Gribblenation

The Diverging Diamond Interchange - started in France - imported to Missouri - and slowly appearing in North Carolina - is being proposed at one of the busiest interchanges in the Asheville area.  If built, the Interstate 26 interchange with NC 280 will be home of the seventh type interchange within the state . This interchange also serves Asheville Regional Airport and the area has seen significant growth over the last two decades.  Construction on the new DDI interchange should begin in the fall of 2013 at a cost of $6.4 million.  For more: DOT previews interchange design for N.C. 280 ---Hendersonville Lightning

(Editors Note: This is a first in a series documenting US 301 in North Carolina.  This first installment covers US 301 from the Virginia State Line southwards to Halifax.) When entering North Carolina from Virginia, US 301's past as a major north/south route greets you immediately. What was once Coker's Motor Court sits on both sides of the state line.  The old Stateline Junction Restaurant is closed but the gas station is still open and includes a convenience store where the state line is noted by a painted yellow line. The owners of the convenience store hope to restore a number of the old rooms and allow small local businesses and artists to have store fronts here.  They were kind enough to allow me to have an old linen postcard of Coker's to give an idea what the old motor court looked like in the 1940s and 50s. US 301 southwards to Weldon has a number of old abandoned groceries and gas stations - some with intricate detail that you don't see at the co...

Back in October 2006, I took a vacation daytrip along the Mohawk Trail .  It was one of my favorite autumn drives.  So on our return trip back from Maine on our way to Schenectady, we took MA 2 and the Mohawk Trail, did some return visits to many of the attractions on the way, but also saw a few new items or two. For the entire photo set from this trip, head over to flickr . The French King Bridge over the Connecticut River pretty much marks the Eastern Terminus of the Mohawk Trail.  East of here MA 2 begins to transition into a freeway connecting to Boston.  West of here the road takes on a more rural and scenic drive.  The bridge has spanned over the Connecticut River since 1932.  Our next stop was Shelburne Falls and the well known Bridge of Flowers . The Bridge of Flowers is a concrete arch bridge that originally served as a trolley bridge over the Deerfield River.  Opened in 1909, the bridge carried freight and passengers for ...

Perhaps my favorite spot in all of Maine is Pemaquid Point and the lighthouse there.  I first visited the lighthouse in the fall of 2003 and fell in love with surroundings.  The deepest blue water I had ever seen - a cloudless autumn sky - rocky cliffs that you could climb and the reflection of the lighthouse in tidal pools are some of the items I remember from here. I returned to Pemaquid Point early on a Sunday Morning.  The fog and overcast from the past two days finally behind us.  A cloudless sky again was the backdrop.  The deep blue water was just as vivid if not more.  The rocky cliffs were just as I recalled, and this time I got to explore more. A lighthouse has stood at Pemaquid Point since 1827, and the current light has watched over the rocky cliffs since 1835.  The lighthouse was also featured on the back of the Maine State Quarter - minted in 2003. This was Joe and Doug's first visit to Pemaquid Point and they certainly enjo...

Last Sunday Adam Prince, Chris Allen, and myself took an extended road trip taking in the Future I-73 Corridor from southern VA to Greensboro, Future I-74 SE of High Point and I-73/I-74 south of Randleman to Ellerbe. I will post some comments and photos from the I-74 and I-73/74 around Asheboro portions of our trip and will post the rest of the information on a revised, and revived, version of my I-73/I-74 pages to appear in the near future on Gribblenation.com. 1. I-74 Construction between Cedar Square Rd and US 220-- As most of you know, construction on the last piece of I-74 to be built along the 'US 311 Bypass' is set to be completed in October. Observations taken from the road trip suggest this may now be an optimistic date. Work has moved along at the northern section of the construction area. The roadbed is paved south from Cedar Square Rd to at least a mile south. This was the case when I visited the area last October. Things aren't as complete further s...