It's been 25 years since three smart-ass kids, still in college or just out of college, decided to put together a website called Gribblenation. It was a loose collection of my own, Doug's, and Brian's websites and interests. Now, 25 years later, we're still around.
Over the years, our site has evolved. Some ideas stuck, while others fizzled, and some never took off. Life, kids, work, grad school, and everything else ended some things but opened many other doors that I don't think any of us thought were possible 25 years ago.
It amazes me how many have been around to watch us (somewhat) grow up, grow up with us, or even now, discover us. It is certainly not the most organized or sharpest-looking site, but we have a lot of fun doing it.
When we resurrected the name Gribblenation in 2019, it marked a new direction for us. The idea of "every road tells a story" remains our key focus. It is very easy to describe the "What, When, and Where," but we try to go into the "How" and the "Why." I believe this focus has improved the quality of the features and articles on our site over the last several years.
It also allows us to go beyond just roads. And whether those projects are within the site or have spun off, they have also allowed me, with Carolina Crossroads, Doug with Quintessential Pennsylvania, or Tom, who has presented to a handful of California Historical Groups the last few years, opportunities to bring more than just signs or new construction into the hobby.
Speaking for myself, what keeps me active is that there is always something new or hidden for discovery. I have never and will never subscribe to the idea that all the good items and materials have been found, discussed, or otherwise. And even if it is 'new to us,' it's still worth sharing. And I think that's what has kept Gribblenation going all these years - Doug, Tom, Brian, Dan, myself, and all the others who have been part of the site now and in the past 25 years, enjoy sharing our research, discoveries, and adventures with you all. Whether you are a roadgeek, fond of our travel stories, or have a local interest in what we write about, I hope you have enjoyed our work and will continue reading.
I could go through a whole list of thank yous to my wife (Maggie) and kids (Colton and Nash) for being patient and supportive, to Doug, Jeff Kitsko, Steve Alpert, Billy Riddle, and Adam Froehlig (when he can answer the phone) for putting up with my phone calls to talk about ideas or just checking in. But the biggest thank you goes to you, the readers and followers, for the kind words, suggestions, corrections, shares, and interest.
So, what's next? Who knows. Myself, I'll be 73 in January 2051. I still plan on being here, writing and sharing whatever I find.
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