Bridges
Along the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut
where every bridge is different,
and old.
Art Deco at its best.
The Tappan Zee bridge
over the Hudson River in New York.
Newly constructed.
Modern architecture at its best.
Being surrounded by by these beautiful bridges today, old and new, gives pause for beauty.
Jennie
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About Jennie
I have been teaching preschool for over thirty years. This is my passion. I believe that children have a voice, and that is the catalyst to enhance or even change the learning experience. Emergent curriculum opens young minds. It's the little things that happen in the classroom that are most important and exciting. That's what I write about.
I am highlighted in the the new edition of Jim Trelease's bestselling book, "The Read-Aloud Handbook" because of my reading to children. My class has designed quilts that hang as permanent displays at both the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia, and the Fisher House at the Boston VA Hospital.
A Teacher's Reflections 
I lived in Connecticut for four years and loved the Merritt. Never have seen the Tappin Zee. Used the old one but not the new. Happy times.
The Merritt bridges are works of art. There were two today being renovated. Last Thanksgiving when we drove across the Tappan Zee (thanks, just corrected my blog typo) the renovation was still underway. Always good to remember happy times! 🙂
Bridges are fascinating when you think of what they have to do to build them over the water.
Definitely! Suspension bridges – how do they do that??
And working in caissons for the supports.
Yes!!
I’m not sure what level you teach at Jennie, but have you seen the activity to build a bridge with toothpicks? I tried it once with 5th and 6th grades. (there was a guy in my school who did it a lot.) The idea is for the bridge to be strong enough to support weight. If I remember correctly we put a plastic container on the bridge and put cubes of grams in the container to add additional weight.
I teach preschool, Pete. They wouldn’t be able to do this, but what a great challenge for older children.
Great bridges Jennie!
Thanks, Ritu!
I love the Merrit bridges.
I know you do, Dan. 🙂 Always a treat to drive under those beauties. They were renovating two. One was fabulous. I’ll try to find it on the way home next week. Outdoor morning temp on the parkway was 97 and rising. 😳
Yikes! Safe travels.
Thanks, Dan. The wall of hot air when we stopped the car and opened the door was… a wall. I took a few more bridge photos, too.
I love Art Deco! That’s a wonderful bridge, Jennie. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
I do, too. Google Merrit Parkway. Can you imagine a stretch of road where no two bridges are the same? You will enjoy it. One bridge has a Winged Victory in the center. Gorgeous! Best to you, Pete.
I also am a big fan of Art Deco.
I love it! I’ll try to get a few more on the return trip.
Oh, wonderful! I’ll look forward to seeing them.
🙂
Man has created a lot of beauty in this world. What we can achieve with our mind.
I also appreciate the aesthetics of a well-designed bridge.
I do, too. These two bridges were equally well designed and beautiful, just vastly different.
Twas it not the spider, whom inspired certain bridge structures?
I think so! What did it take for the designer to convince the engineer? Perhaps a spider.
Thank you so much for sharing this beauty with us. Yes, one has to wonder how the first person ever conceived of something as magnificent as a bridge. Whoo hooo!
I think the same thing. Boggles the mind!
I haven’t gone over the new Tappan Zee yet. Thanks for the reminder to take that route next time we go to PA.
It is a fabulous bridge!
I absolutely love bridges, especially old ones. Portland, OR has some beauties on the Willamette River. We have a lift bridge in an adjacent town that crosses the Erie Canal. Not big but interesting. It goes straight up. Have you ever sung the Erie Canal song with kids? Springsteen actually has a real guttural version, if that’s the correct term.
I’m glad to know you love old bridges, Steve. I think I’ve seen a lift bridge. No, I haven’t sung that song with the kids, but I sure did sing it when I was in school. 🙂
Erie Canal by Springsteen:
Thanks!!
Both lovely and quite contrasting.
🙂
I like bridges Jennie – particularly in a song.
Yes!
These look intriguing and worthy of weaving into a fun day’s drive.
Hubby and I love to ‘drive the bridges’.
When we lived in the Bay area, we’d take off in the middle of the night to ‘drive the bridges’ there. We had a way of weaving the trip back and forth over the bay to get in at least 4 bridges from start to finish.
Enjoy your bridges near where you live, Jennie!
I love it!
My memory has let me down yet again, Jennie. Of course, you are a preschool teacher! I remember thinking before that we’d have been great colleagues because our styles are so similar. I taught my thirty-one years in every grade from 2nd-6th. Thanks for everything you do in getting children off on the right foot.
No worries, Pete! 🙂 Our styles are very similar, indeed. I think good teaching spans all grades. I remember a conversation I had with the head of the English Department at Lawrence Academy, a prep school in our town. We discovered that we both did reading-aloud in exactly the same way, lights out, heads down. It was wonderful to connect preschool with twelfth grade.
I’ve been over both bridges, Jennie. The Merrit Parkway has lots of old and pretty bridges. It was fun to see the contrast between the old and modern in the post. Both are beautiful.
It is quite striking, and both are a short distance from each other. I really love the old ones on the Merritt Parkway.
Wonderful images. You are blessed having such wonderful bridges with full functionality. Here in Germany – just heared – we have over 5000 bridges need to be sanitized, even here the Pope as an bridge builder is honored. Lol Michael
I’m glad you enjoyed the bridges, Michael. We have so many bridges in need of repair over here, too.
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Thank you!
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Thank you!