Continuing with the series of Northern California State Highways this week we look into the history of CA 253. CA 253 has a surprisingly old origin as the Anderson Valley Trail which opened in 1851. The Anderson Valley Trail became the Gsehwind Toll Road in 1868 and was converted primarily to a lumber road. The Gsehwind Toll Road was added to the Mendocino County inventory of roads in 1896 as Boonville-Ukiah Road which led to some improvements to better facilitate travel. In 1952 Boonville-Ukiah Road was upgraded with Federal Aid Secondary funds which modernized the highway. CA 253 was added to the State Highway System in 1963 but was originally was planned for a new alignment north of Boonville-Ukiah Road. The plans for a new alignment for CA 253 were dropped and Boonville-Ukiah Road was turned over to the State upon completion of improvement contracts in March 1966.
https://www.gribblenation.org/2020/08/california-state-route-253.html
Nice historical essay! I drove CA 253 for the first and only time about four years ago. Heading north after a tiring trip to the Bay Area, I stopped at Gowan's Oak Tree near Philo. 253 was a fun new way to go back in the direction of I-5 north. Gowan's Oak Tree has perhaps the best apple cider anywhere, and 253 was very pretty, almost no traffic, and lots of curves. Fun to drive.
I went back and updated the blog on the original post with an entirely new photo set I took in January. My wife and I doubled up CA 253 with almost all of CA 128 for a full day of back road driving.