Checking out Cut River Bridge

Going up on the shores of Lake Michigan I have spent plenty of time in and around Lake Michigan but I wanted to dip my toes in three Great Lakes on the same day. This lead us trying to find an easy spot for me to dip my toes in Lake Michigan. The hubby's spot didn't pan out. I knew we should have checked out the northern most point of Lake Michigan. However on this mission, he pulls into Roadside Park thinking we might be able to walk down to the lake. 

Roadside Park is where one parks if they want to see the Cut River Bridge and Gorge. It's a bridge the hubby has no issue driving over. The Cut River Bridge is a cantilevered deck truss bridge... one of two in Michigan. 

You can walk under the bridge to cross the road. From there you can take a set of stairs down to the gorge, hiking trails, and possibly Lake Michigan. We did not do this as the hubby claims he walked enough that day and who knows if we would have made it back up. Maybe one day we will explore the gorge.

I'll be honest I didn't know this was a roadside attraction. If I did it probably would have gone on the list of things to see in the U.P. 

It was kind of cool to see the cantilevered trussells supporting the bridge and seeing it (kinda) from underneath. 

There were some wild raspberries in the park. I has have tempted to pick some but I didn't feel like climbing through weeds to get to them. One day I will pick wild berries. 

If you like bridges and things, definitely check out the Cut River Bridge the next time you are in the U.P. It is right on Hwy 2 as you are heading towards St. Ignace.  

2418. Cross the swinging bridge in Columbus Junction

 I stumbled upon a list of road trip stops in every state on Facebook. Many of them I've heard of and some I've even been to but the one in Iowa was intriguing. Popular Mechanics claim you need to stop at the Swinging Bridge in Columbus Junction. After a some google-mapping, it turns out that we were going to be going pretty much through Columbus Junction on our way to Ottumwa. Since it was not out of the way, I decided we were going.

The swinging bridge, also known as Lover's Leap Bridge, is in Swinging Bridge Park and was originally built in 1880. After two bridges were condemned and broke, the current bridge was built in 1922 with a span of 262 feet. It was last refurbished in 1954.

There is a path through the woods to get to one end of the bridge. The hubby and I followed the path to the start of the bridge. I am not sure how high the bridge is over the valley below but from the bottom it looks like a long way. The walk is a bit buggy and the path narrow. Best to wear decent shoes.

The hubby took one look at the bridge and said "Hell, no". He doesn't like bridges. I thought it didn't look so bad. The hubby went back the path we just took and I ventured across the bridge. 

262 feet is a long way across especially when the bridge moves under you. The faster I went, the more it moved so I walked slowly. If I walked slow across it wasn't so bad. I was afraid of dropping my phone if I took too many pictures. 

I did make it all the way across. Would I do it again? Maybe. Could I cross it and then walk back over it to get back to my car? Probably. It does take a lot of nerve to get across but it was a great feeling to say that I did it. I have to admit it was probably my favorite stop on vacation.

If you don't have a fear of bridges or heights and can handle cross a suspension bridge in mid-air, it is definitely worth the stop. If not, the hike to view the bridge from below is pretty amazing. You never know what you can do until you try it. 

 I'm still not sure why Popular Mechanics claimed I needed to see this except there is a service station not far from the bridge. There are much better places in Iowa to see that don't require nerves of steel. It was free at least.

2398. See the Bridges of Madison County

 If the hubby says he wants to go to John Wayne Birthplace and Trainland USA, I say we are going to Bridges of Madison County. It's only fair right? 

The Bridges of Madison County are six covered bridges near Winterset, IA in Madison County which the book and movie are based off of. I always seen the sign as we drive to Arizona for the Bridges of Madison County and figured we were going this trip. Besides it is on our to see John Wayne's Birthplace.

Most of the covered bridges are down gravel roads. I asked the hubby if he wanted to see them all because of the gravel road and he said yes. When I say gravel roads, I don't mean take a county road to a gravel road and at the end of the gravel road is the covered bridge. No, the county roads are gravel roads... well maintained county roads but gravel roads nevertheless. 

The route we took was from Omaha to Des Moines (West to East) and allowed us the route with the least amount of backtracking. If you are coming from the east, just reverse the route. This makes the most sense because the first and last bridge are a bit farther away than the other four. Most of them area within 10 minutes of each other and the other two are about 15-20 from the next closest bridge. Total drive time from the first to last covered bridge with visiting all six bridges is about an hour and it is about a 37 miles trip. We did stop at John Wayne's Birthplace and the Castle Tower as we made our way through Winterset as it made logistical sense.

The Bridges in the order we visited them. Some of them are in their original location and others have been moved there. Most are original. Some of been rebuilt. 

Roseman Covered Bridge

Hogback Covered Bridge

Cedar Covered Bridge -- the only covered bridge you can drive through. The hubby was excited by this.

Cutler-Donahoe Covered Bridge -- This one is located in a city park. There is also a castle tower in the park we checked out. 

Holliwell Covered Bridge

Imes Covered Bridge.

The Covered Bridges is actually part of the Covered Bridges Scenic Byway. It is actually a very beautiful drive and would be gorgeous in fall.

If you are passing through Iowa and need a break form I80, definitely go check out the covered bridges. The welcome center in Winterset can give you a map and more information about the bridges. We did not stop there as I did my research ahead of time. If you like covered bridges at all, it is worth the drive to check out.