Southern California Regional Rocks and Roads - History

From the Archives – 1964

Michael F Ballard — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 23:53:18 +0000

Barstow has grown quite a bit since this photo was taken. Shown here, the original Main Street exit, which was originally built as a freeway-freeway interchange meant for US 466 / State 58 and connected Main Street (Former US 66 and US 91) to the then-new freeway. The Main Street interchange was redone in 1998 ...

Old US 60 in eastern Moreno Valley

Michael F Ballard — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:15:43 +0000

A short section of original US 60 can be found east of the intersection of Allesandro Blvd and Gilman Springs Road in the eastern Moreno Valley. This section of US 60 was bypassed by the current alignment, now State Route 60, in 1936. Gilman Springs Road, at that time, became State Route 79, which was ...

New Video – Ridge Route Basics

Michael F Ballard — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:42:26 +0000

The Historic Highway 99 Association of California, in conjunction with the Ridge Route Preservation Organization, has produced a video on the basics of the Ridge Route and some of the features that make the road unique. Learn about the curbs, rails, footprints of all types, tire tracks, and more that can be found on the ...

New Video – Castaic Creek Bridge

Michael F Ballard — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:40:05 +0000

The Historic Highway 99 Association of California has posted a new video on the history of the Castaic Creek bridge near Santa Clarita, CA. Come check it out!

New Video – Garvey Ave in Alhambra

Michael F Ballard — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 00:44:05 +0000

Join the Historic Highway 99 Association of California and explore a section of Garvey Avenue, which was part of the first “freeway” in California.

Interesting discovery at Six Flags Magic Mountain

Michael F Ballard — Sun, 10 Aug 2025 00:27:01 +0000

On Friday, August 8, 2025, I was a part of a behind-the-scenes tour at Magic Mountain. Part of the tour included walking part of the infield for Twisted Colossus and Goliath. Two things we saw really stuck out to me. The first was seeing an old section of original Colossus trackway beneath the lift hill. ...

New Museum in San Diego

Michael F Ballard — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 19:15:25 +0000

The Transportation Museum of San Diego and Imperial Counties now has a website! They will have rotating online exhibits in the near future and a physical museum space in Old Town at the Caltrans District 11 headquarters campus. They are looking for volunteers to help with all manners of tasks at this time. Come check ...

Channel Change in Piru Gorge

Michael F Ballard — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 19:03:18 +0000

The Historic Highway 99 Association of California has produced a video on the Channel Change in Piru Gorge on the Ridge Route Alternate where opening ceremonies were held 95 years ago. Come check it out!

Movie Locations

Michael F Ballard — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 01:01:16 +0000

Ever wondered where a movie was filmed? Does the location seem familiar to you? The greater Los Angeles area is home to numerous movie studios and, as such, is also a “stand-in” for so many locations. In my searches for locations, I’ve come across a few really good sites that have either identified the locations ...

Los Angeles Street Names

Michael F Ballard — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 00:31:44 +0000

A reader informed me about a really interesting website on the origins of street names in the Los Angeles area. You can find it at – https://lastreetnames.com/ .