NAAC Covered Bridge Tour - Supporting Best Buddies info on Aug 6, 2022 (485286) | MotorsportReg.com

The Seventh Running of the Cover Bridge Tour will be starting at the White River Junction Amtrak Station with the proceeds going to Best Buddies for the seventh year.   Over the past six years, we have raise over $4,000 for Best Buddies.  

White River Junction (Actually Hartford VT) is a town that has been a crossing point for vital water, road and rail routes for more than two centuries.  Atop the depot's cupola, a weathervane features a small engine and tender streaming into the wind.  This is where we will learn about "Old 494", a coal-fired locomotive that was built by Manchester Locomotive Works in Manchester NH around 1892.  The event will finish in North Woodstock NH and along the way, we will visit Covered Bridges of the Connecticut valley and have other interesting historical information along the way.

A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking and siding, in which most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure.  The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather.  Uncovered wooden bridges typically have a lifespan of only 20 years because of the effects of rain and sun, but a covered bridge could last over 100 years.

Covered bridges represent a link with our past. They stand as monuments to builders who had the vision and the ability to design and construct engineering masterpieces of wood. Men such as Ithiel Town, Stephen Long, James Tasker, and more recently, Milton Graton have left a lasting impression on the landscape.

There are about 14,000 covered bridges that have been built in the United States, most in the years 1825 to 1875.  Today surviving bridges are number at fewer than 1000 by the United States Department of Transportation, and 814 by the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges as of 2009.

Remember too, each covered bridge is captured at a moment in time. These structures will change. Some will disappear, succumbing to the ravages of time and the carelessness of man. The outward appearance of some bridges will change in the future as they are rebuilt. Many bridges will appear to grow stronger as everything around them ages while others will appear ancient in their modern surroundings. Each bridge however, contains a character and an individuality all its own.

This years Covered Bridge Tour is to benefit NH Best Buddies (BB).  BB is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).  In 2021, we were able to raise $1500 in donations from this event for Best Buddies.  Over the past six years, we have raise over $4,000 for Best Buddies.

Starting location is 102 Railroad Row, White River Junction, VT.  Te tour is approx 110 miles long, which 24 miles are great Vermont dirt rohads.  (Sorry, not all covered bridges are on paved roads).  Lunch will be on your own, with the official Lunch stop at The Little Grille at the Mill in Bradford VT.  Other options are the Hungry Bear, Bliss Village Store, and Colatina Exit.

The finish will be in North Woodstock NH at Merland's tap's and table, where they have indoor and outdoor seating, and we can enjoy some refreshments and nourishment for the ride home.

Registration is thru MSR  at https://naaclub.motorsportreg.com/   and the entry fee is $40 per vehicle .  Sign-in will begin at 8:30AM and first car off at 9:00AM, with the tour ending approx. at 5:00PM in the afternoon.  Last, if it's a hot day, don't for get to bring your bathing suit, or flip-flops for some cooling off at the last CB stop of the day in the Ammonoosuc River.

Come enjoy the day.