Lincoln Highway Centennial Road Trip
It's the ultimate summer road trip on the country's first transcontinental highway that literally paved the way for coast to coast travel. The route is the Lincoln Highway and this year is its 100th birthday.
In celebration of the Lincoln Highway's centennial anniversary, 270 people hit the road in 140 vehicles, some as old as 1913 Stoddard Daytons. The participants are from across the U.S. and several countries, including Russia and Australia.
The original road spanned from New York to San Francisco, so part of the group began on the East Coast and the other half on the West Coast. They will meet in the middle in Kearney, Neb., on June 30 for a two-day centennial celebration.
There are parts of the road that have since been covered or absorbed into other highways, but the group is going to follow the original route as much as possible.
Check back throughout the week for dispatches from the road. For more on the trip and the Lincoln Highway's history, click here.
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Barbara Ofsowitz of Sarasota, Fla., got a Lincoln Highway themed manicure to kick off the trip in Secaucus, N.J. on June 21.. The "L" design on her ring fingers is an illustration of the highway's concrete markers that dedicated the road to President Abraham Lincoln. (Photo credit: John Peters)
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From Lincoln Highway Association member John Peters on June 22:
Most people on the tour took the opportunity to drive into New York City and drive by the Lincoln Highway Eastern Terminus in Times Square. The rest started at the Weehawken Ferry Terminal across the river in New Jersey. The weather was great for the first day and everyone had a good time in spite of getting lost navigating the original Lincoln Highway route through New Jersey. Not an easy chore given the many turns in the route. We had a great picnic dinner, with real china and silverware at the Desmond Hotel in Malvern, Pa.
Tomorrow's big event is Gettysburg as we near the 150th anniversary of the Civil War battle in July. -
Lancaster County, Pa., June 24, 2013 (Photo credit: John Peters)
Traveling between Malvern and Chambersburg, Pa.
The day was spent on the real Lincoln Highway, mostly U.S. 30, but also some state routes in Pennsylvania. Good road and nice scenery as we cruised through Lancaster County, York, Gettysburg and many small towns in between. We stopped for lunch at the Haines Shoe House, just west of York and had a personally guided tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield led by Jim and Brian Cassler, both Civil War re-enactors who are members of our group. Dinner June 23 was BBQ chicken provided by the Marine Corps League in Chambersburg. -
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From Lincoln Highway Association member John Peters:
We spent most of Monday June 24 along the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, a 200-mile stretch from just east of Gettysburg to just west of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. There are many roadside attractions plus numerous projects developed by the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor including large works of art called Roadside Giants, decorated gas pumps, barn murals and decorated flower beds. -
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Lincoln Highway East Coast tour, June 28 –
From Lincoln Highway Association member John Peters:
Cool temperatures and beautiful weather provided a great day to be on the road as we traveled from Rochelle, Ill. to Ames, Iowa. Our first stop for coffee and rest rooms was at the Windmill Welcome Center on the Mississippi River at Fulton, Ill.
In the afternoon we had a photo op at the Youngville Café near Watkins, Iowa. This is one of a few remaining filling station / cafes in Iowa that operated during the heyday of the Lincoln Highway.
Dinner was served up at Niland’s, another historic filling station, café and motel in Colo, Iowa. Everywhere we have been we’ve met interesting, friendly people who have welcomed us and made us feel at home.
(Photo credit: John Peters) -
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Lincoln Highway East Coast tour, June 29 –
From Lincoln Highway Association member John Peters:
A long day of driving, over 300 miles from Ames, Iowa to Grand Island, Nebraska. The schedule didn't leave a lot of time for stopping, but the roads were good and well marked. We did get onto some gravel roads in both states and a section of original brick road near Omaha.
Everything in both the Iowa and Nebraska country sides seems to me to be neat, organized and well maintained. Out here, ‘sharing the road’ means not only with motorcycles, but also bicycles, runners, tractors and farm equipment.
Our first stop of the day was at the Lincoln Highway Museum in Grand Junction, Iowa where we were warmly welcomed and given food and drink. Lunch was at the Main Street Station in Woodbine, Iowa where we also received a warm welcome by the community. As we passed through Ogden, Iowa enroute to Woodbine, people were lining the streets for a festival later in the day. Our caravan provided a parade for those out early.
(Photo credit: John Peters) -
Lincoln Highway East Coast tour, June 30 –
From Lincoln Highway Association member John Peters:
130 antique and modern cars, lined up by age, entered Kearney, Nebraska with a police and motorcycle escort to kick off the two-day Lincoln Highway Centennial Celebration. The cars made up the East and West auto tours which departed New York City on June 22 and San Francisco on June 23. The parade was a terrific culmination for participants of the two auto tours who were greeted by thousands lining the streets of Kearney.
(Photo credit: John Peters) -
Lincoln Highway East Coast tour, June 30 –
From Lincoln Highway Association member John Peters:
101 year-old Bernie Queneau and wife Esther, of Pittsburgh, Pa., were grand marshals of the parade in Kearney. Bernie was one of the Boy Scouts who placed Lincoln Highway posts at mile intervals across the country in 1928. They were both on the 2003 Lincoln Highway tour.
(Photo credit: John Peters)
