Gribblenation

  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...

 Did you know that Troy, New York was once home to a major league baseball team? Indeed this was the case for a few years back in the 19th Century. The home of Uncle Sam and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was the home of a professional baseball club in the National League between 1879 and 1882. The team got its start around 1861 as the Unions of Lansingburgh, who were also known as the Troy Haymakers. The name Haymakers came about in 1867 after a victory over the New York Mutuals, with the newspapers donning the team the Haymakers because they couldn't believe that a team from Upstate New York could beat a New York City team. In 1879, the team from Troy was invited to join the National League and Troy fielded a team call the Cities. Over the four years that Troy had a team, they fielded five future Baseball Hall of Famers. They were Dan Brouthers, Tim Keefe, Roger Conner, Buck Ewing, and Mickey Welch. After some years of poor attendance and a desire by the National...

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.   This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page 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...

Perhaps the best scenic overlook of Interstate 86 in the Southern Tier of New York State is at a place that you may have never heard of before. Mossy Bank Park sits on top of a perch just south of downtown Bath, New York and the Cohocton River, just south of I-86. It offers a scenic panoramic vista of the Village of Bath, nearby I-86 and the Cohocton River Valley, which can be easily reached by both nature trail and automobile. The views of foliage from the top of the overlook are spectacular, especially in autumn, but they are also nice in summer as well. There is a small pavilion at the top, flanked by an American flag that can be seen from nearby I-86. Mossy Bank Park has more than a scenic vista that can't be beat. There is also a playground, picnic area, a fitness trail and a nature center as well, making it a nice spot to bring the entire family. The best way to get to Mossy Bank Park is to take Cameron Street (Steuben County Route 10) south out of Bath, climb...

  Spanning over the Ossipee River on the border between Porter in Oxford County, Maine and Parsonsfield in York County, Maine is the 152 foot long Porter-Parsonsfield Covered Bridge. The Porter-Parsonsfield Bridge is built in a Paddleford truss design, which is commonly found among covered bridges in the New England states. The covered bridge is the third bridge located at this site, with the first two bridges built in 1800 and 1808. However, there seems to be some dispute for when the covered bridge was built. There is a plaque on the bridge that states that the bridge may have been built in 1876, but in my research, I have found that this bridge may have been built in 1859 instead. That may check out since a number of covered bridges in northern New England were built or replaced around 1859 after a really icy winter. The year that the Porter-Parsonsfield Covered Bridge was built was not the only controversy surrounding its construction. There was a dispute over building and main...

  Within the friendly confines of the Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs , there is quite a bit to see and do. Among the Roosevelt Baths , the spas, the geysers, the walking trails and even the Saratoga Performing Arts Center , just to name a few places, there are a few museums to be found in well. One of those museums, located in the historic Saratoga Bottling Plant , is the Saratoga Automobile Museum . So one foggy day while I was in Saratoga Springs over the holidays to buy some locally famous Peppermint Pigs as Christmas gifts for family and friends, I decided to swing by the Saratoga Automobile Museum and see its collection of cars. Once inside and after I had paid my admission , I was greeting by a very knowledgeable staff member who gave me a tour around the museum, giving me plenty of details about the museum and the main attraction of the museum itself, which is the collection of unique automobiles that make up the museum. After he explained the histor...