Sunday, November 13, 2022

A Bridge NOT Too Far

 


The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. ~Psalm 37:23-24


We don't travel very far the next morning before we find ourselves crossing a man-made wonder:  The New River Gorge Bridge!



I don't tolerate heights well, but I'm so glad the bridge is wide enough as to not permit a look at the rushing river below!  Before we know it, we're turning right into the New River Gorge National Park, where we are able to walk a short trail to capture the photos of the bridge with the brilliant fall colors.


The steel, high-arched bridge took three years to complete and is truly an architectural marvel!  It amazes me that God gave some people analytic minds to be able to design and execute such structures.  Once this bridge was completed, it shortened the travel time on this route from 40 minutes to one minute!





And, what's going on here?  West Virginia closes the bridge once a year on its "birthday" to allow for pedestrian activities; lots of vendors and events are featured, and as you can see from the above photo, thousands join in the festivities.  We note, too, that we will, fortunately, miss this holiday as it is two days from the day we are there.  That would have certainly put a chink in our travel time!

What a stunning and humbling place this is to visit; Danny and I are both glad we took the time to stop and drink in even more beauty as our journey to Dominic's continues.

Amen!

29 comments:

  1. The bridge blends beautifully with the background. Great architecture. I never heard of a birthday party for a bridge. How wonderful.

    God bless always. Take care in your travels.

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    1. I know, Victor, isn't that a unique concept? I'd never heard of such a thing either until then. We've been back from our travels since just before Halloween; I'm just slow in processing it all.
      Love and blessings!

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    2. Great. Enjoy the good memories.

      God bless.

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  2. I have no issues with height, but... no guardrails? That is way too many people to feel comfortable on a bridge that has no guardrails. Beautiful pictures though. I guess one can see why John Denver sang the song he did (although I would beg to differ with him). LOL God's creative mind given to man is sure a wonder.

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    1. I do believe there are guardrails of some sort there on the bridge, they're just not readily visible in the photo, Bill. Every toll booth in WV boasts that quote "Almost Heaven, West Virginia." Guess they're just proud of their state, as well they should be. Lots of God's grandeur on display everywhere!
      Love and blessings!

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  3. It's a gorgeous area, and especially in the falls when the leaves turn.

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    1. That it is, Glynn! Almost enough to make me want to live there . . .
      Love and blessings!

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  4. Couldn't help but think of how God so often pushes us into situations where we are uncomfortable so that He can increase our ability to withstand what's coming, like your bridge adventure. Next time, it won't be nearly as uncomfortable I think.

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    1. I will certainly agree, J. D., that God does just that when He knows we need it going forward. He's pretty amazing that way, don't you think?
      Love and blessings!

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  5. I'd never heard of this bridge, but I'm so glad you and Danny 'introduced' me -- both to its beauty and architectural wonder. Seeing Bill's (cycle guy) comment above reminds me of something Carolyn Moore said in our last Bible study. She called it 'God's guardrails' and I was so taken by the thought. Now I need to see if I can find where she flushed it out.

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    1. "God's guardrails" - I love that, Myra! Yes, do let me know if you find out the origin of that phrased. We had never heard of the bridge, either, until we found ourselves smack-dab on it. I'm so very glad we made the split-second decision to turn into the park and do some more exploring.
      Love and blessings!

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    2. Unfortunately, I can't place the context, but it came from the study we just concluded, "Encounter the Spirit" by Carolyn Moore. Not sure if you're familiar with her, but I found her so engaging I may still get her book.

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  6. Dearest Martha Jane,
    That is a marvelous steel arch bridge in West Virginia! Both of us love seeing those marvels of engineering.
    Glad you had the chance to 'drink it all in'.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. Marvel of engineering, for sure, Mariette! I can't even wrap my head around how it was designed and executed. Not my gift, but I certainly have eyes to see and appreciate.
      Love and blessings!

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  7. The bridge is amazing, Martha. I agree that the design and engineering of structures like that have me scratching my head in wonder. How beautiful though, and a blessing that you were able to spend some time enjoying that beauty! xo

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    1. It is amazing, Terri, and I was so happy to share it with everyone here in Blogland. So glad we took the time to stop!
      Love and blessings!

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  8. So happy to hear you and Danny had such a wonderful trip together! I like how you've broken it up into different segments of your journey. I too took a trip in October, it seemed to be a good month to travel! The bridge is incredible, wow! And I love how the natives have a large festival there each year - what fun! Autumn is such a magnificent season to travel. I hope you are having a wonderful November, it amazes me how fast the days seem to pass. Happy Thanksgiving blessings to you dear friend!

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    1. I did love reading about your October adventures, too, Marilyn; how wonderful to be able to see your grandmother! Thanks for sharing your adventures and gorgeous photos with all of us.
      Love and blessings!

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  9. This bridge fully matches the landscape's beauty. It's very rare.

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  10. We were there in the 1980s. It is beautiful country. Your posting reminded me of how beautiful the area is. We crossed that river on our way through the state. Peace and blessings to you and yours.

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    1. I'm so glad this post reminded you of just how beautiful West Virginia is, Cecelia. We are so glad we visited.
      Love and blessings!

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  11. A really lovely post. I often think of different professions and am grateful God gave people so many different talents to use so wisely. Thank you for being a friend, this life is hard, so taking one day at a time. HUGS & LOVE to you and yours

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    1. I'm so glad to be your friend online, too, Anne. Life isn't easy, but having friends makes it much better all around. And yes, I'm grateful for all the different talents God has bestowed upon us.
      Love and blessings!

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  12. So neat, Martha. Mike and I visted years ago with his mom and dad. We need to go back and make a video here. :-) Blessings!

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  13. It is definitely worth going back to see it all over again, Karen. And we were so fortunate to be there in the fall.
    Love and blessings!

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  14. Just got your e-mail. Sent a reply.

    God bless.

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