This is a guest post by Jim Peters, Director-at-Large of the Lincoln Highway Association and coordinator of the Centennial Eastern Tour.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln Highway in 2013, the Lincoln Highway Association is planning tours from both coasts along the early alignments of the Lincoln Highway. Many miles of the old roadway have not been swallowed up by the Interstates and still survive, running on two lanes in proximity to U.S. Routes 1, 30, 40 and 50, so the tours will provide a re-enactment of a trip across the U.S. in the 1940s and 50s.
The two tours will start on Saturday, June 22 from New York and San Francisco, and will meet in Kearney, Nebraska on Sunday, June 30. The Centennial Celebration from July 1 to July 4 will include a car show, the Association’s annual conference, and local Independence Day celebrations. There will also be a re-creation of a tourist camp; participants with pre-1932 cars are invited to set up camp. If there is significant interest, the tours will continue to the East and West Coasts starting on July 5.
The tentative itineraries are below.
We also plan to allow participants to join and drop out of the tour at any point, with prior notification and registration.
Also, you can watch this blog or follow us on Facebook and Twitter as we post more information on the tours as it becomes available.
2013 Lincoln Highway 100th Anniversary Tours
Proposed Itinerary of Tours to Kearney, Nebraska
Updated November 2010
East Tour — Total: 1544 miles
Friday, June 21
Evening Orientation Dinner in Secaucus, NJ
Saturday, June 22: 113 miles
Times Square, New York City, NY to Malvern, PA
(Lunch stop in Princeton, NJ)
Sunday, June 23: 99 miles
Malvern, PA to Gettysburg, PA
(Lunch stop in Gettysburg, PA)
Monday, June 24: 145 miles
Gettysburg, PA to Greensburg, PA
(Lunch stop in Bedford, PA)
Tuesday, June 25: 196 miles
Greensburg, PA to Mansfield, OH
(Lunch stop in East Liverpool, OH)
Wednesday, June 26: 238 miles
Mansfield, OH to South Bend, IN
(Lunch stop in Ft. Wayne, IN)
Thursday, June 27: 203 miles
South Bend, IN to Dixon, IL
(Lunch stop in Plainfield, IL at intersection of Lincoln Highway and Route
66)
(Late afternoon stop at LH Tourism Headquarters in Franklin Grove, IL)
Friday, June 28: 224 miles
Dixon, IL to Ames, IA
(Lunch stop in Mt. Vernon, IA)
Saturday, June 29: 284 miles
(via 1928-1930 Route through Blair)
Ames, IA to Grand Island, NE
(Lunch stop in Woodbine, IA)
Sunday, June 30: 42 miles
Grand Island, NE to Kearney, NE
West Tour — Total 1663 miles
(or 1634 miles following 1928 Route from Ely, NV to Tooele, UT)
Saturday, June 22
Evening Orientation Dinner in San Francisco, CA (Holiday Inn at airport)
Sunday, June 23: 130 miles
Lincoln Park in San Francisco, CA to Sacramento, CA
(Lunch stop at Banta Inn, in Banta, CA)
(Dinner at Towe Auto Museum)
Monday, June 24: 210 miles
(via Lincoln Highway Sierra Nevada Northern Route)
Sacramento, CA to Fallon, NV
(Lunch stop at Donner Ski Ranch atop Donner Pass, CA)
Tuesday, June 25: 258 miles
Fallon, NV to the Hotel Nevada in Ely, NV
(Lunch stop in Austin, NV)
Wednesday, June 26
259 miles (via original 1913 Route)
Ely, NV to Tooele, UT
(Picnic stop at Fish Springs National Wildlife Preserve in Fish Springs, UT)
Alternate Wednesday Route for those not able to travel to Fish Springs:
230 miles (via later 1928 Route through Wendover)
Ely, NV to Tooele, UT
(Picnic stop at Bonneville Salt Flats Raceway at West Wendover, UT)
Thursday, June 27: 214 miles
Tooele, UT to Rock Springs, WY
(Lunch stop at Echo Lake, UT)
Friday, June 28: 275 miles
Rock Springs, WY to Cheyenne, WY
(Lunch stop at Virginian Hotel in Medicine Bow, WY)
Saturday, June 29: 282 miles
Cheyenne, WY to Lexington, NE
(Lunch stop at Julesburg, CO – short detour on to the Colorado Loop)
Sunday, June 30: 35 miles
Lexington, NE to Kearney, NE
Grand Total
3207 miles (or 3178 miles following 1928 Route from Ely, NV to
Tooele, UT)
The Tin Can Tourists a vintage trailer and motor coach club would like to take part in the Tour.
Would we be able to follow the basic tour utilizing some but not all of the stops?
I believe we could have a group traveling east to west as well as west to east.
II will leaving home town of Boone Iowa a few days early so I can stop in towns to do my road art I will be driving a 1930 model A roadster Highway truck and camping in a tent at night. More plans as time pushes on and with Gods help… Artist
lincoln highway Johnny..
Will there be a tour driving the whole distance ?
A group of enthusiasts from Norway are planning such a tour:
Enthusiasts from Norway plan for 2013 Lincoln Highway tour
I am very interested in attending as much of the tour as possible from east to west. I’m a member of the Tin Can Tourists and have been in contact with Forrest Bone about the centennial tour in 2013. I would like to start in New Jersey/New York with my 30 foot 1969 Newell motorhome. What kind of arrangements do I make to participate in the tour. Thank you, Craig
Craig and Forrest: please contact Jim Peters directly to find out how you can participate in the tour. His e-mail address is in the blog post above.
I sure wish I could find a classic car, not too ‘expensive’ to rent, an old clunker, even, that would get my brother/husband from Omaha to Kearney for the event. It sounds like great fun. Is anyone from Omaha on here that’s going on the tour per chance? We’d love to go along, help pay for gas, etc.? 🙂 I took some really fine photos of the Lincoln Highway near Elkhorn NE. this past Thursday afternoon, with the Spring sun making those historic bricks almost sparkle! You can view them on my Light Stalking album. 🙂
http://www.lightstalking.com/members/prayeriepal/album/
Is this for 2013? How about 2012? I am looking for a road trip group for summer 2012!
On Wednesday, June 26th the Van Wert Ohio Convention and Visitors Bureau is planning an fantastsic celebration for those on the tour and for the residents of our community. Fountain Park (located on the Lincoln Highway directly across from the Brumback Library – the first public library in the United States) will be the scene of an old fashioned picnic lunch with great picnic food and wonderful music. There will be plenty of street-side parking available – easy access and all tour participants are invited to stop and enjoy our hospitality! Lunch will be served between 11 AM and 2 PM.
Are there any information updates about the proposed routes for the cruise? Also,,proposed motels and camp areas ???
We will post information about the tour in the coming months.
I have a teardrop to jerk along with me. I hope to go from New York all the way to San Francisco. Will there be some continuing on?
Is there a cut off date for vehicles allowed to participate in one of the drives? My brother and I are interested in doing the western drive. But have heard the vehicle we want to take is not old enough.
J.J. all cars are welcome. The older or more interesting the better but we don’t want anyone who wants to come along to miss out. Afterall, a centennial only comes around so often. Register today, so you don’t miss out. Entry forms are on the LHA web site.
Need a pit stop? The Merrillville/Ross Township Historical Society Museum in Merrillville, Indiana will be open for you on your way from South Bend to Dixon, IL. The museum is located at 13 W. 73rd Ave. (old Lincoln Highway), Merrillville, IN.
Don’t forget to stop at the ideal section at indiana illinois state line . much history is available at dyer historical soceity in basement o f town hall. a great museum with a restored concrete marker and to the east is a marker along south side of road in front of Meyers castle . At rt 30 and 41 in Schererville to the west is a small section of the old road behind the drug store. The ideal section was one of the first concrete roads with street lights and drainage.the castle is built along sauk trail on a sand dune as lake michigan came this far south along the indian trail. evidence of this sand can be seen on the west end of the castle property. At rt 30 and 41 is a wall mart which many campers are welcome to stay overnight with many restraunts in the area. As you cross the state line going west into illinois saulk trail or old route 30 travels thru Saulk Village. check out the mural on the side of the grocery store across from McDonalds. Evidence of the Kalvaledge bridge footings are still there and the old farmhouse and corn crib. The land was homesteaded by the Kalvelage family. Sauk
Village also has a historical museum.