Gribblenation at 25

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.

Grand Loop Road of Yellowstone National Park

Grand Loop Road is a 140 mile loop highway which traverses the interior of Yellowstone National Park. Grand Loop Road connects all of the major attractions and geological features of Yellowstone National Park along with the entrance roads. Grand Loop Road is a seasonal highway and despite some conjecture never has been part of the US Route System. Part 1; the history of Grand Loop Road The majority of history pertaining to Grand Loop Road was taken from the below National Park Service article: Historic Roads - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Yellowstone was declared the first National Park of the United States on March 1st, 1872. The first real highway to access Yellowstone National Park came in 1873 when a tolled facility was constructed from Bozeman, Montana via Yankee Jim Canyon to Mammoth Hot Springs. Numerous attempts were made to fund construction of roadway infrastructure during the early years of Yellows...

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign. These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare. This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade. We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others? Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers. The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California. Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...

California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway

From 2017 through to early 2019 I drove the majority of the California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway from CA 89 southwest to CA 99. CA 70 is an approximately 178.5 mile state highway which starts at US 395 near the Nevada State Line and travels west through the Feather River Canyon to CA 99. CA 70 is often referred to as the Feather River Highway" given it's close association with the river. Historically CA 70 was previously signed as US 40A and CA 24. The Legislative Routes prior to the 1964 California Highway Renumbering that made up the current route of CA 70 are as follows: - Legislative Route Number 21 from US 395 westward to Oroville. - LRN 87 from Oroville south to Marysville. - LRN 232 from Marysville to the current junction with CA 99. CA 70 was even dual signed with CA 99 into Sacramento on what was LRN 232 for a time. The change from US 40A/LRN 21/LRN 87/LRN 232 can be seen by comparing the 1963 State Highway Ma...

Anonymous said…

A lot of your central CA stuff is right in my neck of the woods, and a lot more of it is on roads that I've taken my whole life to get other places in the state. I LOVE the historical content about roads because it's the kind of thing I've always wondered about. I love the focus on signage. Congratulations on 25 years!

11:54 PM

CaHwyGuy - Daniel the California Highway Guy said…

Congratulations on 25 years. Tom will be talking to you: We're thinking of doing a bonus podcast episode in the break between Seasons 4 and 5 to celebrate your anniversary.

11:50 AM