Day 3: November 7, 2004
Some Ups & Downs


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This, I'm sure, will take some explaining. If you recognize this cozy home and have any sense of geography, you're probably wondering why my morning seems to start east of where yesterday ended. Well, I really wanted to see Mahlon Haines' famous Shoe House which is a few miles east of York. But, during the shuffling of where I was actually going to connect with US-30, I lost it. I knew that once I reached the LHHC, I would rely mostly on their excellent easily handled driving guide but would need other sources and my own notes for things beyond the Corridor's ends. With my start wavering between Gettysburg, York, and Lancaster, the big shoe was in and out and in. Somehow, I convinced myself that the only "gotta sees" east of the Corridor were Gettysburg and the Susquehanna bridge. Gettysburg is, to say the least, well marked and I was sure I would notice if I missed the bridge (Deep cold water, you know.) So I drove merrily by the Shoe House Road turnoff. Fortunately, helpful Laurel mentioned it in an email that I saw while in Gettysburg and still within range. This morning I headed east for about 30 miles. I skipped the real Lincoln Highway through York and stuck to the US-30 bypass and that allowed me to stop at Lee's Diner for breakfast.

The "Shoe Wizard" built the house in 1948 after he had made a fortune in the shoe business but was still young enough (73) to do fun things. The house is open 11:00 to 5:00 on weekends with the matching dog house open 24-7. It was about 8:30 when I was there and, after cooling my heels for a few minutes, I decided against waiting around for a tour.

"Ike" is the first president I have any memory of and the people around here seem to have memories of him, too. Here he is on a gas pump sculpture in front of the McKnightstown post office. The Cashtown Inn, now a bed & breakfast, looks like a good place to stay. Rockers on the porch and the Lincoln Highway passing by. From Cashtown I took a side trip to visit this 1914 round barn which now serves as the center piece of a fruit orchard. Another pump sculpture sits next to the barn.
I continued the side trip to the town of Biglerville. The National Apple Museum sits at the edge of town but was closed. Both I and a pond full of ducks were disappointed. The Historic Country Store in downtown Biglerville was also closed (It's Sunday, remember.) and that really disappointed me. With a reported inventory of 50,000 items, that inside must be quite interesting. According to the sign, Mamie Eisenhower shopped here often and "Ike" himself came by at least once.
Back to Cashtown and some really nice stretches of original Lincoln Highway. OK, maybe the pavement is noticeably improved and has strange painted stripes and maybe the LH marker is little more prominent and detailed but it's still possible to wonder what a traveler in a Model T was thinking as he approached the crest of this hill. Some major road side advertising right before the old Lincoln crosses the new US-30. Mister Ed's sits in the crossing's western "vee". Most traffic now passes on US-30 so Ed's favors that side and that's the side I photographed. But I drove in from the Lincoln Highway side to buy my peanuts.
At the edge of Chambersburg, there is a pump sculpture in the parking lot of Dodie's Drive-In and, just up the road, an attention grabbing tattoo parlor. It has nothing to do with the Lincoln Highway but I liked it. It seems true to the spirit of road side businesses. In Chambersburg's town square, the LHHC provide a put-yourself-in-the-photo opportunity. Confederate troops visited Chambersburg multiple times and burned 537 buildings here in 1864. The burning followed the town's refusal to pay a $100,000 ransom. No blind folded lady or other feminine figure tops the Franklin County courthouse. It looks like a sturdy Revolutionary War soldier or other period figure. Could it be Mark Lindsey?
The gas pump sculpture at Shatzer's Fruit Market and, behind the market, the real thing.
In St. Tomas, the New Oak Forest Restaurant displays a pump sculptor dedicated to home town hero Hall of Famer Nellie Fox. Old tourist cabins still stand behind the restaurant but are no longer aimed at tourists.
Another side trip. This one to Mercersburg and the birthplace of the man that Abe Lincoln replaced and the only US president born in Pennsylvania. I've included a shot of the plaque next to the statue for any who don't remember all the details of James Buchanan's life.
This is Tuscarora Mountain, one ot the major ridges to be crossed on this section. It used to be that the business at the crest benefited from people trying to get somewhere and being forced to use this steep and winding road to get there. Now it's the twists that attract many of the patrons. A bar & grill with wildly scenic roads coming and going is a powerful bike magnet on a day like this and the large deck was filled with riders enjoying the view until time to head down one side or the other. In the last picture here, you can see a "TRUCKS SPEED 20" sign heading downhill . Technically, it's a legal warning. Practically, it's friendly advise.
I screwed up in McConnellsburg and missed a pump sculpture at Johnnie's Diner but caught these at Traveler's Rest and in downtown Everett. Nice mural, too. I ended the day in Bedford and caught up on a little sleep. I expect pictures of a Gulf station and a big coffee pot to lead off tomorrow's posting.

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