US 99 – Edom to Calimesa – Part 2

Part 2 – Banning to Calimesa Banning and BeaumontRamsey St and 6th St Through the town of Banning, US 99 was first paved with a 16′ concrete slab in 1922, similar to sections east of town. Minor improvements were made a few years later in 1925. Beaumont would get theirs in 1923, albeit a with …

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US 99 – Edom to Calimesa – Part 1

Part 1 – Edom to Banning Varner Road and Garnet RoadThousand Palms to Garnet From Thousand Palms to Garnet, old US 99 ran along Varner Road and Garnet Road. This was the original alignment and lasted until the 1940’s when this section was upgraded to an expressway on a new alignment. In January 1922, construction …

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Featured Image – 1/1/2021

US 99 near Garnet, CA. First paved in 1922 with a 16′ slab and widened in 1926 to a full 20′. Asphalt was added in the past few years. Today, it is known as Varner Road and this concrete is exposed from Palm Dr to near I-10 / Mission Creek.

Featured Image – 12/20/2020

Postcard view of Mission Valley from around I-805 looking easterly

I acquired this postcard recently and wanted to share. It depicts Mission Valley in San Diego. While the exact date is unknown, it is likely from the early 1920’s. So much has changed in this view. It appears to be near I-805 at the south side of the valley and is looking east toward Mission Trails Regional Park. The stadium would be just outside the view to the left. The road along the bottom of the postcard roughly follows Camino Del Rio, which was the predecessor to US 80 / I-8 in the valley.

Saugus Cafe Needs Your Help!

The Saugus Cafe, which has been in business for 132 years, is in danger of closing. With the ongoing crisis, business has slowed and restrictions are in place making it tougher than ever. This restaurant is a part of the history of Santa Clarita and US 99. It is located at 25861 Railroad Avenue (formerly …

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