In response to our story about PBS producer Rick Sebak filming at the Shoe House, good friend Jess asked what were the top 5 Lincoln Highway sites in PA mentioned by LHA director Mindy Crawford? Glad you asked!
1. Grandview Point, site of Ship Hotel, between Bedford and Ligonier
2. The Shoe House, York
3. Dunkle’s Gulf, Bedford
4. Lincoln Motor Court, Mann’s Choice
5. Poquessing Creek Bridge, near Langhorne
6. Dutch Haven, Lancaster
Yep, six! Mindy said couldn’t bear to leave out any of them.
If I had to cut one, it would be Grandview Point, even though I’m writing a book about it and the Ship Hotel there (due out Spring 2010). But if I could replace it, I’d go for Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum between Chambersburg and Gettysburg — Rick is not as enthusiastic about it, but for me it’s a rare throwback to old-time museum and candy shops. And I’d plead to group two in Bedford and add the Coffee Pot to Dunkle’s since it’s just down West Pitt Street.
When Rick filmed me in Pittsburgh, he asked me about my top 5 around the city. Hmm, I think they were:
1. Lincoln bronze statue, Wilkinsburg
2. Peppi’s Diner, Wilkinsburg/Pittsburgh line
3. Gulf building, art deco skyscraper, downtown
4. Manchester Bridge abutment, North Side, next to Heinz Field
5. Yellow brick road, Glenfield
OK Jess, you have two weeks — can you see them all? Maybe we’d better just make a lunch run to Peppi’s!
How about the top 5 must-see LH sites in the US? Dunkle’s must be one, and maybe the nearby Lincoln Motor Court too. It’s tough but I can pick three more (two of them also very close to each other in the Midwest). Send your top 5 and we’ll gather them into a post next week.
Tags: Bedford PA, Coffee Pot building, Diner, Dutch Haven, highway landmarks, Lincoln Highway, PBS show, Pittsburgh, roadside giants, Ship Hotel
Lincoln Highway News 
August 29, 2008 at 4:09 pm |
this is jess. i’m going to do my best!
August 30, 2008 at 10:42 pm |
Is that one of the original lighthouses in the first picture? I was at Grand View in July and I didn’t see them. Are they still there?
August 31, 2008 at 5:31 pm |
Yes, I noticed that lighthouse too. There were two such remnants there when we stopped with cameras last October, but both were gone by this August. I still like the 3 STATES and 7 COUNTIES view a lot.
I think 5 spots nationally is too hard. And isn’t every stop different depending on weather, time of day, people you meet, your mood and the temperament of everybody else in the car?
But I think the Virginian Hotel would HAVE to be on the list. And a drive through Woodbine, Iowa.
September 2, 2008 at 5:34 pm |
I’ve never seen the Lincoln west of Fort Wayne so I’m not qualified to pick a top five but I’ve joined two favorites with three “most anticipated” to make this list:
1) Dunkel’s (Bedford, PA)
2) Balyeat’s (Van Wert, OH)
3) Tama Bridge (Tama, IA)
4) Preston’s garage (Belle Plaine, IA)
5) Devil’s Slide (Croydon, UT)
I somehow missed the Poquessing Creek Bridge when I was near there a couple of months back but hope to correct that before long and see if it would get my vote for the Pennsylvania list. It’s not hard to carry your “grouping” idea a little farther and make a Bedford Top Five List. Mine would have:
1) Dunkel’s
2) Lincoln Motor Court
3) Jean Bonnet Tavern
4) Coffee Pot
5) Bedford Springs