Gribblenation

Union Road is an approximately five-mile-long commuter highway which connects California State Routes 156 and 25 near the city of Hollister.  Union Road was first developed as part of an access road which connected San Juan Bautista with Bird Creek Road (now Cienega Road) near the San Benito River.  In the early 2000s the corridor of Union Road was extended east over the 1959-era San Benito River Bridge (formerly part of Cienega Road) to California State Route 25.  Modern Union Road has emerged as a major commuter route for traffic departing Hollister westward to the Monterey Peninsula.  The 1959-era San Benito River Bridge was recently replaced in 2025 with a modernized span designed to carry nearly 11,000 vehicles a day.   Part 1; the history of Union Road Union Road was initially developed as a connector from Cienega Valley to San Juan Bautista (in conjunction with Bird Creek Road).  The corridor in modern times now serves as a cutoff between Califo...

Bean Creek Road is an approximately 3.6-mile single lane rural highway located in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Santa Cruz County.  Bean Creek Road begins at Glenwood Drive and terminates to the south at Scotts Valley Drive (former California State Route 17) Bean Creek Road along with a small portion of Glenwood Drive and Mountain Charlie Road were all part of the McKiernan Toll Road.  The McKiernan Toll Road was commissioned by the Santa Cruz Turnpike Company in 1858.  This toll road would be constructed by Charles Henry "Mountain Charlie" McKiernan and Hiram Scott at a cost $6,000.  The McKiernan Toll Road originated at what is now the city of Scotts Valley and ascended to the Summit Road.  The toll facility was ultimately purchased by Santa Cruz County in 1878 for $600 and made a public highway. Part 1; the history of Bean Creek Road Both Mountain Charlie Road and nearby Bean Creek Road share a common origin as a singular stage route.  In 1858 the Santa Cr...