Archive for June, 2010

5 Must-Do Activities For Bridge Day

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Okay, when you come to Bridge Day in West Virginia, there are certain things that you absolutely have to do.

One of those is NOT “jump off the bridge”.  Just sayin’.  You have to be qualified to jump, first of all, and the vast majority of folks that come for bridge day are spectators (myself included).

ceviche & tropical fruit shorbread from Rezan's at the Taste Of Bridge Day

Ceviche & tropical fruit shorbread from Rezan's at the Taste Of Bridge Day

So we can go ahead and rule that out.  Also, you don’t have to rappel off the bridge.  Same thing goes here- you have to be qualified to do it, which rules most of us out.

But that’s only two things.  To use a scientific measurement, there are literally a whole bunch of other things to do.

Here are the 5 that I’m thinking are the full-on, don’t-miss, must-do, call-your-mom-about, been-there-got-the-T-shirt Bridge Day activities to put on your list:

-Taste Of Bridge Day Okay, you know there’s going to be some food at any place that has an event called “Taste-Of-Whatever”.  But here’s the thing:  this food is awesome.  Remember your favorite meal ever in your life?  Put that memory on steroids and place it next to one of the most beautiful views in the world, and that’s pretty much what you’re looking at here.  Taste Of Bridge Day is the Friday night before the actual Bridge Day festivities, so make sure you come early.

-Watch The Flags Go Up You have to get to the event early if you’d like to see it, and you would.  Like to see it, that is.  Seeing Old Glory, the WV state flag, and the US Park Service flag (a new addition last year) ascend up the entire length of space between the ground and the bridge is one of the most inspiring, patriotic sights you’ll ever see.  Be at the landing zone for the best view.

-Enjoy The Show Get as many angles as you can.  On the bridge is cool.  At the landing zone next to the river is cooler.  There are also some other spots around the rim of the gorge, like Long Point.  Jumpers leap from the bridge all day long, and rappellers slide up and down seemingly endless ropes all day long, too.  It’s one of the world’s great photo ops, so make sure you have plenty of film in your camera.  Wait, what’s “film”?

-Check Out The Vendors There’s only one place in the world where you can see a guy carve a wood duck with a chainsaw, buy a homemade quilt with a BASE jumper on it, and sign up for skydiving lessons within 100 yards of each other.  The sides of the bridge are covered with vendors from around the world, if you count the US as the world, and a walk through is definitely on the to-do list.  Also, you must eat a funnel cake (Fried oreos or elephant ears are also acceptable [barely]).

-Go To The Chili Cookoff When the jumping ends, the cookoff begins.  Right on the steps of the historic courthouse in downtown Fayetteville, you’ll find the best chili this side of wherever was formerly known for having the best chili.  Brought to you by the businesses and restaurants of the New River Gorge and the Fayetteville CVB, the chili cookoff is a great way to get to know our little (awesome) town.  Also, there’s cornbread.  And craft beer.

Okay, y’all.  Let me have it:  What did I miss?

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Posted in Bridge Day Events | 5 Comments »

5 Reasons Why Subaru Rocks

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Hey, guess what?

Subaru is the flagship sponsor for Bridge Day West Virginia 2010.

Don't try this at home.

Don't try this at home.

Right.  Subaru.  The folks that did this.  And built this.

How cool is that?  Wait, wait… I know the answer…  VERY cool.  Sorry, but Subys flat out rock.  They run forever, go anywhere, look cool, and did I mention they run forever (almost)?

It’s really a perfect fit for Bridge Day, too.  They’re not hugely popular in New York and L.A., but hey, neither are we.  That’s okay; people in the mountains know what works (I’m kind of a fan, if you haven’t guessed).

Here’s a list of 5 reasons why Subaru rocks:

1. Attitude Or really, I should say non-attitude; they’re the opposite of showing off.  Pretty good on the fuel consumption, but more than that, it’s a feeling of independence.  That’s it: Subaru drivers are independent.

2. Looks They’re cool looking, but, again, not showy.  Lots of room for kids, dogs, parachutes, rope, bikes, skis, snowboards, skateboards, inflatable pool toys, apples, and kayaks.

3. Green-i-ness Every Subaru made comes for a factory that produces ZERO landfill waste.  And the Suby plant in Indiana was named… wait for it… a wildlife habitat.  Clearly, they’re on to something that resonates with their target market (read: you).

4. Performance Did you watch those video links?  These things can climb trees.  Nothing better for winter in the Appalachian high country than a dependable four wheel drives that’s all that under the hood.

5. Community Subaru sponsors all kinds of cool organizations, like the National Ski Patrol, the Professional Ski Instructors of America, and the International Mountain Biking Association Trail Care Crew.  And, y’know, us.

Hey, looks like Bridge Day is in pretty good company.  Make sure you stop by the Subaru booth to say hi.  They’re going to have a ton of swag to give out, and some great discounts on new cars (c’mon, you know you want one).

So what about you?  Love your Subaru?  Let us know in the comments.

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Posted in Bridge Day Events | 2 Comments »

The Bridge Day West Virginia Blog Is Jumping

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Get it?  It’s a pun with the word “jumping”, because we… okay, never mind.  Sorry.

We’re getting the blog back together!  It’s long overdue, and there’s a lot to write about.  I’m not sure where we’ll put everything, but if I’ve learned anything from Bridge Day, it’s this:

Aw Yeah!

Aw Yeah!

Sometimes, you just gotta jump.

So here’s what you can expect to see on the blog…

  • Stories about funnel cake.
  • A lot of posts about why people BASE jump.
  • The view from the rope:  all about rappellers and the people that love them.
  • Da Bridge.  History, facts, stats, pics, and whatever else I can find.
  • How to make funnel cake.
  • Whitewater stuff and rock climbing stuff and mountain biking stuff.  Basically, the other events here in the gorge.
  • Lots of posts about the people that come to Bridge Day (that’s YOU!)
  • Directions, logistics, and seriously helpful info about the Bridge Day event.
  • Zen and the art of funnel cake.
  • West Virginia Vacation ideas, and believe me, there’s nooooooo shortage of stuff there.
  • Places in the park and exploring the New River Gorge National River Areas
  • Something about riding motorcycles around in the mountains of West Virginia.
  • Guest blog posts from around the world of Bridge Day.
  • Two words:  Funnel.  Cake.

So, in advance, thanks for stopping by.  You absolutely rock for coming to this blog, because, hey, that’s just how we roll.  It ought to be a really good time, so make sure you tell your friends.  Or not (completely understand if you just need to keep your Bridge Day addiction to yourself- baby steps).

So that’s where I’m coming from.  How about you?  This is your bridge day blog, so what would you like to see here?  Write a comment, and I guarantee you won’t be ignored :-)

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