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Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

bbutko

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Everything posted by bbutko

  1. Hi all, been enjoying the discussion but wanted your opinions on some of the details. The attached photo is a Google map with the LHA routing (the purplish blue line) and the 1925 photo overlaid at 50% transparency. Please comment on my assumptions and conclusions: 1) The LHA map locates the Mossdale "Y" intersection at upper right (at A). Based on a photo I've seen of the "Y" I would make the radius of each turn smaller, but more importantly, the 1925 overlay (itself an aerial photo) shows the "Y" at B. Is the LHA (and the rest of us) incorrectly assuming the "Y" survives at A when it was in fact destroyed by the Interstate? I would be tempted to think that the scale was off but the river and two bridges and the curve of Manthey Road otherwise all line up perfectly. 2) The LHA shows the Mossdale underpass at C based on pavement visible on the aerial view about 1/4-inch to the south (as does Rick's map with a red circle), but the overlay makes it look like the underpass was about 1/4-inch (about 80 feet) to the east. 3) The LHA map needs to add the original bridge location at D. 4) The photo in this discussion of the Manthey Road underpass taken looking north at E says the school would have been through the opening and to the right, but it appears that whether the "Y" was at A or B, the underpass is the 1920s bypass of the "Y" and the school would NOT have been just on the far side. 5) I saw that a local history book reported the Mossdale School had been moved to the Grace Church but did not see anything at the church site on Google street or aerial views that looked like the tall skinny school in a vintage photo of the "Y." http://goo.gl/maps/pm4Ll Brian
  2. Hi all! First, thanks to Denny for reminding me of this forum. The tab had somehow disappeared from my browser, and over the course of a busy two years, I'd forgotten to check it. A new tab is now there! So many great pictures and stories! Just two questions for now. Is there a site that easily translates GPS coordinates into map locations? I tried some of the above with Google Maps but it put me in China - although it did look like an interesting road and village! And Dale, I think I can follow your 8-mile route on maps but I expected the last photo to have the modern road on the left as you headed south and rejoined it. Is that the case or is there indeed no trace at that juncture? Is your last view looking north? Brian
  3. Been meaning to say Thanks!, Dave. The Ship was probably the best-known attraction along the Lincoln Highway. It burned in 2001 and many on this board probably never got to see it, but it's a great story that's representative of other roadside businesses born in the 1920s, how they thrived into the ’50s, and how they struggled in recent decades. I've been doing more and more of my books' designs and finally got to do all of this one (except for the cover and any changes needed to conform to specs) so I made the photos large. There are some wonderful images loaned by the founding family and the owner the last few decades. It's off to the printer now and expected early in 2010.
  4. Great map and article, thanks for posting! Denny G and I were just debating yesterday whether his Corvette could handle Kings Canyon Road, and I think not due to low clearance. But scanning the web, the 9-mile stretch does seem to have been greatly cleared and improved in recent years so that it can be safely hiked and biked, or 4WD'd. I'll post a story and links soon on LH News.
  5. Always love following along on your trips Denny! Good luck in Nebraska! (That almost sounds like it starts with an "i".....)
  6. The specifics do seem to be a mystery plus I think when they have car troubles they're picking up and trailering.
  7. Published March 25, 2009, at Forbes Travelers.com "America's Scariest Drives" by Joe Yogerst http://www.forbestraveler.com/adventure/sc...s-us-story.html Includes a slide show of their top picks. Brian
  8. Here's another one: http://maps.live.com/ Zoom in to the place you want, whether on road or aerial view. At some point, if you're near a city, the Birds Eye tab becomes active. Click it and you'll be maybe 1/3 mile up looking down at an angle — and most places can be viewed from 4 directions. Not responsible for head injuries!
  9. Thanks for pulling me out from under the bed! It makes sense that it became the informal gas station early on, it was a perfect use for it. All the photos posted here are beautiful but my heart stopped on the discussion of the possibly missing building. That's the Carroll Summit station, and a nice b/w photo card also exists of that. I'm glad to say I found it on Google Street view, which may mean it's still there. Image attached to help you locate it.
  10. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is, by far, the most visited of all 57 US national parks, about 10 mil visitors per year - more than double the Grand Canyon. There are only 3 main entrances, and Gatlinburg is the most popular. (Try Cherokee NC on the east side for lots of mid-century roadside architecture - while it lasts.) The confined gorge-like geography of Gatlinburg makes a tight squeeze for all the traffic entering/exiting that way, let alone visiting the attractions along the street. The road (Great Smoky Mountains Parkway) gets wider and sprawlier - some would say uglier - as you head north into Pigeon Forge and then especially Sevierville. We visited in early April and had no traffic problems, and luckily warm weather.
  11. Oh no, the spotlight that night will be elsewhere! Not trying to bring in politics into this, just an observation on competing programming:
  12. My parents had his/her 1977 MCs so I remember the hoods well - the last of the long, high ones. Yep, new bridge at Chelsea but a nice replacement - four years ago it looked like this:
  13. Great photos - and love that big '77 MC hood!
  14. It made the show (airing Oct 29, 8pm) but only briefly. I saw the near-final cut yesterday and it's great fun and beautiful imagery but may frustrate hardcore fans at how little can fit into an hour when needing to include requisite history of the road. It worked out that at least one feature is from each state but count a few minutes for intro, exit, credits, etc, then divide by about 15 segments and that's about 3 minutes each - not much time for lingering shots or multiple locations. That's why producer Rick tried getting PBS to make it 2 hours. The PA segment interviews the LHA director at the Shoe House then she mentions other PA places to visit. Check my LH News blog for two recent updates: http://brianbutko.wordpress.com/2008/09/16...near-final-cut/ http://brianbutko.wordpress.com/2008/09/09...-highway-video/
  15. Great photos from another fun-sounding trip. Lots of great stuff - thanks Denny! BTW, Peppi's Diner was built and shipped to Pittsburgh in 1939; meanwhile, the Crosser Diner in Lisbon looks in deep trouble with that bulging roofline and wall supports. Yes, that's the stone arch bridge straddling Poquessing Creek along Philly's NE border. I pointed Sebak there for the PBS show and he has a neat little report and video blog about it here: http://www.wqed.org/tv/sebak/lincoln_hwy/blog/archives/328 My workplace, the Senator John Heinz History Center (a Smithsonian Affiliate) in Pittsburgh has on display the oldest surviving Jeep, made in 1940 at the Bantam plant in Butler. It was one of 70 prototypes made for testing before the US Army had approved the design. Here's some history I wrote about it and a photo of the one here: http://www.explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=973 Brian
  16. All great stuff, thanks to all of you for sharing. My guess on the inn is that it burned and was rebuilt - there seems to be nothing that carries over.
  17. Lots of cool places but my #1 would be the Frontier Restaurant for great food and cool ambiance. Try the salsa verde on whatever you get. http://www.frontierrestaurant.com/ I have a pic of it on my conference announcement: http://brianbutko.wordpress.com/2008/08/05...ferences-in-sw/
  18. Beautiful shots, and enjoying your captions/comments too! BB www.brianbutko.com
  19. Even in 1915, Wyoming was notorious for not having a single Lincoln Highway; instead, drivers knew town names and were left to figure out how to get between them. Today, with the Interstate connecting main towns, there's even less reason to improve the old roads. Just this week, the battle continues over connecting Green River and Rock Springs. The only road between the two cities is I-80. The old LH is parallel but not drivable so locals must use the Interstate. That's a problem if Rock Springs folks are heading to the only hospital (in Green River) and weather or an accident closes the Interstate, which happens a half-dozen times a year. They want to upgrade the LH so it can be driven, but even making it gravel will cost $27 million! BB http://www.lincolnhighwaynews.com
  20. My recollection is that the bridge is drivable but the road between towns is only for off-road vehicles. Yes the Lincoln went through the middle of Sinclair - you'll enjoy the visit - heavy industry on the edge and a [worn] oasis at the center. The road meandered a lot in Wyoming, and at the N. Platte it made its way up close to the railroad crossing, actually just north of it. That's why when Alice Ramsey and others found the bridge out, the train trestle was convenient. So - driving the original route here is impossible (unless you want to hop on the rails!) and even the 1931 route may be impassable. Hope the Fort Steele folks can tell you if they would take the old road to Walcott! If you have to hop on the Interstate for a few miles, technically you'll be on US 30 AND often be atop the old roadbed.... BB www.brianbutko.com www.lincolnhighwaynews.com
  21. Orange cones?? That's the State Flower of Pennsylvania! The Kibo's gallery is great, thanks Denny.
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