A bridge close by

Another great morning for a bike ride. I made this one short, though, becaue of time constraints, so I headed out to the New Richmond Bridge.

The route up 56th Street north has been improved since mid-summer. The road has been repaved -- the first time, I swear, since the early 1900s.

My goal was just to stop at the bridge and enjoy the view. That I did. Though the morning was overcast, the colors on the trees were still pretty and the river was calming. I spent about 30 minutes at the bridge, just enjoying it.

The swing bridge was built in 1879 and is the last working bridge of its type in the nation. It's been recently refinished and turned into a pedestrian-only walk over the Kalamazoo River. You can ride your bike over it, but I choose to carry my bike over the wooden walkway. Call me sliver shy.

When I first moved out here, driving over the bridge was permitted. In fact, I took a car load of folks during my wedding weekend over the bridge. I think I scared the crap out of them. You see, the trick then was to keep the wheels of the car on the wooden tracks so you didin't drop into the rusty metal mesh. And, the bridge arches in the middle, and it was just wide enough for one car. I was living on the edge then.

New to the bridge: I see an information kiosk, of sorts, is being built on shore next to the bridge. This will be a nice info center if the county can keep the spray paint off it.

Thought: Like a bridge over troubled water ...