Feb 13 2009
The Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania
We’ve established by now that I think old roads are really cool. It should not surprise anyone, then, that when we had the chance to jump off the turnpike in Pennsylvania and onto Route 30, or the Lincoln Highway, we did it.
I’ve traveled parts of the Lincoln Highway before; in fact, I lived just off the old road in Iowa once upon a time. To get some information about the Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania, I did two things. 1) I bought Brian Butko’s Greetings from the Lincoln Highway, and 2) purchased a mile-by-mile guidebook and kids’ activity book from the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor agency. These items helped us to find landmarks as we drove past them, and the activity books were great for keeping the kids’ interest.
This mural was one of my favorite sights along the Lincoln Highway.
During our trip, we were on and off the Lincoln Highway. We usually didn’t follow the directions for staying on the old path of the road, and when darkness arrived or time was short, we jumped back onto the turnpike.
Bridge markings like this were early-day Lincoln Highway markers.
It was fun to see landmarks from days gone by, highway markers and signs that showed the old road and murals that remembered it. We missed some things as well–we didn’t get to see the shoe house or the giant teapot.
Modern signs like this mark the Lincoln Highway; the kids loved spotting them.
We did see beautiful scenery and varying terrain and imagined what it would have been like to travel the Lincoln Highway when it was the best–or only–cross-country route. Each time we returned to the Lincoln Highway, the kids were excited about it and started looking for signs or markers.
Someday, I’d love to travel the old Lincoln Highway from coast to coast, but for now we’ll just travel it in segments as we have the time.
It was dark when I took this picture, but I thought it was nice that the Lincoln Highway was commemorated at a Turnpike Service Area.
So cool! You may have driven right by me! I live in North Huntingdon, which is at the Irwin exit (exit 67) on the PA turnpike. I’m on Rt. 30 all the time; it’s our main drag. Now that our area is (finally!) getting more developed, the big debates are over traffic flow on Rt. 30.
Did you go the “old” Lincoln Highway, which goes through downtown Irwin?
Glad you were in my neck of the woods. Great pics! I’ll have to find that mural.
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PA roads (although known as the worst around) are always my favorite to drive. I love that state. It’s so rich with history. Great post and pictures, took me back!
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This is a great entry!! I am considering the coast to coast trip – losing my primary job as of last week, I am now focusing strictly on Road Trip Journal. I hope I will be able to make this trip from San Fran to NYC sometime late spring when there are no worries of flurries!
Safe travels!
I’ve read about the Lincoln Highway and it’s on my list of roads I’d love to travel at length.
Thanks for a peek at part of it!
[...] circled the block and stopped to snap a photo of the sign, since when we traveled parts of the Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania, it was hard to stop for a picture along the busy road. As I got closer, to my delight, I saw [...]