LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Van & Bev Becker send good news from Iowa that the Lincoln Cafe in Belle Plaine is about to reopen. The landmark eatery closed a year and a ahlf ago after the owner was murdered as part of a family dispute. Click the image below to watch a video report from KGAN-TV, Cedar Rapids. Check out my previous entries such as this and this.
Above, the remodeled cafe, and below, before its closure.
Lincoln Highway fan Steve Jones wrote me to mention a road food website that he manages: ridetoeat.com/. It lists nearly 1,000 eating places, some with descriptions. Steve explains below it’s not the same as a recommendation guide.
It’s not really about places to eat while on the road (that’s well-plowed ground) but more about places it is worth planning a trip around — even if it’s just a Sunday drive. It’s still a little rough, but I hope to grow it into a unique and valuable resource. The premise is motorcycle-related, but there is really nothing about the data that is bike-centric other than the tendency towards destinations that are on twisty roads.
Steve also posted the book review below to LDRider, an email list for members of the Iron Butt Assn. and other long-distance endurance motorcycle riding enthusiasts. Thanks Steve!!
Brian Butko, author of Greetings from the Lincoln Highway has a new book out called Lincoln Highway Companion.
Though its 192 pages are filled with great full-color photos on quality paper, this is no coffee table decoration designed to give you something to flip through during commercials.
It’s the ultimate detailed authority on the current and historical alignments of the Lincoln Highway, conveniently sized to fit in a tank bag or glove box (just over 8×5″).
Every mile of the Lincoln Highway is covered with detailed color-coded maps showing the following:
* Original 1913 alignments
* Intermediate alignments or sanctioned detours
* Final Alignments still in use by 1930
* Modern detours
* Gone or hard to reach
The map scale varies as needed to show meaningful detail, all the way down to 1 inch per mile.It bursts with snippets of interesting things to see, lodging and great food along the route – but the maps are the star of the show. It is obvious that a great deal of research went into this.
The author (with whom I have no affiliation) has put together a short video highlighting the features of the book: www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8liMtYjGK8
I originally bought it with the intention of putting together the “definitive” route for a Lincoln Highway Coast-to-Coast ride, but now I see there are too many variables and the decisions are just too subjective. The good news is that it gives me everything I need to choose the route I find most interesting.
I am sure some here will enjoy it as much as I am. It just came out and may not be widely available yet, but they have it in stock at Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/0811735478
Yet another diner in New York City is closing, leaving few of the classic stainless steel diners that were once so common in Manhattan. An article in the New York Daily News states that the Cheyenee Diner, 33rd Street at 9th Avenue near Penn Station, is on land leased from a nearby diner owner who has decided building apartments is better than leasing to a competitor. Though 9 blocks south of the original Lincoln Highway / 42nd Street, the Cheyenne was the last old-time, factory-built diner near the cross-country route. Its last day is this Sunday. UPDATE: Now closed, this article says it’s for sale for $7,900.
Spiros Kasimis, 44, is only the third owner, having had it 18 years. He says the diner was doing well and that people still prefer burgers and bacon over healthy fare, but couldn’t compete with spiraling real estate values:
“The day of one-story structures in Manhattan is over,” he said, adding that he’s looking for a new location in the Hell’s Kitchen-Chelsea area.
Originally called the Market Diner, the 1946 Paramount-brand eatery features neon on the outside and Native American artifacts on interior walls. Another article from am New York debates if the structure can be moved. It’s popular with locals who lament the increasing replacement of community gatherings spots with more commercial uses.
The above photos are courtesy Flickr blog feature. Click on each image for the original post. Map (blue line is original LH, red dot is diner) from the LHA Driving Maps, available from the Lincoln Highway Trading Post.
Click the map above for a full-size view of the Lincoln Highway.
Like this blog? You'll LOVE my books!Lincoln Highway Companion features detailed maps and places to eat and stay. Click the book to buy it on Amazon.
Click the Greetings book below to purchase the ultimate guide to the history and route of the Lincoln Highway!
Another fun book! The Ship Hotel: A Grand View along the Lincoln Highway recalls the greatest roadside attraction along the coast-to-coast road.
And for those who LOVE diners, click the book below to purchase our completely updated guide to the history, geography, and food of Pennsylvania's Diners!
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