Archive for the ‘travel’ Category

Lincoln Highway icon takes a tumble

January 29, 2010

It’s not often that an individual’s health gets reported on at Lincoln Highway News but Bernie Queneau is not your average Lincoln Highway fan. He is best known as one of the four scouts who crossed the U.S. on a safety and promotional tour in 1928. In recent years he’s resurfaced as the leading goodwill ambassador for the cross-country road. He can also be seen with wife Esther in the PBS video, A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway.

It was just a few years ago that Bernie married Esther, a past LHA president. Unfortunately she called to say that 97-year-old Bernie was in the exercise room when he accidentally slipped and broke his shoulder and knee. It may take a long time to recover but Esther felt it’s nothing he hasn’t overcome before. And we all expect to see them at the Lincoln Highway centennial celebration in three years! You can send get-well wishes to him c/o:

Providence Point
500 Providence Point Blvd
Pittsburgh, PA 15243

Winter weather exposes Omaha brick pavers

January 27, 2010

A story in the Omaha World-Herald has only a small but interesting Lincoln Highway connection. Harsh winter weather has created endless potholes in this eastern Nebraska city, including one at 42nd and Dodge Streets that has exposed a rail from the old city streetcar line and “bricks that were likely part of the Lincoln Highway.”

Lincoln Highway photos on neat stuff blog

January 25, 2010

At Atomic Antiques, Mark Stevens posts “neat stuff from the 20th century.” He recently posted these two cool Lincoln Highway images. Visit his page (scrolling down a bit) to see the photos larger and read a bit about them. Feel free to comment too.

Before visiting his site, can you identify the location of the first and the purpose behind the second?

S.S. Grand View Ship Hotel memorabilia for sale

January 22, 2010

Olga Herbert, executive director of the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor in Pennsylvania, has a friend who wants to sell his collection of Ship Hotel memorabilia. Anyone interested in purchasing part or all of the collection should send their name and phone # to Olga at office@LHHC.org. In about a week, she will send the info to him and he will follow up by telephone. NOTE: no portion of the profits will go to the LHHC, she is doing this as a favor since he doesn’t have e-mail.

The complete story of the Ship Hotel is due out in March in a book written by, well, me. I began researching the Ship in 1988 and became friends with Clara Gardner, granddaughter of founder Herbert Paulson. Clara is gone now but her children graciously permitted me to use many, many family photos. Look for more peeks inside the book in the coming months.

Lincoln Hwy in Truckee Canyon to serve bike trail

January 21, 2010

The Reno Gazette-Journal reported about a bike trail that will incorporate seven miles of the old Lincoln Highway near the California-Nevada border. For now, that section is the biggest missing link in the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway, a 116-mile path that follows the Truckee River from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. The new part will be routed along I-80 and dirt roads from Boca Reservoir to Dog Valley Road in Verdi.

Janet Phillips, who founded the group of volunteers working on the project, said of the 10 new miles, seven miles will be on old roadbed from the Lincoln Highway and three miles of new construction will be required.

Phillips said, “There’s a huge transportation history in that canyon and we are going to bring some of it back to life.” A big obstacle was cleared December 10 when the Truckee-Donner Recreation and Park District Board approved an environmental study for the project that was required by California.

Snow and ice along the Lincoln Highway

January 20, 2010

We can dream of summer road trips this time of year but for now it’s only one month into Winter. Here’s a nice photo (if you like cold weather) from the Omaha World-Herald showing a Lincoln Way street sign in Woodbine, Iowa, known for it’s brick-paved stretch of Lincoln Highway.

2010 Buy-Way yard sale set for August

January 18, 2010

The Sixth Annual BUY-WAY Yard Sale along the Lincoln Highway has been set for August 5, 6 and 7, 2010. The leading state is Ohio, which last years had over 1,000 yard sale locations.

“Ohio started this, and parts of Indiana and Illinois soon joined in,” said Mike Hocker, executive director of the Historic Byway in Ohio, “and now there is talk of New Jersey and Iowa joining this year.”

The dates are now established to be the “first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in August” and will occur along with the “Route 127 Sale” which crosses the Lincoln in Van Wert, Ohio, the same weekend.

A Travelers Guide will be distributed to businesses along the corridor for pick-up by shoppers in late July, and the official byway website, www.historicbyway.com will host free and paid listings of yard sales and other activities beginning in May.

42N blog visits Iowa Lincoln Highway bridge

January 12, 2010

Dave Chase posted a short story about the Lincoln Highway through Mt. Vernon, Iowa, on his blog 42N, which details life around the 42N latitude. His photo shows the Union Pacific tracks on the west end of town that are crossed by a bridge that carries the Lincoln Highway.

Dave took his photo from the original 1915 LH bridge. He has a link to bridgehunter.com that features images of that arched span, including the photo below by our friend J.R. Manning (you may have seen him on the road in his yellow Model A). His 2007 view is looking north from a preserved brick stretch to the rehabbed bridge, now for pedestrians only.

Snow covers the Lincoln Highway coast-to-coast

January 8, 2010

Much of the country is suffering from cold and snow, which means much of the Lincoln Highway is impassable. An Iowa TV station reports, “Deputies had to shut down part of old Lincoln Highway for a short time between Ames and Nevada.” A road worker added, “The road’s plugged up!” And once the road is cleared, it covers over right away so some trucks are not even attempting the job for safety.

My web site has selected weather updates along the Lincoln Highway at www.brianbutko.com/lh.gr.weather.html/. As you can see, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Iowa are below zero in addition to being snowed in.

’10 Illinois Lincoln Highway guides available

January 7, 2010

The 2010 Illinois Lincoln Highway Visitor Guide from the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition is now available around the state or by mail. New features include a page about the completed interpretive gazebo project, a half page for the current interpretive mural project, and an easier-to-use map of the highway with icons for gazebos, murals and exhibits. Another change moved accommodation listings from each community to their own section.

Fill out the form here to get yours: www.drivelincolnhighway.com/visitorsguide.html or view and download a complete copy at www.drivelincolnhighway.com/LH2010guide.pdf/.