Back in the late 70’s I was with Gramps out West on a trip, fishing was the idea. We didn’t do well, early in the year, most rivers were raging.

I do remember turning around near ‘Beartooth Pass’ out of Yellowstone. Gramps had a heart condition, said he couldn’t take it. We drove a good bit to go with a more gentle road.

Later years I went through with our kids, worked out just fine.

Certain bridges freak me out. Just north of Cincinnati is the tallest bridge
in Ohio. Was ok until they started reconstruction,shut down emergency lane
Had to drive right on the edge. In my semi you could look right over the edge.
Panic attack. I've seen videos of a bridge in Tampa I know I could never drive
across.

Several years ago we rode it the reverse to Hemet, love the Pines to Palms Highway. The wife is afraid of heights as well and it was very unsettling for her.

I think I squeezed the grips off my RoadKing going through those areas. I do NOT like heights but I LOVE that area…….

The million dollar highway is good one. Potential for falling rocks on one side and three hundred foot drop offs on the other side, you gotta love that. You're driving with a death grip on the steering wheel but you're also wanting to see the amazing scenery.

quote:

Originally posted by Schmelby:
Certain bridges freak me out. Just north of Cincinnati is the tallest bridge
in Ohio. Was ok until they started reconstruction,shut down emergency lane
Had to drive right on the edge. In my semi you could look right over the edge.
Panic attack. I've seen videos of a bridge in Tampa I know I could never drive
across.

The Sunshine Bridge in Fla freaks me out because of its steep incline but riding a motorcycle over the grating of the Mackinac Bridge doesn't.

I drove an RV over the million dollar highway once. My father in law thought it would be funny.

that is the first time I ever cussed in front of my mother in law.

there are a few places you can see vehicles down in the river. I guess they dont bring them up.

There was an off ramp bridge in Florida somewhere (totally forget where) that had the same effect on me. I didn’t even think of it as an issue until I was up on it. Huge curve and height on the bridge and I was freaked out. Luckily that wasn’t very long.

I once rode Amtrak from Provo, UT to Baltimore. In western Colorado around Eagle, the rail line diverges from I70 and heads north to pass through Gorey canyon. With the name not helping, I got unsettled as the rail line is carved into the side of a cliff a couple hundred feet above the canyon bottom. Sitting on the outward side, it appeared like the rail car is flying, as if you are looking out the window of an aircraft.

Rationally I know that I’m probably just as dead if the train derails in Nebraska while doing 70mph, but at least I wouldn’t have a two-breath scream before my demise.

Another tense drive is on CA160 heading north out of Antioch, CA. There is a bridge over the Sac river that is only two lanes, but very high to allow for shipping underneath. Being slab on girder, the bridge has no superstructure, so you’re wide open when on it, and it seems very skinny. Perhaps it’s worse in a semi truck because you’re already way higher over the barrier than if you were in a car and couldn’t see over as easily.

Lastly, Bridge of the Gods over the Columbia river. Not crazy high, but it has a grate style surface, so you can see right down to the river through the deck. It, too, is only two lane, so on top of being skinny and see through, a semi truck seems to barely fit.

As previously stated, you have to focus on the road in front of the truck. Drive like you’re in fog.

If you ever get the chance to go to Page, AZ, stop at the Glenn Canyon damn visitor’s center. There is a bridge behind the damn for US89. Walk out on the bridge and stand there while a semi or two drives across. The bridge will bounce like an earthquake, all the while that you are looking 800 feet down into the canyon. You cannot feel the movement while you are driving over the bridge, but stand on it? Oh boy, it’ll get your pulse up.

I mentioned this thread to my wife last night and she pointed out something to me which happened over the summer, and which I didn't think she noticed.

In my younger Navy days, I LOVED being in the back set of an F-14 (outstanding E sailor thing at the time). Loved it. Talked about the rides for years.

This last summer we did a two day trip to Disneyland (33% capacity at the time). One of the first rides we did was Star Tours.

In case you are not familiar with this ride, it is a sim ride where the riders' enclosed car might get all of 6' off the deck and there is a screen of the ride in front of you. Hydraulics move the car to give the feelings of acceleration, turns and sudden n steep drops.

That first drop in the ride and my wife noted I was three shades whiter and gripping the bar in front of me for dear life. I had such a fear of heights it was unbelievable for me because I knew how physically high we really were.

Oh and the other rides actually on rails - love them still and withing out fear. Best I can guess - because I can see the track and know where the ride is supposed to go.

I didn't think my wife noticed me on that ride.

I’ve done Star Tours and loved it. When I’m a passenger in the car I can look over the edge of anything without a problem. I take the window seat on planes and look out all the time. But being behind the wheel on a cliff, on a ladder, heck even looking down at the lobby in a high rise hotel with a glass railing scares the shit out of me.

There is some line where the brain. I longer feels secure and that’s when the panic sets in.

When I was younger, the scariest drive was going Eastbound on Hwy-50 over Echo Summit to South Lake Tahoe. The drop was probably 300' but, you got a spectacular view of the lake. Winter time made it even more sporty since the road would be iced-over, the mountain-side of the road looked like an avalanche was threatening to tumble-down onto the road and whomever is driving was likely white-knuckling-it because the kids are freaking out in the back.


Down in LA, the Glendale Fwy SR-2, there's a section from LaCanada to Glendale that gives me anxiety as you have the sensation of driving into the sky. It's a weird sensation, you're driving along the ridgeline and there isn't much on either side of you to provide you any points of reference.

Great drive as I have my best friend live in La Quinta.
The easier one is longer, 15N to the 60 then pick up the 10E to Palm Desert.

This is great when the snow is in the mountains and chains are required or they close it.

If bridges are your concern, the ribbon bridge between San Diego and Coronado is a little scary. The one over the river in Morehead City, NC is interesting.

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
When I was younger, the scariest drive was going Eastbound on Hwy-50 over Echo Summit to South Lake Tahoe. The drop was probably 300' but, you got a spectacular view of the lake.

Last winter we delivered the girders to rebuild those Hwy 50 bridges up near the summit. Those ones where the bridges seem to hug the mountainside. Those bridges had been in place since before WWII, I believe. If you could have seen the underside of those old bridges, you'd really have been scared. Its unbelievable that CALTRANS left those in place as long as they did, and a miracle that there wasn't a collapse.

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:
If bridges are your concern, the ribbon bridge between San Diego and Coronado is a little scary. The one over the river in Morehead City, NC is interesting.

flashguy

Try a Big Mac...