I arrived at Union Statio in Washington, DC early this afternoon. The lobby of the station is newly restored and beautiful. The same cannot be said for the passenger boarding areas. It was 95 degrees (35 C) and a shock to the system, but I am home again.
Taking the train from Los Angeles to Washington, DC. A three night journey from coast to coast. After 6 months in southern California, I’m on my way back to Virginia. I decided to go the slow way. This is about one hour out of LA looking south.
Mississippi River Blues, along the Great River Road in Wisconsin.
Join Becki’s July Squares: Blue #11. There are only two rules. The photo must be square and it must somehow be blue (color, theme, concept, etc.)
Ligonier Beach, in the Allegany Mountains of Pennsylvania
I think Pennsylvania’s Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, with its roadside attractions, picturesque vistas, and quaint towns, evokes the Lincoln Highway experience of old. It also illustrates how communities bypassed by the interstate freeway system and state turnpikes struggle to survive.
Ligonier Beach, opened on July 4, 1925, once a booming playground attracting the likes of Dean Martin to perform, now sits idle. The man-made sand beach is long gone. The pool is dry. No one poses for pictures. The lamdmark closed in 2017 after flood damage because of the prohibitive cost of repairs
I stayed close to the site last night.
Today I headed out on a road trip from Alexandria, Virginia to Minnesota. I will put about 3000 miles on the car in the next three week. I’ve done the drive before on interstate freeways. This time I am following the Lincoln Highway, a coast-to-coast road from New York City to San Francisco first planned in 1913.
The Lincoln Highway, never an official US road, was the brainchild of three men involved in the automotive industry as a marketing ploy. It made sense that people needed somewhere to drive their new cars. Today, the Lincoln Highway generally follows US Route 30.
I am currently in central Pennsylvania where you can find some quintessential roadside Americana, such as the giant coffee pot in Bedford. It is part of the Lincoln Highway 200-Mile Roadside Museum.
Or the 1930s Dunkle’s Gulf gas station, also in Bedford, which is still in business.
Painted gas pumps are found along the way. I zipped by most of them because there was no signage, the road is narrow, and there are no shoulders to pull off onto.
And murals on barns. This one is the Bison Corral Barn, across from the gas pump above.
And other oddities. This figure was part of a storyland at Schellsburg that closed years ago.
Constant rain did not make for a good picture taking day. The Flight 93 National Monument is off US 30. I will do a separate post. I did stop briefly.
The New 3 Rs: Retire, Recharge, Reconnect 