Category Archives: Bridges

Bridges of Terror

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Bridges That Dare You to Cross

Let’s talk bridges—again. When I first dipped into this topic, I had no idea how many life-threatening crossings existed around the world. It’s truly fascinating… and a little terrifying.

Here are a few more that push the limits of courage and engineering:

🌪️ Hussaini Suspension Bridge — Pakistan

A landslide wiped out the original 1968 bridge, and in its place rose a daring suspension of wooden planks and rope—minimalist, precarious, and unforgettable. Picture this: 635 feet of rectangular wooden planks, strung together by just six ropes. To reduce wind vibrations, the planks are spaced apart—meaning you’ll be stepping over gaps as you cross. In 2013, Condé Nast Traveler named it one of the most dangerous bridges in the world. No surprise there.

🪵 Vitim River Bridge — Russia

This one sets the bar for sheer nerve. A single-lane wooden bridge with no railings, perched over a frigid Siberian river. Add in rotting wood and icy conditions, and you’ve got a recipe for second thoughts. It’s not just a crossing—it’s a dare.

🌊 Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge — Northern Ireland

Spanning 66 feet and suspended 98 feet above jagged rocks, this rope bridge connects Carrick Island to the mainland. Strong winds and crashing waves make the crossing a heart-pounding experience. Some tourists are so shaken they need to be ferried back by boat. Would you brave it?

🐒 Monkey Bridges — Vietnam

Crafted from bamboo and used daily by locals, these narrow, unsupported bridges are a test of balance and bravery. Tourists often hesitate—but if you’re feeling bold, they offer a truly authentic challenge. Think you’ve got the nerve?

🧗 Tianmen Mountain Glass Skywalk — China

Afraid of heights? Timid? Have a heart condition? Then this one’s not for you. Built along high cliffs, these glass skywalks are painted green to reduce panic—but even that doesn’t stop knees from buckling. The views are breathtaking, if you can keep your eyes open. If you go, I’d love to hear how you fared.

More to Come…

There are countless bridges out there that test the limits of human courage. I won’t get to them all—but I’d love your help. Have you crossed a bridge that belongs on this shortlist of terror? Drop me a note and let’s add it to the adventure.

 

Road Trip to Hana- Again

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On the Road to Hana

I’m in Maui so that means a trip to Hana. The only way to get there is taking the “Road to Hana” also called the Hana Highway. Regular visitors to this site can attest to my experiences with the Hana Highway. I’ve had some close calls when I’ve attempted to make the drive on my own so this time I chose to take a tour. Let someone else do the driving. In case you are wondering about my cowardly decision the Road to Hana is considered the 5th most dangerous road In The World!

The Hana Rainforest & Waterfall Fun Tour

The concierge recommended Aloha Sunshine Tours for the trip to Hana. Pick up was in the lobby at Ka’anapali Beach Club at 6:10 am. I was advised to wear a bathing suit under my clothes and bring beach towels and sunscreen. Also recommended was bug repellent and Dramamine. This is not an inexpensive trip. I was receiving a discount but for those not members of a resort club or time share the cost of the tour was $161.45 per adult. The price includes lunch in Hana. In our case lunch was a sandwich wrap and a soft drink. I just didn’t want you to think it was an elaborate restaurant meal, it wasn’t. 

Lets Talk about The Road to Hana

The Hana Highway is dangerous because in a 30 mile stretch there are 620 curves and 59 single lane bridges. Unlike other places where one car goes then the other side goes, like at a stop sign, if you have a line of cars behind you  that gives you the right of way and the on coming cars all wait until the whole string of cars has passed. Some of the curves are blind curves. Our tour bus went around them with the horn blaring to let cars on the other side of the curve know we were coming. Two of the passengers got car sick. but thankfully managed to hold it until we could find a place to pull over. The drop offs can be dizzying when you look down.

The Hana Highway runs through a rainforest

The scenery is magnificent. We stopped to take a quick dip under a waterfall. You are traveling through an honest to goodness rainforest. Waterfalls abound, some dripping down onto the highway. There can be fog and limited visibility. The day we went it was sunny for the most part. Only patches of rain. One big change from my previous tour, when we got to Hana we turned around and came back. The tour did not take us on the back side of Haleakalā. Our driver said the unpaved road there was too rough on their vans. I’ll share some of the stops we made in the next post.

If You Go

If you get to Hana , whether on your own or by tour, be sure to pick up some banana bread. It is THE BEST! I’m told it’s made with the tiny bananas and that is what makes it so moist and sweet. I don’t know if that’s true but I’ve never had banana bread as good as this in my life. Its worth the scary ride on the Road to Hana.

 

 

 

Iao Valley

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Maui flowersA Lush Valley in the Middle of Maui

Time to find Iao Valley. I’ve had it on my bucket list for at least 3 visits. Each time the roads were under repair. The valley is located in the center of Maui. It’s one of the wettest sections of Maui. Its a real bonafide rainforest. The concierge told me she hadn’t been there lately but that the roads are open. I was looking forward to some tropical beauty after my negative experience the day before. I only have 2 more days of my vacation and tomorrow I have a whale watch booked.

Getting to Iao Valleywalkway bridge

It turns out it was really easy to locate the valley. It’s actually a State Park. The area is sacred to native Hawaiian’s as well as having great historical significance. The park consists of 4000 acres and is 10 miles long. I was on the main road on the Island, RT 30. It wasn’t long before I saw a sign pointing to the left. Immediately after the left the road split. To get to the park you keep right. The road dips down through a little neighborhood before it starts a twisting upward climb. Now homes are left behind. You go through a falling rock zone and then there you are. There’s a ranger kiosk where you pay a $5.00 entrance fee. Parking was scarce when I was there. It had been cloudy and rainy so with a clear day everyone turned out.

What to expectexhibit area

The trails are paved and easy walking. The climb to view the landmark Iao Needle is made up of paved steps for easy climbing. You enter the park over a little bridge. You can head on up toward the needle or take a side path down to an exhibition area that models the way the Valley used to look. Unless you are a serious hiker there isn’t a lot to do here but it is pretty. I think the history of the area is the most interesting thing about the valley. I’ll share more of that next time.

Iao Needle

 

The Great White North

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North to Denali

The farther north we went the easier it was to see that spring hadn’t really sprung yet. The scenery was spectacular but it was snow and ice. As the Denali Express rumbled over a trestle bridge we could look down into the steep chasm below. This was pretty rugged country.Trestle bridge shadow

raindeerA pair of caribou raced across a frozen river as we passed by. At one stop some mushers came on to talk to us about dog sledding. About that time someone spotted a coupled of grizzly bears fresh out of hibernation. They were just tiny dots in the distance. After the first excitement of the train ride wore off it began to get a bit long. Lots of people used the time to nap. The 9 1/2 hour trip seemed endless. Probably because it stretched to 11 hours before we pulled into the station in Denali.

 

Off the train and onto a bus

We all tumbled off the train and were immediately loaded onto a bus for the short trip to the Denali Princess Wilderness lodge.  The accommodations weren’t bad. And even if the weather was cold we had the warm Alaskan welcome to shake off the chill.

We didn’t have long to linger in the room because dinner was being served along with a stage show. The waitstaff were also the performers and they were amazing. After the show it was time to head to bed. The sun was just setting this far north but we had an early morning tour. We were going into the National Park. Hopefully we’d finally see some animals. Our park adventure was a half day tour. Turns out the best tour would have been the all day trip but once again we relied on our travel agent when selecting the excursion. 

Into Denali National Park

Our Tour Bus Awaits

In the morning after a huge breakfast at one of the resort restaurants (which were not included in the package) we climbed aboard another bus for our trip into Denali National Park. We began to see a little more animal life. There were a couple of moose and some caribou but no bears. We really wanted to see bears. When the all day tour returned they said they has bears surround their bus. Clearly we should have taken the longer trip. 

 

Across the Canadian Border

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The Rugged Canadian Wilderness

Once across the Canadian border we were able to see both the beauty and the wildness of the Canadian Rockies.  And it was cold here too. Lots of snow and ice.

Ice covered lake

At the Summit Rest Area we picked up our passports with our Yukon Stamps, grabbed a quick hot chocolate to ward off the cold then returned to the outside to explore the Yukon Suspension Bridge over the Tutshi River.

Crossing the Suspension Bridge

Yukon Suspension bridge

Tutshi RiverOK I’ll admit I am a bit of an adrenaline junky. More so when I was younger and I trusted my body a bit more but I still like things that make my heart pound a little. Crossing the Yukon Suspension Bridge did that. Stopping in the middle as it swayed and bounced so I could take pictures of the river was even more of a jolt. But it’s worth it. The Tutshi River was a raging maelstrom of white water. Its almost impossible to believe that the gold rush miners tried to raft down this river with their supplies.

Story Boards tell the Tale

Between the rest area and the suspension bridge were a series of story boards. They told  the miners’ tale of their hardships and extreme toil. Each miner was required to bring a year’s supply of food by the Canadian government to prevent starvation. In all, their equipment weighed close to a ton!

fog bound gulchThe Return

We loaded into buses for our return to Skagway. The fog continued to linger as the bus followed the same route as the train had in the morning. We were on our way to wrap up the trip with a “Garden Party” lunch. The lunch was forgettable as I can’t remember much about it now but I do remember the photographs of huge rhubarb leaves. The long hours of sunlight make up for the short growing season.

 

Garden Party

Back to the Ship

After the lunch it was back to the ship. As I recall we skipped any afternoon excursions to relax on our balcony.