Our next stop was accidental in nature. On our way back to the island from nearby Brunswick, Georgia, we couldn't help but notice how beautiful the sky was this evening. I pulled into Sidney Lanier Park that sits on the northern side of the Lanier Bridge to take a few pics.

The Sidney Lanier Bridge carries US Route 17 and Georgia Route 25 across the Brunswick River in a north-south direction just south of the city.

The current bridge that opened in 2003 replaced the original Sidney Lanier Bridge from 1956. That bridge was a vertical-lift design, meaning a section in the center of the bridge could be lifted vertically to allow ships to pass. That system worked well until two accidents sealed the bridge's fate. An approaching ship that "failed to keep her required position" back in 1972 caused parts of the old bridge to collapse resulting in several deaths. Another accident occurred in 1987.

After the new bridge opened in 2003, part of the original bridge was retained and today serves as a fishing and observation platform. The remains of the old bridge are visible in the photo above.

The current Sidney Lanier Bridge is a Cable-Stayed design where deck support cables are anchored to a series of towers across the span.

Zooming in on one of the support towers.

This is an actual public park complete with walking trails and picnic areas

Picnic areas under the Sidney Lanier Bridge.

I drove in closer to take pictures not only of the bridge, but also of the wonderful colors in the sky.

The Cable-Stayed design of the bridge is visible in the photo above.

We got to enjoy a beautiful sunset on this evening !

Zooming in on the old bridge which is now a fishing and viewing platform.

Great colors as seen from Sidney Lanier Park in Brunswick, Georgia.

With daylight fading, it was time for us to head back to the island.