Gribblenation

  At a total of 23.5 miles in length, Maine State Route 182 (ME 182) is a scenic alternative and bypass from US Route 1 in parts of Downeast Maine. Also known as the Blackwoods Scenic Byway for 12.5 miles of the state highway's length, the route stretches from US 1 in the Wild Blueberry Capital of the World of Cherryfield, Maine, past hills and ponds on its way through Franklin and back to US 1 in Hancock, Maine. But as pleasant as this drive is, there is also a spooky side to ME 182 as well. ME 182 has traditionally served as a shortcut frequently used by locals and freight traffic traveling between Ellsworth and Machias. While taking ME 182 is a shorter distance than US 1, it is also designed as a slower road due to its limited width and sharp turns as it hugs the landscape. The Blackwoods Scenic Byway portion of ME 182 starts at the old Calais Branch Railroad line in Cherryfield and ends where the route crosses the old railroad again in Franklin. The name Blackwoods is an apt de...

California State Route 230 is an unconstructed State Highway largely in San Francisco which comprises the four miles of the once proposed Hunters Point Freeway corridor.  The Hunters Point Freeway was originally adopted by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors during December 1956.  The Hunters Point Freeway would have been the landing point for the fourth iteration of the proposed Southern Crossing of San Francisco Bay.  The Hunters Point Freeway was adopted into the State Highway System as part of Legislative Route Number 253 and Legislative Route Number 289 during 1959.  During 1964 the California Highway Commission adopted routing for the Hunters Point Freeway which had been renumbered to as California State Route 230 and California State Route 87.  Following the truncation of California State Route 87 during 1970 the entire Hunters Point Freeway corridor was transferred to California State Route 230.  The Hunters Point Freeway was ultimately cancelled...

A friend of the blog, Billy Riddle, had visited Costa Rica on vacation back in 2006. During his visit there, he had the opportunity to explore the highways and byways of the Central American country, snapping some photos from a tourist van as he went. Costa Rica's highways are known to have a solid reputation, with a mix of good paved roads and a highway system that can compare to parts of the United States, along with plenty of potholes, bridges that can fit one lane of traffic, and plenty of washouts during the rainy season. However, the country's roads and signs have their unique quirks as well, as the road standards in Costa Rica have a character of their own. The photos were hosted by Gribblenation on a previous incarnation of our site, and we are proud to be able to bring back this classic article. Photos were taken by Billy Riddle in 2006 with commentary added by Otto Yamamoto. We have decided to keep the photos and commentary as true to form as possible to the original ...