RoadDog

That picture of Meteor City in the April photo contest was strictly breathtaking. Everything worked. An artist could not have painted a better scene. We purchased a picture of the Blue Swallow Motel sign with a drop-dead gorgeous sunset this past fall. The owners said they set up a camera and taken several hundred shots to get that special one of blues, oranges, and even a sliver of green. That sunset against the sign in the foreground, wow!!!

On the subject of staggering, we will probably definitely get to the Jim Beam and Maker's Mark distilleries. I got the address of the Loveless from Roadfood.com. They seem to like the place. Today, they also featured a place at an an exit by I-65 in Columbia, Tn. called Stan's. Looks like we'll have to check that out as well. Speaking of eating, the Chicago Tribune ran a travel article on Louisville this past Sunday (they must know we're heading down that way). I think we'll have to try a Hot Brown sandwich, maybe at the Brown Hotel. Does anyone know of other good places for one? Sounds about as good for you as a horseshoe. Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

Experian Automotive has prepared a list of vehicle statistics for the state of Illinois. Some of their findings of vehicle registrations were quite interesting. Here are some: There are 9.6 million vehicles registered in Illinois (240 million in the US). Of them, 56% are cars. Weird Wheels: 53 Yugos- STILL??? I thought they'd all broken down 156 Volkswagen "The Thing"- whatever that is 3 Renault Fuegos- Again-- ???? 36 AMC Pacers- these and the AMC Gremlin get my vote for UGLY 47 Chevy Corvairs -Unsafe at you know what 141 DeLoreans 74 Merkur Scorpios- ????? 191 Ford Pintos- my first-ever new car purchase, $2200 in 1973. Just don't get hit in the rear!!! Fast Wheels: 35,404 Chevy Corvettes 14,032 Porsches 934 Dodge Vipers 479 Ferraris 81 Lamborghinis Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

The Lincoln Highway Association will be having an open house and dedication for the new National Office in South Bend, Indiana, on April 21st from 1-4 PM. It will be at the Remedy Building of Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana at 402 West Washington Street. For more info, call 574-233-0393.

We'll be cruising down to Nashville to visit relatives the week before and hopefully do some bourbon sipping Thursday and Friday.

Voting is over and we won't know if the Cozy Dog made it until April 30th, when the winners are announced. Keepin' the Fingers Crossed. --RoadDog

Alden Couch from the state of Washington, has been able to renew his driver's license at age 101, making him one of the oldest drivers in the US. He says he has owned between 10 and 15 cars in his life. I bet he'd have some interesting stories to tell about his experiences. Perhaps some of our Washington folks can find him and do an interview. Good topic for an AR article. Keep Driving Down that Two Lane Highway, Alden. --RoadDog

Story Corps has been going around the country and interviewing and recording people about their history. They just posted an interesting story given by sisters Evelyn Palmour and Doreene McCoy who told of their trip from Nebraska to Oklahoma during the Great Depression on a Model T truck. They were ages 13 and 11 at the time. Part of the story was excerpted for Story Corps' weekly update. Their father owned a country store in Nebraska and did a lot of business on credit to locals. When the depression hit, most were unable to pay their bills, so in !935, their father sold the store and moved to Oklahoma. Before leaving, they told all the people who owed them money that they would accept payment in goods, so the truck was severely overloaded. They said the roads were mostly gravel and that flat tires were a near constant problem. They related one interesting story where they had a flat on a dark night. Their father was good at changing tires, but couldn't do it in the dark. Finally, the older sister, who was wearing makeup by then, took out her compact and used the mirror to reflect the headlight to where her father could see to do the work. Unfortunately, they didn't mention what roads they were on. I've always heard of people leaving Oklahoma, but not anyone moving to it during this time. The interview excerpt lasts about four minutes. www.storycorps.net Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway and DON'T Forget Your Compact. --RoadDog

TIM ONOSKO 1947-2007 Disney Futurist Helped With Epcot Tim Onosko died in Madison, Wi., at age 60 on March 6, 2007. He was known in the Disney empire as the man to go to for the future, and his ideas largely went into the shaping of the popular Epcot Center in Orlando.' Walt Disney had made some basic plans for Epcot, but died in 1966 before he could get very far with them. Enter Mr. Onosko, who, along with the Imagineers brought the dream to reality.

The 1855 William E. Eaglesfield House east of Brazil, Indiana, will become an antique mall and weekly outdoor fleamarket site according to the April 2nd Tribune Star. It is located right on the old National Road and on the National Register of Historical Homes. At one time, it was a watering hole and a rest stop. James Hoffa and Al Capone supposedly once ate here. (Perhaps Jimmy is buried out back somewhere.) It has also been a personal home to several families, a restaurant, motel, and apartment house over its lifetime. Keep on Looking for that Jimmy Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

Walgreen's has acquired the Pekin train depot and plans to build a store there. However, they are willing to give the building to the park district, which then would have to move it, a very costly procedure, including at least $55,000 for a new concrete foundation. The Pekin Park District held a meeting about it in the last few days and will make a final decision in April. Let's hope they decide to keep if and also a way to come up with the needed funds. Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

Last week for voting. The Cozy Dog is in the final two in the Central region. We nee all the help we can get. RoadDog

I like it!! How do we get them? Pretty well covers the whole thing. --RoadDog

Great idea. We'd much rather stay in a mom-pop place, but you just never know what you're going to get. This past June, we stayed at Shawnee Bluff Motel in Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. The price came to $83 including tax and we had a fantastic view of the lake. Complete with that distinctive Ozark stone, no charge. Later that same trip, returning from the celebration at the Munger-Moss Motel in Lebanon, Mo., we stayed at the Green Acres Motel in Pittsfield for $53 including tax. Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

True American entrepreneurial spirit. In the 70s or early 80s, there was a great artcile in the American Heritage magazine about the problems facing early motorists. It was a great read. Does anyone have an idea of the title and author? Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

Great Po' Boys (I'm sorry that the Popeye's chain chose to drop them), but...Ooohhh, those muffaletta sandwiches!!!!!!! This is the original Dagwood Sandwich. You can still get one from where it was invented., Central Grocery on Decatur Street. I don't know which I like better, the olive sauce or meat. To make a sandwich for six: loaf of Italian bread, cup of olive mix, one-fourth lbs. of Mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, ham, hard salami, and mortadella (whatever that is). Definitely not a sandwich for the week of heart. You can find out more info at: www.colorpro.com/sandwiches/muffuletta/history.htm Wonder if I can get some place to deliver right here in northern Illinois? Keep on Eatin' Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

As of Saturday, only single double beds are left. Let the bed battles begin. Put my wife and myself down for attending. Bourbon anyone? Bourbon at a campfire in Kentucky? Has possibilities. Perhaps we'll do some Bourbon touring before and after. Keep on Down that Two Lane Dixie Highway. --RoadDog

JOHN T TRUTTER Chicago Tourism Chief John T. Trutter died Feb. 2nd. He was a long-time resident of Evanston, Illinois and a career employee with Illinois Bell. He was very active in the Canal Corridor Association which was set up to promote tourism along and around the path of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. The association's founder, Gerald Adelmann said, "he had a deep love of history. And he realized we need to protect and enhance our historical resources." After leaving Illinois Bell, Mr. Trutter headed the Chicago Convention and Tourism Council and had offices at the old Water Tower on Michigan Avenue where his daughter said he'd often have to rouse vagrants sleeping in the small park and pick up trash. He was 86.

Mike Seates's column in the March 22nd Pittsburgh Tribune Review reviewed a presentation given by Brian Butko at the Frick Art and Historical Center this past Sunday. Brian's topic was, "The Last Frontier: Driving Across America in the 1910s." Mike titled his column, "100 years ago, road rage was rampant." Mike Seate said that people today often complain about traffic and road construction, but this pales when compared to what early motorists had to put up with back then. Road travel was essentially horrible. "Roads had plenty of deep gullies filled with water and mud troughs." People in towns would sometimes gather and pelt unwary motorists with bricks and stones. OUCH!!! Farmers would put nails and tacks out in roads. Usually, the only place you could get gas was at blacksmith shops. Wonder if they had clean bathrooms? There is a collection of early autos and motorcycles at the Frick Car and Carriage Museum. Of course, I've heard stories about towns that would change their speed limits on a daily basis, and the famous "You can't get there from here" quote. Somehow our predecessor motorists endured. I wonder how they would have reacted to our current gas prices? Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

Woodford is Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles. One problem with the Sat. Bourbon sampler would be, who is gonna drive. Probably best to just stay put at the Wigwams anyway. I'm making reservations today for Friday and Saturday nights. You know what would be neat, if somehow we could get an American Road banner to take along with us. Without it, we wouldn't have this trip as it is shaping up. How about it, good folks at AR? By the way, what's the count as of now? Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

There was an article in this past Sunday's Chicago Tribune travel section about touring the seven bourbon makers places all located near Bardstown. It got me mighty thirsty for some good sippin'. Phil Vettel, the author, visited Heaven Hill and was very impressed with it. Others nearby are Jim Bean, Maker's Mark, Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, and Woodward.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has just published their 2007 list of distinctive destinations. I've been to Woodstock, Illinois, quite often, and drove through West Hollywood, Ca., but haven't been to any of the other sites which also include Charlottesville, Va., Chatham, Mass., and Durango, Co. For the complete list, go to: www.nationaltrust.org I'd be interested if anyone has any comments about the others. Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

The city of Joliet, Illinois, one of the fastest growing cities in the US, has become very active in pushing its heritage. Joliet also has the Illinois and Michigan Canal, a major reason for Chicago's growth, railroads, and several old highways went through it, including the Lincoln Highway(US-30), Rt. 66, US-6, and US-52. Forty indentity columns have been commissioned by the city and Friends of Community Public Art. The Route 66 one was dedicated on the 80th anniversary of the road back on Veterans Day 2006. These are original sculptures mounted on pedestals, many with mosaic tile around the base. A book of poetry has also been published. One, on Route 66, is by Ted Thompson. Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

Very sad to hear the news. I hope Ernie will find a place to again tell those great stories. We'd stop in before, planning on spending about fifteen minutes and usually, an hour later, were still enthralled.

Taking its cue from the current Seven Wonders of the World, the state of Illinois has its own voting going on to pick the top seven spots to see in Illinois. Quite a few are along Illinois' great group of highways. Route 66 still has Buckingham Fountain, Sears Tower, I&M Canal, Bill Shea's, Old State Capitol, Lincoln Tomb, Cozy Dog, and the Catsup Bottle. Lincoln Highway has the Ronald Reagan Home and Der Immigrant windmill, as well as the I&M Canal. Northern Region and these two are in definite danger of being eliminated. US-20 has the Grant Home and main street Galena. US-50 has the white squirrels of Olney. There is weekly voting with the least votegetters being eliminated. Any one can vote, but only once a day. www.enjoyillinois.com Votin' Every Day. --RoadDog