnqXs-jslAm1sP-NWds9nYEmxOnPsdbfwPehi0vWFjHuC0HCe9EesEnXiA3h_4hr0uj2CM898IJD7O96LmtRFoAdLT4AlpyBPmBgPlSROqUKqU0FuBxd1muKnp5RCCWSPLdp0Q/s1600/100_1537.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-d0_6GnqXs-jslAm1sP-NWds9nYEmxOnPsdbfwPehi0vWFjHuC0HCe9EesEnXiA3h_4hr0uj2CM898IJD7O96LmtRFoAdLT4AlpyBPmBgPlSROqUKqU0FuBxd1muKnp5RCCWSPLdp0Q/s200/100_1537.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563347420696310146" /></a><br />So, a third of a mile walk across the river, then a third of a mile back. Not too long fortunately, given the cold. Maybe about 80 feet in the air. Nice wide sidewalks and high, though open, railings. I'll give it a lower scariness rating than going the other way, a 9 in total, because of the ice. So I guess it gets a rating of 3.5 for height, 1.5 for length, and 5 for width (those open railings), and a (seasonal) adjustment factor of -1 for the winter ice. I may have to check this side of the bridge out again after the thaw. But there will be more people out, and other things will probably be different, too. Never the same experience. <br /><br />For more information on the bridge itself, see the previous post.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bridgetrek.com/2010/06/key-bridge-washington-dc-south-walkway.html">http://www.bridgetrek.com/2010/06/key-bridge-washington-dc-south-walkway.html</a>Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-71560004787399410942010-12-05T19:34:00.000-08:002010-12-05T20:02:35.627-08:0014th Street Bridge, Washington DC<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85DCRnoLRbx2T22Z4psoD5E4vZw5k0RFvZDyVWsjjCxLQAjDAZA_ZvrrWBYhyphenhypheniYBtP9e128whSb-Lyz3Y85a-bFs5yFvBJDPo5VJsOWr2sa0AaHYO8lFNv6akb2F70atA23u7YC88HCA/s1600/100_1468.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh85DCRnoLRbx2T22Z4psoD5E4vZw5k0RFvZDyVWsjjCxLQAjDAZA_ZvrrWBYhyphenhypheniYBtP9e128whSb-Lyz3Y85a-bFs5yFvBJDPo5VJsOWr2sa0AaHYO8lFNv6akb2F70atA23u7YC88HCA/s200/100_1468.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547412068671405042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJNzb_nurTpu6sPKQjIOaAUoUL_WQg0JU8xmOuMykwFopBXyPasMImViSsYJ6q7RwH0QIrrjqpVDAAmKgPVZ3UBvCy873ZRRGyk9Sla2_OFvH2kV-ioQU8H_3cYwCr3Zs8uiubiDbMFA/s1600/100_1463B.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJNzb_nurTpu6sPKQjIOaAUoUL_WQg0JU8xmOuMykwFopBXyPasMImViSsYJ6q7RwH0QIrrjqpVDAAmKgPVZ3UBvCy873ZRRGyk9Sla2_OFvH2kV-ioQU8H_3cYwCr3Zs8uiubiDbMFA/s200/100_1463B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547411815887891186" /></a><br /><br />One of the main commuter links between Washington, DC and Northern Virginia runs across the Potomac River at 14th Street, although the bridge itself is really Interstate 395. There are actually a set of bridges at the location, three for cars, and two for trains. They are collectively known as the 14th Street Bridge, but they really all have their own names. Fortunately for us, the northernmost of them, officially called the George Mason Memorial Bridge, contains a pedestrian and biking path. No one will write a song about the 14th Street Bridge, like with the 59th Street Bridge in New York City (really the Queensboro Bridge, with the song "Feeling Groovy", immortalized by Simon and Garfunkel, of course), but the lack of a song won't stop us from taking a walk across the bridge.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2BcmuF-abOdjiqZgc8W5tpfhIIWnM4EYNbwn0EAhLvJwS8soqh5XA-TbCQzMW94Zw87wAtDsdajiDNCJNWlxkhEK-ui8mmXtti5EKuSgl0gmIWhZsWSzrm2bglJrQ5zb1NRGgEL2lPU/s1600/100_1465.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2BcmuF-abOdjiqZgc8W5tpfhIIWnM4EYNbwn0EAhLvJwS8soqh5XA-TbCQzMW94Zw87wAtDsdajiDNCJNWlxkhEK-ui8mmXtti5EKuSgl0gmIWhZsWSzrm2bglJrQ5zb1NRGgEL2lPU/s200/100_1465.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547409750771314290" /></a>Bridges have been at that location since the early 1800s. The George Mason Memorial Bridge was built in 1962 to replace another bridge there that carried traffic southbound across the Potomac. It is a low, utilitarian bridge, getting the job done without any aesthetic fanfare. On the DC side of the Potomac, the bridge actually starts right across from the Jefferson Memorial, a very pretty location and a favorite especially during the spring cherry blossoms. We were able to park right below the bridge near the Jefferson Memorial and climb some steps up the side of the bridge and pop right onto the bridge's walkway. Right to the north, a little ways up the river, we could immediately see our old friend, the Arlington Memorial Bridge.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamxwefuM6ossp9CH6CZs6H3myVrLfitfTc8vqDbp2LjlBxfRgu3JFcNFdfwQVh_X6Ip6DBhcHLFVDumNkJHjdvSr8yz8vsZ811iA8LmR0d3q_uZ3GZrdn-Fw5ew5ko6cO6qyCoM-Fldk/s1600/100_1461.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhamxwefuM6ossp9CH6CZs6H3myVrLfitfTc8vqDbp2LjlBxfRgu3JFcNFdfwQVh_X6Ip6DBhcHLFVDumNkJHjdvSr8yz8vsZ811iA8LmR0d3q_uZ3GZrdn-Fw5ew5ko6cO6qyCoM-Fldk/s200/100_1461.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547411017913910530" /></a>I hadn't planned for one thing about the walk yesterday morning across the bridge: a gusty wind turning a 35 degree temperature into a downright frigid trek. It sure wasn't windy on land, but out there in the middle of the Potomac, and suspended a mere 35 feet or so above the water, there was a nasty wind chill. Definitely no lounging around on this bridge. This one was all business. <br /><br />On the scariness rating, removing the concern about frostbite, the bridge did have some challenges. A somewhat narrow sidewalk and very open sides were the biggest ones, but the bridge is very low, the railings are very high (about neck level), and the iron railings are close enough together that no wind gust will blow anyone off that bridge, no matter how cold it is. The bridge is about half a mile long at that point, making it a moderate length. So, we'll give it a 10.5 scariness rating, a 2 for height, 3 for length, and 5.5 for width (basically the openness of the sides and narrow sidewalk).<br /><br />We survived the cold, but these winter bridge treks could be tough, and this bridge isn't even north of the Mason-Dixon line, and it's only December.Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-79345633722110134772010-10-31T17:04:00.001-07:002010-10-31T18:26:10.313-07:00Bridges of Paris: Passerelle Leopold-Sedar-Senghor<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgit-KTSW3F-GjFCKQIH-8KjBFqthHwpyYXGRrhkJwG7pNdMkzt5nFt_f1hXbvfY5qkwGuTVx3y3va4Aib-GSYRKda9mwm6Ztu-T00GRPNhZqvsA0onSKlzbAmma5q0SmMIeou2RZ5osWU/s1600/100_1038B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgit-KTSW3F-GjFCKQIH-8KjBFqthHwpyYXGRrhkJwG7pNdMkzt5nFt_f1hXbvfY5qkwGuTVx3y3va4Aib-GSYRKda9mwm6Ztu-T00GRPNhZqvsA0onSKlzbAmma5q0SmMIeou2RZ5osWU/s200/100_1038B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534367515177462642" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00pAEvgmshvv4cJJ_n4APbW09x1BpNqx9HYvnyznHD_d49qjQPxm0uFW_hhz48uhg1Bu_EKf6oig3NUaXwDRugA5NKFskCEYHppAh-pcOgFpdGE1kUkZuMhDpZPgfEwvDzKrDXBuDsrI/s1600/100_1033.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00pAEvgmshvv4cJJ_n4APbW09x1BpNqx9HYvnyznHD_d49qjQPxm0uFW_hhz48uhg1Bu_EKf6oig3NUaXwDRugA5NKFskCEYHppAh-pcOgFpdGE1kUkZuMhDpZPgfEwvDzKrDXBuDsrI/s200/100_1033.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534367349595592546" /></a>The final bridge of Paris we'll report on will be the Passerelle Leopold-Sedar-Senghor, which is a footbridge over the Seine just next door to Pont de la Concorde (see previous post). A passerelle, apparently, translates to a gateway or footbridge, which I guess differentiates it from a bridge ("pont" in french), but it qualifies as a bridge to me. The Passerelle was completed in 1999, so it's very modern by Paris standards. It links the Tuileries Gardens (Jardin de Tuileries) with the Musee d'Orsay on the left bank, which houses an amazing collection of Impressionist art. There are benches to sit on in the middle of the bridge, allowing it to be somewhat of a hangout for people. There's a great statue of good old Thomas Jefferson at the entrance on one end.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUG0Ui1d8kjgkh5VNUrphQgrlibugVTUs78kiXZnek3BHNDm2EwFtFqqNKFDyfmZZuPEwTZlr-f_PoVQ-WBWNFbRctXldW206ex3uUeJcgrYMwb4dYsPBNurVo8lv2vJL5vP93tDkU9w/s1600/100_1039.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUG0Ui1d8kjgkh5VNUrphQgrlibugVTUs78kiXZnek3BHNDm2EwFtFqqNKFDyfmZZuPEwTZlr-f_PoVQ-WBWNFbRctXldW206ex3uUeJcgrYMwb4dYsPBNurVo8lv2vJL5vP93tDkU9w/s200/100_1039.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534372361090787442" /></a><br />The bridge has a bit of an arc, and the sides are a bit on the open side, so this is actually one of the scarier bridges we crossed in Paris, though still rather tame. And we can actually see through to the water at one point in the bridge, not a good characteristic. We don't have a rating system, however, for the scariest part of the bridge. Apparently it is a host to one of the great scams in Paris. Yes, my wife and I were unprepared for the old, found gold ring trick. We were walking on the bridge and an old woman walking toward us looks down and picks up a ring, shows it to us, asks us if it is ours (I think that's what she was saying), showed us some engraving supposedly showing it was pure gold (it wasn't), implored us to keep it, left it with us, then walked away, only to return a few seconds later asking for money. Back down onto the bridge goes the ring, and away we walk. Amazingly, on the other half of the bridge, an older man we were approaching reaches down to pick up something shiny, but before he can even straighten up, we were out of there, and quickly off the bridge. Rings come out of nowhere on that bridge. But, we rate bridges only for their natural scariness. This one gets a 6.5 (2 for height, 4 for width, and 0.5 for length). I think I'd stay away at night.Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-21773723766103911962010-10-31T15:02:00.001-07:002010-10-31T16:49:35.199-07:00Bridges of Paris: Pont de la Concorde<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0_O2uKmpFskhrqslwn9uc0E379hwTMP4wOSFrnHw0V8mkR6GXdcZ2edDH0ocXj7KQsP3zj6G83gtFFL3XvODZ7Qnnvxxp8dI9UVE8l5jvWZSpOtZ-XlWLHOt103fFih7lYjP8Va4Kmo/s1600/100_1025B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0_O2uKmpFskhrqslwn9uc0E379hwTMP4wOSFrnHw0V8mkR6GXdcZ2edDH0ocXj7KQsP3zj6G83gtFFL3XvODZ7Qnnvxxp8dI9UVE8l5jvWZSpOtZ-XlWLHOt103fFih7lYjP8Va4Kmo/s200/100_1025B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534334802805717186" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDjwddmBa3DhHOAehYUp6YBGNYvjThIw98a1tJJ6gbhWbJfX7jWXKs2MCSoz2IOu0mWapLiLROto6lxlPV6F9ej5jBr5vgbXzQHF7Nq1nhd1CKqD8pLOFicaDn4zBf9f6_VlWDciJ8wQ/s1600/100_1031.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDjwddmBa3DhHOAehYUp6YBGNYvjThIw98a1tJJ6gbhWbJfX7jWXKs2MCSoz2IOu0mWapLiLROto6lxlPV6F9ej5jBr5vgbXzQHF7Nq1nhd1CKqD8pLOFicaDn4zBf9f6_VlWDciJ8wQ/s200/100_1031.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534334605272669938" /></a>The Pont de la Concorde is an arch, stone bridge connecting the Place de la Concorde, one of the most important public squares in Paris, with the left bank of the Seine. The bridge was built in the late 1700s, completed in 1791, using at least in part stones from the destroyed Bastille; that was, of course, during the time of the French Revolution. The bridge was later widened, but it is apparently the same basic structure.<br /><br />The Place de la Concorde is an extremely impressive central square, containing an obelisk from Egypt that dates back to about 1000 B.C., and was given to France by Egypt in the 1800s. The square is at the edge of the Tuileries Gardens and the Champs-Elysees. A number of people were guillotined in the square during the French revolution, most notably King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Today, there's a lot of vehicular traffic that goes through the square.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqlgEi3S4Zdo5N8nKy6Pn3QSylA_mrGMxqb8He53PodCSkOZmR7h4S8n7Zq5Idne9MzC7OuOsu6xy4q-Ub6vW7ps4uC0RB26qlTPY3jjpI99OExy9zR8UB7SLHYIwiyvRaLrwCW_kI9g/s1600/100_1021.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiqlgEi3S4Zdo5N8nKy6Pn3QSylA_mrGMxqb8He53PodCSkOZmR7h4S8n7Zq5Idne9MzC7OuOsu6xy4q-Ub6vW7ps4uC0RB26qlTPY3jjpI99OExy9zR8UB7SLHYIwiyvRaLrwCW_kI9g/s200/100_1021.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534358426980600338" /></a><br /><br /><br />The bridge, which is just south of the Place de la Concorde, offers nice views of the area. It is pretty low bridge, and very short at about 0.1 miles. One can see the Eiffel Tower clearly to the west. The bridge has wide sidewalks for pedestrians. The sides of the bridge are a little open, and just above waist level, but very solid stone. As with Pont Neuf, Pont de la Concorde is not a scary bridge. I give it a scariness rating of just 5.5, equal to Pont Neuf (3 for width, 0.5 for length, and 2 for height). As with Pont Neuf, it is to be enjoyed for its views and location.Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-71823201446824340582010-10-31T14:32:00.000-07:002010-10-31T14:53:31.972-07:00Bridges of Paris: Pont Neuf<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62nps0rDDlb4uX9NLdISZ-VaQcNDI5LkoiiKxxqphyphenhyphenp1ScPUo7t0EpJhPax71oKbnGbUUluXoEFGYqusqQE3gIIiYe-X9QeAzkkWC_RuAkCrciqyZJaMoq3Ob2oFWuctC5ZnDE1b_BrA/s1600/100_1190B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62nps0rDDlb4uX9NLdISZ-VaQcNDI5LkoiiKxxqphyphenhyphenp1ScPUo7t0EpJhPax71oKbnGbUUluXoEFGYqusqQE3gIIiYe-X9QeAzkkWC_RuAkCrciqyZJaMoq3Ob2oFWuctC5ZnDE1b_BrA/s200/100_1190B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534327139435455490" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8j7sMvAWQb0n1iOlNay1o7vfgyWgc0g2CdkHGqNozCunwoEgg5c4KTC1H7aWs2Mpq3JByJBKHIzp7bmqP6f_WnLZFohzF-02DFxtPfXzTFK97XZ8wmgP2FnL5iEL9wwIZ5uKhkZF15wA/s1600/100_1223B.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 82px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8j7sMvAWQb0n1iOlNay1o7vfgyWgc0g2CdkHGqNozCunwoEgg5c4KTC1H7aWs2Mpq3JByJBKHIzp7bmqP6f_WnLZFohzF-02DFxtPfXzTFK97XZ8wmgP2FnL5iEL9wwIZ5uKhkZF15wA/s200/100_1223B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534326487154575154" /></a>Moving on from London, let's see what the bridges of Paris have to offer. The Seine is pretty narrow, so we won't be looking at long bridges. But, boy, the City of Light has some interesting bridges to explore.<br /><br />First stop is Pont Neuf (pronounced something like PON-NUF). Despite its name (which translates to "New Bridge"), it's the oldest bridge in Paris, completed way back in 1607. We can't pass up the opportunity to cross that bridge. It connects the left and right banks of the Seine to the Île de la Cité, a small island that contains the gems of the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the church of Sainte-Chapelle. <br /><br />Pont Neuf is an arch bridge made out of stone, carrying both vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Like much of the city, it is a bridge meant to be walked. It has beautiful views down the river as far as the Eiffel Tower and back towards Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame. It has little alcoves on it with seats carved out of the stone, always a sign of a good walking bridge. There was construction of some type on the road part of the bridge, but the pedestrian walkways were unaffected when we were there. The bridge is not high, but that doesn't stop the beauty of the views. A definite must during a visit to Paris. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCkkY3ptKuTpMfUQRN4_AIuukWiBGgCRzntEziaDrNaTScXNDfFjXu9mJBuvj0x-4vB_jpoGZZ_iYTzOs39eAlOhnugmlvij6dLShlwhALDWcXKlXPLqI6nPdj_UuVJl68Z9hp_-MNWY/s1600/100_1192.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCkkY3ptKuTpMfUQRN4_AIuukWiBGgCRzntEziaDrNaTScXNDfFjXu9mJBuvj0x-4vB_jpoGZZ_iYTzOs39eAlOhnugmlvij6dLShlwhALDWcXKlXPLqI6nPdj_UuVJl68Z9hp_-MNWY/s200/100_1192.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534327995592526994" /></a><br /><br /><br />Unless you're worried that a 400-year old bridge has reached the end of its useful lifetime (it was last renovated just a few years ago, so no worry there), it isn't a scary bridge at all: wide sidewalks, completely solid sides (though not overly high at just above waist level), very short in overall length (about 0.1 miles), not very high above the water (I can't find any official stats, so I estimate at 40 feet). A trek onto this bridge is for pure enjoyment. I give it a scariness rating of 5.5 (2 for height, 3 for width, and 0.5 for length).Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-86431900966534473892010-10-30T14:59:00.000-07:002010-10-30T18:25:33.097-07:00Bridges of London: Millennium Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJENCeqs5uQQgNeUckEoeFEZEa4pRQbr5_BAyQnRDQyGRscO5LiiZJbtAJ9nd8A3BouKuGUEMmTrCzyzk7s2KOk8m-ISj56Ki5Mh4tEV67plSpkw8NcdE8r11QfC80YS125-u_mKTrMQ/s1600/100_0893.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJENCeqs5uQQgNeUckEoeFEZEa4pRQbr5_BAyQnRDQyGRscO5LiiZJbtAJ9nd8A3BouKuGUEMmTrCzyzk7s2KOk8m-ISj56Ki5Mh4tEV67plSpkw8NcdE8r11QfC80YS125-u_mKTrMQ/s200/100_0893.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533969018576386002" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rnW9jAKpbKx5ZgOeK3Ry2NNF_rmHSVdNXVNXQY2TDBr5lEGfzlyejKoH735Ahqoeo19yzvbCmJvJQ9wEJLWUziwpTY8eeL5BcWUEC9tf9cOg2VHgmVic_IhyRt2YXgXzs7hI1egRnhI/s1600/100_0956B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rnW9jAKpbKx5ZgOeK3Ry2NNF_rmHSVdNXVNXQY2TDBr5lEGfzlyejKoH735Ahqoeo19yzvbCmJvJQ9wEJLWUziwpTY8eeL5BcWUEC9tf9cOg2VHgmVic_IhyRt2YXgXzs7hI1egRnhI/s200/100_0956B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533967255478412402" /></a><br />Bridge walking in London wouldn't be complete without a trek over the Millennium Bridge. It's a footbridge, no vehicle traffic, that was opened in, of course, 2000. It is located just south of St. Paul's Cathedral and crosses the Thames and connects to the Tate Modern art museum on the south bank. This bridge had a serious swaying problem immediately after opening in 2000, then was quickly closed for a couple of years while it was reinforced somehow. And I'm sure you didn't miss how it collapsed during one of the Harry Potter movies. Despite that checkered past, we were willing to give it a try and stroll across.<br /><br />It is a short bridge, about 0.2 miles, like Tower Bridge and probably most bridges across the Thames in London. Millennium Bridge is pretty wide, at about 13 feet. The bridge is listed at about 35 feet above the water, so it's not all that high, either. Its great views, you might say, come from being exceptionally open on the sides. To me, the railing looked like little pieces of tight string horizontally. But, fortunately, upon closer inspection it was metal like the rest of the bridge. The sides are around chest high. So, the sides of the bridge make it a more challenging bridge to cross than, say, Tower Bridge. The bridge gets a scariness rating of 8 (5 for the sides--not for the width or height but for the openness, 2 for bridge height, and 1 for length). <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhH2rTM-tTeMt4KU8d3YvoSK6GAWpQAGwpf08hHXjkJXaTLTQnNLu03EUv3AYAPerRr28EOBoVGlNTKCIfUZ_VHdnOTKXGTDzBHTJs3F3TnBaiBbxAxIrLVtJFXs3-Cty2vFyAWFZfmQ/s1600/100_0951B.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhH2rTM-tTeMt4KU8d3YvoSK6GAWpQAGwpf08hHXjkJXaTLTQnNLu03EUv3AYAPerRr28EOBoVGlNTKCIfUZ_VHdnOTKXGTDzBHTJs3F3TnBaiBbxAxIrLVtJFXs3-Cty2vFyAWFZfmQ/s200/100_0951B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533962944139382706" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVTAgPyo_1p-02oz0dHmoZbmfmC38dvoFnQnCA7Mfs3fDCAKJDfyVw2KgY0u2UvJpSSB2oGEqzuWhxG8ldKD039flmwiuGtDKkIHKeb_ERu9Th0d-o7GbldMwOPQJ1-MkGDcQ7VNDlDc/s1600/100_0954B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVTAgPyo_1p-02oz0dHmoZbmfmC38dvoFnQnCA7Mfs3fDCAKJDfyVw2KgY0u2UvJpSSB2oGEqzuWhxG8ldKD039flmwiuGtDKkIHKeb_ERu9Th0d-o7GbldMwOPQJ1-MkGDcQ7VNDlDc/s200/100_0954B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533963206710634562" /></a><br />The bridge allows a great view back at St. Paul's Cathedral, the great architectural achievement of Christopher Wren from the 17th Century. The Cathedral somehow survived the Blitz in 1940-41. And looking out into the water, other bridges of the Thames can easily be seen, including Tower Bridge to the east. All in all, definitely worth the trip, especially combining a trip to St. Paul's and then going over to the Tate Modern.Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-411092889206688302010-10-28T19:43:00.001-07:002010-10-28T20:07:49.912-07:00Bridges of London: Tower Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBrxCbHjp03QeUjLu4iluTGrbtIwNZBo2XRJYf2A57oJm4TLLkFiAHmCXgDPws1j10Jp8jJvs_YxhGBf7Pzr9u8GFtvSUv-YIWf9qrJIsR8BWEOpo7J1X54mIFUhAgezKZFJVSMVMW6o/s1600/100_0847.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBrxCbHjp03QeUjLu4iluTGrbtIwNZBo2XRJYf2A57oJm4TLLkFiAHmCXgDPws1j10Jp8jJvs_YxhGBf7Pzr9u8GFtvSUv-YIWf9qrJIsR8BWEOpo7J1X54mIFUhAgezKZFJVSMVMW6o/s200/100_0847.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533294335019788450" /></a><br />A trip to London enabled some nice walks over the Thames. First stop is Tower Bridge, which opened in 1894. It gets its name, you may know, because next door on land is the Tower of London, which goes way back to the Normans in the 11th Century. But we focus on the bridges. This is one of those iconic bridges that can't be missed. The Tower Bridge connects the City of London, near the financial district, with Southwark (pronounced something like "SUTH-erk").<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0zq2iP_bMXaM5SFP18nVj6tJHzKk6BvvLxhiN8s94X-o89JObjLKvlVeUyH6AsISPyTbbwYBg5GNCzQMCRHFtga6pYp5WQ6OEYDEkORrDdH044mGh9xjVAxEFr2PV7VGmxfOCLk3lLE/s1600/100_0924B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu0zq2iP_bMXaM5SFP18nVj6tJHzKk6BvvLxhiN8s94X-o89JObjLKvlVeUyH6AsISPyTbbwYBg5GNCzQMCRHFtga6pYp5WQ6OEYDEkORrDdH044mGh9xjVAxEFr2PV7VGmxfOCLk3lLE/s200/100_0924B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533295334258484418" /></a><br /><br />This is a bridge better suited for its majesty than for its bridge walking challenge. The base part of the bridge is very close to the water, perhaps 25 or 30 feet high. It is a draw bridge so most river traffic can pass. The bridge accommodates both vehicles and pedestrians. The bridge has a high part between the two towers, roughly 130 feet or so above the water, that can be traversed on foot. I figured at least that would give a height challenge, but I hadn't known that it was enclosed. Bridges are, of course, meant to be crossed in the open air. Otherwise, they are like bridge tunnels. The views are nice up there on the upper level, but being behind glass takes away much of the thrill. So, a low scariness rating for height. And the bridge is very short, maybe 0.2 miles long, as the Thames is never very wide in London. The side supports are nicely solid, though not overly high, somewhere between waist high and chest high. But overall not very scary at all, getting a combined scariness rating of 5.5 (1.5 for height, 3 for width, 1 for length).<br /><br />Regardless, the views off the bridge are enjoyable. Looking towards the east, one can see down the river and to other bridges that cross the Thames.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45MRYrP6Yh7_MF1leIkRG2BfYuAqKl9hODsuJ5wnOyF6OhR5VJv6eIuV2SU0lFjfEtSkyWjxOHbiC6lO1EyMtKmQTsky2zr6uHNek29BvRX06mYtJBARJrGZVSIpoL-CK5oPNfTFCtZg/s1600/100_0920.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45MRYrP6Yh7_MF1leIkRG2BfYuAqKl9hODsuJ5wnOyF6OhR5VJv6eIuV2SU0lFjfEtSkyWjxOHbiC6lO1EyMtKmQTsky2zr6uHNek29BvRX06mYtJBARJrGZVSIpoL-CK5oPNfTFCtZg/s200/100_0920.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533296818742459826" /></a><br /><br />As I said, this bridge should be enjoyed for its majesty. How many bridges make you feel like you're entering a castle? The bridge is getting something of a face-lift currently, as a major painting job is underway that is supposed to be finished around the time of the Olympics in 2012. There was a lot of scaffolding around. The bridge itself might be closed to all traffic for some time in 2011, so we got lucky to be able to cross at all. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQlIaCLFPicp0kA9zuK_LCOlUnvcpgUoC95oY4wcpMu4EopAsRnZDFKJ7MQ4sDihVqRizQyMty2Lsdrb96uG1LdQAhnZ8_yK-vrZoWakJj7j_-yD0Yo6zykwkO7v7DJsK6Y59vCaIj5nE/s1600/100_0929.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQlIaCLFPicp0kA9zuK_LCOlUnvcpgUoC95oY4wcpMu4EopAsRnZDFKJ7MQ4sDihVqRizQyMty2Lsdrb96uG1LdQAhnZ8_yK-vrZoWakJj7j_-yD0Yo6zykwkO7v7DJsK6Y59vCaIj5nE/s200/100_0929.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533297258686477730" /></a>Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-91520245871686576952010-08-15T19:49:00.000-07:002010-08-15T20:01:12.221-07:00Teddy Roosevelt Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaB73b8_8OBeOVQm0lJcBwqEMwehPZlHxNwWuPsbd4R6TfR2p2YJqrsLhbKMZikGMwBXB0DeZYaLyPg8NtwSUnIg3y5YEIrkhqUonywBI8n9Hlx-JCyFZkrv4NolD8xnE6Z_GIAhpRjo/s1600/100_0613.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaB73b8_8OBeOVQm0lJcBwqEMwehPZlHxNwWuPsbd4R6TfR2p2YJqrsLhbKMZikGMwBXB0DeZYaLyPg8NtwSUnIg3y5YEIrkhqUonywBI8n9Hlx-JCyFZkrv4NolD8xnE6Z_GIAhpRjo/s200/100_0613.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505834566535275858" /></a><br />In short, it was an ugly day for an ugly bridge. The Teddy Roosevelt Bridge carries Interstate 66 across the Potomac River between Rosslyn in Northern Virginia and Washington DC. The Roosevelt Bridge opened in 1964 and at one end goes just over the edge of Theodore Roosevelt Island, which is an underappreciated Washington park accessible only by a footbridge. The bridge itself is low enough that the trees from the island bounce up against the bridge near the Virginia side. The bridge looks like an iron structure, with signs of rust, far from picturesque. Some have noted the irony of Teddy Roosevelt's island, maintained by the National Park Service as a natural park, having such a bridge going over it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdirtPLoc5CvSLWWyTYeVoNV4l14_k3UJLPLGR8h41QkbROWrZWiY08Dpk1WK1vmR2muRrQnkY06p9GTcpu-Rna9A57I_GHwLP1xuwtmJDiYqfHpER2WdBMU-RCTeE3-LJVp_Zj-pgNVU/s1600/100_0609B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdirtPLoc5CvSLWWyTYeVoNV4l14_k3UJLPLGR8h41QkbROWrZWiY08Dpk1WK1vmR2muRrQnkY06p9GTcpu-Rna9A57I_GHwLP1xuwtmJDiYqfHpER2WdBMU-RCTeE3-LJVp_Zj-pgNVU/s200/100_0609B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505834782504039906" /></a><br />The TR Bridge is a little over a half mile long, very low, and with pretty narrow pedestrian walkways on both sides. We went on the south side. The combination of a narrow walkway and a very low, thigh-level barrier separating the vehicles from the pedestrians does not make for a relaxing stroll. And the barriers on the water side aren't all that high either, about just above waist level. So, as far as scariness rating is concerned, what the bridge gives in height, it makes up in cramped, unprotected walkway. I give it a scariness rating of 2 (out of 10) for height, 3 for length, and 7 for width (solidity of side barriers, nearness to edge, etc), making a sum of 12 out of a possible 30. Not so bad, but not so great. Here's a case where others might agree with me, especially those who don't like cars driving just about right next to them at near highway speed.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpCrphVGKQlIirLMAB0oU-eE25Fv0wiaSSgoo9nVIg91kBn0-Tc1vCP-HgXA5lvpoC4iXkhAu1pNR8rbKHubn4h48RifBM2w-dWnPrsdwBJPhprXEgnWETW_RNvvC7rjdQiErohakPXQ/s1600/100_0611B.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpCrphVGKQlIirLMAB0oU-eE25Fv0wiaSSgoo9nVIg91kBn0-Tc1vCP-HgXA5lvpoC4iXkhAu1pNR8rbKHubn4h48RifBM2w-dWnPrsdwBJPhprXEgnWETW_RNvvC7rjdQiErohakPXQ/s200/100_0611B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505835077800263794" /></a><br /><br />And not all days can be nice ones for a bridge trek. The morning was overcast with a shower that went through town, and the forecast was for improving conditions, so we were off. The rain had stopped until we made it up to the bridge, when it started to sprinkle, and then by the time we were in the middle of the bridge, it was a steady rain, with some mild gusty winds, and who brings umbrellas onto a bridge trek? We started from the DC side, made it most of the way across, reaching Roosevelt Island, then turned around. The rain stopped as we exited the bridge. There were no other pedestrians or bikers on the bridge; they could not have been missed. That bridge is not made for pedestrians. It doesn't really seem to leave pedestrians off anywhere useful on the Virginia side anyway.<br /><br />Well, maybe we can give that bridge another chance on a better day. And maybe during rush hour to slow down traffic.Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-50816339243230807862010-07-11T19:31:00.000-07:002010-07-11T19:54:52.335-07:00Arlington Memorial Bridge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPkP-Y5YAYtlkaGemvtLyHyHGKboQrpUK2bSz9iNCkLUB-iJ99tewUZGdOsQqSue7iVMY5RAXU-cecAlQ8las7pplkS231RgYD-siJgvIsc-NjK6PZJ6R332nuQG6AOzabVmTh7hG4tw/s1600/100_0585.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPkP-Y5YAYtlkaGemvtLyHyHGKboQrpUK2bSz9iNCkLUB-iJ99tewUZGdOsQqSue7iVMY5RAXU-cecAlQ8las7pplkS231RgYD-siJgvIsc-NjK6PZJ6R332nuQG6AOzabVmTh7hG4tw/s200/100_0585.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492842633092996050" /></a><br />If you're looking for a manageable walk over a beautiful bridge with a lot of history on both sides, the Arlington Memorial Bridge is a perfect choice. The bridge, which was completed in 1932, crosses the Potomac River and essentially connects Arlington National Cemetery on the Virginia side with the Lincoln Memorial on the Washington, D.C. side. There are wide, 15 foot sidewalks on both sides of the bridge, very accommodating to walkers; there are even seats built into the marble railings. It's not a long bridge, coming in at around 0.4 miles. And it's a rather low bridge, yet with a nice view of the surrounding area. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbPia_mSuo0JY-TcPPOAIdsG2HYjMZV7tNfRkFL_UfpcPm1Xt8yNGIQ8hDvays4pGS6RGI6AEHq-QBhiexGGHtaUDa_5xY2TXQ_wJ28vpwY96xs8Vk-cZ9MmwkjJDofEIgKa4szlCBUM/s1600/100_0573B.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbPia_mSuo0JY-TcPPOAIdsG2HYjMZV7tNfRkFL_UfpcPm1Xt8yNGIQ8hDvays4pGS6RGI6AEHq-QBhiexGGHtaUDa_5xY2TXQ_wJ28vpwY96xs8Vk-cZ9MmwkjJDofEIgKa4szlCBUM/s200/100_0573B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492843587547708770" /></a><br />The railings on this bridge are about as solid as they come, a very important attribute. They are made of thick stone, and reach to about shoulder level. That seems to be just about the perfect combination to allow good viewing and yet provide a sense of security to the wary walker. This is the first bridge I've walked across where it almost seemed better to be near the edge -- there is no barrier whatsoever between the road and the sidewalk. Nonetheless, it is an urban bridge with relatively slow traffic.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaACxJP3JcEKLZ8bhkzFxtjUjRWNdKKtdhI25Nk_MO4siSzC9tjviLywGOpIj87v0HjCV8FySBL-4ipc4CnMZKT2lcNVq_-XXO2oqRqERrs3jlM95WP2qmn9Crz4iMz0fDtBuLtF5rSw/s1600/100_0579.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDaACxJP3JcEKLZ8bhkzFxtjUjRWNdKKtdhI25Nk_MO4siSzC9tjviLywGOpIj87v0HjCV8FySBL-4ipc4CnMZKT2lcNVq_-XXO2oqRqERrs3jlM95WP2qmn9Crz4iMz0fDtBuLtF5rSw/s200/100_0579.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492844588475975394" /></a><br /><br />For July in Washington, the weather was great for today's trek over the bridge, with a break in the recent east coast heat wave. We walked from the Virginia side to the D.C. side, with a the Lincoln Memorial in front of us. And turning around, we could see the Lee Mansion in the cemetery sticking out of the hills. They say the bridge is symbolic in that it connects the old North and South; apparently Robert E. Lee wrote his letter resigning from the U.S. Army in April 1841 from the family mansion. <br /><br /><br />The following link from the National Park Service web site provides some interesting notes about the bridge. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/wash/dc69.htm">http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/wash/dc69.htm</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsmOkCF7zX4BgryprhfO4kpXA6ZviUWOvHthqE_C6sdLHkysM9jaxeUHeYP4LBDczcC1Qu_eEqaUP39_iWD2pBV1tbfQgAliel-roSMmgUou1X2ifm5zaJ6kyLFErQDmAVKG5w8b6rRs/s1600/100_0578.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqsmOkCF7zX4BgryprhfO4kpXA6ZviUWOvHthqE_C6sdLHkysM9jaxeUHeYP4LBDczcC1Qu_eEqaUP39_iWD2pBV1tbfQgAliel-roSMmgUou1X2ifm5zaJ6kyLFErQDmAVKG5w8b6rRs/s200/100_0578.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492845082675018978" /></a><br /><br />After crossing the river, we could get nice views of the bridge from the side, above the roadway below that runs between the river and the Lincoln Memorial. So, it was a very enjoyable, and not at all scary walk. On the scary rating, a 2 for height, 2 for width, and 2 for length. That adds up to 6, the lowest rating yet given. I guess they can't all be scary.Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036004169644528424.post-61625036600344270422010-06-27T15:53:00.000-07:002010-06-27T16:00:10.991-07:00Key Bridge, Washington, DC (south walkway)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwWQ2X9ZEQ80rx-42z_aUSlM1isHFSN2O6BnvvjUSent7wgCeL_8YE-yI7dHn50zafgTB6aWPwugdkiwYR74QveBUBi4QpoGkg6r7YKeYPZkAe_bS5hQR4SahLoQet7xZB62qyW_wz7Oo/s1600/100_0551B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 186px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwWQ2X9ZEQ80rx-42z_aUSlM1isHFSN2O6BnvvjUSent7wgCeL_8YE-yI7dHn50zafgTB6aWPwugdkiwYR74QveBUBi4QpoGkg6r7YKeYPZkAe_bS5hQR4SahLoQet7xZB62qyW_wz7Oo/s200/100_0551B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487590634240752370" /></a><br />Yesterday was a lazy late June day in Washington, D.C, about 90 degrees and only moderately humid. For Washington in late June, that made it a perfect day for a bridge trek.<br /><br />Key Bridge crosses the Potomac River and connects Arlington, Virginia, with Georgetown in Washington, D.C. It was named after Francis Scott Key, who lived in Georgetown for a time and wrote what would become the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner after watching (while held on a British ship) the British naval bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor during the War of 1812--yes in the morning, looking at the fort, he did see that the "star-spangled banner yet wave." The Potomac River bridge bearing his name was completed in 1923, making it the oldest of a series of bridges that cross the Potomac in the Washington, D.C. area. It's a short bridge, about one-third of a mile long, with 5 lanes of traffic in all. It has sidewalks on both sides for pedestrians and bikers, with barricades to separate the sidewalk users from cars, and neck-high metal railings to separate the sidewalk users from the river below. The bridge is very popular with both pedestrians (especially joggers) and bikers. We walked on the south side of the bridge, nearest to the major parts of Washington. We started from the Virginia side, walked across to Georgetown, then recrossed.<br /><br />For full disclosure, I've walked this bridge before. It's a quite manageable walk. The bridge is much lower and with much more modest views than the George Washington and Brooklyn Bridges in NYC, our recent bridge treks. But in Washington, where nothing other than the Washington Monument gets very high off the ground, you still can get a great view of the area off of the Key Bridge. We could easily see (though difficult to see in the photo below) the Washington Monument, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Watergate Hotel (scene of the burglary in 1972 that started the whole Watergate Affair, of course, that brought down President Nixon). In the other direction is a nice view of the spires of Georgetown University. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jjKuYe_oGg50FMwzBRtfV9NGp4OHLMVDABHCs5cnq-uBAp5aGdgqw6JYsam9Pw3UKUxPkYJdly4OIplwxpOlfYd5THBSU9_vK8sFZSCb_oxmcjazdy8s34juIpRG27eO_YA0YohCQWg/s1600/100_0558F.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jjKuYe_oGg50FMwzBRtfV9NGp4OHLMVDABHCs5cnq-uBAp5aGdgqw6JYsam9Pw3UKUxPkYJdly4OIplwxpOlfYd5THBSU9_vK8sFZSCb_oxmcjazdy8s34juIpRG27eO_YA0YohCQWg/s200/100_0558F.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487590854806101074" /></a><br /><br />I don't know exactly how high the bridge is above the river; I'm guessing 80 feet or so. Aren't there maps that boaters must have in order to know the clearance for various structures, depending on the tides and river flow? Well, I'm not a boater, and if the internet doesn't provide reliable estimates, I can estimate the height myself. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4dnscgYGD7gnJm8YsBorYUX4qZJVELuOcWiXK2VGj65SXfdu91H5zktjkH59NINA919IKDqTau19p6dWkwO8IJ5nW0hvoC1-GN7usN7N75W3oEnbP2sMCC_Z5UlK7efnaNvyw2mo0hc/s1600/100_0556.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4dnscgYGD7gnJm8YsBorYUX4qZJVELuOcWiXK2VGj65SXfdu91H5zktjkH59NINA919IKDqTau19p6dWkwO8IJ5nW0hvoC1-GN7usN7N75W3oEnbP2sMCC_Z5UlK7efnaNvyw2mo0hc/s200/100_0556.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487591116267962034" /></a><br />So, walking Key Bridge is a great way to get a different perspective on Washington. And it provides a great way to get up close to the edge of a bridge. Those neck-high metal railings are solid and there is no way to fall over them, although they do shake a bit when you actually hold onto them (what a complainer). Overall scariness rating is a 10, with a 3.5 for height, 1.5 for length, and 5 for width (yes, fractions are allowed).Bridgetrekker Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09555281330182575417noreply@blogger.com