6/3/18 Update: Please see this related video in the "Junk Drawer" playlist, a short morning ramble - "Iron Bridge": th-cam.com/video/IZ5Xc0yaRV4/w-d-xo.html 6/8/18 Update: Applying some lessons-learned from this video to my little gimbal rig, "Tinkering With the Gimbal": th-cam.com/video/jjrNbHdgTGY/w-d-xo.html
This might be my favorite asmr video as of now. I don’t listen to it very often and I don’t want it to become less special for me. I love covered bridges and other smaller buildings like this so coming to this video is always a treat for me. Thank you for posting this. This always makes me smile.
Marshall, it means a lot to hear you say this. Thanks very much. That video is a favorite of mine as well. I struggled with some technical aspects of the audio, and learned a lot of things that helped with making my outdoor rig better, which is cool. But the amazing coincidence of having the Amish rider come through the bridge at the very time I was recording is one of my favorite content-creator memories. I can still feel the bridge move slightly under my feet as the horse trotted by. It was over in a few seconds, but it was magical. So glad you like the video.
The beauty of the day, the river, the country roads, the bridges and the soft narrative all came together to make a fabulous video. And then add a cherry on top with the horse and buggy. ASMR at it's best.
Thanks so much, Phyllis. It really was a great way to spend the morning, and yep, that horse and buggy was the craziest timing and luck. Already looking forward to doing something like this again. Best to you!
Thanks so much! A covered bridge is a great place to discard the stresses of the day. Just drop them to the water below, and imagine them floating away.
Your channel is stellar. I find myself not only watching your videos, but simply listening to them before bed, or anytime I’m looking to relax, like on a train on my way to the city. Your voice and vocabulary are like nothing I’ve found. Great work my friend.
It has taken me about a week to get through this video because I kept falling asleep (that's a good thing too). Beautiful job, my friend. The horse and buggy going by was a bonus.
Oh my goodness-this is a FANTASTIC video!!!! There was a covered bridge on my college campus, and it always felt so special walking back and forth on it-really added to the atmosphere of the campus. Very cool to hear some more info about these structures.
Thanks so much for the kind words! So cool to hear that your campus had a covered bridge on it. Do you know if it was an older bridge, perhaps moved to the campus for preservation purposes? Best to you.
Thanks very much for watching! I’m not sure that this construction style was ever used in your part of the world, but it would be a good thing to research. 😎
You're very welcome. I think that PA and OH have the most surviving bridges of any state in the US, and there are plenty of good online resources to help with locating these bridges. I hope you're able to walk through some of your local bridges sometime soon. (Fall is a great season to visit covered bridges, just sayin'! ;-)
Yes please, more stuff like this! Beautiful bridges. They reminded me of old railway bridges with a narrow walking lane on the side. One was near to my school, it was a scary and fascinating place, especially when a train happened to pass by and made it shake. The water below could be seen between the boadrs on the deck, which made it even more exciting. I wonder if the walking lane is still there. I'll have to check next time I'll go there. Thank you for taking us time travelling.
Goodness, you really describe this place well, and it was fun watching the mental image form in my mind as it was painted with your words. I can't help but feel that it would be SCARY AS HECK to be anywhere on that walking lane while a train was going by! So, how fast would the train be going at these places? Slow, because it had just left (or was approaching) a station, or regular cruising speed? (whatever that is).
Gaslamp ASMR There was a station near, but all of the trains didn't stop there so I guess the fastest ones could go about 100 km/h. The was a lot of iron and a high metal fence between the wooden walking lane and the tracks so it was totally safe to be there. It just didn't exactly feel like that when I was eight or nine years old. But there was a bakery selling goodies on the other side of the river.
Thanks, and I agree. The ambient audio from the phone is the thing that puts you in a "place", which is so important for a video like this (IMO). Best to you.
Yes, the Amish buggy was an amazing bit of luck. I had actually seen another buggy pass through the bridge earlier, before I started filming, and thought "wow, I wish I was filming when that buggy passed through!" Then another came through on camera, so I couldn't be happier. It was the perfect bit of context for the video. Between the bridge and driving through that part of the county, I saw four or five Amish buggies that day.
This was a great video! And very interesting. Here on the west coast, I don't think I have ever seen a covered bridge like these, even in rural areas. That being said, Portland Oregon is known for its distinct bridges that cross the river at various points. We love bridges here. The St. Johns Bridge in particular is very historic, and was the starting point for steel bridges being painted that Statue-of-Liberty green. In terms of aesthetics and engineering, bridges are just cool. Hard to deny that.
Thanks for the kind words, Mason. That's a very interesting detail about the particular shade of green being used on bridges. I've certainly seen bridges in that color, but didn't realize that it was any sort of soft standard. Currently thinking of doing a similar video on iron bridges in the fall - just have to find some nice candidates between now and then!
If you’re looking for covered bridges near Portland, check out highway 22 on your way to pacific city, between McMinnville and pacific city. There are at least two covered bridges (not quite the same as the ones in this video, but still covered bridges), on that route.
I live in northern California and we just lost our 132 year old 3span Pratt style covered bridge in the fire that destroyed the rural towns in the area 😔 thank you for this
It is heartbreaking to hear this. I know it is insignificant compared to loss of life and homes, but it is still sad to hear. I wonder if that bridge has enough community significance to be rebuilt someday, like the Moscow bridge in this video. I also wonder if the powers that be would ever let a wooden bridge be rebuilt here, if fire risk is a factor when granting building permits. If the road is still travelled, local government might just put a modern structure there instead. Still, very sorry to hear about the loss of that historic structure. Stay safe out there.
Ohh weee, I love this! I am a history and architecture nerd and these bridges are like time traveling. I live in CA but am originally from PA and I miss these.... this video was nostalgic for me! These bridges are a piece of Americana!
They are indeed! PA is the place to be for covered bridges - that state has the highest number of surviving bridges in the country. Have you ever been to a CA covered bridge? There definitely aren't very many, and not very many from the 1800's, but there are a few. So glad you liked the video!
Fantastic video! Like a whole documentary movie - kept my interest all way through. Had never seen this type of bridges, or heard of them, they're so beautiful! I bet the sound atmosphere inside must be amazing. Do you have any more film / audio footage that shows examples from the acoustics inside the bridges more clearly? if so, might be something for the junk drawer ;)
Thanks so much Jay. The ambient audio is my biggest lesson learned from this video - something that I’ll improve for next time (I’m going to adapt the gimbal to allow me to attach the Zoom recorder, which will be nice). So no, I don’t have any bonus material that shows off any acoustics, but to be honest, it is pretty dead-sounding inside those bridges. The wood is less reflective than concrete, asphalt and glass would be. I even noticed in the editing that you can barely hear my footsteps when I was walking on those decks. Thanks for being here!
Once again another great video, but more importantly a really solid idea. Bringing intelligence and intrigue to ASMR one video at a time. I just watched your iron bridge update, that was interesting as well. They were built at roughly the same time and yet invoke 2 completely different aesthetics. The modern world colliding with the past. Anyway nice job and I have been searching out bridges in my area because of it so thanks for the inspiration.
You hit the nail on the head - the modern world colliding with the past. I've read that it was common to solicit bids from both wooden bridge and iron bridge companies during this time, and I wonder if the wooden bridge companies just won fewer and fewer of those competitions until they ran out of work. I would definitely like to know more about this time. Maybe an iron bridge video this fall with all the fall colors would be the thing to do! Thanks David.
Yes I would think you are correct in that assessment. I work in the commercial film industry, meaning I work in advertising on the film production side. I can remember vividly when we were still quoting jobs to shoot in the 35mm format (which was glorious back in the day), and slowly the digital world started to take over the industry. Even up until 2005 and 2006 we were still shooting commercials primarily in 35mm film. By 2009 I would think the changeover was complete. Digital was obviously going to win the day as I'm sure the bridge building companies back in the day between the late 1800's and early 1900's had a feeling that iron was going to win the day eventually but took much longer for the shift....today that shift happens much quicker. Keep up the good work. Yes a fall iron bridge video would be perfect. The fall weather would be perfect for something like that.
The interesting thing about your film analogy is that as a company, you were able to navigate the change in (essentially) tools and continue to provide products to your customers throughout. I wonder if there were any bridge companies that survived this wood-to-iron transition. My gut tells me that this would be way more complicated than just a change in raw materials. Bridge building concepts would be the same, but techniques, processes, skill sets of individual craftsmen, etc. It’s hard to imagine that a company set up to build wooden bridges could transition that radically and stay competitive.
I would think you are correct there. Woodworkers and ironworkers are 2 completely different trades and there were probably companies that were only working in wood and others that were just the new world of iron. I would think that the architects that drew up the plans would have been the same though....math is math just different materials that can stretch the numbers in different ways.
Wow some of us over here go on about having castles from the Middle Ages but I’ve not seen anything like this bridge in the UK. Thank you for both enlightening and relaxing ☺️🙌🏻
To be fair, I do think that a castle from the middle ages probably trumps a wooden bridge from the 1800's! ;-) You're welcome, Judy. Maybe I'll get to see those castles someday!
Yep, they're definitely a dying breed. I just read that NJ had as many as 35 covered bridges at its peak, but has only two now, and only one of those was built in the 1800's (the other is from the late 1950's). Did you ever get to visit it?
Gaslamp ASMR only one I visit regularly is by my hometown Stockton maybe it's in rosemont NJ and it's still there so maybe that's it I'll try and get a video of it next time I am there
Nice job on the video it was awesome, would you possibly be able to do another bass or saxophone video. I’m a saxophonist my self so it’s awesome to see saxophone asmr since they can make some cool and interesting noises
Appreciate that Chris! Any suggestions on what I might do as follow-ups for those two instruments? I'm not sure what else I would say or do with them in new videos. I'm open to suggestions!
Maybe for the bass doing some quite playing of riffs from your band or showing any pedals you may use if you use pedals. But I’m not really sure on what you could for the saxophone, perhaps whispering facts about the brand.
Now that you mention it, I have considered doing a casual bass playing video for my "Junk Drawer" play list before. If I do one, I'll mention it here. Thanks for the suggestion!
I have never really looked at covered (or other) bridges before. To me they have always just been for getting from one side to the other. Therefore, I am not sure if we have any historic bridges near me (but I guess we probably do, I've just not taken time to learn about them). However, we go to the Black Forest, in Germany, each year in August for a festival that is held in a town there. While there we often take a trip to Bad Sackingen which has a very long covered bridge. I've been through it once, but sadly, although going across it takes you into Switerland, the area you come to is deserted and so there has never seemed much point going through it for me. There is a more modern bridge which takes vehicles as well, further along the river, which I guess is where the populated part of Switzerland is. I wanted to do a link, but for some reason, I cannot copy and paste it here. So if you type "covered bridge Bad Sackingen" into a search engine you should see pictures of it. However, we're going to Germany again in August and I will make sure I take more notice of the bridge. :)
Wow, that's a pretty impressive bridge! That bridge is 668 feet long, making it just over twice as long as the Moscow bridge from my video (and the longest covered bridge in Europe). The current structure was built in 1700, but there have been bridges at that location since 1272. Plus, like many bridges, tunnels, road and airfields in Switzerland, the bridge was packed with TNT so that it could be quickly destroyed in the case of a foreign invasion. And the kicker? The explosives weren't removed from the bridge by the Swiss Army until October 2014. (!!!!) Apparently the fact that there was widespread mining in the country was fairly well known, but that there were still explosives in place that recently was a surprise to many in the public in late 2014 when the Army announced that the de-mining was complete. I wonder how many walked that bridge with no knowledge that the whole thing was rigged to explode! Fascinating stuff, thanks RF!
There is a short video on TH-cam with someone who cycles through the bridge in just over a minute. Search for "covered woodenbridge in bad saeckingen" (as I have written it here) to see it. If you would like, in August I will walk through the bridge and video it so you can see it in more detail.
The foot steps made me imagine being followed in dark woods on a far off trail Turn back to see nothing and the foot steps stop Only to start again when I begin moving Now breathing heavier I break into a sprint Only to hear the foot steps do the same I make my way to a covered bridge and take shelter
Well, I'll certainly consider it. I'm not a big crossword puzzle guy in Real Life, and so I'd be afraid to be stumped when trying to solve one on camera (of course, I don't have to post it if that happens, do I? ;-) The closest substitute in the near-term might be a video about a vintage Scrabble game, which I was thinking of doing next. I'll put your request on my "list", though! Thanks for being here, Parker.
6/3/18 Update: Please see this related video in the "Junk Drawer" playlist, a short morning ramble - "Iron Bridge": th-cam.com/video/IZ5Xc0yaRV4/w-d-xo.html
6/8/18 Update: Applying some lessons-learned from this video to my little gimbal rig, "Tinkering With the Gimbal": th-cam.com/video/jjrNbHdgTGY/w-d-xo.html
This might be my favorite asmr video as of now. I don’t listen to it very often and I don’t want it to become less special for me. I love covered bridges and other smaller buildings like this so coming to this video is always a treat for me. Thank you for posting this. This always makes me smile.
Marshall, it means a lot to hear you say this. Thanks very much. That video is a favorite of mine as well. I struggled with some technical aspects of the audio, and learned a lot of things that helped with making my outdoor rig better, which is cool. But the amazing coincidence of having the Amish rider come through the bridge at the very time I was recording is one of my favorite content-creator memories. I can still feel the bridge move slightly under my feet as the horse trotted by. It was over in a few seconds, but it was magical. So glad you like the video.
The beauty of the day, the river, the country roads, the bridges and the soft narrative all came together to make a fabulous video. And then add a cherry on top with the horse and buggy. ASMR at it's best.
Thanks so much, Phyllis. It really was a great way to spend the morning, and yep, that horse and buggy was the craziest timing and luck. Already looking forward to doing something like this again. Best to you!
I knew from the first crunch of gravel that this would be a perfect antidote to the stresses of the world. Thank you.
Thanks so much! A covered bridge is a great place to discard the stresses of the day. Just drop them to the water below, and imagine them floating away.
Your channel is stellar. I find myself not only watching your videos, but simply listening to them before bed, or anytime I’m looking to relax, like on a train on my way to the city. Your voice and vocabulary are like nothing I’ve found. Great work my friend.
You're most kind to leave this note, Jeremy. Thanks very much for being here, and for your support. It really makes a difference.
It has taken me about a week to get through this video because I kept falling asleep (that's a good thing too). Beautiful job, my friend. The horse and buggy going by was a bonus.
Thanks Louie!
This video is an incredible work of art, beautifully conceived and executed. Thank you so much for your time and energy.
You're most welcome, Steph! Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts, I really appreciate it. Best to you.
Oh my goodness-this is a FANTASTIC video!!!! There was a covered bridge on my college campus, and it always felt so special walking back and forth on it-really added to the atmosphere of the campus. Very cool to hear some more info about these structures.
Thanks so much for the kind words! So cool to hear that your campus had a covered bridge on it. Do you know if it was an older bridge, perhaps moved to the campus for preservation purposes? Best to you.
Gaslamp ASMR Good question! I’ll have to look into that...
Gaslamp ASMR Looks like it was moved to the campus and rebuilt by students in the 1970s
That’s outstanding, good for them!
your voice is so perfect for ASMR!! you and RelaxingASMR have some of the smoothest ASMR voices!! :)
RelaxingASMR always brings fantastic content. Such well-executed simplicity. Thanks for the kind words!
For the male voices of ASMR is one of my favs :-)
Thanks very much!
One of the most intresting asmr videos iv seen.
Thanks very much!
How fascinating! I'm in the UK and I've never seen or heard of covered bridges.
Thanks very much for watching! I’m not sure that this construction style was ever used in your part of the world, but it would be a good thing to research. 😎
I live in PA right by some of these!! Very cool to learn more about something I've taken for granted. Thanks for the video!
You're very welcome. I think that PA and OH have the most surviving bridges of any state in the US, and there are plenty of good online resources to help with locating these bridges. I hope you're able to walk through some of your local bridges sometime soon. (Fall is a great season to visit covered bridges, just sayin'! ;-)
Gaslamp ASMR I'm definitely planning on doing so! It's on the list :D
Yes please, more stuff like this! Beautiful bridges. They reminded me of old railway bridges with a narrow walking lane on the side. One was near to my school, it was a scary and fascinating place, especially when a train happened to pass by and made it shake. The water below could be seen between the boadrs on the deck, which made it even more exciting. I wonder if the walking lane is still there. I'll have to check next time I'll go there. Thank you for taking us time travelling.
Goodness, you really describe this place well, and it was fun watching the mental image form in my mind as it was painted with your words. I can't help but feel that it would be SCARY AS HECK to be anywhere on that walking lane while a train was going by! So, how fast would the train be going at these places? Slow, because it had just left (or was approaching) a station, or regular cruising speed? (whatever that is).
Gaslamp ASMR There was a station near, but all of the trains didn't stop there so I guess the fastest ones could go about 100 km/h. The was a lot of iron and a high metal fence between the wooden walking lane and the tracks so it was totally safe to be there. It just didn't exactly feel like that when I was eight or nine years old. But there was a bakery selling goodies on the other side of the river.
Thanks very the added detail! Sounds like a neat place.
Gaslamp ASMR I think it was great that you could imagine it in your mind. Thanks for telling.
Of course!
Beautiful video, was nice to hear the sounds of wild life and the appearance of the Amish horse and buggy was neat to see 😀
Thanks, and I agree. The ambient audio from the phone is the thing that puts you in a "place", which is so important for a video like this (IMO). Best to you.
Yes, the Amish buggy was an amazing bit of luck. I had actually seen another buggy pass through the bridge earlier, before I started filming, and thought "wow, I wish I was filming when that buggy passed through!" Then another came through on camera, so I couldn't be happier. It was the perfect bit of context for the video. Between the bridge and driving through that part of the county, I saw four or five Amish buggies that day.
This was a great video! And very interesting. Here on the west coast, I don't think I have ever seen a covered bridge like these, even in rural areas. That being said, Portland Oregon is known for its distinct bridges that cross the river at various points. We love bridges here. The St. Johns Bridge in particular is very historic, and was the starting point for steel bridges being painted that Statue-of-Liberty green. In terms of aesthetics and engineering, bridges are just cool. Hard to deny that.
Thanks for the kind words, Mason. That's a very interesting detail about the particular shade of green being used on bridges. I've certainly seen bridges in that color, but didn't realize that it was any sort of soft standard. Currently thinking of doing a similar video on iron bridges in the fall - just have to find some nice candidates between now and then!
If you’re looking for covered bridges near Portland, check out highway 22 on your way to pacific city, between McMinnville and pacific city. There are at least two covered bridges (not quite the same as the ones in this video, but still covered bridges), on that route.
I live in northern California and we just lost our 132 year old 3span Pratt style covered bridge in the fire that destroyed the rural towns in the area 😔 thank you for this
Ahhhh 19:00 my tearsss D:
It is heartbreaking to hear this. I know it is insignificant compared to loss of life and homes, but it is still sad to hear. I wonder if that bridge has enough community significance to be rebuilt someday, like the Moscow bridge in this video. I also wonder if the powers that be would ever let a wooden bridge be rebuilt here, if fire risk is a factor when granting building permits. If the road is still travelled, local government might just put a modern structure there instead. Still, very sorry to hear about the loss of that historic structure. Stay safe out there.
Ohh weee, I love this! I am a history and architecture nerd and these bridges are like time traveling. I live in CA but am originally from PA and I miss these.... this video was nostalgic for me! These bridges are a piece of Americana!
They are indeed! PA is the place to be for covered bridges - that state has the highest number of surviving bridges in the country. Have you ever been to a CA covered bridge? There definitely aren't very many, and not very many from the 1800's, but there are a few. So glad you liked the video!
Nope, I've never seen one here in CA yet! Sure would like to!
Thanks! I went to the Covered Bridge Festival in Indiana once, about 15 years ago. Crazy packed!
Yes, that event is crazy with the tourists. This part of the state is far away from that, thankfully!
Found your channel through ASMRartica's collab video! Glad i watched it! new sub :)
Thanks so much - Welcome aboard!
Fantastic video! Like a whole documentary movie - kept my interest all way through. Had never seen this type of bridges, or heard of them, they're so beautiful! I bet the sound atmosphere inside must be amazing. Do you have any more film / audio footage that shows examples from the acoustics inside the bridges more clearly? if so, might be something for the junk drawer ;)
Thanks so much Jay. The ambient audio is my biggest lesson learned from this video - something that I’ll improve for next time (I’m going to adapt the gimbal to allow me to attach the Zoom recorder, which will be nice).
So no, I don’t have any bonus material that shows off any acoustics, but to be honest, it is pretty dead-sounding inside those bridges. The wood is less reflective than concrete, asphalt and glass would be. I even noticed in the editing that you can barely hear my footsteps when I was walking on those decks.
Thanks for being here!
Once again another great video, but more importantly a really solid idea. Bringing intelligence and intrigue to ASMR one video at a time. I just watched your iron bridge update, that was interesting as well. They were built at roughly the same time and yet invoke 2 completely different aesthetics. The modern world colliding with the past.
Anyway nice job and I have been searching out bridges in my area because of it so thanks for the inspiration.
You hit the nail on the head - the modern world colliding with the past. I've read that it was common to solicit bids from both wooden bridge and iron bridge companies during this time, and I wonder if the wooden bridge companies just won fewer and fewer of those competitions until they ran out of work. I would definitely like to know more about this time. Maybe an iron bridge video this fall with all the fall colors would be the thing to do! Thanks David.
Yes I would think you are correct in that assessment. I work in the commercial film industry, meaning I work in advertising on the film production side. I can remember vividly when we were still quoting jobs to shoot in the 35mm format (which was glorious back in the day), and slowly the digital world started to take over the industry. Even up until 2005 and 2006 we were still shooting commercials primarily in 35mm film. By 2009 I would think the changeover was complete. Digital was obviously going to win the day as I'm sure the bridge building companies back in the day between the late 1800's and early 1900's had a feeling that iron was going to win the day eventually but took much longer for the shift....today that shift happens much quicker.
Keep up the good work.
Yes a fall iron bridge video would be perfect. The fall weather would be perfect for something like that.
The interesting thing about your film analogy is that as a company, you were able to navigate the change in (essentially) tools and continue to provide products to your customers throughout. I wonder if there were any bridge companies that survived this wood-to-iron transition. My gut tells me that this would be way more complicated than just a change in raw materials. Bridge building concepts would be the same, but techniques, processes, skill sets of individual craftsmen, etc. It’s hard to imagine that a company set up to build wooden bridges could transition that radically and stay competitive.
I would think you are correct there. Woodworkers and ironworkers are 2 completely different trades and there were probably companies that were only working in wood and others that were just the new world of iron. I would think that the architects that drew up the plans would have been the same though....math is math just different materials that can stretch the numbers in different ways.
Yep, agreed. Thanks for your contributions here, David. Much appreciated.
Beautiful video. Although I got so sleepy so fast and couldn’t appreciate all of it! 😊😴😴
You’ll have to come back later, then. Don’t miss the bit about the traffic in the last bridge! And thanks for the kind words!
I did come back, and how completely magical!
Thanks for coming back! The timing of that buggy was just crazy lucky. Could not have planned it better than that! Take care.
Wow some of us over here go on about having castles from the Middle Ages but I’ve not seen anything like this bridge in the UK. Thank you for both enlightening and relaxing ☺️🙌🏻
To be fair, I do think that a castle from the middle ages probably trumps a wooden bridge from the 1800's! ;-) You're welcome, Judy. Maybe I'll get to see those castles someday!
This is so interesting! I'm seeing a whole new world from my little corner of the globe :)
Eevee! Good to see you again! So glad you enjoyed the tour.
Thank you! It’s good to be back 😊
Nice Video! I love your voice!
Thanks for saying so! 😁
my hometown in NJ has one of the last covered bridges
Nice video 🖤💚💙
Yep, they're definitely a dying breed. I just read that NJ had as many as 35 covered bridges at its peak, but has only two now, and only one of those was built in the 1800's (the other is from the late 1950's). Did you ever get to visit it?
Gaslamp ASMR only one I visit regularly is by my hometown Stockton maybe it's in rosemont NJ and it's still there so maybe that's it
I'll try and get a video of it next time I am there
Would love to see it.
Nice job on the video it was awesome, would you possibly be able to do another bass or saxophone video. I’m a saxophonist my self so it’s awesome to see saxophone asmr since they can make some cool and interesting noises
Appreciate that Chris! Any suggestions on what I might do as follow-ups for those two instruments? I'm not sure what else I would say or do with them in new videos. I'm open to suggestions!
Maybe for the bass doing some quite playing of riffs from your band or showing any pedals you may use if you use pedals. But I’m not really sure on what you could for the saxophone, perhaps whispering facts about the brand.
Now that you mention it, I have considered doing a casual bass playing video for my "Junk Drawer" play list before. If I do one, I'll mention it here. Thanks for the suggestion!
I have never really looked at covered (or other) bridges before. To me they have always just been for getting from one side to the other. Therefore, I am not sure if we have any historic bridges near me (but I guess we probably do, I've just not taken time to learn about them).
However, we go to the Black Forest, in Germany, each year in August for a festival that is held in a town there. While there we often take a trip to Bad Sackingen which has a very long covered bridge. I've been through it once, but sadly, although going across it takes you into Switerland, the area you come to is deserted and so there has never seemed much point going through it for me. There is a more modern bridge which takes vehicles as well, further along the river, which I guess is where the populated part of Switzerland is.
I wanted to do a link, but for some reason, I cannot copy and paste it here. So if you type "covered bridge Bad Sackingen" into a search engine you should see pictures of it.
However, we're going to Germany again in August and I will make sure I take more notice of the bridge. :)
Wow, that's a pretty impressive bridge!
That bridge is 668 feet long, making it just over twice as long as the Moscow bridge from my video (and the longest covered bridge in Europe). The current structure was built in 1700, but there have been bridges at that location since 1272. Plus, like many bridges, tunnels, road and airfields in Switzerland, the bridge was packed with TNT so that it could be quickly destroyed in the case of a foreign invasion.
And the kicker? The explosives weren't removed from the bridge by the Swiss Army until October 2014. (!!!!) Apparently the fact that there was widespread mining in the country was fairly well known, but that there were still explosives in place that recently was a surprise to many in the public in late 2014 when the Army announced that the de-mining was complete.
I wonder how many walked that bridge with no knowledge that the whole thing was rigged to explode! Fascinating stuff, thanks RF!
There is a short video on TH-cam with someone who cycles through the bridge in just over a minute. Search for "covered woodenbridge in bad saeckingen" (as I have written it here) to see it.
If you would like, in August I will walk through the bridge and video it so you can see it in more detail.
That would be outstanding, RF, thanks! I can tell just from the still images that the structure inside is massive.
I am back from Germany and have videoed the bridge at Bad Sackingen - as promised.
I will go through it and upload it over this weekend. :)
Fantastic, I can't wait to see it! And welcome back!
The foot steps made me imagine being followed in dark woods on a far off trail
Turn back to see nothing and the foot steps stop
Only to start again when I begin moving
Now breathing heavier I break into a sprint
Only to hear the foot steps do the same
I make my way to a covered bridge and take shelter
Loving this imagery! What happens next?
His voice is turning me on. He is talking about bridges and it is turning me on!
Nah, it's the bridges. ;-)
Damn this was awesome
Thanks Nate!
Can you do a crossword puzzle?
Well, I'll certainly consider it. I'm not a big crossword puzzle guy in Real Life, and so I'd be afraid to be stumped when trying to solve one on camera (of course, I don't have to post it if that happens, do I? ;-) The closest substitute in the near-term might be a video about a vintage Scrabble game, which I was thinking of doing next. I'll put your request on my "list", though! Thanks for being here, Parker.
“Ohh, covered bridges...Waaiaiayoooyaoo” -Strong Sad