Crossing the great waters

All you current and former residents of Hampton Roads know that the whole area is lousy with bridges, tunnels, and bridge-tunnels. It's difficult, in fact, to go anywhere to, from, or within Hampton Roads without going over and/or under the water. (Many of the bridges add an extra fillip to the experience by randomly stopping traffic for a drawbridge lift. But that's another post.)

While I've travelled both the HRBT (Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel) and the MMMBT (Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel) numerous times in both directions in the five years I've lived here, until my recent vacation I had never been to the Eastern Shore, which entails a jaunt across the CBBT (Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel). Considering that the 20-mile-long bridge-tunnel -- two tunnel segments approximately one mile long each, plus 18 miles of bridge -- carries a $12 one-way toll (with an additional $5 toll for a return within 24 hours), I don't suppose I'll be making a habit of it, but it is a gorgeous drive.

It's also the only bridge I've ever crossed that has its own restaurant/gift shop/scenic lookout. OK, it's on one of the man-made islands, where the first tunnel segment starts northbound, but still -- when some Interstates have 100-mile stretches with nary a rest area in sight, I found it rather startling to encounter a restaurant and gift shop while traversing a 20-mile toll bridge. Unfortunately, I had such a long drive ahead of me that I didn't feel I could take the time to stop and check out the view. Maybe someday I'll take a day trip to the Eastern Shore, take my time at the scenic turnouts, and get some of the photos that I regretted not being able to shoot this time.

Six days later, at a Chinese restaurant in Groton, New York, I pulled this out of my fortune cookie:

You will soon be crossing the great waters.

Now, maybe it was just predicting my next-day return to Hampton Roads via the MMMBT. But I prefer to think it was just running a bit behind, and actually meant my earlier crossing of the great waters of the Chesapeake Bay.