The Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition has just published its 2009 Visitors Guide. The 44-page guide is filled with info on attractions, restaurants, and accommodations along the route and in adjacent towns. You can download a PDF or request one from the website or call toll-free (866) 455-4249. Among their recent work, 17 Interpretive Gazebos will soon appear along the Illinois Lincoln Highway corridor, and 40 more murals will be installed.
A highlight of the 2009 Lincoln Highway Association conference in South Bend, Indiana, will be the Lincoln Highway Day Parade featuring the Military Vehicle Preservation Association’s 90th anniversary re-enactment of the Military Army Convoy. Best-known of the original participants in 1919 was young Dwight Eisenhower. For the anniversary on June 19, individual vehicles along with antique auto and motorcycle clubs are invited to participate. The LHA has produced 150 dash plaques to commemorate the day:
All entries must be motorized and must pre-register for $10. Click HERE for the PDF form with more information.
On my trip along the Lincoln Highway to Grand View Point near Bedford, Pennsylvania, I snapped a few sites, including the big praying mantis at the Second Time Around Shop, now laying on its side.
Other photos here are the LHHC mural and gas pump in Stoystown, the Washington Furnace Inn closed and for sale, and the rebuilding of the burned Sleepy Hollow tavern and restaurant.
The Pennsylvania Chapter of the Lincoln Highway Association is hosting an informal get together on Saturday, April 4, at 2:00 p.m. at the Blue Parrot Bistro, 35 Chambersburg St (Lincoln Highway) in Gettysburg. There will be games, prizes, refreshments, and lots of old road talk. There is no charge to attend, but please R.S.V. P. by April 1, 2009, and bring a friend.
R.S.V.P. by April 1 to Mindy Crawford at mindygc@earthlink.net or (717) 880-6275.
Dennis Crowley, who is walking the coast-to-coast Lincoln Highway in portions, has refined his schedule for this fall. Click HERE for the itinerary from Sacramento, California, to Ely, Nevada. He’s also used the LHA DeLorme-based mapping system chart his trip, broken into 3 parts:
mapshare.delorme.com/Consumer/V.aspx?p=4cbwtpmf
mapshare.delorme.com/Consumer/V.aspx?p=k3d1sv1f
mapshare.delorme.com/Consumer/V.aspx?p=z7dv4jmd
The numbers coordinate with the walking days.
I met with LHA member Jim Peters today as he makes his way across the country. He’s exploring brochure ideas for the Lincoln Highway Association. Much of his trip, though, will be along Route 66 to browse some of the brochures that have made that road such a success, and such a pleasure to tour. I made sure to show him one of my favorites — the Illinois Historic Route 66 brochure (seen at right), which features a map spread over 11 panels. (Download it HERE.)
In anticipation of the forthcoming LHA conference, pick up one of the new Indiana Lincoln Highway brochures, seen above. They feature a map of the route and info on other Lincoln-related sites in the state. If you’re too far away, you can request one from their website, or view the actual brochure online HERE.
The March/April 2009 issue of Midwest Living has a 5-page article about the Lincoln Highway and Route 66 (though 66 gets the mention on the cover as you can see at right). The title is “Touring Route 66 and Lincoln Highway: Follow the route of the first super roads across the U.S.” The focus is on the midwest, so for the Lincoln that means Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. Click HERE to read the magazine’s online excerpt, though you’ll need to pick up a hard copy to see the photos.
The re-creation of the 1919 trip across the country of the U.S. Army Transcontinental Motor Convoy is making the news as the event approaches. Papers such as the Clinton, Iowa, Herald are reporting lately on the convoy’s passing through their areas. The original convoy is perhaps best remembered today for including young Dwight Eisenhower.
Sponsored by the Military Vehicle Preservation Association, up to 150 military vehicles will retrace the convoy’s itinerary, which followed the Lincoln Highway for most of its route west of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This 26-day convoy will depart from Washington D.C. on June 13 and arrive in San Francisco on July 8, crossing all or part of 11 states.
For more information visit www.mvpa.org and click the 2009 Convoy button on the left. Click HERE for the complete schedule of stops.
Also, the new Indiana LHA brochure includes not only a map of the Lincoln Highway but a description and map of the convoy trip. Visit www.indianalincolnhighway.com to request one.
Last summer, some bicycle enthusiasts decided to retrace the route of the Pony Express from Sacramento, California, to St. Josephs, Missouri. Their particular sport is randonneuring — long-distance, unsupported, non-competitive endurance cycling. Some of their travels naturally followed the Lincoln Highway. Their story was just published in American Randonneur or you can read a shortened version of their adventures HERE.
LH locales include Folsom, Pollack Pines, Carson Ciy, Lahontan Reservoir, US 50 across Nevada (including Middlegate, Ausstin, Eureka, and Ely), SLC, Coalville, Evanston, Ogallala, North Platte, and Kearney. You can tell from gaps in the list that they often are NOT on the LH. Above is one of their bikes at Rosevear’s Ranch, a former Overland Stage station in Nevada.
One adventure they write about took place between Austin and Eureka:
We climbed up the switch backs that led us out of town and then climbed three more mountain passes before coming to Devil’s Gate at dusk. Danny was out ahead of me when he started yelling. I soon saw what looked like a long piece of wood on the road. As I got close, it all of a sudden balled up and I let out a scream and swerved to the other side of the road. I had no idea what kind of snake it was, but it was big! This experience taught us that snakes started crawling out at night to enjoy the heat of the pavement. It was a great incentive for us to get off the road before sundown.
Medicine Bow, along a beautiful stretch of the Lincoln Highway in eastern Wyoming, will celebrate its centennial this summer with a weekend celebration. The town is best known for its Virginian Hotel, named for the Owen Wister novel The Virginian. Wister wrote the western while in town and the hotel/saloon was built shortly after. This video gives a brief taste of the town:
The special events take place June 25-28 during the ”Medicine Bow – 100 years of History” weekend. The kick-off event is a showing of the 1914 silent film The Virginian directed by Cecil B. Demille, accompanied by live music. Other events include a world-class quick draw shooting contest, parade, pancake breakfast, and street dances.
Visitors can stay at The Virginian and even try the Owen Wister Suite. (That’s it above when Rick Sebak and the PBS crew stopped by.) The writer’s log cabin has been relocated to across the street. At the Dip Bar & Diner check out the western art paintings that adorn the ceiling, walls, and the floor, or the bar made from the longest slab of jade in the world.
Click the map above for a full-size view of the Lincoln Highway.
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