Hey kiddos,
Today’s adventure takes us to New River Gorge, West Virginia. The New River (pictured to the right from wikipedia), starts in North Carolina and flows northward, toward Ohio through West Virginia. In the United States it’s relatively rare for major rivers to flow to the north. Most generally flow in a southernly direction.
A brief note on West Virginia: as you’ll see if you watch the video, I drew Virginia and West Virginia together. This is because up until the Civil War they were one state. When Virginia decided to secede, or separate, from the United States, the western part of the state disagreed and decided to form their own state in order to stay in the Union.
The New River is known for its scenic canyons and rapids. The New River Gorge National River – a part of the US National Parks System is located near Anstead, West Virginia. The park was established in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter and is home to a vast array of animal and plant life, as well as beautiful hiking trails and small settlements.
Crossing the New River in nearby Fayetteville is the New River Gorge Bridge. This bridge is considered by many to be a work of art, and is the longest steel span bridge in the western hemisphere, and the 3rd highest in the United States. The bridge is over 3000 feet long with the road standing 876 feet above the river.
It’s height over the river makes it a popular destination for a particular type of thrill seeker. The bungee jumper. Bungee jumping is, essentially, tying a large rubber band to your legs and then jumping off something high. The rubber slows you down before you go splat on the ground (hopefully) and causes you to spring back toward the bridge. Kids, don’t try this at home.
And of course, the video: