I love bridges! I've always been interested in them. Maybe it started back when I was seven years old and heard about the moving of the London Bridge to Arizona, piece by piece...how cool is that! Or my fascination whenever I go over a really high bridge and see the great view from it. Or seeing some new innovation in bridge design or a good-looking bridge, be it in the daylight or at night. If you haven't already done so, please read through "THE SERIES EXPLAINED" section below and then work on this fun, informative, and easy puzzle.
HELPFUL HINT: When looking at the links, click right mouse button and open up links in either another tab or window. This way you'll still have the main cache page to view.
THE PUZZLE
This is the final (or is it?) in a series of caches about bridges. This set of bridges are ones that are considered to be well-known. So if you've been wondering when the Tower Bridge is going to be mentioned or that neat one in Australia...wonder no more! Or maybe you've found many of the other ones so interesting that you've forgotten about these. :-) Regardless, here's ten well-known bridges. For each one I've included a "FUN FACT" that might be something you didn't know about each bridge.
The final coordinates for this puzzle are determined by finding the following answers.
Coordinates are: N43 AB.CDE W77 FG.HIJ.
A: Brooklyn Bridge
New York City, NY, USA
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest roadway bridges in the U.S. and was the world's first steel-wire suspension bridge.
FUN FACT: It houses many passageways and compartments in its anchorage. New York City rented out the large vaults under the Manhattan side to help fund the bridge. One of its uses was to store wine because of its consistent temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
A is the first digit in the longest span of the bridge, in feet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Bridge
B: Roseman Bridge
Winterset, Iowa, USA
The Roseman Bridge earned its notoriety when it was featured in the novel "The Bridges of Madison County". It was built in 1883 and renovated in 1992.
FUN FACT: In the movie the bridge is where Francesca leaves a note inviting Robert Kincaid to dinner (sounds like a cache to me!).
B is the date in the month of September 1976 that the bridge was added to the NRHP (National Register of Historic Places).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roseman_Covered_Bridge
C: Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
New York City, NY, USA
The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge, carrying seven lanes of traffic on the upper level and six on the lower level.
FUN FACT: In 1960 the bridge was spelled Verrazano-Narrows but that is incorrect as it was named after the first documented European explorer to enter the harbor, Giovanni da Verrazzano. This was finally officially corrected in October 2018.
C is the second digit in the year that Giovanni da Verrazzano entered the harbor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verrazzano-Narrows_Bridge
D: Ponte Vecchio
Florence, Italy
The Ponte Vecchio ("Old Bridge") is a medieval stone arch bridge in Florence, Italy that dates back to Roman times. It first appeared in a document in the year 996. There are several shops along this bridge, as it has been since the beginning of it. Today though the shops are jewelry, art, and souvenirs; it used to be occupied by butcher shops.
FUN FACT: It is said that the concept of bankruptcy originated here. If someone could not pay their debt, the table on which their wares ("banco") were sold were physically broken ("rotto") by soldiers. The practice of "bancorotto" (broken table) meant that the merchant no longer had a table from which to sell their goods.
D is the first (or second) digit in the number of love locks removed from the bridge between 2005 and 2006.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponte_Vecchio
E: Tower Bridge
London, England
Compared to the last bridge, the Tower Bridge is relatively new, being built between 1886 and 1894. This bridge is NOT the same as the London Bridge, which is about a half mile upstream on the Thames River. The upper walkway between the two towers is accessible, though with an admission charge. It is part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition.
FUN FACT: In 1952 a double-decker bus was still on the bridge when it was opening, due to an error by a relief watchman that was on duty. The driver chose to accelerate and cleared a 3 foot gap to drop 6 feet onto the other side. There were no serious injuries and the driver was given an award in honor of his bravery.
E is the third digit in the year that the bridge was modified to use an electro-hydraulic system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Bridge
F: Seven Mile Bridge
Florida Keys, Florida, USA
The Seven Mile Bridge consists of two bridges. The older bridge is now just for pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge was originally for the railroad, and was changed over to vehicles in 1935 after the railroad was damaged by a hurricane. In the second photo below, you can see the lines paralleling the bridge that bring services to the keys.
FUN FACT: The track from the original bridge has been re-used by painting them white and using them as the guard rails.
F is the first digit in the width of the bridge, in feet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Mile_Bridge
G: Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco, CA, USA
The Golden Gate Bridge was opened in May 1937. Prior to that the mode of transportation was by ferry. The bridge has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
FUN FACT + VIDEO: In January 2015 a movable barrier was installed on the bridge. This allows for changing traffic lane to accommodate demands, which is done a couple times EACH DAY! A barrier transfer machine (aka zipper machine) is used to do this by lifting the concrete barriers and shifting them over. Here's a short video of the Road Zipper in action. Notice how the barrier is similar in appearance to teeth on a zipper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzuBZT3ne2Y
G is the second (or fourth) digit in the number of wires in a cross-section of a bridge cable, which is on display on the south side of the bridge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Gate_Bridge
H: Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney, Australia
The Sydney Harbour Bridge (aka "The Coathanger") opened in 1932. It is the sixth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world and the tallest steel arch bridge.
FUN FACT: Since 1998 the tourist attraction "BridgeClimb" allows tourists to legally climb the southern half of the bridge. Climbers are provided with protective clothing and are given an orientation briefing. Attendees are secured to the bridge by a wire lifeline. The climb begins on the eastern side and crosses over to the west at the top. In total it takes 3 1/2 hours.
H is the number of spans in Ernest Stowe's bridge proposal. (Be sure to take a look at the picture of his proposal...interesting!)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Harbour_Bridge
I: Ponte de Rialto
Venice, Italy
The Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto) is the oldest of four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. The covered ramps of the bridge carry rows of shops.
FUN FACT: The first bridge at this site was called Ponte della Moneta, named for the mint that grew at one of its entrances. It was built in 1181 and originally was a pontoon bridge built on ships.
I is the last digit in either of the two years when the bridge collapsed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rialto_Bridge
J: Bixby Creek Bridge
Big Sur, CA, USA
The Bixby Creek Bridge (aka Bixby Canyon Bridge) is along State Route 1 on the Big Sur coast of California. It is located 13 miles south of Carmel, Monterey County.
FUN FACT: The bridge was commemorated in an express mail stamp issued on February 3, 2010 by the United States Postal Service. The cost of the stamp was $18.30 and featured a color digital illustration of the bridge.
The bridge is 24 feet wide. J is the first digit in the number of feet that is the modern standard width requirement for bridges.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bixby_Creek_Bridge
Check your answers on Certitude, where you will also get useful and informative details about the final location.
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
THE SERIES EXPLAINED
To share my interest in bridges I've created this series of 12 caches. For each cache you'll look up information for 10 bridges. The bridges are from around the world, and no bridges are repeated throughout the series. So 12 caches with 10 bridges...120 bridges for you to enjoy!
The caches will be released throughout the winter months, allowing you to spend some time sitting nice and cozy in your pajamas & bunny slippers, researching the answers and watching videos or viewing photographs about each bridge. And I even give you links to where you can find the answers! Once you've solved it though you'll need to take off the bunny slippers, bundle up and go find the cache.
I've tried to make the hides as winter accessible as possible for the location. Happy caching!