Gribblenation

After Valley Forge, Maggie and I were joined by Doug Kerr, Steve Alpert, Jeff Kitsko, Charles Slater, and Adam Moss for the Reading Phillies vs. the New Britain Rock Cats at First Energy Stadium in Reading.  Simply put, it was the best in game fan experience I have had at a baseball game. For the entire set on flickr, more game action photos and plenty from inside the park, go here . First Energy Ballpark truly does have a carnival atmosphere - from the multitude of zany mascots... ...to the Midway concessions behind the right field line bleachers... ...there's always something fun going on and to do at First Energy. First Energy Stadium was opened in 1951 as Reading Municipal-Memorial Stadium, and with the exception of two seasons (1962 and 1966), minor league baseball has been played at the ballpark.  The Phillies have had their AA in Reading since 1967. For the game, we sat in the left field bleachers, and you really can't complain about the view. I ...

20 years ago today, on June 29, 1989, Interstate 40 was officially completed within the state of North Carolina.  A 122 mile extension of I-40 from Raleigh to Wilmington that took nearly 20 years to put together at a cost of $417 million was finally completed. The Wilmington Star-News has a great article marking the 20th anniversary and some of the political battles fought for completion of the road.

While the rest of the SEPA Road Meet went on a tour of various construction projects in the area, Maggie and I did a quick tour of Valley Forge National Historic Park. We didn't catch the entire auto drive tour - we had to head out to Reading in time for a ballgame - but what we did see we thoroughly enjoyed. For the entire photo set, head over to flickr . June 19th was the 232nd anniversary of the decampment of Continental Army troops from Valley Forge.  As a result, numerous Revolutionary War re-enactors were on the park grounds for the day.  Because the lunch part of the meet took longer than expected, we didn't get to see many of the re-enactors; however, the one that we did run into at the encampment stop was kind enough to put on a demonstration and talk to us for a good 15 minutes or so. The next stop, and one of the most impressive sites at Valley Forge, is the National Memorial Arch. The towering triumphant arch that honors George Washington and the Army h...

We only had the morning to spend in Philadelphia proper - so Maggie and I took in Independence National Historic Park.  For the complete photo set head over to flickr . Independence National Historic Park is the birthplace of our great nation.  It was here that the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation and the US Constitution was crafted and signed. Independence National Historic Park consists of 45 acres of history at every corner.  From Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell Center, and numerous other historical buildings, statues, and park squares.   There are a number of things to know before you head into the park.  First, the ground around Independence Hall is a secured area.  You will need to go through security to see Independece and Congress Halls.  Another tip, you must have a ticket to tour the interior of Independence Hall.  The tickets are free, but there are a few things you can do to maximize your time. Firs...

2010 Summer SEPA Road Meet Group Photo - 1 Originally uploaded by Adam's Journey Last Saturday, June 19, 2010, Jeff Kitsko held the 2010 Summer Southeastern PA Road Enthusiasts Meet. The meet was held at the SlyFox Brewery in Pheonixville, PA. Jeff then lead a tour of the northern and western suburbs of Philadelphia and some of the road projects going on there. Maggie (who took the photo) and I only attended the lunch. so hopefully Doug or other folks from the blog (ahem ahem) will post the meet tour photos soon!

The Triangle Business Journal reports that NCDOT will let for bid in February 2011 the four mile US 401 Roleseville Bypass project.  The bid is expected to come in at about $35.6 million and take about two years to complete.  This project is the second major US 401 project in Northern Wake County that will take place in the early part of this decade.  Currently, a project to widen over two miles of US 401 to four lanes is taking place north of Ligon Mill Road.  That project, funded with dollars from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, should be completed in late 2011.

Recently I posted to SERoads about an NCDOT press release regarding the replacement of interstate exit signs in Mecklenburg County. According to the press release "New signs with reflective sheeting will be installed, improving reflectivity and removing the need for lighting on the sign structure. The completion date is September 3." New signs will be installed in the following locations: I-77, Exits 1-23 I-85, Exits 27-42 I-485, Exits 1 and 32-67 I-277, Exits 1 and 2 Well, as it turns out, NCDOT has been for the last week installing similar signs (currently only on overhead structures) on the Durham Freeway, mostly southbound. I decided it was easier to show examples of the new signs by driving around Durham instead of traveling to Charlotte: Here's a couple of the new signs at Exit 16A for US 15/501 North: A closer look at the next sign for Hillandale Road reveals the light fixtures formerly at the bottom of the sign have been removed: Sign changes have...

I took a trip on Sunday the 13th to document the latest progress on building the I-74/US 311 freeway from High Point to US 220 (and to test, as it turned out, my air conditioning with temperatures close to 95). I first, however, wanted to document the new sign that went up on US 311 South Exit 65 to replace the sign taken down by the tornado earlier this spring. Here it is: As you can see the sign just reads N(orth) Main Street. I think this is a quick fix temporary sign because all the others refer to High Point as well. Thus I expect it to be updated when the signs along this stretch are updated to indicate it's part of I-74. According to the plans, the sign on the left will read East I-74/South US 311, Asheboro and have two arrows pointed down to the through lanes. I-74/US 311 Freeway Progress To get new people oriented, here's a map of the first phase of the project: I. Business 85 to Spencer Road Section: As for progress on the freeway, since the first phase of the project...