Gribblenation

  Built in 1925, the Wildcat Creek Covered Bridge crosses the Wildcat Creek just as it meets the larger Siuslaw River in Lane County, Oregon. The bridge is also known as the Austa Bridge, after the nearby community of Austa located near OR 126 between Mapleton and Walton. The bridge was located along the old Stagecoach Road, which was the original route from Eugene to Florence on the Oregon Coast. Stagecoach Road hugs the hills along the Siuslaw River until it drops down to the narrow plain at the town of Swisshome. During the 1930s, both the road and the covered bridge were bypassed by the Linslaw Tunnel and the Mapleton Bridge when modern OR 126 was built. As a result, the Wildcat Creek Covered Bridge has a quiet existence just off of OR 126, making it ripe for passive exploration. The Wildcat Creek Covered Bridge is 161 feet long, including approaches, with a main span of 75 feet. The bridge features a Howe single truss design, as the bridge does not have the wooden diagonal counter

California State Route 66 is a segmented former portion of US Route 66 located in the Inland Empire area of Southern California.  Presently California State Route 66 exists in two segments which are largely aligned on Foothill Boulevard.  The first segment of California State Route 66 exists on Foothill Boulevard between California State Route 210 near San Dimas east to the eastern city limit of Pomona.  The second segment California State Route 66 exists from the eastern city limit of Rialto via Foothill Boulevard and 5th Street to Interstate 215 in San Bernardino.  Despite the much of California State Route 66 being relinquished it does remain signed in places such as the photo above in Upland at the intersection of Foothill Boulevard Euclid Avenue.  The below map provided courtesy of cahighways.org depicts the current routing of California State Route 66 .   Part 1; the history of California State Route 66 The history of California State Route 66 (CA 66) begins during the 1964 Calif

Buc-ee's, the Texas-sized gas station and convenience store that started in Texas, has been expanding its territory.  New locations have sprung up in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.  Construction is underway, or plans are in place for even larger stations in Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Colorado . For nearly four decades, Buc-ee's was a Texas-only novelty.  The first location opened in Lake Jackson, Texas in 1982, and another four stores opened over the next decade.  In 2000, Buc-ee's began its Texas-sized growth by adding over 20 new stores - mainly around Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Austin/San Antonio areas.   Each store was built larger - with more gas pumps, amenities, and offerings.  The store became well-known for its clean bathrooms, fresh-cut brisket sandwiches, and wall of beef jerky.  Texans and visitors from all around would take road trips to visit new stores or get their Buc-ee's fix.   Buc-ee's has billboards advertising thei

San Gorgonio Pass is located in Riverside County, California in the divide between the San Bernardino Mountains and San Jacinto Mountains.  San Gorgonio Pass is home to several communities which were part of US Routes 99, 60 and 70.  This blog will explore the alignment history of US Routes 99-60-70 within the communities of Beaumont, Banning and Cabazon.  Pictured above as the blog cover is US Routes 99-60-70 facing west on Ramsey Street in downtown Banning during 1952.   This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Part 1; the history of US Routes 99-60-70 in San Gorgonio Pass Modernized transportation San Gorgonio Pass dates back to the days of the Bradshaw Trail which was a stage route originating in San Bernardino which crossed through the Sonoran Desert east to the Colorado River.  Durin