NR to LH on the DH
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Day 1: August 27, 2011 NR to LH on the DH |
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This is not what I intended as the very next trip after last month's one
day South from the Crossroads outing.
However, with Hurricane Irene canceling my New
England plans and the sun pouring down on Ohio and Michigan, this
should make a pretty good substitute.
So here I am looking north through the same intersection as I passed through southbound in last month's outing. From this direction, a boxy electric sign blocks "The Original Crossroads of America" sign and makes it even harder to see. |
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Although there are a few houses right at the corner, the National Road and
Dixie Highway are essentially the southern and eastern boundaries of the
Dayton International Airport. The "front door" is on the NR and
the "back door", which is used for the big annual air show, is
on the DH.
There's another airport less than ten miles up the road. This is WACO Field at the south edge of Troy, Ohio. Troy is where the historic planes were built and every year a flock of them return to celebrate. Here's a better look at that sign announcing that this year's fly-in is just a few weeks away on September 16-18 and here's the page I put together from my visit in 2006. |
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A big memory for Dixie Highway travelers in the twenties had to be the
Big
Four Bridge in Sidney, Ohio. Construction was started in 1923, as
indicated by the date on the bridge itself, and finished in 1924. A nearby
sign tells the story and mentions the
possibility that a worker is entombed "in the column behind this
marker". I'm guessing that's why the area is painted black.
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These two buildings stand across from each other at a downtown Sidney
intersection. One was designed by Louis Sullivan. Can you guess which one?
This sign should help. Of course, the other
building has a sign, too, so
here's a look inside the building that Louie
did.
On my first visit to The Spot since high school or shortly there after, I ordered one of their famous pork tenderloins. Yes, the huge tenderloin is placed in a regular sized bun, cut in two, then pulled apart to make room for the French fries. I did in one half, dented the other, and put away about half of the fries. The Spot started out in 1907 as a chuckwagon with the wheels removed to comply with city laws. The current building dates from 1941. |
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I photographed the Wapa Theater back
in April without
realizing that it was on the Dixie Highway. I almost didn't stop today but
am glad I finally decided to pull over. Becky, the manager, was inside
getting ready for the matinee. Seeing my camera, she opened the door to
point out that all the lights on the north side of the sign were working
while some on the south side were awaiting the repairman. She also invited
me in for a look. What a great old theater. It is well maintained and
profitable yet looks much as it did in the 1930s.
The last picture is a closer view of the buildings seen in the distance beyond the theater. The Dixie Highway turns to the right there and runs east for a few blocks. |
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These are just a couple of signs that caught my eye at Lima, Ohio. I
couldn't find much about either place on the Internet. The motel looked
rather inviting with well tended flower boxes in front of the rooms. I
assume it is at the top of the tour, tourer, tourest scale. Not only is
the free standing Mello-Creme sign cool, this is pretty good reuse of an
old Pure Oil station.
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The Dixie and Lincoln Highways meet and actually run together for a few
blocks in Beaverdam, Ohio. I've been through here before but not from this
direction. I'm on the Dixie, facing north, and about to follow the red car
on the combined highways. I knew of a watering hole where the two paths
split and had plans to stop for some refreshment. That intersection is a
'T' with the brick Lincoln Highway pillar on its south side. The picture
of Thirsty's was taken from beside the pillar with the combined LH &
DH coming in from the left and the DH turning north by itself. A very
pleasant surprise was the cruise-in taking place at Thirsty's. I not only
enjoyed a cold beverage but got to see some cool cars and hear some cool
music including my first ever exposure to the country tune Get Out of
Your Clothes or Get Out of My Car. Note the LH pillar in the
background of the last picture.
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