Gribblenation

I've always considered the old gribblenation website and the roadgeeking hobby as a whole as an evolving research paper.  Of course now this blog takes the place of the old website.  The premise is that every road has a story - some are more interesting than others - and it's our job to find it out.  One of the bigger mysteries for me was the stub end of the US 40 Expressway just outside of Brownsville, Pennsylvania that sat there for nearly four decades. Well last week, I had a blog comment with new information about where that never built highway was to go and what happened to it. "According to the 25 Mar 1975 The Evening Standard (Uniontown PA): Proposed construction of a four-lane roadway (Route 40) from the Grindstone Rd. to Uniontown has been held up due to an Environmental Impact Statement and changes necessitated by the Brier Hill "new town" project falling through. A public hearing should be held ...

Every now and then, we receive an e-mail asking a question on a particular topic.  Today, I received an e-mail asking about US 40 in Pennsylvania.  The writer from Ohio asked: As a child back around 1950, my family traveled Rt  40 every year.  I remembered on top of one mt. was a typical Restaurant and gas station, but where you parked across the road up on a stone wall was a cage with a black bear, that I though stood 18 ft tall.  I never got this out of my mind until later I realized black bears are not that big.  I wondered if you had heard of this - and if you might have a picture of it. The only place I can think of is the top of Summit Mountain (Mount Summit) just east of Uniontown - but I don't know.  If anyone has an idea, please let me know and I will let the gentleman know!

IMG_5042 , a photo by Adam's Journey on Flickr. Over on my flickr site, I got an inquiry as to what the sign at the bottom of this assembly in Sayre, OK is for. I'm guessing it is for some type of Scenic Route but have had no success in finding anything at this time. If you know what the bottom sign is for, please leave a comment! UPDATE: The lower shield is for the Cheyenne Heritage Trail . (h/t: rte66man ) Thanks!

Last week, I received this e-mail: I was 10 when we moved here in 1961 and I remember the exit ramps on the Turnpike were painted orange.  Can you confirm this is true and do you have any pictures?   Or was it my imagination???? I highly doubt they were....but maybe someone out there would know!

A reader sent me the photograph above trying to locate where in Pennsylvania it would have been taken.  The photo was on the William Penn Highway (today's US 22), along the Allegheny Mountains at an elevation of 2430 feet.  The question is, what is the name of the summit, it is "(blank)N RIDGE SUMMIT". I know of two major summits along the Alleghenies - Laurel Hill and Chestnut Ridge.  A look at the DeLorme Pennsylvania Atlas & Gazetteer doesn't show any ridges in the Alleghenies ending in 'N'.  So what ridge is it, and where along the William Penn Highway would this have been shot at. Also, is there a modern version of this same highway sign standing today?

A few weeks ago, a blog reader made the following comment on my post " Will Charlotte stop complaining about I-485 now? ": Adam, do you have any idea if the equity formula will be modified or dropped in the next few years? With rural areas losing clout in the state government to the more urbanized Piedmont, and the larger number of discontented voters voicing their concerns in the Piedmont, it seems likely to me that NCDOT and/or the General Assembly will want to alter this some way soon. That would be a shame for our rural areas of course, particularly in the east and west, but as an urbanite in the Triangle, I frankly think it needs to happen, as right now the major metropolitan areas just are not getting what they need if they want to continue to boom transportation-wise this century. Your thoughts? A great comment and question by the reader.  So here goes.  (Editors note: Brian or Bob if you want to write your own opinion to this comment - feel free.) : The first part...

This is a new feature to the blog. "People e-mail us." It's where we'll share e-mails good bad and inane that just have to be shared. I have to admit this post is a bit of a vent as the writer hit a number of my pet peeves. Last night, I received this e-mail: you are incorrect about the misspelling of holsopple. Charles was my grandfather's grand father and he spelled it the same way I do now. the 1970 census taker misspelled the of the town on the census that year. that is why the signs are spelled both ways. when a sign needs to be replaced they have to put the double L on it because the incorrect census spelling officially changed the name of holsopple. my dad was there to the holsopple centinal [sic] celabration [sic] in the 80's. that was what the city fathers told him (name removed) P.S. please check your facts Now the town in question is Holsopple/Hollsopple, PA which is featured on my PA Keystone Town Markers Page . There I write: HOLSO...