It’s the middle of July and the season for summer road trips has certainly arrived. There of course some obstacles to the perfect automobile expedition like gross bathrooms, highways rest stops, and way too many chips and candy serving as your lunch. Usually we’d add tolls to the list of annoying distractions out on the highway, but once in awhile there are a few that we really don’t mind paying.

Here’s our picks—in no particular order—for 10 Toll Bridges in the US where paying the fee is worth it:

· Golden Gate Bridge – San Francisco, California:
This is an obvious addition to the list and when you drive yourself from San Francisco over into Marin County—or the other way depending on where you’re headed—it’s easy to see why it’s so iconic. Traveling over the bridge will cost you $6 per car when you’re headed south into the city, so at least one of your crossings is on the house. If you need a closer look you can always pull off and head out on foot, as there is plenty of room for bicycles and pedestrians to cross the bridge as well. ]]> kjb 2011-07-19T09:45:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/12/13/9157/2661

So, do all the stories about Oprah's adventures in Australia make you want to book a trip Down Under yet? We're betting that answer is "nope," but obviously the Aussies are betting that it's "ohh yeahhh" instead. Thanks to Winfrey's galavanting around—from helicoptering out to see the Twelve Apostles in Victoria to hosting her show at Sydney's Opera House, she's really aiming to give those who watch her final season a good look at Australia's greatest sites.

Tour operators are gearing up to offer Oprah-centric packages in January, when the Aussie episodes air. Surely her most recent escapade (and world record) will be included: Oprah took 249 of her audience member trip buddies up onto the walk of the Sydney Harbour Bridge with her, creating a record and some photo ops in unflattering grey jumpsuits. It looks scary and thrilling, but it's kinda like a walk through Times Square—we don't know anyone who's ever been to the city who hasn't done it, whether they wanted to or not. ]]> JetSetCD 2010-12-13T09:39:25-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/7/8/203238/8197

One of the most sought-after tourist experiences in Sydney, and one that almost every visitor seems to do while in town, is climbing the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge with BridgeClimb. But it’s not just international travelers that come to admire the breathtaking views from the top of the “Coat Hanger’s” arch. Thirty-five percent of the over 2.5 million climbers who've scaled the structure since BridgeClimb began in 1998 have been Australians. Yeah, they seem pretty proud of it.

However, during a recent visit to Sydney, we were hesitant about booking a climb ourselves since the two traditional experiences—the classic Bridge Climb and the engineering fantasist’s Exploration Climb—last a whopping 3.5 hours. That’s a pretty daunting prospect for the small of bladder and the short of time. So imagine our excitement when we learned that the newest climbing experience at BridgeClimb, the Express Climb, takes only two hours. ]]> EricRosen 2010-07-09T10:44:43-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/3/19/111630/170

It's 70 degrees in New York City today, and before the flurries come again this weekend and next week, we hopped out with our WiFi card to work under the sun in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Sitting nearby the water taxi dock and the River Cafe, noshing on some chocolate-covered Peeps from the Jacques Torres chocolaterie down the street, we watched as busloads of international tourists emerged from their winter hibernation and explored Brooklyn—well, the yuppie neighborhood known as "DUMBO," or "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass."

It's like the birds returning from their migrations in the spring, when the tourists show up in their sunglasses. It's even more telling when said busloads are Italian, and they're looking up into the sun and sighing happily.

Next time you're in New York, you should make your own pilgrimage down to the Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn's DUMBO neighborhood (if you haven't already), and savor the city in the spring and summer, especially now that they're readying to open a new section of the park. Perhaps you'll even catch one of the free outdoor films they show in the park, and then you'll really thank us.

Related Stories:
· Dining in Downtown Brooklyn: It's Always 1977 at Junior's [Jaunted]
· Travel Snapshots [Jaunted]

[Photo: Jaunted] ]]> JetSetCD 2010-03-19T14:36:39-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/28/11241/230

Where you perhaps planning on driving over to Oakland from San Francisco to check out why we named Oakland as one of the Five Cities With A Bad Rap worth visiting? It's too bad you'll be cut off from the goodness for who knows how long, after steel cables snapped last night, hitting three cars on the roadway below and stopping up traffic for over two hours.

There were no injuries when the bridge cracked its metal whip, but repairs and general safety issues will keep the region's busiest bridge shut down at least through tonight. Granted, the pieces that snapped were themselves an emergency repair made over Labor Day weekend, but now we're generally worried about bridge fatigue; perhaps we should be putting pennies into boxes for "Save The Steel Bridges" instead of Ronald McDonald House?

Public transporation options, after the jump. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-10-28T08:49:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/16/7353/4989

If you need somewhere to take in the sights of autumn this weekend, then you should consider New York’s newest state park. After rotting away for decades above the Hudson River, the Poughkeepsie Bridge has been reborn. Thanks to the time and deep pockets of local businesses, investors, and dedicated volunteers, the old railroad bridge that connects Poughkeepsie with Highland reopened earlier this month to traffic. The bridge has been transformed into a 1.25-mile pedestrian bridge—that’s two and a half miles roundtrip for the mathematically challenged.

The Walkway Over The Hudson is now the longest pedestrian bridge in the world, and it is certainly something for the Hudson Valley to get excited about. The walkway is totally free and visitors are encouraged to check out the view as it crosses the water about 200 feet in the air. Bicyclists, walkers, runners, and even the eight people that still rollerblade are welcome to take a trip across the Hudson. No need to worry about things being too crowded, the bridge is over 30 feet wide as it crosses the river, so you’ll have plenty of room to set up for some photo opportunities. ]]> kjb 2009-10-16T08:43:38-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/21/23521/8217

Bravo TV has a new show out this season called Miami Social which follows thirty-something year olds living, working and partying in Miami Beach. The show is full of shallow people we wouldn't want to be friends with in real life and yet there's not one totally outrageous diva character that would keep us tuning in again. Not even the regular appearance of the Gansevoort South which serves as the group's de facto Peach Pit After Dark has us interested in the slightest.

Instead we find the Sex Offender Bridge in Miami far more fascinating. It turns out Miami-Dade County has a rule that bans all sex offenders from living within 2,500 feet of any school, playground, public park or even bus stops. Since there options are so restricted, sex offenders have been told by the state's corrections department to park their stuff under the Julia Tuttle Causeway, a bridge that connects downtown Miami to Miami Beach. ]]> juliana 2009-07-22T08:39:21-05:00 25.8102520 -80.135972 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/