# 4438//4650 - 2010-12 Priority and Express Mail, set of 5 stamps

Own 5 high-value stamps issued for use on Priority and Express Mail. Special collector's set includes:

 

The Mackinac Bridge towers 200 feet above the windswept waters of Lakes Huron and Michigan.  “Mighty Mac” extends 5 miles across the Straits of Mackinac to link Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas.

 

Before the bridge opened in 1957, travelers waited in long lines to cross the channel by ferry or drove all the way around Lake Michigan and through Wisconsin to get to the other side.  The Mackinac Bridge shortened the trip to a ten-minute drive.

 

Using Art Deco style, the sweeping arch and slender columns of Bixby Creek Bridge make it appear part of the natural landscape.  Rather than cut through the countryside, Bixby was purposely designed to preserve and complement it.  The two large pillars are set wide apart, allowing Bixby Creek to run its natural course.  The columns are also set directly into the canyon wall, reducing the amount of excavation needed.

 

Bixby Creek Bridge is one of the most recognizable landmarks in California.  Spanning Rainbow Canyon, the bridge combines art, conservation, and function.

 

Built to spur economic growth in West Virginia’s isolated Appalachian Mountains, the New River Gorge Bridge has become the region’s star attraction. Thousands of people flock to the area each year, drawn by the spectacular steel-arch bridge and the recreational activities that have grown around it.

 

The New River Gorge Bridge was the longest and highest steel-arch bridge when it opened in 1977, shortening the 45-minute trip to under a minute. Over 16,000 vehicles travel across the bridge daily. The area has become a popular destination for outdoor adventurers, with “Bridge Day” the highlight of the year. On that day, the bridge is temporarily closed to traffic. Thousands of spectators converge to witness thrillseekers jump from its deck and parachute 876 feet down into the canyon.

 

Opening in 1954, the first Sunshine Skyway Bridge reduced travel time across the bay and opened a route to southern Florida. Governor Bob Graham had seen a bridge in France with a unique design. When the new bridge was built over Tampa Bay, the same cable-stayed construction was used. Steel cables anchored to two towers support the center section of the bridge. 

 

As each day ends, tourists and local residents gather on the piers to witness one of the colorful sunsets that light up the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

 

Father Junípero Serra, a Franciscan priest, worked to convert the Indians of Upper California to Catholicism. On June 3, 1770, he led the first church service at Carmel Mission in Monterey. The next year, Father Serra relocated the mission near the Carmel River, where the soil was rich and the water abundant. 

 

As the mission grew, the Indian converts lived and worked on the farm, providing for the needs of its residents. At its height in 1794, Carmel Mission was home to 927 people.

 

The church fell into disrepair after the land was sold in the 1830s. Restoration began in the 1930s and continues today. Carmel Mission, a monument to the struggles and triumphs of the past, is now a National Historic Landmark.