Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge

Coast to coast riders Richard and Jeannette McGrath and their 5 horses are approaching the Mississippi River from the west, expecting to cross the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge in Cape Girardeau the week of April 3, 2011!

They have been on the trail for a year now, raising funds for Hearts Up Ranch, and would welcome fellow-adventure-seekers to join them on the bridge as they cross the mighty Mississippi!

The nature of travel by hoof requires some flexibility, but technology will fill in the gap! Find their current location and watch their progress toward the bridge on their website (www.HeartsUpRanch.com) and join the Hearts Up Ranch Facebook page to get the announcement of the exact date and time for their crossing of the Mississippi.

Jeannette and Richard’s inspiration to hit the trail was fueled by their passion to bring awareness to their work helping victims of emotional trauma at Hearts Up Ranch, along with Jeannette’s lifelong dream to cross America on horseback. Their goal is to raise 2 million on this ride to go towards the grand opening of the ranch.

Please share the excitement by telling your friends, inviting local media and/or coming out to the bridge to cheer them on!

I have driven over the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge a couple of times, and I must say that it is by far the most beautiful and well-constructed bridge that I have ever seen. I am excited about the Emerson Bridge because I just love big bridges, but even the most "bridge-frightened" person in the world would have no reason to be afraid of the Emerson Bridge. Seismically designed with 13 million pounds of reinforced steel, nearly 300 million pounds of concrete, piers sunk 8 feet into the bedrock at the bottom of the Mississippi River....that bridge will stay put for many years to come! If you haven't been across the Bill Emerson Bridge, please do yourself a favor and go. It's quite an exciting trip!