Archive for the ‘travel’ Category
October 26, 2010
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition announced the completion of its newest Interpretive Mural along the 179-mile byway corridor: 127 N. Third Street in Malta, Illinois, on the Malta Historical Society’s Old Town Hall.
The Malta mural showcases the Lincoln Highway’s first Seedling Mile with a detailed painting of workmen pouring the concrete from a steam-operated mixer and a view at right of men smoothing the surface. The LHA used Seedling Miles to demonstrate the advantages of concrete over dirt surfaces in hopes that it would inspire further road improvements.
For more information on the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition, including its murals and gazebos plus places to see and things to do, or to download an ILHC’s 2010 Visitor Guide, visit www.drivelincolnhighway.com/.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Lincoln Highway, Malta IL, mural
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, signs, transportation, travel | 1 Comment »
October 25, 2010
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Scott Segeti, former owner of Palmantier’s Motel, said he was “lured to these parts by the beauty of nearby farm fields, grazing cattle, grassy meadows, chirping birds, fresh air and an opportunity to be his own boss.”
Now Rainie Sonntag wrote to say:
My husband and I have the same dream so we went to the auction and purchased the Palmantier’s Motel. We fell in love with the place when we saw it. We had to have it. My mother was the long time owner of the Akron Turnpike Motel. She too had a dream and we helped her make it happen with her motel. Now we plan to do the same with ours!! We purchased it in July and we are now open. So for all you folks who stayed there in the past please return and make it happen.
Palmantier’s Motel, opened 1947, is a classic 9-unit motel along the Lincoln Highway in eastern Ohio. Segeti put it up for auction, saying he was struggling. The beautiful motel is within sight of the famous stretch of Baywood Road paved in red bricks (bottom center of photo). The new # for reservations is (330) 868-6000.
Tags:business reopening, classic lodging, highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, motel, Ohio
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, lodging, Road trip, roadside, travel | 2 Comments »
October 18, 2010
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The California Lincoln Highway Association will tour the Central Valley Route from Sacramento to San Francisco, via Sacramento Valley and across the Carquinez Strait on Saturday, October 30. Tour departs and ends at the Holiday Inn Sacramento I-80 at 9 am. Cost $25 or $40 with a guide. Each year, the California Chapter of the LHA hosts four self-guided cruises and guided tours. Cruise along in your own car, or ride along as a passenger in one of our guide cars! The cruise is open to passenger cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, classic cars, and antique cars capable of freeway speeds.
One-day excursion begins and ends in Sacramento. Highlights include: Old Sacramento, Tower Bridge, Yolo Causeway, Davis, Dixon, historic downtown Vacaville, the Solano County Courthouse, entrance into Napa Valley on Jameson Canyon Road, historic Vallejo, Carquinez Strait, Rodeo, Pinole, Berkeley Pier, Bay Bridge, Lincoln Highway markers in San Francisco. Return trip to Sacramento on I-80.
Advance registration required. Lunch not included but will include a stop for lunch, or tour participants may also bring their own food and snacks. For more details visit http://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/ca/tours/
Tags:California, highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, Sacramento CA, tour of old road
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, travel | Leave a Comment »
October 14, 2010
Northwest Indiana Times newspaper continues its coverage of U.S. 30 and the Lincoln Highway:
In honor of the “Region’s Road,” The Times takes a look at the many communities — starting from west to east — that use U.S. 30 as a main artery of transportation and a critical part of their residents’ very lives.: The region’s road is an extensive look at the communities.
The newspaper photo, above, shows a plaque at the region’s famous Ideal Sections. Towns profiled include Dyer, Schererville, Merrillville, Hobart, Union Twp., and Valparaiso.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Ideal Section, Indiana, Lincoln Highway, Valparaiso Indiana
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October 8, 2010
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
In honor of the Transcontinental Railroad, Forrest has been taking a virtual walk along its route (ala Forrest Gump), following the westward progress of the Union Pacific from Omaha to Utah. He began April 16 and has logged 1372 miles as of this morning. He writes about the towns and people along the way, often coming upon parts of the Lincoln Highway, which paralells much of the route. Check it out here: walkforrestwalk.blogspot.com/.
He writes:
When the U.S. government named two companies to build a transcontinental railroad in 1862. no meeting point was set. Enormous financial rewards—paid out per mile of completed track—propelled both sides into a grueling seven-year race across daunting terrain of the states of Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, & Califorina. When completed the railroad connected a post Civil War nation, forever changing the American West. For the next 6 months & 1500 miles Forrest will follow this important and historical route that our ancestors followed so many years ago.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, Transcontinental Railroad, walking old trails, Wyoming
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, transportation, travel | 1 Comment »
October 7, 2010
Northwest Indiana Times recently published a number of articles on the Lincoln Highway, including “Lincoln Highway, a lifeline for Illinois communities.” It includes mention of the sculpture seen at right, “Lincoln on the Road to Greatness,” which depicts Abraham Lincoln receiving flowers from two girls. The statue, dedicated in 2003, was funded by private donations including 200,000 pennies collected by local students. It is at the intersection of the Lincoln and Dixie highways, which on the opposite corner includes the Arche Memorial Fountain, dedicated decades ago to be a place of rest for weary motorists.
Tags:Abraham Lincoln, early travel, highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Indiana, Lincoln Highway, Lincoln statue, memorial fountain
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, roadside, transportation, travel | Leave a Comment »
October 5, 2010
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The electronic highway is akin to the early network of roads in the US: exciting changes happen daily but there’s still lots of work that needs done; you can guess that I’ve had some computer problems lately! To get back on track, click on Southwest Iowa News for an interesting article on recent renovations at Harrison County Museum/Welcome Center in western Iowa. A description of what you’ll find at the center follows this image of the Loess Hills overlook.
Phase I of the project included the Lincoln Highway surface demonstration – showing how the surface of the Lincoln Highway changed from dirt to gravel, to brick etc. It includes bricks from the streets of Missouri Valley that had been stored at the museum prior to the tornado that hit in 1999 and were saved for future use. Also included in the expansion are Lincoln Highway interpretive panels, an auditorium showing films on the Loess Hills and Lincoln Highway, a children’s transportation play scape next to a cabin court picnic area, a scenic overlook observation platform, among other signage.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Iowa, Lincoln Highway, museum, welcome center
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, museum, Road trip, transportation, travel | Leave a Comment »
September 23, 2010
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Don’t forget to follow Lincoln Highwayman, aka Jim Devitt, as he continues his trip westward on the Lincoln Highway. After some troubles with his Ford Model A, he’s cruising through Indiana. Follow along at blog.lincolnhighwayman.com/. Click the image below to see LARGER the short segment of vintage Lincoln Highway located between upgraded LH (seen to the right) and US 30 (off camera to the left)
Tags:Ford Model A, highway history, historic highway, Indiana, Lincoln Highway, old road
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, road surface, Road trip, travel | Leave a Comment »
September 22, 2010
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
A beloved Lincoln Highway landmark, the Hitching Post in Cheyenne, Wyoming, has been destroyed by fire. Various newspapers covered the fire and aftermath, including an initial story by the Caspar Star Tribune.
This article in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle recalls some history:
The Hitch, as it is fondly known, started out as a small motor hotel called the Lincoln Court. Pete Smith opened it in 1927…. In 1946, the Lincoln Court became a charter member of Best Western International. In 1948, the family opened a restaurant at the hotel called the Hitching Post. As more and more rooms were added, the name stuck.
My family stayed at the Lincoln Court about 5 years ago, by then a wonderful mid-century motel, but that older portion had recently been demolished. The remaining and much larger Hitching Post maintained an Old West decor.
The newspaper reported that the motel, lounge, and restaurant served as a longtime second home for Wyoming legislators but had closed amid financial trouble last year and remained vacant. “The hotel has been undergoing extensive renovations and officials of the company that owns it say it was just weeks away from reopening…. The front lobby and an attached liquor store were destroyed.”
The city called in an ATF team of about two dozen agents to help with the investigation, and the blaze was just ruled arson but the investigation is ongoing. Most comments to articles are overwhelmingly nostalgic for what has been lost, with only a few voicing a need for modern retail there.
Thanks to loungelistener for the tip.
Tags:Cheyenne WY, fire at motel, highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, motel, roadside attraction, Wyoming
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, lodging, signs, travel | Leave a Comment »
September 20, 2010
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
A Des Moines, Iowa, TV station picked up on the story of the 1959 film showing US 30 in Iowa. WHO-TV channel 13 filed a report centered on the complex of gas, food, and lodging at Niland’s Corner in Colo, Iowa, which is seen in a screen shot in my report of the film. Scott Berka, Colo City Clerk, who is instrumental in keeping the buildings going, is briefly interviewed at the Colo Motel, a Lincoln Highway classic!
View the video HERE. Note it starts with a brief advertisement.
Tags:film, highway history, historic highway, Iowa, Lincoln Highway, roadtrip, travel, US 30, video
Posted in film/video, highways, history, Lincoln Highway, lodging, Road trip, transportation, travel | Leave a Comment »
Lincoln Highway News 