While on US19 some 20 miles south of Summersville, WV, I stopped at the New River Gorge Bridge. This landmark has some notoriety because of Bridge Day, which occurs in October and when they close the bridge to allow visitors to jump off, climb off, fly off, or whatever their little hearts desire. Haven't been there, but I guess it's a pretty big deal.
There is a nice Visitor's Center at the bridge with very nice views of the bridge and the New River Gorge. The bridge itself is the World's largest single-span steel arch bridge, and at 876 feet above the river below, it is the second-highest bridge in North America.
From the overlook (quite a hike back up, I might add) you can see more details of the bridge's construction:
This is a view of the gorge to the east of the bridge. If you look in the lower right-hand corner of the picture, you can see the bridge that was replaced when the new bridge opened in 1977:
And another view of the gorge:
I arrived in Fairmont, WV around 4:00 this afternoon and will be heading home tomorrow morning. It's been a great trip, but it's quickly winding down to a close.
Miles today: 432
Total: 8,862