Day 2: May 12, 2013 Beautiful Ohio

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This is the Hughes Inn Bead & Breakfast where I stayed Saturday night. It is, as I said, about half a mile from Balyeat's which means it's about half a mile from the Lincoln Highway. The third picture shows my breakfast (The jar on the left is homemade strawberry jam!) and the last is of one of the public areas. My bedroom is here. There are four really nice rooms and two really nice people. Talking with Tom and Sherry is as pleasant as staying in their home.

I would follow the Lincoln Highway all the way to today's destination but it's a section I've driven multiple times so not a lot of pictures were taken. The Van-Del Drive-In seems to always tug at my camera and I keep thinking that I'll work in a movie on my next pass. It hasn't happened yet. The mural covered building in the background of the next picture was the Lincoln Highway Control Station for Delphos. The Lincoln Highway crosses Route 66 here. State Route 66, that is. I believe this is the first time I've stopped at the brick pillar in Williamstown since its 2010 dedication. Looks about the same with improved landscaping.

The Hayesville Opera House opened in 1886. The seats and painted stage backdrops are among its many original features. The Hayesville Opera House Restoration Board does get a break on rent ($1/year) from the city but pays its own utilities and other bills by regularly showing movies. These have typically been first run features but the industry's conversion to digital is severely hampering the availability of suitable product so the operation is turning to classics. Looks like a great place to see a movie to me. Read some "history on a stick" here.

The Opera House was just about the perfect place for the sixth concert in Cece Otto's American Songline series. The acoustics and ambience were excellent and Cece didn't let the small turnout dampen her spirits or keep her from delivering a top-notch performance. That performance consists of tunes from the highway's 1910s and '20s heyday sung in period dress. Actually, I don't think Cece lets much of anything dampen her spirits and I'm downright positive that nothing ever keeps her from delivering a top-notch performance. Her accompanist today was David Roepke who is not only a talented musician but a key figure in the preservation and operation of the opera house. At the end of the performance, Cece answered questions and just generally chatted with the audience. Then she even posed for some pictures outside in the unseasonal chill. Here's one and here's another. American Songline continues west on the Highway this summer and includes a stop at the Lincoln Highway Association Centennial Celebration in Kearney, Nebraska, where I anticipate seeing Cece once again.

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