Yesterday I had the pleasure of going on a motorcycle ride with my kid-bro cousin. And, as usual, we got a “little” lost on some backroads, but got to our destination just fine.
The ride included crossing the Chesapeake Bay at an altitude of 186 feet (57m) via…
the Chesapeake Bay Bridge for a bridge span of some 4.3 miles (6.9km).
The bridge is indeed daunting, with a description written thus:
Because of its height, the narrowness of the spans (there are no hard shoulders), the low guardrails, and the frequency of high winds, it is known as one of the scariest bridges in the USA.
(ref: Wikipedia)
What made matters a bit worse was that I took lanes for those who had an EZPass, which is a toll transponder that allows one to pay the toll electronically without having to stop and pay a higher cash fare.
Unfortunately, the way the lanes were directed, those in the EZPass lane were funneled onto the 3-lane (north) bridge span into one lane going eastbound with two lanes of westbound traffic coming right at me. No dividing line other than stripes of yellow paint; no Jersey barrier, either. It is not the bridge itself that is scary, it is facing the oncoming traffic just a few feet to your left!
I made it, and after reaching the other side, I found a safe spot to pull over and wait for my cousin who went through the cash toll lanes and crossed via the other bridge span which was two lanes of traffic both going eastbound.
My cousin is such a great man; I enjoy his company very much. We had crabs and a nice relaxed lunch. Due to the weather, we were not able to go skydiving as I had planned. The cloud deck/marine layer was too low and never did burn off.
Oh well, we had a great ride with many smiles.
What boots did I wear? tall dress instep Dehners with lug soles worn over tan breeches with my white Rev’IT riding jacket. Perfect gear for a perfect day of riding!
Life is short: ride to live, live to eat. 🙂
Good to see you out and about, BHD. Sounds as if you and your cousin had a blast. I couldn’t help but notice that your cousin is appropriately booted for his ride with you. Your good judgment and influence shows. May you both have many happy rides in the future.
Thanks for your message, Bill. Yep, we had a great ride! The boots my cousin is wearing are Chippewa harness boots… a gift I gave him when he bought his first motorcycle a few years ago.