Signed County Route G17

Signed County Route G17 is a 45 mile County Route from California State Route 1 south to Signed County Route G16 in Monerey County. For the most part G17 follows the western bank of the Salinas River in the for the duration of its routing. The Signed County Route program was created in 1958 to sign major county highways with actual signage. The vast majority of Signed County Routes in California were created before 1970 and largely the system has add very few additions since. The letter designations indicate what part of California the particular highway is in; in the case of "G Routes" they are located in the Central Coast Communities Group. Signage and maintenance standards along Signed County Routes in California vary wildly by county. CAhighways.org has an excellent page on the history of Signed County Routes along with a directory.

CAhighways on Signed County Routes

In the case of Monterey County it generally signs County Routes fairly consistently but road maintenance generally is below par. However compared to San Benito County with its rough J1 alignment or almost non-existent County Route signage, Monterey County Routes are in far better shape than one might expect. In the case of G17, it wasn't one of the original Signed County Routes but was added in 1965.

Heading southbound on G17 the route starts at CA 1 in Marina on Reservation Road which straddles the founds of the former Fort Ord. There is no County Route signage in Marina for G17 but it is fairly easy to follow given the alignment is solely Reservation Road in the city.

Exiting Marina G17 crosses paths with Inter-Garrison Road which I believe was once a primary gate at Fort Ord.

Southeast past Inter-Garrison Road G17 drops off a small bluff and begins to follow the Salinas River. Davis Road is where the first G17 shield is encountered southbound but I didn't capture it. Davis Road was also signed as a detour route for California State Route 68.

G17 stays on Reservation Road south to CA 68 where it becomes River Road. As I discussed in the CA 68 blog Hilltown Road is where the previous state highway crossing of the Salinas River was located.

South of CA 68, G17 on River Road gradually drops to a rural two-lane highway and begins to follow the Santa Lucia Range. The pavement quality also drops from this point and there no reassurance shield to keep you River Road at Chualar River Road junction.

River Road ends at a 90 degree at Mission Road which is utilized by G17. G17 takes another quick 90 degree turn on Fort Romie Road and crosses the path of the Soledad Mission. The Soledad Mission was founded in 1791 but was flooded frequently in the 1800s by the Salinas River. The Mission was restored in the 1950s after it had fallen into ruin.

South of the Soledad Mission Fort Romie Road ends and G17 takes a turn on Arroyo Seco Road. Arroyo Seco Road bends away from the Salinas River and follows the Arroyo Seco River inward towards the Santa Lucia Range.

G17 gradually approaches the Arroyo Seco River where it meets G16 above the Elm Avenue/Arroyo Seco River Bridge. The Elm Avenue Bridge carries G16 over the Arroyo Seco River and is a single lane span that was constructed in 1943. G17 terminates at Elm Avenue and G16 assumes the Arroyo Seco Road alignment west into the Santa Lucia Range.

The Smithtown Bull in Smithtown, New York

Before I moved to Upstate New York as a young man, I grew up in the Long Island town of Smithtown during the 1980s and 1990s. The recognizable symbol of Smithtown is a bronze statue of a bull named Whisper, located at the junction of NY Route 25 and NY Route 25A near the bridge over the Nissequogue River. Why a bull, you may ask. The bull is a symbol of a legend related to the town's founding in 1665 by Richard "Bull" Smythe, with a modernized name of Richard Smith. It also so happens that there is a story behind the legend, one that involves ancient land right transfers and some modern day roads as well. So the story goes that Smythe made an agreement with a local Indian tribe where Smythe could keep whatever land he circled around in a day's time riding atop his trusty bull. Choosing the longest day of the year for his ride, he set out with his bull Whisper and went about riding around the borders of the Town of Smithtown. As legend has it, Smythe t

The Midway Palm and Pine of US Route 99

Along modern day California State Route 99 south of Avenue 11 just outside the City limits of Madera one can find the Midway Palm and Pine in the center median of the freeway. The Midway Palm and Pine denotes the halfway point between the Mexican Border and Oregon State Line on what was US Route 99. The Midway Palm is intended to represent Southern California whereas the Midway Pine is intended to represent Northern California. Pictured above the Midway Palm and Pine can be seen from the northbound lanes of the California State Route 99 Freeway. The history of the Midway Palm and Pine The true timeframe for when the Midway Palm and Pine (originally a Deadora Cedar Tree) were planted is unknown. In fact the origin of the Midway Palm and Pine was referenced in California's Gold Episode #608 during which Huell Howser examined numerous points claimed to be the Center of California. During Episode #608 Huell Howser interviews Caltrans employee Bob Thompson who emphasizes there wa

Erie Canal: Little Falls and Moss Island

Little Falls, New York is a small city in the Mohawk Valley that has been shaped by the forces of water throughout its history. Nowhere in Little Falls is that more evident than at Moss Island. Representing the Industrial Age, this is home of Lock 17 the tallest lock along the Erie Canal, but there is also evidence of the Ice Age in the form of 40 foot deep glacial potholes from when there was an ancient waterfall that was even larger than Niagara Falls at this spot, once draining Glacial Lake Iroquois when other outlets (such as the St. Lawrence River) were blocked by retreating glaciers. While Little Falls does not have the amount of industry around the river and canal than it once had, checking out what Moss Island has to offer is a great way to see what the city has to offer. Visiting Moss Island allows you to experience the engineering marvel that is the Erie Canal plus the wonders of nature by taking a hike around the island and seeing the glacial potholes. A

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