Keep the Show on the Road!
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Posts posted by Keep the Show on the Road!
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Right! I falsely remembered US 12 leaving the YT at Wallula Junction to head toward Oregon. 12 doesn't leave the YT until Yakima, then heads west.
Another note, though. Just north of Yakima, near Selah, the YT followed Wenas Road and Umptanum Road to Ellensburg. That is a fine drive (much good gravel) that makes it easy to imagine traveling on the YT in 1920.
It sure does!! That is a sweet bit of good advice from the expert! It has been a couple of years since I took that road, but it is one of the best remaining longer examples of the old Yellowstone in the west.
We had planned to take it this trip and close the loop back through Cle Elum, but the weather was turning wet so we cut the trip short by returning via White Pass.
While I am replying, I have wondered sometihng. Sometime probably in 2001 or 2002, probably in April, I took the old Lookout Pass dirt road out of Mullen eastbound until I was blocked by a snowdrift. On my way back down, there out in the middle of nowhere was a couple in what I recall as a white Ford sedan,. I couldn't imagine that anyone else had any reason to be miles from nowhere, unless they were following the Yellowstone also. We exchanged a "Hello'" and since they weren't in distress, I drove on down the road. I have wondered since whether it was you folks.
Anyway, it is great to have you add your expertise!! We had a wondeful trip and almost closed the loop in Washington, but not quite. I'll be posting more soon with pictures.
Keep the Show on the Road.
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That looks like a great place to check out.
By the way, I am very interested in US-12. Is that part of the Yellowstone in Washington?
As always, thanks for the interest and reply!!
In Washington, today’s US 12 is generally contiguous with the pre 1925 Yellowstone Trail (YST) from Dodge (west of Pomeroy) through Dayton, Waitsburg, Walla Walla, Richland, Prosser, Grandview and , Yakima. We traveled that route three days ago, including the beautiful US 12 non Yellowstone Trail section from Yakima over White Pass with its spectacular views of Mt. Rainer. I will post a few photos and the story soon, so come back in a few days to this section of the forum.
I have repeatedly traveled today's US 12 over the years in Washington, so if you have a particular interest I may be able to answer a question of two.
By the way, when did the current US 12 take its number? On all my post 1926 atlases up through 1953 it is identified in Washington as US 410.
In the meantime, Keep the Show on the Road!
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How far east are you going to go?
We don't live too far away from it here in northeast Illinois where it is the Sheridan Road.
Thanks for the reply! We are back at the ole home base again. The trip was limited to the 1915 and 1925 routes of the Yellowstone Trail in Washington.
One of these days we will do a cross country trip and swing through Illinois. My ancestors came from that area but I have only been in Chicago. We have lots more to see!
I have added a couple of fresh posts in the Yellowstone Trail section, with photos, et al of the 1925 route.
Keep the Show on the Road!
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I realize that a map may help locate sites in unfamiliar areas so I have numbered the photos in my four related Yellowstone Trail posts on the map. You will find the number in the caption of each photo.
We left Waterville and David and Amy at the Hotel Tuesday headed east on US 2, AKA the 1925 Yellowstone Trail, the National Parks Highway, and the Sunset Highway, A wealth of old roads! Before we left, David gave me a recent book describing a trip along the National Parks Highway in 1919, as well as a copy of an original 1925 map of Washington I didn’t have in my collection. I gave them copies of half a dozen 1917-1920 strip maps of the old road produced by the Automobile Club of Western Washington.
We backtracked a couple of miles to photograph a picturesque Dr Pierces sign visible from US 2 as you come into Waterville from the west.
Barn just west of Waterville (Map Location 1)
The hamlet of Douglas, a few miles east of Waterville was on the Yellowstone. The Douglas General store was closed, but it looked like only a seasonal thing. I certainly hope so, as it is a special stop on the old trail.
Douglas General Store (taken two years ago)...on the Yellowstone Trail Route (Map Location 2)
There isn’t a lot to stop for between Douglas and Moses Coulee. Fifteen Million years ago 64000 square miles of the northwest was covered with layer upon layer of lava. The Missoula Floods swept the surface clear. Some of the lava layers are exposed in the Moses Coulee, a deep gash miles long and a couple of miles wide that runs through the Waterville plateau.
The Moses Coulee was cut by the outflow and floods of ice age lakes Spokane and Columbia and the Waterville plateau was scoured by the famed Missoula Floods that occurred when a huge ice dam near Missoula, Montana broke repeatedly over eons and released the water of Lake Missoula.
Moses Coulee from the Old Yellowstone Trail Alignment (Map Location 3)
The old highway snaked up the side of the Coulee on the only roadbed possible in days when horses pulled the road making equipment. US 2 now climbs out of the coulee on a massive fill and cut, probably viable from the moon with binoculars!
I had studied the route of the old Yellowstone Trail using Delorme and Google Earth, but you never really know whether you can travel it in a little sedan until you are on the ground. At the very bottom of the Coulee we picked up a dirt road that took us perhaps a quarter mile through sagebrush and rock. Then in from the right swung the old pavement, complete with the old white line.
Dodging the sagebrush that had encroached from the sides making it a one laner, we started up the old grade. Halfway up we found an old sign still standing, advertising a long gone bank in Coulee City, and the remains of a rusting car beside the road
The road wound up the edge of the Coulee with magnificent views down the canyon. The lack of any kind of guard rail suggested that the road may have been abandoned some time ago. There was an unguarded several hundred foot drop off the edge.
Looking south down the Coulee from the old road. You can see the massive fill of the new road in the distance. (Map Location 3)To view in 3D, stare at the two images and slowly cross your eyes until you get a third 3D image in the center.When we reached the top of the plateau we were greeted with the back side of a Road Closed sign, and a wooden barrier. Happily we were able to skirt it. Apparently we had not been blocked at the bottom end because it was not expected that most people would find the old road from that direction. But then most people don’t study the old alignments before they travel!
Without a doubt, the most spectacular scene is the Dry falls in the Grand Coulee. The turn off on State Route 17 for the short drive to Dry Falls, takes you to one of America’s most spectacular sites, important not just for what it is today, but for the amazing forces that created it.
Dry Falls (Map Location 4)
Unlike the wonderful Grand Canyon which was carved over millions of years inch by inch, Dry Falls, several times larger than Niagara, was carved out of solid rock in a short time, geologically speaking, by massive floods out of Lake Missoula in what is now Montana. The now dry falls and the coulee are the product of cataclysmic floods, each relatively short, that geologists didn’t recognize were the cause until fairly recently.
The Eastern Washington scablands and the channels carved by the massive outpourings of Lake Missoula, boggle the mind. They are best seen from the air on a flight in or out of Seattle, because you see the effect of the floods in overview. On the ground, you see deep canyons with high cliffs, and rocks as large as hotels resting in strange places.
I’ll update the post later with more photos and descriptions. It is Thursday morning and I want to keep this as current as possible. Tuesday night we stayed in Davenport, but did not have wi fi. We are in Colfax today on the 1915 Yellowstone Trail route. We will take the old road out of Colfax and head for Walla Walla, crossing the Snake River at what was the Central Ferry in Yellowstone Trail days, but is now a bridge.
BTW, we spotted the old Yellowstone Trail marker yesterday at Rosilia on the abandoned Milwaukee Railroad Bridge. It also looks like John and Alice have been here recently as each museum has their book and 1919 guide for sale. Long live the Yellowstone! (Note: I bought the last guide at the Lincoln County Museum, better restock them!)
More later. For now we are trying to Keep the Show on the Road! -
I realize that a map may help locate sites in unfamiliar areas so I have numbered the photos in my four related Yellowstone Trail posts on the map. You will find the number in the caption of each photo.
We are on the Yellowstone Trail tonight, in the small town of Waterville, Washington, population about 1100. This is real small town America. The only restaurant closes at 8PM and the only bar serves the best meals in town. We ordered the twelve inch meat eaters pizza and it weighed at least 3 pounds. Even a hungry man couldn’t eat more than two slices, despite the fact it was delicious.
We are spending the evening at the 1903 Waterville Hotel. David and Amy are our hosts. David bought the hotel in 1992 and after renovating it, opened it for business in 1996.
The 1903 Waterville Hotel, Waterville WA. A stop on the Yellowstone Trail (Map Location 1)
David pulled out a copy of American Road, volume one, issue one. I told him I wished I had saved mine! It had a note from Becky Repp, co-editor of American Road inside, a memento from a stop here in 2003.
The Hotel Lobby with much Original Furniture (Map Location 1)
As we stood on the old fashioned porch and discussed Waterville and the hotel, townspeople drove and walked by, each one waving and greeting David and me. I guess when you stay at the Hotel you are automatically part of the community
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Amy showed me the rooms and the library. They have furnished each with old fashioned furniture and accessories. You even get a retro radio tape player combination and old time radio tapes to play. The lobby and sitting room are right out of the 1920’s, and much of it is actual furniture from the hotel from 60 or 70 years ago. Apparently the former owner had kept the original furniture down through the years, so David got it when he acquired the hotel.
We have a 700 square foot two room suite with full kitchen, couch, easy chair, and all the fixings, including wi fi for less that a night at most motels. This is their one dog friendly room, and we were happy to get it. Bo was pretty tuckered out after several hours traveling so he has a large section of floor to rest on.
(Next morning)
Across the street is the Waterville Garage, a typical 1920’s facility. Were it not for the Visa and Master Card signs, this might as well be 1925 when the Yellowstone Trail was rerouted through here from its former path through Walla Walla and Yakima much to the south.
The Waterville Garage (Map Location 1)
This place is about as close as you can get to time travel. The Hotel, the old garage, and Waterville itself evoke the memory and images of what America was like in 1925 or 1940.
Downtown Waterville at Dusk...on the Yellowstone Trail (Map Location 1)
The folks who monitor the Yellowstone Trail section here, and write the Yellowstone Trail material for American road, John and Alice Ridge, stayed at the Waterville not long ago. Now Amy offers their book for sale and has posters of the Yellowstone Trial hung in the hallway outside our room.
Yesterday, our first day on the Trail, was filled with stops in other great places like Cle Elum and the old Blewett Pass burg of Liberty. We will add more photos and stories as time permits. As for me, I’m headed in to get my continental breakfast as soon as I post this.
If you want to stay at the Hotel, visit their website at www.watervillehotel.com. It will be an enjoyable experience.
Ole Bo, the Malamute Wonder Dog has recovered from a day of checking the sights and is ready to help Keep the Show on the Road. -
I wasn't quite sure to where to post this but there were some US highways involved in my weekend drive so I figured this was as good a place as any. The weekend drive was centered on the Ohio & Erie Canalway in north eastern Ohio which I did on Saturday. Even though I spent only one day on the actual byway, I had to get there and get home so I've got three days posted at
http://www.dennygibson.com/oecway0507/index.htm
It's sort of a day trip with sideboards.
Damn, Denny, I enjoy your stuff! And your web layout is perfect for telling a photo/ text story. I appreciate the links as well. If I can’t be there, your writing, photos, and presentation reign.
I have never been closer to Ohio than 30,000 feet, but I get a bit of it in your descriptions. I think your shot of the Byway with the industrial structures is great. Somehow it doesn’t look bad from this distance. Maybe we are seeing what our kids will consider picturesque industrial history.
We are off this morning on a journey through the farmlands and villages of eastern Washington, along the Yellowstone Trail, AKA Sunset Highway and Inland Empire Highway. Your comments and Dennyisms are always welcome.
Keep the Show on the Road!
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There is a magic about two lane travel, and it often starts before the trip. Sheila, Rose of the Road, Bo, the Malamute Wonder Dog, and I are planning to leave tomorrow for a little road tripping along the 1915 and 1925 Yellowstone Trail in Washington.
Hey Pal, Let's Get This Show on the Road!We have passed by the historic Waterville Hotel, in the lovely village of Waterville, Washington several times over the years but one thing or another prevented us from staying in this 1906 restored beauty. It served travelers along the Sunset Highway and the Yellowstone Trail for many years, and enjoyed a reputation for good food and nice rooms. It was the Waterville “control” for the 1915 and 1919 Automobile Blue Books and is pictured in both.
1915 Ad for the Waterville Hotel. Today a restored beauty.Not wanting to miss the opportunity to at least tour the building we e-mailed the hotel this afternoon, and the owner, David called this evening. To our delight they had a room and even more to our delight, they are Yellowstone Trail aficionados. David and Amy both welcome two lane adventurers regularly and Amy is becoming the local expert on the old road.
The courtesy and enthusiasm that met our inquiry, and the shared interest in the old roads will no doubt make for a great visit, so I will pack old maps and guides to share.
Where but on the two lane roads of America do you find this kind of interest and hospitality? David closed by saying to my surprise that they have wi fi, so expect the first installment of travels with Bo as early as tomorrow.
For those who are not familiar with the Yellowstone, we will travel over Snoqualmie Pass, through Cle Elem, over Blewett Pass, through Cashmere, and meet the Columbia River at Wenatchee. Then we go north along the east bank of the mighty Columbia to Orondo, and up the famed Pine Canyon grade to Waterville for the night.
Tuesday we are likely to cross the scablands formed by the unbelievably huge Missoula floods (as deep as 600 Ft), stop at Dry Falls, a massive dry fall cut by the rushing water that dwarfs Niagara, and then drive eastward through former farm villages toward Spokane and the Inland Empire.
The next couple of days we will take the earlier 1915 loop through Walla Walla, Yakima, and then up to Ellensburg.
Advice on sights and stops are earnestly appreciated!
Follow travels with Bo on the Yellowstone Trail in the Yellowstone Trail section right here on the American Road Forum. We are trying to Keep the Show on the Road!
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Hey - wait a minute . . . in one of your previous posts you explained how gas prices are actually not so bad compared to gas prices in 1913 along the Lincoln Highway. (Just needed to tease you a bit).
I know prices are definitely higher than we'd like. Unfortunately, it's beyond me on how to solve that issue, but, you might want to take a look at the suggestions on our Road News page on ways to save money. And, now, I ask everyone on the AMERICAN ROAD® FORUM - what money saving travel tips do YOU use?
Look forward to hearing from everyone so that we can all Keep the Show on the Road!
Becky
Ouch, hung on my own gas pump! Or 2YsUR,2YsUB,ICUR2Ys4Me!
Gasoline isn’t the primary cost of owning a vehicle, and it isn’t even the primary cost of traveling. If you travel 300 miles a day in an automobile that gets 20 miles to the gallon, the difference in daily cost when gasoline is $2.50 a gallon or $3.50 a gallon is $15. Not trivial, but probably not a budget buster in and of itself. None the less, how can I cut the cost of my auto trips, using my current vehicle?
I love to drive, and to travel. I confess I’m not checking the air in my tires more frequently, coasting on long down grades, or rolling down the windows to save on air conditioning. But we can cut our cost of travel and add to the fun. I argue you have to look at the full picture, not just at the cost of gasoline.
We picnic more and eat lunch less frequently in a restaurant. I figure that’s at least a net $4.00 saved (and a lot more for a family), and better yet, we have more fun. We stop where and when we like, pretend we are 18 again, and eat better.
Instead of spending a buck or more apiece for a cold drink or bottled water when we gas up, we carry a little cooler with some ice and soft drinks. It is there when we want it, and we don’t have to wait in line to buy it. Assuming two stops and 4 soft drinks, that’s at least $2.00 saved.
We enjoy eating dinner out, but we look for places that are special, not expensive. We scout the recommendations from American Road, and forum members. We save money, and I’m sure we have more fun. The cost savings here is so variable I won’t try to add it up, but my guess it is at least $5 to 10 bucks a dinner. Oh, BTY, don’t hesitate to read the menus often posted outside restaurants in tourist areas, or ask for one before you are seated. It’s your money.
With refrigerators and microwaves in many motel rooms, we should have fruit on granola with yogurt and some juice instead of a restaurant breakfast. It would cost half what we spend on breakfast in a restaurant, and be twice as good for us. You could save at least $5 plus tip!
We often use the little coupon books you see that give special motel rates. We carry our AAA tour book, and pick up a free coupon book on the road. We select the places we would consider staying in the AAA book, and then we cross reference to the coupon book. While we are still miles away, we call the places in the coupon book that met our standard based on the AAA book, and ask for their best rate. If it isn’t the coupon rate, we simply cite the coupon rate. Most of the time the clerk or owner will then offer the coupon rate, or very near it, especially off season. And there is a little forbidden pleasure when the fat cat next to you pays $20 or $30 more than you did for the same room. Also wherever possible, check out the places in American Road or recommended by forum members. They are usually less expensive, just as nice, and a lot more fun than most cookie cutter motels. Figure at least $10 saved.
Add it up and the savings exceed the increase in gasoline costs, and you are traveling healthier and happier
Now for those of you lucky enough to be driving a Behemoth 8, I can tell you how to get gasoline, not just cheaper, but free. Get rid of the Behemoth.
Do the arithmetic. Look at the AAA cost estimates. You will be shocked. I don’t care if you really want to drive a new $35,000 two ton Behemoth 8, but don’t whine about gas prices.
Just to cite the AAA study, it will cost you 37 cents a mile to operate a small sedan, 57 cents for a large sedan, and 60 cents for an SUV. This was when gasoline was $2.26 a gallon!! Add another 6 or so cents to each category to adjust to today’s gas prices.
So by driving a small sedan, not a big car or an SUV, the money you save is 20 cents or more a mile, or more than the cost of your gasoline! Your gasoline is free! In fact the price of gasoline can go to $5.00 or more a gallon and you are still getting it for nothing compared to what you would have paid with the Behemoth 8. Drive as far and as often as you like, and the gasoline is free.
Maybe that is a tiny bit fast and loose with the details and doesn’t deal with all the reasons you really need that big luxury vehicle, but the bottom line is, if you want to save money on gas and travel, drive a more fuel efficient vehicle.
Driving more and spending less, I try to Keep the Show on the Road
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Great description!
I went to your webshots site and enjoyed the photos. What is the story on the Rockhouse Cafe?
BTY, are there supposed to be photos in the body of your post? If so, I'm not seeing them, although I'm signed in.
Anyway, I look forward to the next chapter!
Keep the Show on the Road!
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The last I saw here in Indy was $2.35 yesterday, not too much less than Pat reported Tuesday. But according to IndyGasPrices.com, it's $2.28 in some places as of this morning.
Jennifer
Gees, here we are 8 months later and the price is $3.58. That is over a 50% increase!! This is as a result of "increased demand" as some would like us to believe? I wish you other guys would stop driving so much!
How can I Keep the Show on the Road?
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Below is the 1915 Automobile Blue Book description of the road between Fallon and Austin.
Fallon to Austin, Nev. - 118.5 m.Via Salt Wells Ranch, Frenchmans and Alpine Ranch. This is a section of the Lincoln Highway. As the mountain ranges in this part of the state run north and south the Lincoln Highway is compelled to go over the top of them, making numerous rather steep grades. There are several long stretches without water on this trip and the tourist is warned to take on full supplies before leaving Fallon. Fair dirt road to Salt Wells. Here an 8-mile flat is crossed which will be absolutely impassable in wet weather and tourists are warned not to attempt it after a rain, although it will be pretty fair in dry weather if the freight teams have not cut it up to any great extent. After leaving 8-mile flat the road is rolling and hilly with a few sandy stretches, but as a whole is very good. After leaving Alpine Ranch no water is obtainable for 50 miles. Austin lies half way up the side of the mountain and the grades are very steep approaching it.
According to the 1915 Good Roads Annual, the State of Nevada spent zero, zippo, nada, on roads in 1915. It was all up to counties, which you may be certain weren’t big spenders. And there were no federal matching funds. So imagine the road in 1915!
Salt Wells was a stop on the Lincoln in 1915. Perhaps the bladeless windmill in the photo below marks the site of the wells. The buildings in the photo housed until recently the Salt Wells Villa brothel. The facility was closed in 2004, but according to local newspaper accounts, there is some interest in reopening it. The place was closed when we stopped for this 2005 photo.
Salt Wells Villa BrothelI want to include here a photograph on the Lincoln taken in 1915, very likely in the same place. It is part of the wonderful collection at the University of Michigan Library, Special Collections. The University of Michigan Library does a great and much appreciated service.
The image is "Near Salt Wells” 1915, the year of our Automobile Blue Book quote above cautioning that freight wagons may cut the road up. This is a freight wagon. It looks like a load of hay and railroad ties, or perhaps bridge beams. A close look to the far right shows the Salt Wells.
Salt Wells 1915 (University of Michigan, Special Collections)Now remember the comment above about the road being cut up by freight wagons? This photo is taken in the dry season. Look at the ruts cut onto the road by the horses and wagons! And at the dust.
When you encountered one of these rigs in your auto on the old Lincoln, who do you think detoured off the road into the sand to get around? Let me assure you, it wasn’t the teamster. If you saw him coming, and in this landscape you could, you hoped to find a bit of firm ground to pull off. If you met him on a mountain curve, you did the backing down.
I can’t resist including another photo from the University of Michigan collection taken between Fallon and Salt Wells, in 1915. It should speak for itself.
Stuck Between Fallon and Salt Wells, 1915 (University of Michigan, Special Collections)The next identified stop on the old Lincoln was at Sand Springs on the north side of the road. (If you want an interesting view of the dunes and the old Pony Express Station, go to Google earth. The station is at 39.2910, -118.4182 and the dunes will be very evident to the north east. The “Loneliest Phone in America” stands at the turn off US50, drawing its power from solar cells. You can see the reflection of the tower on which rest the solar cells. I have included a shot of Sheila, Rose of the Road calling home.
Lonliest Phone in AmericaThe huge sand dune on the horizon is used for recreational purposes. Most people today take the turn off US50 and then pass by the most interesting site within fifty miles without paying attention. About .8 mile from the turn off US 50 on the road toward the dunes is the road to the 1860 Sand Springs Pony Express station. It is a short walk from the parking area to the station.
1860 Sand Springs Pony Express StationBelieve it or not, the station is not much different today than it was 137 years ago, probably in good part because it was buried until the 1970’s under sand, and thus protected from both the elements and the sub humans we call vandals.
Sir Richard Burton wrote in 1860 of a stop at Sand Springs Pony Express station:
"Sand Springs deserved its name. Like the Brazas de San Diego and other mauraises terren near the Rio Grande, the land is cumbered here and there with drifted ridges of the finest sand, sometimes 200 feet high and shifting before every gale. Behind the house stood a mound shaped like the contents of an hour-glass, drifted up by the stormy S.E. gale in esplande shape and falling steep to northward or against the wind. The water near this vile hole was thick and stale with sulphury salts; it blistered the hands. The station house was no unfit object on such a scene, roofless and chairless, filthy and squalid, with a smoky fire in one corner, impure floor, the walls open to every wind, and the interior full of dust. Hibernia, herself, never produces aught more characteristic. Of the employees, all loitered and sauntered about desoeuvre's as cretins except one, who lay on the ground crippled and apparently dying by the fall of a horse upon his breast bone."
It is often said that photos don’t do something justice. This is the case here. It is difficult to get the feel of the site in a photograph at midday, and I have never been there except in full mid day light. When you visit it alone it takes on aura of the past that is hard to shake. The sand, the wind, the fireplace where the man lay dying, are all there, and the walls are probably about as high in most areas of the building as there were in 1860. It makes you wonder what the fellows who kept the station felt when they heard a noise in the night and knew that some pretty angry Indians were around.
I have included a 3D photo to give the structure some dimension. You can see the sand dune in the background. To view in 3D stare at the side by side photos and slowly cross your eyes until a third image in 3D appears in the center.
Sand Springs Pony Express Station in 3DOne Pony Express rider tells the following story:
"One day I trotted into Sand Springs covered with dust and perspiration. Before I reached the station. I saw a number of men (Indians) running toward me, all carrying rifles, and one of them with a wave of his hand said, 'All right, you pooty good boy, you go.' I did not need a second order, and as quickly as possible rode out of their presence, looking back, however, as long as they were in sight, and keeping my rifle handy."
Pony Bob Haslam, in his famous ride (see quote in Cold Springs description below), may have saved the life of the sole man at the Sand Springs station during the Piute uprising in 1860. On his west bound ride, he found the Cold Springs station in ruins and the station keeper dead. When he reached Sand Springs he convinced the fellow there to ride west with him to the relative security of the station at Carson Sink. Good counsel.
The next place on the Lincoln, Frenchman’s, is long gone. All that is left are a few rusty auto parts scattered on the ground, and what appears to be a water pipe. It is a little sad, as Frenchman’s looms large and prosperous in old photos and on old maps.
The 1924 Lincoln Highway Guide notes;
Telephone, gas, oil, meals, lodgings.
This was originally a freighters' station, but M. Bermond, (the "Frenchman") the proprietor, has built and fitted up splendid rooms, and will serve such a meal as you might expect on Fifth Ave. in New York.
Water is hauled several miles to supply this station and a charge is necessarily made for it.
Somewhere along the stretch past Frenchman’s is a rare shutree, the limbs sprouting shufruit. I don’t recall the milepost but it is on the left (north) side of the road near Middlegate and you can’t miss it.
Scientists have been unable to fully explain how this rare species propagates, and why one would be found so far from others of its species. One theory is that a shuseed somehow stuck to a truck or auto passing one of the other trees of this species in another state. Somehow the shuseed was dislodged and took root on the loneliest road in America. The other theory involves aliens.
A Shutree near MiddlegateGoing westbound you now have a choice. You can take the old US50 road (now NV 722) which is the newer Lincoln Highway (1925) or the newer US50 road which is actually the older Lincoln Highway (1913). Confused? Don’t be.
I would take the US50 as far as the Cold Springs Pony Express Station (about 9 miles) then backtrack and take NV 722 which is for my money the prettier and more evocative drive. Besides, it has little traffic.
On the left of US50 at about 8.7 miles past the intersection with NV722 are some impressive ruins of the Cold Springs Overland Stage station and not far beyond, some of a telegraph station. It is sad that it has been necessary to fence in the stations, but judging from the damage to Sand Springs in just the three years between my visits there, fences with razor wire are the only thing that touches the psyche of the vandal.
Across the road on the right is a dirt road to a kiosk and a trail to Cold Springs Pony Express Station, still undamaged when we last visited it in 2003. The walk to the station is about 1.5 miles one way on a flat surface. But beware the hot sun on your head. Don’t take the walk without a suitable hat and at least a bottle of water. You could be sorry.
Cold Springs Pony Express Station where Pony Bob found the station keeper killedThis is the place where Pony Bob found the station keeper killed. Quoting his story:
"After remaining at Smith Creek about nine hours, I started to retrace [westbound] my journey with the return Express. When I arrived at Cold Springs to my horror I found that the station had been attacked by Indians, the keeper killed, and all the horses taken away. I decided in a moment what course to pursue — I would go on. I watered my horse, having ridden him thirty miles on time, he was pretty tired, and started for Sand Springs, thirty seven miles away. It was growing dark, and my road lay through heavy sagebrush, high enough in some places to conceal a horse. I kept a bright lookout, and closely watched every motion of my poor pony's ears, which is a signal for danger in Indian country. I was prepared for a fight, but the stillness of the night and the howling of the wolves and coyotes made cold chills run through me at times; but I reached Sand Springs in safety and reported what had happened. Before leaving, I advised the station keeper to come with me to the Sink of the Carson, for I was sure the Indians would be upon him the next day. He took my advice, and so probably saved his life, for the following morning Smith Creek was attacked."
Back track now the nine miles to NV 722 and take it to Austin by way of Eastgate. When we were there in 2005 there was a Lincoln Highway marker on the gate. The ranch house was empty.
Eastgate Ranch HouseThe bunkhouse(?) walls are covered with the names and initials of Lincoln Highway drivers of the past. I have read the building's stones were moved here from Middlegate, which diminishes its provenance a bit, but doesn’t diminish the pleasure of perusing the old names and dates carved in its walls.
Eastgate Bunkhouse(?) WallThe 1924 Lincoln Highway Guide states that Eastgate offers “…meals, lodging, gas, oil, drinking water, radiator water, camp site. A fine place to camp.”
Next Stop, Austin and the famed International Hotel
Dave
Keep the Show on the Road!
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The Gilroy, Ca., Dispatch reports that a stretch of 115 Deodar cedar trees and 20 oaks along a 1.39 mile stretch of the Hecker Pass Highway has been ok'd by the California State Historical Resources Commission to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. Of course, listing won't prevent demolition, but it will make it more difficult.
These trees were planted on National Arbor Days in 1930 and 1931. Twenty-four were saved last year when a debate was held about the widening of the road to accomodate hundreds of new homes being built in the area. Four are still in danger.
I'm not sure where Gilroy is, but I always really enjoy driving along a stretch of road with trees on either side and especially when they form a natural canopy.
Article title (also a photo from the air) "Heckler Trees Deserve Historical Designation, Commission" by Serdar Tumgoren
Keep up the Good Work, Gilroy!!! --RoadDog
RoadDog, thanks for the report!
Gilroy is an old community on the old El Camino Real (US101) with much history in the far south of Santa Clara County, about 30 miles south of San Jose, California. I knew it fairly well in the mid 50’s. Hecker Pass was once in a rural location, but like most of the area, is now engulfed by development.
Apparently the fight over saving the trees took the standard route (I read some comments on the web). We have enough trees in the world, the branches will fall on our heads, we will run into them, they are in the way, they will all die anyway, etc. I’m glad some people who respect their heritage were also heard. And kudo’s to those who made the right decision and those who did the work to make it happen!
Keep the Show on the Road
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WHAT A BUNCH OF AMERICAN ROAD FOLKS DO ON A CRUISE
I arrived at the Wigwam Village on Friday and went into the office/gift shop to get my room, er, teepee. I was a bit taken aback when the clerk said it would be one hundred eighty for the two nights. Hey, that's a bit too classy for me. I said, "What?" and we eventually determined that she meant $100.80. That was better.
Kent and Mary Sue Sandersen were there already and had occupied the local pavillion in the name and honor of the American Road. They had a fire going in the bbq and the table laid out with the fixins for a mini feast. It was at this time I found out that the county was dry and I had not a drop with me. I had to see for myself, and a drive around convinced me it was true. I did get some snacks and some, sorry Baby Boomer Bob, some double banana Moon Pies!! He is of the opinion that to eat anything other than the chocolate Moon Pie ranks on the verge of sacrilege. At this time, I was hoping that someone would be there a little more prepared than I.
When I returned, Denny Gibson, Bob and Susan Reynolds, and some folks in a wonderful old Corvair were there. Of course, they would be Jennifer and Pat Bremer.
I was glad to see that the Wigwam Village had a full house on both nights. People must really want to spend a night in those teepees. Last fall, on our end-to-end Route 66 trip, my wife and I had arrived too early to stop at the other two. I was looking forward to this.
Good ol' Denny had brought along his personal preference in the bourbon category and I was able to avail myself of some of its contents. We feasted on an ample supply of Ballpark franks and burgers with some great chow-chow sauce. Denny had also brought along some of that great American elixir called Moxie from Cincinnati. He had the original, cream soda, orange cream, and blue cream. I'd heard of this before, but never had any. Denny warned that some of us might not care for it, but it tasted mighty good to me. He also had some Christian Moerlein minibrew beers with him. Good stuff as well.
Day 2, the cruise, will be coming up.
Keep on Down that two Lane Highway. --RoadDog
Great stuff!!! Keep it coming!!
This is what it takes to Keep the Show on the Road!!
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A quick travel tip. The National Weather Service provides a collection of graphic weather forecasts that display cloud cover, precipitation (both rain and snow) by predicted amount, wind, and a variety of other weather elements dynamically on a map. I don’t mean the typical radar displays that show past events, or the little graphics with a smiley sun partly obscured by a naughty cloud!
These are animated graphic forecasts on a map. As you move your cursor over the hours on the timeline for today, tomorrow, or for up to 7 days ahead, the maps are updated graphically. For example as you move your cursor over the time line, the sky cover graphic turns increasing darker tones of grey for areas of the map the greater the forecast cloud cover in the area. It is like watching a movie of future weather on the map, and you control the day and the hour you want to view, and even the scale of the map!
On a winter trip into Santa Fe, we stayed in sunny skies a day ahead of a snow storm all the way. As a result we got some nice photos and enjoyed sunshine and dry roads. Sadly, Sheila, Rose of the Road had to cut short her shopping in Santa Fe so we could beat the storm out of town, but sometimes there is a price to pay for knowledge!
The text forecasts are great as well, and they are available for any place on the maps, just by clicking on the location you want. The combination of detailed text forecasts via a click on the map, and dynamic graphic weather map forecasts makes for easy trip planning and real time trip adjustments for maximum fun.
Search on National Weather Service and look for the Graphical Forecasts. Currently the URL is www.weather.gov/forecasts/graphical/sectors/
Just a little travel tip to help you Keep the Show on the Road!
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In my opinion you are both masters on the subject compared to a greenhorn like myself. Thanks for sharing the information that you have.
I have a couple of more questions in regards to that section of the Lincoln.
What year did the route that passes through what is now Dugway Proving Grounds switch to the the one that passes through Wendover? Was it prior to the creation of the US Highways?
When was the Lincoln Highway through Dugway Provings Grounds closed? I would assume that it was shortly after creation of the base in the early 40's?
I have a 1941 Road Atlas that was published by State Farm Insurance that shows the area prior to the creation of Proving Grounds but shows the route of the Lincoln Highway through the southern end of the Great Salt Lake as mostly an unpaved road with no designation and no indication of any military bases.
Let me refer to the Lincoln Highway – Utah by Gregory Franzwa and Jesse Petersen.
I think you have to consider two sections of the Lincoln on the Dugway. The older 1913 route and the 1919 Goodyear Cutoff. The latter is the straight as an arrow route that crosses the Dugway and takes you via Gold Hill. The earlier route went by way of Fish Springs and followed a good part of the Pony Express route in the area. This route is also blocked by the Dugway and is the basis of my initial comment that you can detour around and enjoy the Pony Express for 40 miles as a bonus.
Peterson did a nice overview map of the three main routes, another good reason to buy the book. I think it would be taking too much liberty for me to copy it and post it without permission.
The Wendover route is dated to 1927, after the advent of numbered highways in the US (1926 was when we officially got numbered highways, but usually they don’t show as such on maps until 1927). Franzwa does a nice write up of the Wendover Route in the current issue of the Lincoln Highway Forum magazine. I would join (I am a member) if only for the publication.
I need to repeat the importance of the two (Lincoln Highway – Nevada and Lincoln Highway – Utah by Franzwa and Petersen) books because they are far better sources than I will ever be.
I have no idea when the Goodyear Cutoff actually was closed to public traffic. It probably had a value locally for some time, but it probably did not carry much traffic. I really don’t know. The Dugway was deactivated in 1946 than reactivated in 1950, so maybe the last date it was open was 1950.
Maybe Ypsi-slim will correct me and enlighten us.
I’m just trying to Keep the Show on the Road!
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Great stuff - I have not personally driven the route around the Dugway bombing range but was told that it is best for high profile vehicles. Additionally it was recommended by locals in Tooele (including Jesse Peterson the Lincoln Highway Association Treasurer and former Tooele Sheriff) that you have a good spare tire, cell phone, food and water. Now I don't know if there is cell coverage there - there isn't in Ely. I have driven to the Dugway Proving Ground entrance, and then had a military escort some miles in to see an old one-lane Lincoln Highway cedar bridge and a historical plaque by the BLM. From this point the Lincoln Highway looks like a jeep trail into the horizon. We were allowed to take photos but only in one direction toward the bridge. Behind us was a building with mutiple fences and layers of razor wire, and signs like "Deadly Force Is Authorized." No kidding but from my reading on biochemical warfare I believe this is one of the sites where some nasty stuff is still stored. You can see a picture of the bridge at:
http://ludb.clui.org/ex/i/UT3143/
The eastern part of the Proving Ground is like a small abandoned city with all sorts of buildings that are no longer used as it is sparsely populated mostly with civilian employees. The western part is the bombing range which is gigantic and the northern part (the Wendover Range) runs to the Nevada border. The early Lincoln Highway continues through this area including the Goodyear cut-off. Some years ago, as part of the Lincoln Highway Association National Conference in Salt Lake City we drove all the way through the bombing range in buses with a military escort. It was very eery - all sorts or rusted vehicles, equipment, buildings and old mining stuff there I guess is used for targeting. I guess they held off bombing that day. At the Lincoln Highway National Conference in Ely two years ago the eastern tour did some old the old route east of US 93.
It is also fun driving the later Lincoln Highway - Victory Highway - US 40 route across the Salt Lake to Wendover. (almost every room at every Wendover Casino is $39.99) and then south to Ely. This route was also signed as US 50 some time ago. In Ely there are still nice but small rooms you can stay in on the top (6th) floor of the Hotel Nevada, which was the tallest building in Nevada in 1928. The Lincoln Highway paving was completed between Wendover and Ely in 1930 resulting in a "Californa Day" celebration in Ely. the LHA Conference was the 75th anniversary of this event.
ypsi-slim
Ypsi-slim knows his Lincoln Highway! Consider his statements to be the authority on any section of the road. He is a legend among those of us who enjoy the Lincoln.
Ypsi, thanks for the terrific info!
We are just trying to Keep the Show on the Road.
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In 1994 a woman was cleaning out a basement in an old commerical building in Dayton, Nevada. She found a heavy wooden crate that she couldn't move marked on the outside as from the LA Enamel Sign Company, Los Angeles. After prying off the top she found 14 unused large Lincoln Highway porcelain on steel signs marked for the Pioneer Trail Unit, with right and left turn arrows, from 1921!
ypsi-slim
OMG! We have awakened a giant! In case anyone who reads these posts doesn’t recognize the handle Ypsi-slim, let me just say the man is a legend regarding the Lincoln Highway. I am flattered just to be in the same thread as he!
Honestly, I am now a little intimidated. On a scale of 10, Ypsi is an 11 in his mastery of things Lincoln, and I am a 3 (on a good day, a 4).
I can only touch the surface in these posts, because that is the depth of my knowledge, but if Ypsi weighs in at any time, consider it better than gold.
Thanks Ypsi for the info on the Dayton treasure trove!
He will definitely help Keep the Show on the Road!
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Sounds Great KtSotR!
Don't worry about too many pictures, the more the better. One of the purposes of the trip (or any road trip) for me is to take pictures. When I can see the photos that others have taken it helps stir those creative juices and increases the yearning to get on the road.
I've been doing some research myself over the last couple of days and I think I have mapped out where the Pony Express Stations where between Carson City and Faust, or at least where they think they where. I don't plan on hitting them all but those that are near US 50 are fair game. I also ordered a copy of Sir Richard Burton's book, $17 including shipping.
One of the things that I will be interested in is where to plan to stay for the night as my son and I travel. I was planning on camping for at least half of the week but expect that I will need a good shower every few days.
Looking forward to the information to come!
Rick
Sounds Great KtSotR!Don't worry about too many pictures, the more the better. One of the purposes of the trip (or any road trip) for me is to take pictures. When I can see the photos that others have taken it helps stir those creative juices and increases the yearning to get on the road.
I've been doing some research myself over the last couple of days and I think I have mapped out where the Pony Express Stations where between Carson City and Faust, or at least where they think they where. I don't plan on hitting them all but those that are near US 50 are fair game. I also ordered a copy of Sir Richard Burton's book, $17 including shipping.
One of the things that I will be interested in is where to plan to stay for the night as my son and I travel. I was planning on camping for at least half of the week but expect that I will need a good shower every few days.
Looking forward to the information to come!
Rick
I finally got section one up at about 8:40 PDT. Doing it offline and then copying to the forum worked better, I am learning.
It is more than great that you are traveling with your son. I raised my boy 30+ years ago as a bachelor father and our time and trips together are the most precious of my life. He is almost 40 now and we still discuss those adventures fondly.
Now that I know who is going on the trip, I’ll try to keep it in mind. How old is he?
If he is a youngster, he might enjoy the steam train ride at Ely. He should also enjoy Ft Churchill.
Another book I didn't mention because I can't find my copy here deals with Dwight Eisenhower and his 1919 convey along the Lincoln. He and the troops stayed at several places you will see. I’ll try to recall the title.
I have stayed in Fallon, Austin, and Ely. I'll give you the list via E-Mail.
Keep the Show on the Road!
Dave
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The history, route, and enjoyment of the Lincoln are interwoven with the Pony Express and the Overland Stage of the 1860’s, and of course with US 50, called the Loneliest Road in America. Therefore it would be difficult to travel the Lincoln and not stop to enjoy the historic sites associated with these related travelways. I will intersperse comments about the Pony Express, primarily from the historic account of Sir Richard Burton who traveled the Overland Trail and Pony Express route in 1860.
I will also use the splendid book The Lincoln Highway – Nevada which is Gregeory M. Franzwa’s fifth book in his Lincoln Highway series, a “must have” for any Lincoln Highway fan. It contains photos, lucid descriptions of sites and the old road, well researched history, and comprehensive maps.
Lincoln Highway Pioneer Branch ad in 1920 Automobile Blue Book
A good place to begin the eastward travel on the Lincoln in Nevada is in Carson City on the 1920 and later Pioneer Branch. Carson City is an interesting town itself, and if you get off the main streets, you can enjoy vintage streets and structures.
A good starting point is the Lincoln Highway sign post in front of the Nevada State Museum. It was placed in 1928. The museum is a great place to visit, and the bookstore is among the best for finding Nevada materials not available elsewhere.
Eastbound on US 50, you are following the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln. Swing into the little town of Dayton, about 12 miles east of Carson City. This was a pony express stop in 1860 and a station on the Overland Stage. Main Street is the old Overland Trail of 1862-68 and the old Lincoln Highway Pioneer Branch. Franzwa notes a vintage Lincoln Highway sign on the corner of the Courthouse building.
The Pony Express station was at the site of the brick red Union Hotel at the end of the street in the photo below. An original wall is all that is left of the station today. (I think the Union Hotel has been repainted pink! I guess nothing stays the same.)
Dayton Main Street
There is lots of old west and Lincoln Highway ambiance in Dayton. When I talked with the woman at the historical society housed in the 1863 brick school house, she showed the pride of the community in their Lincoln Highway connection. She was quick to mention they were hosting a Lincoln Highway lecture and presentation in the next few weeks.
The building on the right in the picture above is the Odeon Saloon and Billiard Parlor, built in 1863. Mark Twain was a visitor, and President Grant addressed the townspeople from the balcony in 1879.
Dayton Odean Saloon and Billiard Parlor
That is sheila, Rose of the Road peering through the window at the interior. She is kind of shy
It has nothing I can think of to do with the Lincoln Highway, but Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable's last movie, The Misfits, was filmed in and around Dayton in 1960.
Being this close, after you leave Dayton eastbound you must take US95A south 8 miles to Ft Churchill and Buckland Station. The fort was built to garrison soldiers after the Piute uprising in the early 1860’s, and Buckland’s was a stage station. Burton writes of Ft Churchill:
We went straight to the quartermaster's office and there found Lieut. Moore, who introduced us to all present, and supplied us with the latest newspapers and news. The camp was Teetotalist, and avoided cards like good Moslems. We were not however expected to drink water except in the form of strong waters, and the desert had disinclined us to abstain from whiskey. Finally, Mr. Byrne, the sutler, put into our ambulance [note: an ambulance is a type of wagon, narrower and fully enclosed, in contrast to the more familiar Concord coach] a substantial lunch, with a bottle of cocktail and other of cognac, especially intended to keep the cold out.
Ft Churchill
Ft Churchill Adobe Buildings in 3D (To view in 3D, stare at the two images, and cross your eyes until a third image appears in the center in 3D! It may help to tilt your head left or right a little.)
When you return to US 50 and the Pioneer Branch, head east toward Fallon. Fallon was proud of its association with the Lincoln Highway and promoted travel on the Pioneer Branch as is demonstrated in this 1920 advertisement.
Fallon Chamber ad in Automoble Blue Book Guide of 1920
The vintage Fallon Overland Hotel and Saloon served Lincoln Highway guests in the teens and 20’s, as it does today. Friends who have been into the hotel tell us you can enjoy a Basque meal in the restaurant or a drink at the western bar. They reported that during the happy hour cowboys with spurs mingled with Native Americans and other locals to create as close to an old western scene as one is likely to find anywhere. (Note the Lincoln Highway signs on the pillars in front)
Overland Hotel and Saloon
I talked by phone with new owners Mark and Judy as I put this post together. They are renovating the upstairs to provide accommodations complete with period furniture. They plan to continue the Lincoln Highway connection. It sounded to me like it would be worth a closer look. Share your experience with us on the Forum.
Fallon 1920 Ads
Across the street is the Fallon Garage, complete with old style gas pumps on display.
Gas Pump in the Fallon Garage
I can’t ever forget Fallon because we stayed there the night of September 10, 2001. We didn’t turn the TV on in the morning in the room and when I walked to the office to check out I found a small knot of people in various stages of shock staring at the TV. When we left later going east on US 50 into the barren and largely uninhabited desert, the fact that we were hundreds of miles from any possible bomb or other attack was of some little comfort. But we had no idea what we all would be facing as the day went on. It was almost surreal traveling the long, often deserted road across the desert listening to the reports as they came in on the radio.
As a final note, below is the description of this section of the Lincoln Highway in 1920.
Carson City to Fallon, Nev. - 65.7 m.
Via Mound House and Dayton. First 20 miles good graded gravelly dirt, next 25 miles fine natural prairie road; balance fair with some rough stretches around Lahontan lake, which will in all probability be in good shape for 1920 travel.
Leaving Carson City the route follows an irrigated valley for 20 miles, then traverses an open rolling prairie country to the Lahontan Dam, again entering a well developed irrigated section just beyond. Meals and supplies may be had at Dayton. This road has recently been added to the Lincoln highway system and officially designated as the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln highway.
The next installment will take us past a rediscovered Pony Express station, a brothel, and to Eastgate where Lincoln Highway travelers carved their names into the sandstone walls.
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Well, I got the whole post up and previewed, and then hit the post button and got kicked off! Like the dreaded disk crash, everything went away and I couldn’t get back to the forum. I wanted to keep my promise to get the first section post up tonight, but maybe it will be in the AM.
I am going to prepare everything down to the last comma and hyperlink off line, then copy it to the forum. That way I won’t lose two hours of work so easily. This isn’t the fault of the American Road folks. They are great.
I should add that this is actually fun (glitches aside) as it gives me a reason to use my thousands of photos (No, I only put up five or six) and my map and guide collection. I also telephoned folks at some of the premo sites to check on their status, and talked as a consequence with some great people.
For example, one of the best stops on the Lincoln is in Fallon at the Overland Hotel and Saloon. It has a fantastic exterior, and is even advertised in 1920, but 2 years ago it was just maybe a little rough around the edges on the inside for a gentile guy like me!! But I discovered it has new owners (Mark and Judy) and they are doing a period renovation that sounds like it will not change all the good stuff, including the connection with the Lincoln, and add a bit of polish. I’m eager to stop there myself again, but I hope you will report on the place on your trip.
Well back to the drawing board after I feed ole Bo, the Malamute Wonder Dog
After all, we must Keep the Show on the Road!
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I'll say. That's a lot to absorb. I am going to need some time to digest it all.
Its a deal. Small price to pay for all the information I have recieved so far. I've done a fair amount of photography so expect to see lots of pictures.
I have copies of the strip maps in electronic form. I wish I had originals.
I was able to spend a little bit of time today browsing the University of Michigan photo archives. What a great collection of photos. I was able to figure out approximately where some of the photos were taken and others that I have to assume our now within the Dugway proving grounds. Specifically Black Point, Granite Mountain, and the Goodyear Section. Was the lighthouse ever built at Granite Point? That would be something to see if it was still standing.
I hope you don't mind if I start asking specifics related to sights that I need to see along the way as time goes on. Maybe break it down into a seperate posting on the forum covering a limited distance along the route? For instance a seperate post to discuss sights between Fallon & Eureka.
Thanks again for all the info!
Good thoughts! I will put the posts up on sections of the road. It may take a couple of weeks overall, but it will also spark my memory as I do a little research, and hopefully serve the interests of others with a similar trip in mind.
I think I should have the first section by tonight. I started at Carson City (not Fallon) and ended at Fallon. Carson City was on the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln, has an original Lincoln Highway post out front the state Museum that was put there in 1928, the Museum has the best bookstore for Nevada materials, and you can stop at Dayton, Ft. Churchill, and Buckland Station before you get to Fallon. At Fallon you can visit the terrific Overland Hotel with its buffalo and elk heads over the vintage bar, and its real cowboys and Indians at the rail, not to mention the opportunity for a possible feast on Rocky Mountain oysters in the restaurant.
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You should always anticipate having vintage autos on the cruise. Their owners are very protective of them and won't drive them on gravel or dirt roads, rough terrain, or through excessive water over the roadway. They will drive them on the ugly road (interstate) for short distances but don't like the rpm's that higher speed produces and are, basically, only content to drive them on paved two laners at 45 to 50 mph. In fact, consider 45 to be about the average cruisin' speed when planning your cruise. They also want to feel secure about overnight parking. Knowledge or repair shops and parts stores along the cruise route is valuable.
Our Missouri "cruise group" uses CB radios to communicate while cruisin' and that sure makes the cruise more enjoyable. I don't see the use of these radios anywhere else outside of our group and really feel that nonusers are missing the boat. You can buy a good hand-held radio and magnetic (Vette owners need the stick-on-the-window type) antenna for somewhere around $100 and they're well worth the money. Sure, you can communicate via cell phone or hand signals but the CB radio is always active. ("I need to stop for gas. Do you want to take the older or newer alignment? Drive through the city or around it? She needs a restroom stop, etc.")
Bliss
Bliss, that is gold! I had surmised some of it, but not most. If I do put the idea of a cruise out there, I will heed those words of wisdom.
I’ll have to rethink things a bit. The start point I had in mind is 90 miles by freeway from Seattle, and there is no two lane route over Snoqualmie Pass. If anyone drove at 55 they would be sitting ducks for every vehicle on the road. I thought we might also take the vintage Yellowstone Trail’s Blewett Pass (graded dirt) and stay at a renovated 1906 hotel with nothing like covered parking. If that is how it plays out, there will be no vintage rigs. Again, your thoughts are gold.
I too am surprised that more people don’t use the great little FRS walkie talkies. I carry 4 little cheapies in the car all the time. When we team up on the road with anyone, I pass them around. Years ago I got disconnected from a group going down US 395 and through Death Valley. We had to communicate through the CHP to reconnect! No more!
And as an aside, they are marital aids as well. When my wife and I go to the mall or super stores, we can go our separate ways, and not spend half the time trying to re-locate one another. Also, she likes to shop a lot more than I do, so I can go back to the car and read or take a nap, and at any time inquire as to our projected departure time or if she needs my manly presence. It has all but cured my Male Impatience Syndrome. We both love them.
Thanks to you and DennyG again!
It sure helps Keep the Show on the Road!
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Aside from the "little woman" comment (I know you did it in jest), I love your post!
I appreciate the time that you took to figure all this out. Very informative.
Becky
As I was researching some planned posts about the Lincoln Highway, I came across the following description of the costs of a transcontinental trip in 1912. I used the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to adjust the dollars to current values. The surprising result was they are about the same in both years.
That is to say, the costs of auto travel in real dollars haven’t changed much in the last 95 years! Some are a bit higher, others a bit lower, but overall, not significantly different. Of course the quality of the accommodations, the level of comfort, the reliability of the vehicles, and most certainly the nature of the roads are worlds apart!
In 1913 (the first year of the series) the CPI was 29.4 and in January 2007, it was 606.3 (1967=100), a 20.6 fold increase. To keep it simple, I used a 20 fold increase and entered the adjusted number in red beside the 1912 number. The actual adjustment would probably be closer to 21 times for you purists.
The source of the cost data is my 1912 Automobile Blue Book, Volume 6, Mississippi River to Pacific Coast. The quotation follows with my notes in red.
While no hard-and-fast rule can be laid down as to cost, it is possible to give some approximate figures as to the daily expenditure per capita upon a trip of this sort. I will assume that there are not more than two cars forming the party—an ideal arrangement, by the way, owing to the difficulty of always finding adequate accommodations west of Nebraska and because of the ability of one car to help the other in case of a breakdown. The cheapest way would be to take a camping outfit throughout the entire journey, as that would bring expenses down to about $1.00 [$20] per day per head for personal expenses. Adding another $3.00 [$60] per day, gasoline, oil, etc., should be amply allowed for. Gasoline, it should be added parenthetically, will cost anything between 15 cents [$3] and 45 cents [$9] [ouch] per gallon. If the tourist decides -and, I think, wisely-to dispense with the extra encumbrance of camping outfit, he should, under average conditions of luck be able always to make some kind of night accommodations. In such case the daily expense would amount to about $3.50 [$70] per head, and for two persons, such as man and wife, the cost ought not to exceed a daily average of $6.00 [$120]. The cost of running a 4-cylinder, 5-passenger car of moderate wheelbase would account for about $55.00 [$1100] per week, this item including the driver's [chauffeurs] expenses but exclusive of tires. The average cost of a hotel room throughout the trip is $1.50 [$30] a person, where the tourist wishes to have the best accommodations each night stop can offer. Regular meals at the hotels average 50 cents [$10] per breakfast and supper (where noon dinner is served), and 75 cents [$15] for the midday meal. This is the rule throughout the smaller cities of the West. It will be found a highly practicable arrangement to take luncheon in the car.
If the tourist is not pressed for time, and wishes to enjoy the pleasures of fishing and hunting en route, an ideal arrangement would be for the owners of 3 or 4 cars to club together and provide a motor truck with chef [Why not the little woman? Kidding, Kidding, Kidding! I didn't mean it, really!], mechanical equipment and a camping outfit. Camping would then become a delightful diversion, especially if a start were made in early summer, and the awkward contingency of being- compelled to abandon the slower running vehicle be avoided.
In the case of our own trip, we made it without any mechanical troubles to speak of, with a grand average of gasoline consumed of about 10 miles per gallon, a mileage of 106 miles to every quart of oil consumed and 297 miles for every pound of grease used.
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I'll throw in a few random thoughts for this thread:
(a) K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid) Even then, planning and the actual cruise will be difficult enough from the planner's standpoint without purposely shooting yourself in the foot.
(
Select a date that you think works best for the event and then just go for it. Don't waste time inquiring about whether or not the date works for everyone; it won't.© Drive the actual cruise route and stay in the motel(s) before the event. You may encounter a problem you didn't anticipate. You may also find better alternatives.
(d) Create time and mileage charts to issue to attendees. Route driving directions and/or a map are essential.
(e) Meal planning is difficult at best. Refer to item (a).
(f) Cruisers by and large like to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Cookouts/picnics and campfires are always a huge success.
(g) Put your plan together A.S.A.P. and communicate it to everyone who can read and write. Don't try to anticipate who might or who might not attend; just throw it out there for even the most unlikely. You'll often be surprised at the results.
(h) Have fun. That's the real deal with cruisin'.....Bliss
More really good advice! I'm glad I asked.
It is easy to forget the KISS principle.
I like the idea of a road guide, and I plan to scout out prospective routes and places to stay in the next week, or as soon as we get some sunny days here in the Northwest.
Should I be aware of any considerations for folks who may want to drive a vintage vehicle? The last vintage vehicle I owned wasn't vintage when I owned it! In fact, is it likly that most will show up in a vintage machine?
Thanks!
Let's Keep the Show on the Road!
Canyon Diablo And Two Guns
in National Old Trails Road / Santa Fe Trail / U.S. 66
Posted
Rick.
Terrific photos! I'm not surprised. Your work is outstsnding. Folks should visit your website.
It looks like you may have crossed the bridge. We didn't, but I have wondered what that structure across the canyon fron the Mountail Lion cages was.
Will you be posting more of the Route 66 trip?
Keep the Show on the Road!