brownwho63
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Posts posted by brownwho63
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I've seen several of Kent's pictures from this outing and there is no doubt it was a great trip. I've barely been to Iowa and on the LH in Iowa not at all. I encourage sharing.
I'll post the best LH photos to my "Bliss Blue Highways" album over the next few days and copy them here with applicable text.
The Iowa LHA conducted their first annual motor tour August 8/10 and approximately 50 vehicles signed up. We gathered at the Mississippi River in Clinton, IA for the kickoff and enjoyed a police escort through town. The tour's timing was perfect for me because I wanted to explore the LH and IA isn't all that far away from STL. Here's one of my favorites that was part of the tour....Bliss
http://americanroadmagazine.com/forum/inde...=si&img=404
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Bliss,
Thanks for the the photo....but when will you be posting the rest of the story??!!
We await.......
Keep the Show on the Road!
Dave
I'll try to put some text together and add a few more photos to my album. Didn't keep any notes while on the tour, however....Bliss
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I recently completed the first annual IA Lincoln Highway Association motor tour and it was outstanding! The tour began in Clinton and ended 3 days later in Woodbine. Heres' a shot of Big Blue, my trusty '77 Monte on the famous Tama bridge. It was a wonderful adventure and one that I'll probably do again...Bliss
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I am in no way affiliated with the seller of this vehicle on eBay, but I know we have some Corvair enthusiasts. I found this on the Bring a Trailer site and thought it was pretty special. Looks like a good vintage car for a Road Trip.
Pat, his brother, and his dad probably already have it on a trailer headed to Indy....Bliss
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We had another swell time in northern Minnesota last weekend for a few days of R & R. We had our first experience exploring the Great River Road while up there and on the way home. Saturday we had a great lunch at Mickey's Diner in St. Paul and took the GRR on the Wisconsin side south of the Twin Cities. Alma, Wisconsin was a cool little town on the GRR. A lock & dam with an active railroad next to it added to the coolness of this little town. All this could be seen 500 feet above town at Buena Vista Park, high on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River and miles of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Saturday night we had a nice stay at the little Lake Motel in Onalaska, WI. Sunday was back & forth along the GRR between Wisconsin & Iowa. We made our final cross back into Wisconsin on a 15 minute ferry ride down the Mississippi that dropped us off in Cassville, WI. I have to admit the GRR in northern Minnesota is less than inspiring, but when you get south of the Cities, that's where it really gets photogenic. All of Jennfier's snapshots can be found here. I'm told the ferry pics will be up soon....Enjoy!
Great photos, Jennifer. Thanks for sharing....Bliss
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I'm back in Ohio after a west coast trip
Really looking forward to your trip journal, Denny........Bliss
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I'd love to have the 'Vette here but this is a fly and drive so I'm in a little red rented roadboat. To be honest, even though it's a size up from what I reserved, the Ford Fusion is hardly a boat....
A Chevy guy crusin' a Ford?
F - fix
O- or
R- repair
D- daily
Have a great time anyway....Bliss
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The question here is whether a “boy” from Ohio can handle the elevations. The Rowena Grade is said to have a greater elevation change then all the roads in Ohio combined. Is that true?
Don't know about Denny but I'm confident his F.I. Vette will handle the altitude with no problem.
Hope you guys have a great cruise. Looking forward to the reports....Bliss
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When we went across Iowa, we used Brian Butko's book which was very helpful and made the trip very enjoyable.
Can hardly believe that we're leaving STL a week from this Wednesday and heading up U.S. 61 part way to Clinton, IA for the August 8th start of the first annual LHA motor tour across the state. Really looking forward to this new adventure, a guided tour of the LH on alignments we probably would not have found by ourselves. It's advertised as being "old car friendly," using paved roads only and that suits me just dandy. I'm currently planning on taking our '04 Monte because it's one of my favorite rides of all time but if Mary Sue decides not to go along for whatever reason I'll leave her the '04 and drive the '77 Monte instead; needs road miles anyway. Taking it to the local shop tomorrow for new oil and tire rotation JIC.
Haven't been this excited about a road trip since our first crossing of 66. Wish I had Denny's skill and patience in creating a trip summary but anymore it's about all I can do just to make the cruise....Bliss
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Ok, now wait, every time I try to fry a burger in my iron skillet, it ruins the skillet's seasoning, and I have to scrub it clean and reseason it. How can I avoid that?
You shouldn't have to scrub the skillet if you've used enough oil. Just let the oil cool when you're finished cooking and wipe it out with a paper towel. If this doesn't clean the skillet as well as you like after you've wiped out the oil and drippings, sprinkle in some salt, add a thin covering of water, reheat the skillet, gently use a fork to loosen anything that's stubborn, pour out the liquid, and it should be as good as new. Sometimes it's then necessary to wipe in some new oil with a paper towel but not usually....Bliss
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This review is the first review on the never ending quest for the perfect burger...........
The home-cooked or grilled burger also warrants some consideration. I've done some good ones and several bad ones. What I've learned from this: (oh no, another Bliss list)
(1) Use fresh ground sirloin or chuck. The popular lean stuff doesn't have enough fat content to create good burger flavor. The patty itself should be thin for better results and will require only a short time to cook.
(2) A charcoal-grilled burger will have a great smokey flavor but will usually be dry unless you grill using indirect heat after searing both sides and spritz regularly with a combination of water and apple cider vinegar. You'll usually get a better tasting burger if you use a preheated old-timey iron skillet and Canola oil splashed with Worcestershire sauce and a cheap burgundy. Add a liberal amount of salt and pepper to the meat and throw some onions, garlic, and mushrooms into the skillet. Add these to the finished burger along with tomato, lettuce, and/or hot mustard, catsup. or BBQ sauce. Toast the bun as well. Flip the burger once and cook to desired level.
(3) If you prefer a more "liquid" burger, grill or cook as above and then add the finished burger to a covered container that can withstand direct heat. Cover the bottom and the burgers with your favorite BBQ sauce and let simmer for 20 or 30 minutes but don't allow the container to become dry. Add sauce as necessary.
(4) Whatever method is used will be much more successful if the chef has a cold brew at hand.
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As a kid we used to stop at SnS in Peoria
I, too, had my first sns burger in Peoria; 1958 I believe. That was also my first time to have chili mac, a dish I like as much as the burger itself. We still stop at sns whenever we're on the road and in search for decent, quick food.
Other burgers or burger-type sandwiches I like are:
(a) Maid Rite onion and mustard crumbly meat with pickle.
(
McDonald's old-timey "regular" burger. I know, I know but they still taste good to me.© White Castle once or twice annually, especially after a few brews.
(d) Most "bar burgers" - These are usually grilled right behind the bar and can be ordered as special or as plain as desired. We usually order them thin with lettuce, tomato, onion and the bun also placed on the grill to soak up some of the grease. (My doctor would be so proud!)
(e) Wimpy's cheeseburger with Wimpy sauce, mostly thousand island dressing. These are no longer available because the joint folded.
Best roadie food for me, though, is fresh diner meatloaf with mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans....Bliss
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Art's looks like a place I need to try out.
Do you know what city the Vettes were from?
Art's Motel has been totally remodeled and is a cool overnight for only forty bucks. We recommend it.
Sorry, didn't think to inquire about what city the Vettes were from. It was an older group of folks, though, who were having a blast. All of the Vettes were new or near new except for one ragtop that was slightly less new.....Bliss
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I'm home from the National Route 66 gathering in Litchfield, Illinois,
Sorry I missed seeing you and RoadDog Saturday I did see your Vette, however. Enjoyed your cruise journal - another great report.
Six of us cruisers had a fun evening in Farmersville's two saloons. Champ's, an awesome bar and grill there, was recently closed over some lease problem or something like that. Sure missed their hot wings so settled for a garlic pizza at one of the other joints. There were 6 Vettes from Ohio at Art's. One guy said they were on their way to CA on 66 so I'm assuming it was a 6-car caravan.
Will probably see you in Springfield in September (or you could make our motor tour on September 5-6-7); although, 'Lil Red is posted for sale on craigslist.com. Will still have the '77 Monte....Bliss
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Count me in and Bliss, too, I think. I'll be there sometime Thursday.
We're meeting STL cruisin' friends Saturday at the Luna and will cruise to Litchfield "noonish." Just a stopover to say "hey" and then it's off to Farmersville....Bliss
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. Any Indy area folks not grilling out tomorrow?
Hey Denny, wondered which old roads you would be traversing on this long weekend. Looking forward to reading about the cruise in your journal.
I initially thought we had taken 31 from MI through IN a few years ago but looked at my atlas and, alas, see that it was 41/63 from near Gary to Terre Haute instead. Cool drive, though.
Don't know about the Indy area folks grilling this weekend but my plans for Weberizing pork steaks have been washed out, as we have had over 1/2" of rain since yesterday and it's still coming down. There was a time when that wouldn't have stopped me but I'm older now and.........(big sigh here). The marinated pork steaks will go into an old iron skillet instead and I'll bake spuds and onions on an electric grill that's under the deck overhang.
Hope to see you, Pat, and Jennifer at Litchfield on Saturday morning the 21st. We'll be driving 'Lil Red (weather permitting) and will try to park at the Comfort Inn so we can peruse the old cars on 66 and say "hey" to friends. Cancelled Hampton and Ariston reservations and will stay at Art's for forty bucks and party with STL cruisers at Farmersville's three saloons on Saturday afternoon. The peel 'n eat shrimp and hot wings at Champ's are an awesome way to end the party!.....Bliss
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and not sure if gas prices are going to let me do that.
Like nearly everyone else, we're concerned about the extra $$ going into the tank but, darn it, we've worked, saved, planned, etc. for retirement and if cruisin' our old Vette or supercharged Monte costs 3 or 4 times as much as it used to for fuel - so be it. We buy all fuel with credit cards so there's no out-of-pocket cost for it on the road (positive cash flow), then when the bill arrives a few weeks later, I just bite the bullet and pay it in full while remembering the good times we had while on the road.
We do try to compensate for the higher fuel cost, though, by eating 2 meals per day rather than 3. Brunch and dinner work best for us and neither will be consumed at any place that's pricey. Small town cafes and diners are great and we have no problem with pulling into Mickey D's now and then. Beverage cost per gallon (no, we don't actually buy it by the gallon) at saloons is really outrageous so a cooler filled with the stuff from home is much cheaper after we've landed for the day - - and it's just as cold and refreshing. All we miss with this system is the local conversation.
If we can locate a decent mom 'n pop motel we'll stay there - after inspecting a room first. If we can't find one, then we'll look for a lower-priced chain like Super 8, Comfort Inn, Days Inn, etc. A Continental breakfast bar is a plus.
Otherwise, it's just cruisin' as usual and enjoying every mile. Happy Motoring....Bliss
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As most of you know by now, a 5.4 earthquake was felt throughout the midwest at 5:38am EDT this morning. Check in here to let us know if you felt or heard it & where you live. I had no time to worry about a quake, as I was walking around in my house at 5:40 with a baseball bat trying to greet whoever woke us up trying to open our bedroom door.
The house shook a little but no damage was done....Bliss
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Big Oil is in a feeding frenzy to hit the "magical" $4 a gallon mark. The FINAL PUSH has arrived.
Gas here in Fox Lake, Illinois, was $3.43 Monday, $3.52 Tuesday, $3.55 yesterday, and now it is $3.66 today!! Unbelievable. Talk about your rocket up!!!
I had to drive to nearby Mundelein tonight and saw one station at $3.70 for regular, $3.85 for premium, and $4.24 for diesel.
And yet, the govenment does nothing.
Has it jumped this much by you?
I paid $3.69 for premium this week in STL County. No alternatives but to (1) stop cruisin' (2) buy a used 4-cylinder roller skate for city errands (3) do more turnarounds than overnights (4) other?
It's not gonna stop so we just gotta deal with it....Bliss
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Well, I still can't do the 17th but could probably do another weekend in May. I believe the 10th & 11th is out because of Mother's Day and the 24th & 25th are part of Memorial Day weekend. The 3rd & 4th may be too close and apparently wasn't popular anyway but that or the 31st & 1st is all that would work for me. If you and Bliss and maybe at least another car (Chris, mobilene, Bucfan, RoadDog, mmarkley, Kip?) or so want to do one of those weekends, I'll try to do some coordination. If not, maybe as Bliss suggested, we can do it in the fall.
P.S., I see that Pat posted while I was thinking about it. Maybe just letting this simmer until more interest builds is the better idea.
At this point, I think a fall cruise would work out better for us. We can go nearly any weekend in October, as September is really busy for us; 2 family birthdays, MO 66 motor tour, Springfield 66 Festival, etc.....Bliss
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Hey, Bliss.
The Hamel meeting is on the 20th. Perhaps you'll get a chance to stop by. Lunch is at 12 with the meeting following.
We're not sure about going on the Illinois motor tour, with it coming so close to the festival, and, what with these GAS PRICES!!!
Thanks. Sure glad we didn't drive up to Hamel last Sunday to attend a meeting. We won't be able to make it this Sunday. I try not to think about gas prices too much, even though they're outrageous. We're determined not to let prices keep us off the road and try to compensate with cheaper meals, lodging, etc....Bliss
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This Friday, the wife and I will do Route 66 from Dwight to Springfield. We'll be stopping at sites along the way.
Saturday, we'll be staying at the Hilton and I'll be attending the Illinois Sons of Confederate Veterans annual meeting, then we'll enjoy the downtown nightlife.
Sunday, we'll head south to Scotty's in Hamel for the Rt. 66 Assoc. of Illinois' quarterly meeting and spending the night.
Monday and Tuesday we'll be back on Springfield for Cozy Dog's, NTN, Bill Shea, and horseshoes.
Hey RoadDog, I'm confused regarding the IL meeting in Hamel. Your post is dated the 14th and for some reason I thought the Hamel meeting was on the 13th. Am I misreading your post? I envy your cruise from Dwight to Springfield on 66. We're registered for their June motor tour from STL to Wilmington and will probably spend Sunday night in Dwight....Bliss
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I took a trip most of the way last weekend. The Iowa Geograhic Map Server was a very helpful resource for this. (Think Google Earth 1930's...
http://ortho.gis.iastate.edu/client.cgi?zo...amp;pheight=450
Cedar County seems to be absent from the 1930's layer, but the 1960's layer will help you find a neat old alignment West of Lowden that you will have to hike on foot to get to.... Take Highway 6 on way back!
Thanks for the info. We're registered for the August "River to River" motor tour on the LH and are looking forward to visiting IA and seeing new stuff....Bliss
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Hmmmmm. Guess that's not the easy task it sounded like. There is an Iowa Lincoln Highway website but it's rather short on information. It is actually a sub-directory of the national site even though it claims the be "the longest running Lincoln Highway state website". There must be more to that story. I'm guessing you were there and probably recognized the name of Iowa's state director. Not too long ago, Jeff LaFollette was president of the Illinois Route 66 Association. The Lincoln doesn't seem to be mentioned on either the national or Iowa byways sites. (From another post I gather you've been there, too.)
By coincidence, I just finished Gregory Franzwa's Iowa Lincoln Highway book (it's volume 1). It tracks the road through the state in great detail and has some fabulous maps but nothing that could quite be called "turn-by-turn". Likewise, Brian Butko's "Greetings from the Lincoln Highway" could be used to navigate through the state but there is no concise set of "turn-by-turn" directions. A possible silver lining is that Brian shows four generations of LH across the state so I'm guessing that, if you drive from Clinton through Denison to Council Bluffs, you'll probably be on some LH alignment much of the time
. Before someone asks, I'll mention that, while Michael Wallis' recent LH book could be used to generally follow the highway, its forte is not guidance. It'll sure make you want to go, though.I'd be happy to try to sort out specific questions with what I have (I also have a copy of the reprint of the 1924 guide) but am afraid I can't come up with a set of "turn-by-turn"s. Sure you don't want to do the Ohio section? Got turns for that
I went to the official Iowa Lincoln Highway site today and downloaded a registration form for their first-ever motor tour ("River to River") to be held in August. While we don't particularly relish cruisin' Iowa in August, it's not any different than IL, MO, IN, or OH as far as hot weather is concerned. The motor tour appears to be well organized and will give us the necessary guidance for our initial Lincoln cruise; so we're going. Why not join us?. (Here's the site.)....Bliss
http://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/iowa/tour/motortour.html
Ia Lincoln Highway Motor Tour
in Lincoln Highway / U.S. 30 / U.S. 50
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After leaving Clinton the tour made its first passport stop in DeWitt. The locals served coffee and pastry in the city park, a trend that would continue for the entire motor tour. We then headed for Lowden to the next passport stop. Here's a road shot.