If you were to leave my house and drive north, you’d find yourself on a long flat bridge that’s low enough for you to see alligator eyes. They poke up out of the water like rocks, watch you for a few seconds, then submerge. Above the bridge is no less interesting. Its lamp posts tower above the road, so tall that osprey and bald eagles perch on them. If you pay attention, you might even see one dive off to catch a fish.

Crossing this bridge may sound fascinating, but once you’ve done it doze...