What) Whether you are driving north or south, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel showcases the mighty surge of the Atlantic Ocean, the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay and the soaring grace of an engineering marvel.  Both a tourist attraction and a travel convenience, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel connects Virginia's Eastern Shore with the Virginia mainland at Virginia Beach near Norfolk. Cost - $12 (1)

    Among the key features of the Bridge/Tunnel are two, one-mile (1.6 km) long tunnels beneath Thimble Shoals and Chesapeake navigation channels and two 75-foot (23 m) high-level bridges over two other navigation channels. The remaining portion comprises 12 miles (19 km) of low-level trestle, two miles (3 km) of causeway and four man-made islands. (2)

    Drivers are notoriously afraid of this bridge, as it’s subjected to frequent - and often violent - storms. And when the bad weather hits, forget about visibility.  Once you get to the middle of this five-mile-long bridge and you can barely see land. (3)

    Why) Back in 2006, I received an e-mail forward with pictures of a bridge/tunnel that supposedly linked Sweden and Denmark.  I was intrigued enough to do some research and I discovered that the bridge was actually located in Virginia and very near and very similar to the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel.  Once I discovered that, I knew that I would take this drive if I was ever in the area.