Posts Tagged ‘travel’

PA Lincoln Highway corridor open house today

December 16, 2011

LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Pennsylvania’s Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor has a new home along the Lincoln Highway between Greensburg and Ligonier. LHHC has purchased the 1815 stone Johnston House across from the Kingston Dam. The site will eventually be home to the Lincoln Highway Experience Museum, which will include the restored Serro’s Diner that sat along the LH in Irwin.

LHHC is holding a Grand Opening of its gift shop today, Friday, December 16, 2011, from 3 to 7 p.m. Hot cider and gingerbread will be served. In addition to Lincoln Highway memorabilia and books, you’ll find many fine crafts from the Handmade Along the Highway program.

Contact LHHC at 3435 Route 30 East, Latrobe, PA 15650. New phone: 724-879-4241. www.lhhc.org/.

 

Past LHA President Christopher Plummer

November 21, 2011

LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Christopher Noel Plummer, a past president of the Lincoln Highway Association, died November 15, 2011, in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Christopher was born December 19, 1950 in Bedford, Pennsylvania. A memorial service will be held on Monday, November 28 at 11:00 am at the Bridger Valley Baptist Church.

Christopher worked for Tata Chemical in Green River, Wyoming. He enjoyed collecting cars and watching races. He is survived by his wife, Carol Graeber Plummer; son Aaron (Kristen) Plummer of Kennewick, Washington; step-sons Bill (Dawn) Morgan of Overland Park, Kansas, John (Anya) Morgan of Littleton, Colorado, Jeff (Kristin) Morgan of Parker, Colorado; step-daughters Cristel Morgan of Glenrock, Wyoming, and Jennifer Morgan of Ontario, California; 11 grandchildren and a brother Mark Plummer.

Thanks to Kelly Hughes, curator at Bridger Valley Heritage Museum, and Russell Rein for the information. For more, see Crandall Funeral Home.

 

Blogging the Lincoln Highway in NV and UT

November 17, 2011

LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
I’ve been following a fantastic blog for a couple weeks. Grover Cleveland — his real name — writes “Camera and Pencil in the Mountains” that details his travels in the Sierra Nevada range. Last year he bought a 1919 Model T Ford roadster and converted it into a pickup truck. He’s hoping to follow a good portion for the Lincoln Highway centennial in 2013.

He told me, “I just completed a 1,500-mile trip in Nevada and western Utah. I covered as much of the 1913 alignment as could be found from Verdi, Nevada to Tooele, Utah.” He writes online that he wants to help fellow travelers: “To provide travel notes, recommendations, and some serious safety information. I got in trouble because I didn’t heed some professional advice — you shouldn’t have to.”

For this trip, he loaded his dog Beasley into a 1989 Tiger van: “A conversion on an Astrovan chassis, nicely equipped with kitchen, bathroom, a pop-top, and oodles of radio gear (I’m a ham radio operator – K7TP).”

Click the images here to see Grover’s large originals. Then follow his adventures at sierratraveler.wordpress.com/.

Order Lincoln Highway Companion from Amazon – click HERE

Long-time LH fan and researcher Norm Root

September 29, 2011

LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Long-time LH fan and activist Norm Root has passed away. As reported on a CaringBridge site his family set up, he was diagnosed with a terminal illness just last month. Norm was a Caltrans employee and dedicated preservationist and researcher who helped me with information and images for my Lincoln Highway books.

Gloria Scott, Chief of the Built Environment Preservation Services Branch at Caltrans, commented: “If there is anyone who would be considered the Caltrans ‘Historic Roads God,’ it was Norm—especially for the Lincoln Highway. And Route 66, with his New Mexico roots.”

Read more about Norm or leave a tribute at www.caringbridge.org/visit/normanroot/.

UPDATE: Gloria Scott sends news that a memorial will be held at Northminster Presbyterian Church on Saturday, October 15 at 2 pm. Gifts to honor Norman may be made to: Norman Root Youth Mission and Camp Fund, Northminster Presbyterian Church, 3235 Pope Ave., Sacramento, CA 95821. Read more at www.legacy.com/.

Bill & Karen's new Lincoln Highway trip

September 3, 2011

LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Long-distance travelers Bill and Karen post wonderful stories and photos about their 2-lane trips. The Ontario couple last drove the Lincoln Highway in 2009 and have used my books to track down every highlight and report back lots of updates. This year they picked up the LH near Downingtown, Pa., on Day 34 of their trip and traveled west  to Plainfield, Illinois, by Day 50. Travel along at billstraveljournal.blogspot.com/.


Bill writes: We concluded our Lincoln Highway road trip at the same spot in Plainfield Illinois where we started the journey on July 7, 2009. It also marks the spot where we concluded our Route 66 road trip in 2008.  This spot is where the two roads share the same 3 blocks…. All we need to do now is to drive from Times Square NY to Exton PA and we will have completely driven the Lincoln Highway from beginning to end.

4th Annual Iowa Lincoln Hwy tour this weekend

August 27, 2011

LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Also this weekend is the fabulous cross-state Iowa Lincoln Highway Motor Tour sponsored by the Iowa Lincoln Highway Association. Here are pics from last summer: Youngville Cafe by Jeff & Tammy LaFollette, and the lunch stop at Woodbine by Osberg.

This year’s tour began in Council Bluffs and heads east, ending in Clinton County on Sunday, August 28. The historic route travels nearly 330 miles across Iowa through the communities of Council Bluffs, Denison, Carroll, Jefferson, Boone, Ames, Marshalltown, Tama, Cedar Rapids, and Clinton. More information can be found on the Iowa LHA website, or contact tour director Jeff LaFollette at (563) 349-3047.

Lincoln Highway Days in Iowa this weekend

August 26, 2011

LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The 28th annual Lincoln Highway Days will be held in Nevada, Iowa, starting today, August 26–28, 2011. Each day will feature carnival rides and games, food, and much more.

Some excerpts from www.lincolnhighwaydays.com:

Friday, Aug. 26: Celebrate with fun on the Story County 4-H grounds. Lincoln Highway Days Rodeo. Teen and adult dances with live music and refreshments.

Saturday morning Aug. 27: One of the biggest parades in Story County. National Guard honors our Soldiers at War along the route of the Lincoln Highway. Klassy Kruisers antique cars. Antique Tractors. BBQ contest. Lincoln Highway Day’s Baby contest. More teen dancing.

Sunday Aug. 28: A grand day for walking through the Craft building and the Varied Industry building and the Flea Market.

The first Lincoln Highway Day was held October 1983, in conjunction with a celebration of the finished railroad overpass west of Nevada.


Indiana to debut "Lincoln Highway Adventure"

July 22, 2011

LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Join the first annual Lincoln Highway Adventure along Indiana’s historic Lincoln Highway, August 5 and 6, 2011. The fun event will coincide with the Buy-Way Yard Sale stretching across several states. Kick off the Adventure at Downtown South Bend’s First Friday Cruise-In, then the next day pilot your crew through New Carlisle, LaPorte, Valparaiso, Dyer, and back to Plymouth for the Adventure’s Closing Picnic.

Each registered vehicle will receive an Adventure Bag with a dash plaque, discount coupons, an Adventure Passport and a booklet containing turn-by-turn directions and information about sites, great stops and communities along the way. Compete in the Lincoln Highway Scavenger Hunt, a geo-cache hunt and check in via FourSquare, or stay connected through your other favorite social media. Families, Car Clubs and Caravans welcome! Find reservation and pricing at: www.lincolnhighwayadventure11.eventbrite.com For more information or questions contact: Indiana Landmarks’ Northern Regional Office at north@indianalandmarks.org or (574) 232-4534.

Shady Bend station restored and back in business

July 18, 2011

LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Grand Island Independent reports that Shady Bend, an old roadside business along the Lincoln Highway in central Nebraska, has been restored and is again serving customers on the east end of Grand Island. I reported on the plans two years ago on this blog. The images below are from the site’s Facebook page.

From the news report:

Shady Bend, once the site of an old-time tourist court, restaurant and store at Highway 30 and Shady Bend Road, has been reopened as a restaurant…. H.O. “Doc” Woodward built the original Shady Bend in the late 1920s after returning from a family trip to Arizona. Doc also donated the land for the first airport in Grand Island. Shady Bend has been passed down in the family to Craig Woodward, the third generation at Shady Bend….

He said Shady Bend was once a meeting place for farmers and everyone passing through. Since there were hardly any phones, people knew who was going to be there and could leave messages for when they arrived. It was a general store that had a lot of different people coming in and out.

“Not only is it historical, it was a fun place to go,” said Craig’s wife, Karen Woodward. “We want to be able to share the history with the people around here.”… The Woodwards started their restoration in 2008 but were delayed by family illness. Things picked back up in January 2010.

“Obviously, the plumbing, heating and electrical is all new and up to code,” Craig said. “We have a new full kitchen, but other than that, there haven’t been any changes. It’s true to what the State Historical Society has for requirements.”

Shady Bend opened its doors to the public on Tuesday serving pop, candy bars, beer, burgers and Italian food….

“I remember when I was 5 years old, my mom used to clean the cabins [now gone] and Fritz, Craig’s father, would pick me up from school and bring me back here,” [one patron said]. “I played on the merry-go-round and fished in the sand pit across the highway.”

Hours are 11 am to 10 pm Tues through Sat, and noon to 10 pm Sundays.

Lincoln Highway Buy-Way coming your way!

July 16, 2011

LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
It’s once again time for the annual Lincoln Highway Buy-Way Yard Sale running August 4, 5 and 6, 2011. The miles-long event began in Ohio seven years ago and has since expanded to all of Iowa and parts of Illinois and Indiana.

Ohio publishes an official Traveler’s Guide that includes a map of the state’s Lincoln Highway alignments plus listings of many yard sales and community events along the way. This free guide is available at convention and visitor bureaus and chambers along the route.

BUY-WAY Yard Sale participants in any state may list their yard sale information on the byway website www.historicbyway.com that shoppers can  print out and use to navigate their shopping.

For more information on the Buy-Way, call (419) 468-6773 or visit www.olhhc.org/index.php/buy-way-yard-sale/.