Day Two on the Lincoln Highway

Day 2 started in Fort Wayne Indiana. The trip out of Fort Wayne on Rt 33 (Goshin Road) was awesome. Rolling hills and smooth road conditions with nice gentle curves. At one point I was listening to my new Ipod player (a birthday gift from my dear friends Christine and Shawn) and the song 40 Hour Work Week came on and it seemed so fitting seeing the farmers working away with little recognition for all that they do.

Along the way I stopped in Churubusco to take a picture of a cool little hamburger stand mainly because of its sign. Magic Wand Burgers (see pic)

The first real stop of the day was in the town of Goshin. Goshin is a typical mid-west town but it is famous for some reason for its Police booth located in the middle of town. The police booth was built to protect the citizen of Goshins from Gangsters from an earlier time. See the images below.

After Goshin, I stopped in Elkhart because I was lost. Being a musician I quickly realized that Elkhart was the home of some of the best wind instruments ever made. I play a vintage saxophone that was built there in 1946. To me it was a bit like visiting somewhere important. Like many other things production has been shifted elsewhere and a USA made sax is not available. : (


The signs for the LH in Indiana were as bad as they were good in Ohio. The funny thing is that if you pay attention and sniff you way through it you can still find the route. The route I decided to take was established in 1913 and took a more northern route. The Lincoln Highway association change to more southern, straighter and shorter route in the mid 1920's. This was very common. As better roads become available the LH Association made changes to the route.

After Elkhart the next stop was at South Bend. Upon hearing I was visiting South Bend my brother insisted that I visit the campus to see Touch Down Jesus and then visit the College Football Hall of Fame. Like any good brother should, I listened to his advice and then decided to go to the Studebaker Automobile Museum instead! I HAVE TO SAY IT IS A MUST SEE FOR ANY AUTO ENTHUSIAST. Upon hearing the name Studebaker I always remember the one used by the Muppets... a Studebaker Commander and to my surprise what do they have...yep one of the two cars used in the movie from 1979. It is in very poor condition with the paint almost all faded away but they are raising funds to restore it to its movie condition. The car is equipped to be driven by a stunt man who sat in the trunk portion of the car so the Muppets could drive!

The last portion of the LH in Indiana brought what was called "The Ideal Section " of the Lincoln Highway. The Ideal Section was built around 1923 and was to be the highway of the future... a thick cement road surface, wide enough for two cars, curbs, sidewalks, lighting, good drainage and landscaping. It was one of the first if not the first lighted road anywhere. People used to drive to the Ideal Section in the evening so they could turn off their car lights and drive the road. Because of heavy traffic I did not stop for pictures. Sorry.

As I moved into Illinois it was quickly evident there was something different...SIGNS for the LH were placed to guide you. Not like Ohio but close enough that if you started to worry that you have not seen a sign... one would appear to let you know you were still on the right path. The pace through this area was quite slow due to rain and traffic. Chicago Heights had some rather seedy sections but I was urged by fellow Sax On The Wb Member Ed Zentera to stop at a certain hamburger joint. Ed is an expert saxophone mouthpiece refinisher who has supported my efforts with Sax-O-Thon (www.saxothon.org) by providing a hand finished mouthpiece for each saxophone I place! Visit him on the web by going to http://www.ezmpc.com/ I trust his judgment.

So I stopped for lunch at Schoops. Ed was right...these things were incredible. Best Burger ever! Thanks Ed. I posted an image of a half eaten burger. I was starving.

Joliett brought the best item of the day... The Lincoln Highway and Route 66 on the same small section overlapping each other. See pic below.

I ended up making it just past Geneva Illinois. and posted over 30 miles for the day despite the rain and the stop at the Studebaker museum. By the way... they have carriage that Abe Lincoln used while serving as president. It seems that one of the Studebakers had the opportunity to purchase it years ago and it has been part of their collection ever since.

See you next time... from the LH!