Archive for the ‘roadside’ Category
June 29, 2011
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
We’re once again lucky to have Denny Gibson traveling and documenting part of the Lincoln Highway, this time some of the roads to and from the 2011 LHA conference in Lake Tahoe. You can follow his adventures beginning at www.dennygibson.com/lhfest11/day09/index.htm when he visits bits of the Lincoln in Utah. He starts with the beautiful little Lambs Canyon bridge (below). Then it’s across the Utah desert (below #2) and into Nevada.
At the conference, participants rode the old road at Clarksville, Cal., in Model A Fords (below). We’ll save more for our next blog entry….
Tags:California, highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, roadside, roadside attraction, roadtrip, travel, Utah
Posted in food, highways, history, Lincoln Highway, road surface, Road trip, roadside, transportation, travel | Leave a Comment »
June 28, 2011
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Rawlins Daily Times ran a nice article about the centennial celebration at the famed Virginian Hotel along the Lincoln Highway (now US 30) in Medicine Bow, Wyoming.
The celebration was part of Medicine Bow Days this past weekend, when the town’s population of fewer than 300 often jumps five-fold. The hotel hosted a sold-out dinner with actor James Drury, who played the Virginian on TV. Hotel owner Vernon Scott said, “This place means the world to me. It’s something I enjoy, and I hope other people stop in to enjoy (it), too.”
Vernon’s grandparents bought out the majority of hotel shares in the 1930s. Vernon’s mother later took charge, and Vernon took over in 1983. His wife of nearly four decades, Vickie, worked there as a youth at the restaurant and general store.
One customer — who was dancing with her 2-year-old, Summer Apple, in the hotel dining room— said, “Scottie and Vickie have kept it nice, helped with strangers and the community.… I really think they’ve made this hotel the heart and soul of the town.”
Tags:highway history, historic highway, hotel centennial, Lincoln Highway, Medicine Bow WY, Virginian Hotel, Wyoming
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, lodging, roadside, travel | 1 Comment »
June 10, 2011
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Supervisors in Unity Twp., near Latrobe, Pennsylvania, have approved the demolition of the Hi-Way Drive-In Theater and its replacement by a CVS pharmacy. The outdoor theater is a beloved icon along the Lincoln Highway/U.S. 30.
Residents and drive-in fans tried protesting in recent months that the 51-year-old theater was popular with families, had a minimal or even pleasing impact on the landscape, and that CVS has a pharmacy less than a mile away at Mountain Laurel Plaza along Route 30. Nonetheless, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the screens and equipment will be razed, and construction will begin later this summer as soon as permits are issued.
“This isn’t anything against CVS … this is about taking a piece of our history for no apparent reason,” said Cindy Yutzy of Latrobe, adding that she believes that CVS could have found other land to purchase for a new pharmacy. “This is a piece of our history and, slowly, every piece of our history is going bye-bye because of big business.”
But landowner Richard Ridilla “wrote a letter to township officials indicating that, regardless of the outcome of the township’s negotiations with CVS, the drive-in and flea market would no longer be in operation” due to it not making a profit in recent year.
Check out the website while you can at www.hiwaydriveinlatrobe.com/.
Tags:drive-in theater, highway history, historic highway, Latrobe PA, Lincoln Highway, PA, pharmacy replacing history
Posted in film/video, highways, history, Lincoln Highway, roadside, travel | 7 Comments »
May 5, 2011
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Fellow roadtripper Denny Gibson visited the Ohio Lincoln Highway League’s meeting last Saturday in Ashalnd Ohio. As always, he documented it with great photos. Click the link to start on the second day, then follow along as he takes the Lincoln Highway through Mansfield and westward. www.dennygibson.com
Tags:Ashland OH, brick roadways, cigars for highway, Denny Gibson, highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, Ohio, roadside monument
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, roadside, travel | Leave a Comment »
May 4, 2011
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Rumors continue to swirl around the Hi-Way Drive-In Theater along the Lincoln Highway east of Pittsburgh in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The most likely fate is that drugstore chain CVS is buying the land to open a store. Perhaps the only delay now is assuring all permits proceed.
One post on the drive-in’s Facebook page listed a response from CVS:
CVS has outgrown the current store location in Latrobe and we need to relocate to a site that will be more convenient and accessible for our customers, which is why we are moving to a larger location on Rt. 30. According to the current property owners, the drive-in is being closed for financial reasons whether or not CVS moves to this site. We look forward to providing the Latrobe community with improved pharmacy services when we open our new store next year.
UPDATE: An article ran a week before this post in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Tags:drive-in theater, highway history, historic highway, Latrobe PA, Lincoln Highway, PA, roadside attraction
Posted in film/video, highways, history, Lincoln Highway, roadside | 4 Comments »
April 26, 2011
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Jeff Blair has been walking the Lincoln Highway across Indiana to promote the highway but also asking for pledges of support to be split evenly between the Alzheimer’s Association in Indiana and the Indiana Lincoln Highway Association. He has reported on his walk daily since he headed west from the Ohio border on April 14. His blog at www.blairwalk.com/daily-blog is a fun read and many await his daily updates. As he nears the completion, just yesterday he wrote:
I can tell we are tiring …the decibel level of groaning when we climb out of the car to check in to a new motel rises each day. But we eat a good meal, get a good night’s sleep, and everyone is ready to go again the next day.
Jan and Bill Arick walked with Jeff a couple days, as many others have. Jan wrote, “The success of this walk is an incredible story and Bill and I have been honored to be part of it. Crowds and school kids have been turning out along the route. Mayors are walking and holding dedication ceremonies! People are stopping along the road and handing Jeff donations! It’s so neat to see the support for Jeff’s efforts.”
Here are some photos from Jeff’s blog, starting with a Lincoln Highway sign near Townley; New Haven City Hall; the Bonnie Doon in Mishawaka; B&J’s American Cafe in LaPorte; and making the turn at Oak Knoll.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Indiana, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, roadside, walking for a purpose
Posted in food, highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, roadside, signs, transportation, travel | 1 Comment »
April 15, 2011
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition unveiled its newest mural on April, 13, 2011, at 810 Main Street in Ashton, Illinois. The Coalition’s murals will soon be found in more than two dozen communities along the 179-mile National Scenic Byway corridor across the northern tier of the state.
The Lincoln Highway Coalition collaborated with Ashton Mayor John Martinez and Village Clerk Sharon Van Dam to develop the theme with designer Jay Allen, President of ShawCraft Sign Company. Ashton’s mural recalls the town’s 1921 Pavement Jubilee, a two-day celebration honoring the newly paved section of the Lincoln Highway and the town’s new electric streetlights.
For more information on the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition — places to see, things to do, festivals, special events, highway history and stories or to download a free ILHC Visitor Guide — go to www.drivelincolnhighway.com/
Tags:Ashton IL, highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Lincoln Highway, mural for highway
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, roadside, souvenirs, transportation, travel | Leave a Comment »
April 5, 2011
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Tom Neely, a songwriter and music teacher in the Lincoln Highway town of Dublin, California (just south of San Francisco) has been writing and performing music most of his life. After seeing Rick Sebak’s Lincoln Highway show on PBS, Tom was inspired to write a song about the joys of the open road: “it seemed like an easy metaphor for freedom. The lyrics, to be honest, wrote themselves.” Tom says he and his wife “plan to drive it with our kids some time. We love nothing more than throwing our kids in the back seat and following our noses.”
Listen to Tom’s bluesy tune “Endless Highway” or download an mp3 for free:
www.mp3unsigned.com/Tom_Neely#Endless+Highway
Tags:blues song, highway song, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, music, Road trip
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, roadside, travel | 1 Comment »
February 11, 2011
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
On Saturday, February 12, 2011, noon, an annual ceremony will be held along the Lincoln Highway at the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the entrance of Lincoln Park, Kennedy Boulevard and Belmont Avenue in Jersey City. Lincoln Association VP Michael Ricciardone will host the ceremony, and Past President Dr. Jules Ladenheim will recite a letter or speech of President Lincoln. A local chorale will provide patriotic music, and the ceremony will conclude with a placing of a wreath at the monument. At 6 pm, the Association will host the One Hundred Forty-Sixth Annual Dinner at the Casino in the Park, Lincoln Park, Jersey City.
Tags:Abe Lincoln, highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, New Jersey, roadtrip, statue, travel
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, roadside, travel | Leave a Comment »
February 7, 2011
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The York Dispatch ran a nice story (and the photo below) about the reopening of Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum, a popular Lincoln Highway roadside attractions west of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Seven months after arson destroyed Ed Gotwalt’s business, the museum opened Saturday. State police have no suspects for the blaze that destroyed the museum and its 10,000-piece elephant collection. “I’m very blessed,” Gotwalt said. “I’m very excited. I want to share this with the world.”
The new museum features two elephant sculptures made from salvaged pieces of the destroyed elephant souvenirs. You can visit at 6019 Chambersburg Road/U.S. 30 in Orrtanna, between Chambersburg and Gettysburg, from 10 am – 5 pm daily; admission is FREE. Contributions made to the Tammy Lee Cullison Save the Animal Fund, in memory of Gotwalt’s daughter, will be given to the SPCA in Gettysburg and Chambersburg and an animal sanctuary in Tennessee.
Tags:elephant museum, highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, museum, Pennsylvania, Road trip, roadside, roadside attraction, travel
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, museum, Road trip, roadside, travel | 1 Comment »
Lincoln Highway News 