Poised for Possibilities
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Day 1: October 7, 2026 Poised for Possibilities Comment via blog |
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Sometimes things are on my To-Do list for years, and sometimes they're
only there a day. Well, it happened once. On Tuesday, Gloria R. Nash
commented on a Facebook share of
a
post about some places in Indiana that they were near a couple of her
favorite Indiana stops. I'd been to one, the Edinburgh Diner, but not the
other, Long's Bakery. When I checked my route for today, I discovered that
one of the two Long's locations was only a few miles off route.
Long's Bakery is cash only and carry out only. However, there's a nice little park literally around the corner that I knew I was going to like as soon as I saw it. I got a glazed yeast donut because nearly every review said they were the best. They were right. I also got a pecan roll because I'm a pecan junkie. All that sweetness attracted several bees. I didn't really mind sharing, but was afraid I'd accidentally swallow one of them, which would make us both unhappy. I tried scaring them away, but when I yelled " Boo, bees!" it seemed to have no effect on the furry insects and got me some dangerous looking glares from the young mothers entertaining their youngsters on the nearby swings and slides. | |
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Because breakfast was involved, I took expressways from home to near
Long's. While at the park, I switched the GPS to shortest path with
Litchfield, IL, as the destination. I headed west out of Southport,
encountered a little detour in Mooresville, and even spent a little time
back on I-70 before reaching US-40 at Putnamville.
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About a half dozen miles up the road, I took a look at this old
US-40/National Road alignment.
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This isn't a National Road trip, so I stuck to drive-by shots. First up
is the Clabber Girl clock on the east edge of Terre Haute, IN. I also
bought gas in Indiana before it jumped a dollar a gallon at the state
line. In Illinois, I snapped a shot of the row of buildings George R.
Stewart photographed for his 1953 book on US-40. Then it was a shot of a
couple of big 'uns in Casey where there are lots of 'em. The last picture
is of some of the many balconies in Greenup.
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Garmin wanted me to turn right with US-40 at this intersection in
Vandalia, IL, but I stayed with the National Road for one more block to
pass the old capitol and catch the Madonna of the Trail monument at the
next corner. Then I circled back and did what Garmin wanted. That took me
by the undersized arch at the north edge of town. Beside it, Jays Inn,
which was once one of my favorite motels, sits empty and for sale.
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I did it again. I walked into the Ariston Cafe thinking Italian, but a glance at the
menu reminded me that they served excellent coconut shrimp for which I
have a real soft spot. So, as I did in 2022, I instantly switched from
Italian to seafood. The waitress recited the list of available sides, and
I agreed that French fries were a good match then changed to steamed
broccoli. When the fries arrived, I thought they looked interesting, so
made no comment. Probably should have protested. The
shrimp, however, were again excellent. Next time, manicotti, I swear.
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On my way to the night's lodging, I followed this short bit of original
US-66 alignment. I thought it looked familiar, and seeing the bridge made
it certain. Repairs had this road blocked
back in 2006 when
I impulsively pulled onto it in a car with no reverse. I was saved by a
well placed wide spot big enough for a U-turn.
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There were no worries this time, and within minutes I was safely inside
room 262 at the
Carlinvilla
Motel.
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