DennyG

Jim, I edited your original post to straighten out the link to the centennial site. Hope you don't mind. For others, I suggest you take advantage of that link. There's a ton of good stuff there and I'm guessing it will continue to grow up to and through the party. I've driven some of the OST west of Phoenix and just a tinsy bit in the east. I'd like to think I can get in quite a bit more before the party starts and cover it all at least once before it ends. The OST has plenty of history and, it appears, a fair amount of existing roadside attractions. Any party that lasts ten years is OK by me.

Nice fleet, especially those Eldorados, although I don't envy you your fuel bill. I've always been attracted to vintage autos but always as an observer and never a player. Lately, however, I've occasionally scanned for sale listings and looked over available 1963 models. I'm not quite yet in a buying mode but kind of expect to be in two or three years. The idea is to drive a fifty year old car along the Lincoln Highway during its 2013 centennial. Of course, doing it in a hundred year old car occured to me but I immediately realized that that was realistically out of reach and reason. But a car half as old as the road would actually be drivable and it seems some rather serviceable vehicles can currently be had for a reasonable price. I'm thinking a six cylinder convertible (Falcon, Corvair, Valiant, etc) would be ideal but I've got plenty of time to shop.

"There is pleasure in madness that none but madmen know". You should fit in here nicely. Your attraction to old roads, eateries, & motels is shared by most folks here and your passion for old cars is shared by many. There are even a few (not I) with restoration experience. It sounds like you have a good photo project in the works and I, for one, would love to hear about those restored cars. Welcome!

The only portion of this route I've ever been on is so close to your home that you're probably already familiar with it. But, maybe my bit of useless information will break the ice and somebody will chime in with something you can use. The only restaurant I noted was the Sit-N-Bull near Clarks Hill. It's a metal front diner but for some reason I think it was built on site. Maybe you can verify that. Surprisingly, they have no pictures of the building on their website so I'm forced to point to these. I believe I've heard of a Route 66 themed diner or soda fountain in Lafayette but know nothing about it. The only roadside attractions I noted were the Red Crown Mini-Museum in Lafayette and a big round barn just east of Joliet. On my pass, I also stopped at the Tippecanoe Battlefield and a very effective airplane watch tower but both of those are several miles off of Fifty-Two. As I said, these are pretty close to home for you so, even if you aren't already bored with them, you may want to hit them when you're not in the final hours of a multi-day trip. But hopefully, someone will now come up with some suggestions west of Joliet.

Glad to see this guy moving along. I was all ready to drag it through Litchfield in June but it looks like that won't be necessary. It seems to be moving along pretty good now.

Makes sense. Vicksburg's a fine town but it surprised me. There is, of course, the battlefield/cemetery and the sort of restored ironside U.S.S. Cairo. The riverfront has several Robert Danford murals. There are a lot of Danford's murals along the Ohio (Portsmouth, Steubenville, Maysville, Covington) but I don't think he's done much out west so you may not have seen his work. Good stuff that usually gives you a local history lesson along with being some darned good artwork. I don't know how much river "...ambiance..." you'll find between Vicksburg and Helena. I've only driven it on US-61 which is often a dozen or more miles from the river. There are roads, including MS-1, that are much closer but I know nothing about them. Alex may have a pointer or two. If you can manage Old 61 north out of Vicksburg you'll pass by (and can't miss) Margaret's Grocery ( http://www.folkartlife.com/articles/margaretsgrocery.shtml ). You will be surrounded by Delta Blues "...ambiance..." and can visit some birthplaces, museums, etc. if so inclined. And how about some Delta Green "...ambiance..."? Leland, MS, is the birthplace of Kermit the Frog. I'm sure your buddy's a great guy but you might want to downplay GG Keep's military affiliation in any dealings with the Mississippi Civil War Commission. Grant's not all that highly thought of 'round Vicksburg.

I'm curious about how Vicksburg got included. Are you heading over from Jackson or is there a path that excludes Jackson? That City Data site certainly has possibilities. Thanks for the tip.

Been wondering where you were. Welcome back to the land of ice & snow although I hope we're done with that for awhile. Back in December I did US-90 between Mobile and New Orleans and know that plenty of Katrina damage remains. But isn't it amazing how quickly they got those casinos reopened? I'll add my vote to yours and Alex's regarding the Navy Air Museum in Pensacola. I was there around 1978. Slightly after the Quonset huts, I'd guess. I checked to see if another big Pensacola attraction, Trader Jon's was still there and learned it closed in 2003. It was a bar with stuff hanging everywhere. Navy folks, including the Blue Angles, hung out there and supplied pictures, helmets, etc. There was at least one bathtub and a human skeleton (not sure if real or not). On my first visit, I didn't realize that the place had entertainment for the first half hour or so of my visit. I got a beer at the bar then walked around studying the collection of weird stuff hanging from the walls and ceiling. At some point, I sensed near by motion and pulled my eyes from the decorations to discover a totally nude girl dancing about two feet away. When that happens, you know there's a lot of stuff on the wall.

You're in luck. I've attached a recent snapshot.

Having Caller ID has allowed me to cut down considerably on telephole polls. I do make an exception for calls from eastern Europe on the chance that it might be from a telephoning Pole. will be spared the major preservation efforts of other trail asociations. Thanks, Denny! Keep the Show on the Road! Dave

Good move. I know I'd hate to drive all that way in ill-fitting shoes. So a bit of Overseas Highway it is, then. You should be able to follow the Dixie from West Palm Beach to Miami and that will probably be enough of the overbuilt east coast to satisfy you. Once you've hit Key Largo (checkout the African Queen if it's still there) and as far beyond as desired, you might consider heading to the east coast on the Tamiami Trail (US-41). You can follow it all the way to Tampa (past the spot where my g-g-parents spent Christmas Eve in 1920) or cross the bay on the spectacular Sunshine Skyway. The Tamiami was somehow part of the Dixie Highway network for awhile but I'm not sure of details. I do recall that American Road once had a Michael Wallis article on the Tamiami. You might touch the Dixie again near Tallahassee depending on how hard you try. I believe it was from Baby Boomer Bob that I first heard the phrase "cross grain highways". There are a few biggies that angle toward the south west (e.g., 66 & 62) but, as you noted, darned few that angle the other way. Around these parts, US-35 does it but it really crosses only two states. You will no doubt follow a variety of numbers as you head towards home. As for crossing major US highways, I believe the ceremony is to put your clothes on backwards and crawl on your belly through garbage. I know that's the ceremony for crossing something and even if it's not highways, I'm sure you could use it for that.

I hadn't seen your Ocean Highway & Key West comments before I made mine. Just getting to Key Largo from West Palm Beach is about a 5 hour drive (so says DeLorme) with Key West a mere 2 1/2 hours beyond. Subtract 45 minutes if you turn around after the Seven Mile Bridge. You've got a tough decision here and I withdraw my encouragement of the previous post. I suspect that, if you spend 10 hours going to and from the beginning of the Overseas Highway, you'll curse yourself for not seeing more of it AND for spending 5 hours going the wrong direction. The Highway is definitely cool but you'll have to decide if it fits this trip or not. If, as Chris suggested, you drive US-19 and you pick it up soon enough, you'll be able to cross Tampa Bay on the Sunshine Skyway. Perhaps a four mile bridge could make up for some of the water watching you'll miss if you decide to forgo the keys drive. I had noted the absence of the Hawaii trip. Yesterday morning, I was plotting a Seattle to San Francisco route (a left turn at the Columbia River is required) for possible use in August. (I'll have plenty of questions under another topic if that materializes.) As I was doing that I recalled that you were going to be well off shore in April (the original idea for the S->SF trip) and wondered at the switch to the four corners. Then, before the day was out, the corners of a few states were replaced by a couple of corners of the whole country. Super size that, sir?

Sure sorry to hear that, Pat, but certainly understand and agree with your priorities. I guess it's time to add my name to the "Yes, I can't go" list. I learned a couple of weeks ago that I'll be allowed to hitch a ride on this year's Washington County, Maryland, wagon train. The train is part of the annual National Pike Festival which takes place over the weekend of the 17th. I'll certainly do what I can to help organize a trip for that weekend and I'm sure the Bremers will, too, but, in light of Pat's news and mobilene's need to cut back to a single day, I wonder if a reevaluation of dates is in order. Pat, which weekend was runner-up over at Meet-O-Matic?

Wow. Where to start? First off, I love the idea. It's certainly ambitious but that's part of its attraction. I know that the route you show is just a preliminary. You'll soon pick a few "must sees" in the middle of the country and the route will morph around those anchors. That sort of bending is necessary to keep the drive from being a boring marathon but it will not shorten the distance. I'm guessing that you will need to target about 300 miles a day. Quite doable but, as I said, ambitious. While it would add more than a day to your agenda, I'll encourage you to make the drive to Key West. Remember, this is a drive that includes something called the Seven Mile Bridge. It often feels like you're driving across the ocean and Key West is a very interesting place all by itself. My one visit there was during the comparatively modest "Fat Old Man in Rented Convertible Drives the Keys" adventure. The route you show goes pretty close to Montgomery, AL, of which I have fresh memories from my Christmas trip. I think you'd enjoy looking over a little civil rights history and seeing where Hank's resting. You might even want to drive Seven Bridges Road just to say you did. I believe that route crosses the Mississippi at Helena where you can get a little blues history splashed on you. Plus Clarksdale is only about 20 miles away and Memphis isn't all that far either. Of course, any deviation adds miles but a few miles beside the Mississippi is good for the soul. As drawn, the route doesn't quite enter Oklahoma but you'll be crossing Route 66 somewhere near where OK, MO, & KS come together and you could take in a few Sixty-Six related attractions. Maybe the Coleman Theater in Miami or a bit of the 9 foot "sidewalk" highway nearby. You can drive the entire length of the Kansas portion of Sixty-Six and only add 13 miles. Beyond that, I've got nothing. As far as I know, dragons inhabit much of the area north west of St Louis. As for geotagging (say it three times and the word is yours forever) as long as the computer and GPS are on, you can record a track of your travels and tag your still photos with it using free software. I don't know about movies. Details available as required.

I don't believe there is a museum completely dedicated to Starr-Gennett but the Wayne County Museum does have a permanent exhibit. A tour of Starr-Gennet sites in Richmond is shown here. They're working on a "Walk of Fame" but it's unclear just how far it has progressed physically. Maybe I'll get a chance to take a look over the next few weeks. Much to my chagrin, I must admit to never having visited the old factory site with its fading parrot logo and I must correct that. If you look through that tour document, you'll see that the Gennett theater was razed for a gas station. That was in 1935!! and the cottage style station still stands although it is now, I believe, a real estate office. I also believe, (can I trust my memory?) that the large mural of Gennett stars (including Bix Beiderbecke & Tommy Dorsey) is diagonally across the intersection from the station/office.

Registration is now open for the Will Rogers Awards in Litchfield. Registration can be handled on line here. The event begins at 5:00 PM Saturday June 21. Other information related to the festival, including a couple of Route 66 tours, is here. As it has in the past, the Litchfield festival includes a car show/cruise with many of the classic cars ending Saturday parked in the front rows of the Skyview Drive-In for a double feature. This year the movies "Cars" will be shown. It's sad but true that roadies will need to chose between the drive-in and the banquet. The drive-in often has the same movies on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday but it is currently unclear whether "Cars" will be shown on either of the other nights.

Whoa. Three days with no one (in the forum:-) giving you any advice. For me, it's not a lack of interest but a lack of knowledge. The only thing I might even question, after looking over the photos, is your plan to rent a car and not a horse. I hope you've thought that through completely. Of course, even I will probably be able to point out tons of stuff you missed once you're back home but for now, nothing. Best of luck! Looking forward to some dust covered postings.

The voting's over and, to no one's surprise, Montana's late entry kept her from seriously threatening the leader. It took a little over 6000 votes to beat out the 30,000+ entrants but the 289 that Montana picked up put her just barely out of the top 100 at 106. That's pretty impressive and Rich reports that she's a hoppy little bunny.

Sorry, I've never been there and have no advice but I do have a hip hip hooray and some honest envy. I know Zion is a red letter attraction by itself and with stuff like the Monumental Highway thrown in this sounds like a dandy. I'm short on advice but offer encouragement aplenty.

It just occurred to me that some folks here may not be aware of Rich Henry's entry of Number One Bunny Montana in the United States Humane Society photo contest. Today is the last day for voting and, even though winning the contest is realistically out of reach, every vote is still appreciated and growing Montana's total is a worthwhile endeavor. If you haven't voted, please take a moment and show Montana some love. The link and instructions are included in a post from Rich that I've quoted below. This could be the most satisfying vote you cast this year.

Resurrecting old threads is not one of my favorite things but I became aware of the article here through someone on the Route 40 Yahoo group and it seemed an appropriate update. The project is still ongoing and they're still looking for... stuff.

The fact that no one has clamored for an explanation of the changes in the forum's appearance testifies to the smoothness with which Guy Cook has managed to pull it off. This forum is now running on the latest version of Invasion Power Board software. Because of differences in the versions, a few cosmetic changes remain but, to the best of our knowledge, no messages, gallery photos, or member settings were lost in the upgrade. Big kudos to Guy for accomplishing this with virtually no disruption. You may have been aware of some spamming activity through the forum's photo gallery that lead to some features being disabled in the latter part of February. Additional spamming, which fortunately affected only moderators, made it necessary to temporarily block all guest access to the gallery. Those holes are now plugged and guests may once again view all photos in the gallery although they cannot submit comments on them. Improved security was the main reason for the upgrade but there are other improvements that we will all discover as we go along. Roadmaven has reported that improved filtering has dramatically reduced the number of frivolous membership applications he is seeing. Top 10 poster lists in "My Assistant" have become top 20 lists and seem to have more information. I'm sure there other improvements that I haven't even seen yet. Prior to the update, a small number of members had added a "Personal Photo" to their profiles. Those photos seem to be the only member related items that didn't come through the update. I think there may be a change in the size of these pictures and that may be part of the reason the new version did not pick up the existing photos. These are not the avatars that appear next to each message. Those came through just fine. Only a fairly small number of people had uploaded a personal photo. If you're one of them, then you know what I'm talking about and you'll know how to reload the image if desired. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you most likely are not affected. Hoping that all members continue to enjoy the forum and that guests who enjoy those gallery photos will join up and let us know.

They seem to have a sort of holding page at http://www.hostetlershudsons.com/ which says "Website coming soon". But it also says that the museum is "Opening in September" and "Open Year Round". A call to the listed number, (260) 768-3021, got a recording which was for the city center and not specifically for the museum. A call during normal hours will tell more.

Did you know that if you visit the museum before March 9, you'll not only see Studebakers but a lot of Lincolns, too? No, not the Ford luxury car but pictures of the fellow it was named after. Faces of Lincoln I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that I've never been to the Studebaker museum nor to the sort of nearby Auburn Cord Duesenberg museum. Maybe this will be the year.

I've done a fair amount of tent, van, and car camping but I guess I "out grew" (that's a euphemism, folks;-) it. I still do "camp" with the car on occasion (Jim, look here for a simulation of what sleeping in your Matrix might be like.) but it's now mostly because it's part of a group. I've not done any real travel with camping along the way in a long time but I've been giving it serious thought as a means of stretching the travel dollar in the "more time & less money" days I see in my future. I'll be watching your Route 6 experience for a hint of what I might expect.