3 replies to this topic

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

It has been a fun day. Leaving Hastings I headed for the Lincoln Highway at Kearney, then followed the Lincoln (US 30) to North Platte and Ogallala (Using Brian Butko’s Greetings from the Lincoln Highway as a guide….great resource!). Then I headed up to Chimney Rock and into Scottsbluff for the evening.

The most exciting event was getting the red light surprise somewhere around Ogalalla. I admit I have been pushing a little. A couple grand penalty for a late return of the rental car does that. The officer was gong the other way, and waved in a manner that I recognized as “The gig is up…., Pull over.” So I did, at a wide place, and sure enough it was only a short time before I had a shinny black cruiser with a bunch of Christmas lights on top pulling up behind me.

We exchanged paperwork, and he reminded me of the speed limit, and issued a warning. In the process I asked to take a picture of the cruiser and my car.

It has been 20 years since I have been pulled over, and I really didn’t mind. The Nebraska State Patrol officer was doing his job well, he was courteous, I knew he was right…, and all I could reasonably do was try to enjoy the experience. And I got a photo op!

I stopped in Kearny at the Great Platte River Road Archway, which spans the entire I 80 freeway....a nice stop. The fellow at the front door was ready to pose for a picture, and was not only well informed, he was a big booster of the Archway.

Next, I started scouting for Lincoln Highway goodies. The first was a 1920’s bridge Brian describes that stands beside the railroad tracks just east of Overton. The local boy scouts had done a beautiful job of painting it white with bright Lincoln Highway symbols. It looks better than it ever did when it was in use. Being an “authenticist” I wasn’t jumping for joy, but recognizing that 99.5% of the people aren’t like me…I’m OK with the scout’s good efforts.

I made several stops which will have to wait until I get home to be described, including photographing the McCabe hotel building in North Platte, which was the local LH control point.

One of our members here described the service station at Sutherland It is a beauty, but sadly neglected. Someone was sleeping in it, or at least there was a recently used bed roll; in the storeroom. I found a small, carefully constructed pit beside what had been the gas island. It baffles me. I may not have time tonight to fully describe it, but I’ll try to put the photos together when I get home.

I stopped at Ash Hollow to take a picture of the Oregon trail ruts, and at Chimney Rock. I’m spending the night in Scottsbluff. The weather was nice part of the day, and I missed a tornado in Bridgeport that severely damaged a house yesterday.

I have mixed feelings about our excellent weather reports. In the old days you looked out the window as you drove, and gauged the weather by what you saw. Now I have NOAA reports on the computer, Weather Channel reports on the TV, satellite radio weather reports on the car radio, and local reports on every local station.

All day the satellite radio was warning that I might encounter baseball size hail, and the weather channel this morning placed the danger as moderate. So I spent too much time being needlessly uneasy. And the forecast tomorrow is for snow ahead. I’m beginning to think the risks are overstated. If the weather person didn’t have a crisis to report, no one would listen!

Whe I first saw the bluffs for which Scottsbluff must be named, I was startled. It had be so long since I saw a elevation in the land,
I mistook them for black storm clouds on what was an overcast horizon!

Keep the Show on the Road!

Dave

[Alex Burr - hester_nec]

Hmmm - stopped for speeding in the middle of Nebraska - must have been a really slow day at the office for that nice policeman!!! Tho I strongly suspect your Florida tags had something to do with it - that mind set still exists in this country. The theory being that if you get issued a ticket you ain't gonna drive 2000 miles to show up in court to contest it. And most people will send in the fine - who knows which states have reciprocity. (Look that up in your Funk & Wagnals. In your case you lucked out.

Little story about reciprocity - back in the early 70's I was headed west on I-80 for somewhere or other. Somewhere, just into Ohio, there's a place in eastern Ohio where a couple interstates come together and I found myself caught between two 18 wheelers with another coming up behind - so I put the pedal to the metal as they say. As I cleared the trucks sure enough Mr. John Law was sitting beside the road bored to death. He pulled me over, I knew I was going to get a speeding ticket. But, no, I didn't. He got so interested in the fact that my Maine license was some 10 years out of date, he forgot all about the speeding ticket!!! And, despite the note on the back of my license which said the nice State of Maine, in recognition of my being in the military I did not need to renew my license until 30 days after discharge or separation, the cop gave me a ticket for an expired license. Later I got a letter from Maine stating that if I was still in the service forget about the ticket.

Safe travels and slow down a bit. hehehehehe

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
Memphis, TN

Edited by Alex Burr - hester_nec, 25 April 2008 - 06:34 AM.

[mobilene]

Dave,

You are one lucky dude for avoiding a speeding fine! I never seem to have that luck.

I live to find things like that LH bridge with no road on either side of it. Around where I live, they tend to demolish such bridges because of the safety hazards -- probably from roadfans like me who would try to drive over them, or climb down the side for a closer look, or whatever!

jim

[Chris Rowland]

I stopped in Kearny at the Great Platte River Road Archway, which spans the entire I 80 freeway....a nice stop. The fellow at the front door was ready to pose for a picture, and was not only well informed, he was a big booster of the Archway.

The Archway is done pretty well--glad it will get a mention in the Hypotenuse Trail guidebook. It's an interesting concept with building it over the road, but with it being all about roads and trails, it seems fitting. I thought the huge escalator at the entrance where you ascend the hill into the back of a covered wagon with all of the scenery and characters joining you was imaginative. The section in there about the Lincoln Highway was nice--I think they had a drive-in and diner recreated there, too. My only complaint was the food at their dining room.

Glad you didn't have a run-in with whoever was lodging at the abandoned service station.

Chris