Gribblenation

The United States and the metric system are like oil and water; they don't mix.  But that hasn't stopped us from trying. Beginning in the 1970s and continuing into the 1990s, the United States would occasionally attempt to sign highways in metric units at different times. Chapter 1: The 1970s America's first modern foray into metric signs quietly occurred in 1971 in Huntsville, Alabama.  268 metric speed limit signs were placed throughout the city, courtesy of the metrication committee at Marshall Space Flight Center. (1) Between 1971 and the passage of the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, a few states took the lead in marking highways in metric.  In 1973, Ohio became the first state to place metric signs along Interstate highways.  Starting with four signs in February, Ohio had at least 60 metric signs up along Interstate highways by the end of the year, including a 30-mile stretch of Interstate 75 between Dayton and Cincinnati. (2)   In 1973, Ohio was ...

Open-spandrel concrete arch bridges are beautiful sights that date back to an earlier era of bridge building.  A commonly-used bridge-building style during the early 20th century, many of these bridges are nearly a century old and are gradually disappearing. The many open-spandrel arches of the Etowah Memorial Bridge. However, in Gadsden, Alabama - a nearly 100-year-old bridge of this grand style is a stoic piece of the city's fabric.  Opened in 1927, this 1,094-foot-long bridge spans the Coosa River as a tribute to Etowah County citizens that served in the First World War. The Coosa Riverwalk leads you directly to the Etowah Memorial Bridge. Construction of the bridge began in 1925 - the same year East Gadsden was annexed as part of the city.  The new bridge cost $400,000 to construct - and carries Broad Street over the river. The Riverwalk allows you to get up close and personal with the bridge. The Etowah Memorial Bridge is a focal point of Gadsden's new Riverwalk at C...

Legend says that a young Cherokee princess named Noccolula, on her wedding day, wishing not to marry the man her father arranged for her, leaped to her death at the site of a great waterfall. Noccolula Falls, a 90-foot cascade into the Black Creek Gorge near Gadsden, is one of Northeastern Alabama's most popular spots for hiking and camping.  Located at the western end of Lookout Mountain, the falls are surrounded by a city park, campground, and a popular wedding chapel. Noccolula translates to the "place where water thunders." The falls, whose water flow can vary by season, are an impressive sight with many great vantage points. The land surrounding the falls changed hands several times in the 19th century.  A former Gadsden mayor, Rueben A. Mitchell, purchased the land surrounding the falls in 1909.  He intended to sell the land to the city for a future park.  The City of Gadsden purchased the land in 1950 and began efforts to convert it into a city park. The statu...

Back in early 2016 I was slated to make a move back to the West Coast from the Orlando Area.  My move fell during the early months of 2016 which meant a winter drive across the country.  Back in early 2013 I had taken mostly I-10 from Phoenix when I moved to Florida which meant I largely sought to avoid the corridor.  In total I had eight days to drive approximately 2,800 miles across; Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and much of Southern California. My route on the first day started out northbound on Florida State Road 436/Semoran Boulevard at Orlando International Airport. I jumped on the FL 408 Toll Road westbound towards downtown Orlando. I followed FL 408 to it's western terminus and took Florida's Turnpike Northbound. I took Florida's Turnpike past Clermont to FL 19 southbound since I was out during the evening rush hour.  I typically found that FL 50 moves extremely slow through Clermont during...

Robert Byrd is still alive and kicking as he and five other U.S. Senators are crafting legislation to continue funding for the Appalachian Development Highway System ( ADHS ) for another five years. Currently, the ADHS program is set to expire on September 30 th . Co-Sponsors of the legislation include - Sens. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.; Jim Webb, D-Va.; Bob Casey, D-Pa.; Mark Warner, D-Va.; and Richard Shelby, R-Ala. The bill, if approved, will allow federal funding for the completion of the ADHS which began in 1965. Currently, 2,672 miles or 86.5 percent of the 3,090 mile system has been completed or is currently under construction. A significant amount of the unfinished system is Corridor H - an east-west corridor through Central West Virginia from I-79 in Weston to I-81 south of Winchester, VA. Earlier this year, President Obama's fiscal budget cut funding for Corridor H - an outcome Byrd vowed to fight. Though it is not said how much money would be allocated in the bill to ...