• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

An American Songline

Journeys in Vintage Music with Cecelia Otto

  • About
    • An American Songline
    • Cece’s Story
    • Accolades & Press
  • The Programs
    • Liberty’s Song: America at 250
    • Good Roads, Great Songs — Music Along America’s Highways
    • Prohibition
    • Centennial of Suffrage
    • The History of Early American Song
    • A Musical Journey Along the Lincoln Highway
    • The Songs of World War I
    • Video
    • FAQ
  • Shows
    • Current Tour & Show Dates
    • Book Cece
    • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Store
  • Contact
    • Get Updates
    • Press Kit
    • Get Crowdfunding Support

Odds and Ends

My Interview with Propel Businessworks on Crowdfunding

October 6, 2015 by Cece

Hello everyone!

I hope you are enjoying fall no matter where you are. Things here have been busy for me getting the word out about the American Songline book and CD, and I’m already starting to book dates for 2016.

While my main focus is on sharing American Songline with the world, I realize that I would not be where I am without the backers from my 2013 Kickstarter campaign. After my crowdfunding campaign was over, people came to me asking for tips on how to run a successful campaign. I have seen an increase in these questions about crowdfunding over the last few years, so much so that I have started consulting with others on their campaigns as well as speaking to organizations all over American. I am grateful to be able to help people with their crowdfunding campaigns, and this interview with Propel Businessworks is just another way of to share what information I’ve gathered over the years.

Click here to read the interview, “Raising Money for Your Business Using Crowdfunding” on Propel’s PRO Network. Interested in consulting with me directly? Click on this link and I’ll be in touch with you shortly. I’ll also be releasing a eBook with more of these tips, so if you’re interested in reading it, get on the mailing list. Thanks!

Filed Under: Crowdfunding, Life in General, Odds and Ends Tagged With: crowdfunding, crowdfunding campaign, fundraising, Kickstarter

The American Songline Book is Coming! Here’s a Preview…

May 12, 2015 by Cece

Thanks to all of you who have bought the CD so far! I hope you have been enjoying the music. While I was happy and proud of the the album being out, I went full tilt to work on the book and it’s almost done! The American Songline book will not only chronicle the 30 concerts I gave in 2013, I also share some personal parts of the journey as well. I sang songs about love and loss along the Lincoln Highway, and those songs became the inspiration for chapters of the same name.

Up first, I wanted to share an excerpt of the “Loss” chapter. Today marks the 5th anniversary of my father’s passing – I can’t believe he’s been gone for five years. The American Songline project was just a vague idea in my mind when he died, and I had no idea if it would be successful or not. Before I started my tour, I knew my Dad would play a part in his own way, and he did. Read more in this passage from the upcoming book:

***

I was a bit worried about staying overnight in Gettysburg. The rumors of the town and hotel being haunted stuck with me, and while I’m not afraid of ghosts, I have had enough encounters with the paranormal that I cannot explain away. I was curious to see if the rumors were true, but I wasn’t actively looking to find out.

There was a plastic candle in my window that lit up when the sun went down. I saw it and wondered if the candle was for the living or for the dead that may walk the streets. When I asked the front desk the following morning why it was there, the hotel clerk said, “It’s a tradition in this area to leave a light on in a window sill for those traveling at night, so they know they have a place to stay.”

I kept a low profile that night, eating dinner and working on my regular jobs. When I finally fell asleep that night, something strange happened.

No Civil War soldiers appeared, but I had a vivid dream that changed my outlook on the rest of the tour. I dreamt I was in an old house that had been converted into a bookshop. I walked into various rooms and combed through the stacks. At some point, I turned the corner into the next room, and there he was.

My father died unexpectedly from a massive heart attack at the age of 61 in 2010, about three months before Dan and I were to be married. While I had some major issues with my father during his life, his death was extremely devastating to my family and me. The one person who you thought would be the last to go was the first. To also lose him so close to my wedding (a supposed happy time) was, and still is, an extremely painful thing for me. After his death, he would appear periodically in my dreams, and tonight in Gettysburg he did just that.

 He was not young this time; he was older with his grey bread, glasses, and wearing his favorite blue and white flannel shirt. We talked as we wandered the stacks, and then when we got the comic book section of the bookstore he stopped.

            “Hey Cec, do you want a comic book? I’ll buy.”

 I remember my jaw dropping, mainly because neither of us really liked comic books. “No Dad, I really don’t like comic books. Why would you want to buy me one?”

            “Oh, I just want you to have some fun, that’s all.”

            What he said sounded so odd to me that I woke up immediately. For a few seconds, I did not know where I was. The candle was still aglow on my windowsill, and there was nothing and no one there. I eventually fell back asleep, but it took a while.  

***

I love and miss him, but what I miss more sometimes are the opportunities I wish I could have had with him – I’d give anything to have one more day with Dad again. If you didn’t do this over Mother’s Day this past weekend, please tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. You never know what can happen, and the secret to living a great life is to live a life with no regrets. Thank you for letting me share this story with you, and if you have any comments, please share them below.

Filed Under: History, Life in General, Lincoln Highway, Odds and Ends, Pennsylvania Tagged With: American Songline, book, dad, death, Dreams, father, Gettysburg, Lincoln Highway, loss and grief

One Year Ago Today…

April 13, 2014 by Cece

IMG_1446

One year ago, a journey started with a concert in New York City. The cabaret room and crowd were small on this April afternoon, but they knew they were witnessing something that had never happened before – a birth of a historic singing travelogue that would months later finally make its way across the country.

My mind today is still reeling from the fact that I was able to accomplish this. I can tell you that the woman standing on a stage in New York City one year ago was both nervous and excited for what would be coming.  While I sang that first concert in New York, so many thoughts raced through my head, including:

1) “Holy crap, I’m performing this first show, and that show is in New York City!!”

2) “What will everyone think of these songs?” (Answer: They were very well-received. In NYC, “Second Hand Rose” and “Nobody Makes a Pass at Me” were the crowd favorites.)

3) “There’s still no accompanist for my performance in Indiana … there HAS to be someone in South Bend who can play it.” (Answer: There was someone, and he was confirmed less than two weeks before the show.)

4) “I hope this car holds out!” (Answer: It had to make a couple trips to a mechanic for various things along the way, but all in all I made it all the way across the country without getting into any major car wrecks.)

5) “Will I get sick of singing these songs?” (Answer: Nope. Not once.)

There were physical, emotional, spiritual, and literal “bumps in the road” along the way, but I knew I had to keep going. I had to see what was around the next corner, what was in the next town, what was in the next state. But doing this project wasn’t about what I saw, it was something more.

It was what I felt. Sure, there are some easy ways to tell visually if you’re on the various Lincoln Alignments (street names, telephone poles, and architecture always help give clues), but it was how the road felt as you are driving it. Within a few weeks of my tour, I could tell when I wasn’t on the Lincoln anymore by how it felt. It sounds weird, but it’s true.

The Lincoln Highway is a road, but it’s also a state of mind. What is that state of mind? Here’s hoping I can convey to you what that state of mind means to me in my upcoming book.

Thank you all for your support these last 365 days, and I can’t wait to share what lies ahead!

DSCN5030

 

Filed Under: Life in General, Lincoln Highway, Odds and Ends Tagged With: Anniversary, Concert, Lincoln Highway, New York City, One Year Later, Performing, Singing Travelogue

Gifts and Things Found Along the Lincoln Highway

December 23, 2013 by Cece

Happy Holidays Everyone!

The nomad in me never stops moving, hence my silence on this blog. After I finished the tour this fall, my husband and I took the plunge and moved 2,000 miles from Chicago to Portland, Oregon where we’ve both never lived before! We’ve been here now for a few weeks, and are spending the holidays here on the West Coast. So far my time has been great here, and I look forward to exploring the area more very soon.

But enough about non-Lincoln Highway things! I know many of you out there have been enjoying and celebrating your holiday season amidst the hustle and bustle that comes along with it.  I wanted to stop and take stock of the many gifts blessings I’ve received from people along the road this year, and I wanted to share these roadside finds with you all. Below you’ll find some really neat and unique items that were given to me as well as things I found along the way. You’ll also see a plethora of t-shirts in this collection as well from across the country (when you live on the road and laundry is scarce, new t-shirts are pretty much a necessity).

Without sounding too hokey, the biggest gift of all is nothing pictured in this gallery. It will always be the new friends I made while on my journey; they now have become “old” friends to me in such a short time. They are the true legacy of the Lincoln Highway, and I feel honored to know them. You will hear more about these extraordinary people in future blog posts as well as my book about my travels. So stay tuned-this is only the beginning!

Old Lincoln Highway Sign from Iowa. It was a gifted to me by someone from the Iowa LHA Chapter. These signs hung on the original route until they were replaced by Iowa’s Heritage Byway signs a few years ago.
Being the musician I am, CD’s were a welcome gift and soundtrack for my travels. Some CD’s were given to me by complete strangers, others by longtime friends. Everything from Classical to Country Music is included in this collection.
From left to right: 1) Hand-created Lincoln Highway Miniature Marker 2) Snowflake Christmas Ornament created with salt from the Great Salt Lake 3) Piece of Petrified Wood found at Middlegate Station in Nevada 4) Ornament from Rock Springs Historical Museum 4) Root Beer Growler from Gottenburg Brewery, Columbus Nebraska 6) Tote bag from Grantsville, Utah
Detail of Handmade Lincoln Highway Marker made by Bob Owens (Jefferson, Iowa). He told me that he puts 6 coats of sand on each marker to create the desired effect.
Detail of Rock Springs Historical Museum Ornament, Rock Springs, Wyoming
Detail of Snowflake Ornament, Grantsville, Utah
Handmade Pin on antique hankerchief, made by Janet Von Toussiant of the Livermore Heritage Guild in California.
There were several books presented to me on my travels. From Art Deco Paper Dolls to the Book of Mormon, all of the books play a part in the story of the Lincoln Highway.
The two books in the back were both written by my friend and Lincoln Highway guru Brian Butko. Both were published this year to commemorate the highway’s centennial. In the front you can see some fun sheet music from the 1910’s and 20’s that was given to me by people along the way too. I just love those old song titles!
I think the t-shirt speaks for itself…
You’ll find this old-time country store along the Lincoln in between Bedford and Pittsburgh. Definitely stop and take the time to walk around the store, you never know what you will find there!
I absolutely love the mission of the Music Village, and if you are in/near the South Bend area please check them out! They are doing great things for the community along the Lincoln Highway.
When I was staying in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this t-shirt was given to me as a great surprise from my host! I guess the road warrior in me was already shining through. :-)
About 30 miles outside of Cedar Rapids, IA, you’ll find the Youngville Gas Station and restaurant. Entirely run by volunteers, this place is a lovely stop along the Lincoln Highway.
Thanks to Bob and Joyce Ausberger not only for giving this t-shirt to me, but for inviting me to perform in Jefferson, IA for their huge Bell Tower Festival.
Neat t-shirt find in Colorado.
This wonderful shirt was a gift from the Music Director at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Laramie, Wyoming.
One of the most unique performances on my tour was to be part of the annual Rockport Dam Jam. I got to learn new music for this concert, and the players were an absolute delight to perform with.
T-shirt of the Eureka Opera House. If you are in this part Nevada, please do yourself a favor and spend the afternoon (or night) here.
Middlegate Station in Nevada is a fanstastic place to stop, walk around, and get a bite to eat.
One of my favorite finds at the Nevada Historical Society’s gift shop: A t-shirt showing all of the hobo signs and symbols.

Until then, may the rest of 2013 be merry for you all! –Cece

Filed Under: Life in General, Lincoln Highway, Music, Odds and Ends Tagged With: Books, Brian Butko, Gifts, Great Salt Lake, Handmade gifts, Indiana, Iowa, Lincoln Highway, Nevada, Ornaments, Pennsylvania, Roadside finds, Sheet Music, T-Shirts, Unique Finds, Utah, vintage

The Colorado Loop

August 13, 2013 by Cece

Towns don't really exist in this part of Colorado, but ranches and businesses do.
Towns don’t really exist in this part of Colorado, but ranches and businesses do.

Ok, I’m admitting it.

I’m a little biased with today’s post. As most of you know, I lived in Colorado for five years to do my graduate studies in music. This part of my trip was as close to a “homecoming” as I got on this tour, so after my Denver performance I took a mini-break from the road to be in familiar surroundings with dear people who I’ve known for a long time.

That being said, there is plenty about Denver that is no longer familiar to me, even after only being gone several years. Restaurants and radio stations stayed the same, but so much has changed and grown in such a short time. I knew I couldn’t go “home” again when I came back to Colorado, but I still never anticipated how hard it would be to be back there at times.

Anyway, onto the history of the road…

The Colorado Loop only existed as part of the Lincoln Highway from 1913-1915, but since we are celebrating the centennial of the highway, we must celebrate all of the original parts of the road. This loop created great controversy from the get-go for the Lincoln Highway Association. This part of the highway was included due to the persuasions of people in Colorado, but also out of slight guilt from the association. After all, they held their initial meeting in Colorado, and then they originally decide to leave Denver off the route? Colorado wouldn’t have it! The loop was then created, but trouble quickly followed. The town of Greeley decided they wanted in on that action, and then there was an “unsanctioned” route created to include Greeley in that route. The LHA had enough of the state’s shenanigans, so they eventually and quietly changed the route to not include Colorado.

It’s a shame really. The high plains of Colorado have a serenity found nowhere else along the route. After living in Denver and always flocking into the mountains for an adventure, the Northeastern parts of Colorado have an adventure all unto itself. Much of this area still remains unchanged from a century ago, and you really start to feel the isolation a Lincoln Highway traveler would have encountered back then.

My performance in Denver was a good one, and it was wonderful to see so many lovely people again. Dan was able to come out for this show, plus there was an old friend who flew from New York to surprise me for this performance! There’s some great video of this show now on my YouTube Channel for your viewing pleasure.

Below you’ll see photos of the loop as well as pictures of Denver itself and Mt. Evans (while not on the Lincoln Highway, it’s a road that most everyone should visit while in the area). Let me know what you think of the pictures, and thanks for stopping by!

The Phelps Hotel in Big Springs, NE is a great landmark in the area, and is known for its three chimneys.
This is the location where the “Dueling Billboards” were located in Big Springs, NE.
Do you go to the right?
Or do you go to the left?
As you can see, I took the left. I was very happy to see this sign.
This marker in Julesburg marks both the Oregon trail and the Pony Express.
The Old Ford Garage has tons of great old stuff from what I hear, too bad it was closed when I was in town.
I loved this old awning of an old hotel (now apartments) in Julesburg.
This is the Hippodrome Theatre in Julesburg. It still is in operation today.
This is the remnants of an old bridge near Dorothy, CO.
View of the original route near Dorothy, CO.
This is the old roadbed of the Lincoln Highway’s Colorado Loop.
This bridge on the South Platte River has the “DLD” (Detriot-Lincoln-Denver) stencils still on it. You can find outside Merino, CO.
Towns don’t really exist in this part of Colorado, but ranches and businesses do.
The Sands Theatre opened in 1916, and has been restored back to its glory.
Main Lobby of the Sands Theatre. Love the dramatic masks!
The Rainbow Arch bridge in Ft. Morgan has 11 arches, and was open to auto traffic from 1923-1987.
Today the bridge is open to pedestrians. This is the view from the end.
As noted in the last post, “minimum maintenance” roads should just be called “muddy roads”.
With the car stopped and the radio off, I sat in my car on the high plains of Colorado and listened to the wind.
View of the Cherry Creek in Denver at sunset. This creek crosses the Platte River downtown, and it is at that very spot where Denver was founded.
Outside of the venue I performed at.
Inside at the Merc’s Jungle room-the stage is all set!
Nap time at the Denver Zoo!
Liquor License #1 was issued here at the Buckhorn Exchange in Denver, CO. Much of the place has stayed the same, and you’re a meat lover this is a great place to eat.
Ghost Sign on the Buckhorn’s building. This is located on the North side of the building.
Ah, I missed these mountain sunsets.
View from the top of Mt. Evans, the highest paved road in North America.
Another view from the top with my other camera.
Here’s me with the sign at the top.
Yup folks, that is snow on the stairs…in late July.
In case you can’t read this, it said it was 44 degrees Fahrenheit when we were there that afternoon.
Always good stuff to remember for this part of the country and other Western sections of the Lincoln Highway.
“High on a hill there’s a lonely goat…”
I was pretty surprised when these “wild” goats wandered up to us at the park. I’ve seen them before here, but I’ve never been that close.
Closeup of the baby Goat.
Closeup of the Mama Goat.
Everyone wants to go straight to Mt. Evans, but they should stop at all of the cool little parks along the way to the top, including Summit Lake Park.
This gas station in Longmont, CO is where supposedly Jack Kerouac stopped and took a nap at in his book “On the Road”. As you can see, it’s literally on its last legs.
Here’s another view of the station, which had a full garage.
This mural in Berthoud, CO pays tribute to hometown boy Floyd Clymer, one of the pioneers in motorcycle racing.

Filed Under: Colorado, Driving, Music, Odds and Ends, Travel-General, Venue Tagged With: Buckhorn Exchange, Colorado Loop, Denver, High Plains, Lincoln Highway, Mercury Café, Mt. Evans

Kearney to North Platte: Exploring more of Central Nebraska

July 28, 2013 by Cece

As I left Kearney, NE on the morning of July 4th, the road changed for me yet again. This time the road had a different buzz then before. The big centennial celebrations were over, but because of the holiday nothing had been taken down yet. Town still kept various things open not only for the holiday, but for Lincoln Highway travelers like myself. In one of my previous posts, I remarked about what the route looked like in advance of the car tours. Would everything go back to the way it was, or would it all stay up for the rest of the summer? Would the Lincoln still be prominent in people’s minds, or would it fade away again? I’d have to drive further down the road to see what happened…

It’s about 100 miles as the crow files from Kearney to North Platte, but in these parts it takes a lot longer to get there than one would think thanks to the famous “Stair Steps” along the route. If you drive US 30 in this part, you are NOT driving on the original highway. When the Lincoln was being plotted 100 years ago, it was tricky in those days to get across the South Platte River. They used the existing roads of the time, which followed section lines around farms. These lines formed a stair step pattern when you looked at a map. You can read more about this part of the route here. It winds and curves, dozens of times, but it a beautiful and historic stretch of road. Thanks to the efforts of Muriel Clark with Nebraska Outback (more about her in my next post), this section of the road now has signage directing you along all of these twists and turns. When I was photographing the road they were in process of getting all of the signs up, so it should now (as of today’s date) be fully marked.

Because I had to be in North Platte at a specific time, I had to drive this section on two different days. I followed the original route until Gothenburg on the 4th, and then I came back and drove the original route from Gothenburg to North Platte a few days later. I really loved driving this part of the route, and I’m glad I took the time to see it.

About four miles west of Kearney is the famous covered wagon being pulled by two oxen. It was a souvenir stand along the highway for many years. The adjacent building is being renovated into a multipurpose building.
The Overton bridge shows where the original highway alignment used to be.
The bridge has been freshly painted, and it looks great!
The city of Cozad Nebraska marks the place where the 100th meridian intersects with the routes of the Oregon Trail, Pony Express, transcontinental railroad, and the Lincoln Highway.
Gothenburg’s Pony Express Station is a really nice authentic stop to get a little history and a bottle of water!
Here’s an interior view of the cabin.
These signs show how many miles to various cities around the US.
This is the beginning of the Gothenburg Steps south of the city.
You can see the change in pavement in this shot.
Near Brady, NE you can find Conroy’s Grave. It reads: “A. Conroy Sept. 1868 Killed by the Sioux while mowing hay For the government troops”
This soldier marks where the original Ft. McPherson once stood. This statue was put in its place in 1928.
Fort McPherson National Cemetery is located along the original Lincoln Highway route. It was first started in 1863.
Grave #1 at Fort McPherson.
Child who died at the Fort.
Another beautiful tribute to a soldier.
You can see in this detail how this person died.
This Monument commemorates the men killed in an 1854 massacre.
You’ll see that there are musicians among the dead from this massacre.
After I left Ft. McPherson, I finally started to see the Lincoln Highway signs!
Pony Express Marker along the route.
Another great old bridge along the Lincoln, this time I felt safer going across this one.
Detail of bridge.
Here’s another Gothenburg Stair Step sign, noting the curve this time.
There were several Oregon Trail Markers along the road , but this one is in excellent condition.
Here’s some detail in the marker.
You saw old and new phone poles coexisting along the route in many places.
I thought I’d leave you all with this parting shot. I can’t wait to see what lies down the road!

Filed Under: Driving, Nebraska, Odds and Ends Tagged With: Brady, Conroy's Grave, Ft. McPherson, Gothenburg, Lincoln Highway, Muriel Clark, Nebraska, Nebraska Outback, Oregon Trail, Pony Express, Stair Steps, The Old West

Summary of Eastern Iowa Highlights (Including a Special Trip to Belle Plaine)

June 19, 2013 by Cece

The modern Lincoln Highway Association had its rebirth in Iowa, and for good reason – many of the historic roads and places on the route are still unchanged and/or in use today. Agriculture is still the prominent industry along the route as it would haven been across the nation a century ago. The road has been categorized as a “Heritage Byway” by the state, and the signage here is excellent. You even have the options to take special loop sections along the original gravel routes to really get the old experience of what the route would have been like long ago.

My travels in Iowa thus far on the original route have been tricky. Due to the excessive rain in the state, many low-lying areas and rivers have flooded, and this includes some of the original gravel stretches in Eastern Iowa. Now normally I wouldn’t balk at a little water on the road, but when it has a current running through it, I didn’t want to take the chance. Between the Iowa mud (known as “gumbo”) and the rain travelers faced on the Lincoln Highway 100 years ago, I can see why many travelers turned back at this point.

Before I left Illinois, I received an unexpected but very cool phone call. A 94 year old man by the name of John Schild (known as “Dick” by most), heard of what I was doing. He then asked if we were related, as he had a cousin with the last name of “Otto”. I told him I wasn’t sure, but between us being possibly related, what I was doing for my project, and just exchanging general pleasantries, I had an invitation to visit and tour Belle Plaine, Iowa with John who had spent his whole life in town watching the Lincoln Highway grow and change before his eyes.

I spent about whole day touring the whole city with him, plus I had the pleasure of also having lunch at the Lincoln Cafe and afternoon conversation with him and Bill Sankot, the owner of the Sankot Garage, a place that is on the National Register of Historic Places. The intermittent rain that day facilitated some of the deepest conversations I’ve had on this tour thus far. Back in the heydays of the highway, men would gather at the garage to talk about the news of the day. This particular gloomy Wednesday in June, a 94 year old (Dick), a 60 something year old (Bill), and a 30 something year old (me) sat in the same garage and talked for hours about any and every topic you can think of in society. What did I (Cece) think of the country’s future? Are computers really the downfall of human society? If you could have one modern thing to take back with you a 100 years ago, what would it be? Take these questions and sprinkle in fun stories and anecdotes from our lives (including a few famous people), and you have an amazing, living aural history right in front of you. By the time my day had come to a close my brain was swimming with so much information, I was relieved I had recorded about 80% of our conversations that day.

Before you check out all of the cool photos in the picture gallery below, here’s a couple websites that give more information about the pictures below.

1) Belle Plaine Museum: This museum is quite a find for the area, and has several wonderful collections. A must stop for any Lincoln Highway buff.

2) Youngville Café: Built in 1931, this was a fully functioning gas station, café, and small cabin court along the highway until the late 1960’s. It too is also on the National Register of Historic Places, and now is open a couple days a week for lunch.

And now onto the gallery!

Here’s what both the modern and old Iowa Lincoln Highway Signs looks like.
I’m guessing Lincoln Highway travelers encountered high water like this along the road 100 years ago, but unlike me they didn’t have another route to follow!
Located in Mt Vernon, this is an abandoned stretch of brick road.
Here’s a section of the Mt. Vernon Brick section that has some special details about it.
This abandoned stretch of the Lincoln has a beautiful example of what early an concrete road looks like.
Here’s some detail of the concrete in the abandoned stretch.
Here’s the sign for the Seedling Mile in this part of Iowa which is East of Cedar Rapids.
You can see the change in the pavement in this photo from the original seedling mile pavement to the regular road asphalt that we use today.
This banner on Dick’s barn will greet all of the drivers from a few car tours this summer.
Dick showed me this old picture of what the tourist camp would have looked like along the original route back in the 1920s.
The Lincoln Cafe is another great old stop along the Lincoln, and they’ve got great food.
The Henry Tippie Annex is a great new exhibit in the museum. A prominent businessman, you can see his top ten rules for life.
Some great old sheet music on a piano in the music room of the museum.
Belle Plaine’s piano player reel collection is huge. They have about 200 rolls of music that can still be heard on their player pianos.
This is one of the most beautiful chandeliers I’ve ever seen. On display at the Belle Plaine Museum, this Egerman glass chandelier is a wonderful example of what was the Czech people created with glass in the 1920s. My blue necklace is also made of Czech glass from this period.
Here’s some cool old hotel signs from the Herring Hotel. We’ll see some of the building in later shots.
The Sankot Garage has been a fixture of the Lincoln Highway and Belle Plaine since the 1920s.
Here’s the Neon Sign outside the garage.
Front window of the Sankot Garage.
Interior shot of the Sankot Garage. Had my father been alive to see this place, I’m guessing he never would have left there! I’ve never seen so many different car parts.
Here’s another view of the front room in the Sankot Garage.
Detail of the Sankot front room’s floor.
Old Clock in the Sankot Garage, which Bill roughly dated to the 40s.
Another old sign in the Sankot Garage.
This is an old Edison Trickle Charger. This was used to charge old car batteries.
Here’s a picture of the Model A that Bill is currently restoring. They fired it up, and it runs great!
From Left to Right: Bill Sankot, Me, and John “Dick” Schild
Dick drove me in/around Belle Plaine so I could see some of the original gravel roads of the LH. Here’s the view from the car.
The Herring Hotel was an operating hotel in the heydays of the highway in Belle Plaine. It’s currently under renovation, and hopefully will be restored to its glory.
Dick can around the corner to talk to the owner to see if we could get in so I could take some photos of the area. While I was waiting I took this detail of the original floor.
A few pieces of the hotels’ original ceiling still appear.
Preston’s Garage in Belle Plaine is an important fixture of the highway. It originally was a working gas station on the original route, but when the route was moved in the 20s, the building was pulled by a horse team to the location where it is today.
Anyone who loves old signs will love stopping to view this place.
The Youngville Cafe is one of those place that you wish was open all of time. Open for lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays afternoons, as well as on Fridays for pie and the Farmer’s Market. This early 1930s cafe has been restored beautifully from top to bottom, and is run only by volunteers.
View of the Lincoln Highway from inside the Youngville Cafe.
LOVE this sign, and want it in my kitchen!
Sign Detail of Lincoln Highway Bridge.
Listed on the National Historic Register, Tama’s Lincoln Highway Bridge was built in 1915.

There’s more posts about Iowa after this one, so subscribe to read more!

Filed Under: Driving, Grassroots, History, Iowa, Life in General, Lincoln Highway, Odds and Ends, Uncategorized Tagged With: Belle Plaine, Belle Plaine Museum, Bill Sankot, Brick Road, Flooding, Gravel Road, Heritage Byway, Iowa, John Dick Schild, Lincoln Highway, Sankot Garage, Youngville Cafe

Living Gluten Free While on the Lincoln Highway

June 18, 2013 by Cece

While I post mostly about the sights and experiences along the Lincoln Highway, I want to talk about something that unifies all of us humans, and that’s food. Food defines us as a culture and some of our best memories come through the food we’ve made and eaten over time. For those of us who have food sensitivities, journeys like the one that I’m on can be intimidating. Since 2002, I’ve lived a gluten and dairy free lifestyle for medical reasons (there are more sensitivities than this, but these are the big 2 for me). 11 years in the gluten/dairy free world, and so much has changed. I never thought I’d be able to eat pizza in public again, but there are restaurants that make gluten free pizza with non-dairy cheese! Awareness has grown so much just even in the last couple years, rural America knows more about food allergies than ever before.

I’m currently in Iowa, about halfway time-wise on my tour (three months so far, and three to go), so I feel like I can speak about the pluses and pitfalls about living on the road with multiple food allergies. I’ll be honest, I’ve been sick a few times from food I thought was safe that really wasn’t safe (those places will not be mentioned in this post), BUT there’s a lot of great “mom-and-pop” places along the route that are way more accommodating to food-savvy folks like us than typical chain restaurants. As people are becoming more aware about what’s in their food, local diners (especially in the heartland) will source more and more ingredients from people they know. The retro diner that looks like it will have nothing to eat might actually have something that’s okay for you. The owner or owner’s daughter might have Celiac disease, and whoa, the whole kitchen is dedicated gluten free.

There’s tons of people and bloggers who have written about how to travel safe while on a restricted diet, and there’s a lot of great tips out there. I won’t be overly repetitive about what they’ve said, but I will tell you a few things that have worked for me.

1) Bring your own food

In a future post you’ll see how I packed for a 6 month trip (it’s not as easy as it looks), but I can tell you I packed and re-packed my “safe food” stash to have with me when I wouldn’t have access to food. Having food that’s shelf-stable is key for a six-month journey, and then supplementing with local produce/deli is crucial.

A huge plus with a growth in gluten free awareness is that I’ve been able to find and buy loaves of GF bread from reputable companies in grocery stores that were in the middle of nowhere. Amish and Mennonite areas even have gluten free sections now in their stores, as people in their populations have Celiac disease as well. Brands like The Gluten Free Bar, Schar, and Kinnikinnick make shelf stable products (many with non-GMO ingredients), and GFree Connect provides care packs that have sample sizes which are perfect for travel.

2) Bring extra supplements

Those of you who have a specialized diet probably have a supplement routine to keep yourself healthy, including vitamins and digestive enzymes. I am NOT a medical or health professional, so this section can and should be tailored to what’s best for you. If you eat something that makes you sick, remember your body needs an extra “nudge” to get better, especially while dealing with the stress of traveling. When I did get sick from food, the key was hydration, rest, and taking extra supplements. I am happy to report that after three months on the road, I’ve been food sick only and not other types of sick (knocks on wood). I realize getting sick from food is not great, but I feel the need to celebrate small victories where I can. My supplements have helped me cope with the changes in climate, time zones, and weird schedules without getting even a single head cold. Either way, follow the advice of your health care practitioner no matter what I’ve written here, and if your symptoms are severe while on the road seek medical attention immediately.

3) Do Your Homework Before, During and After Your Trip

Anyone who lives this way knows your work is never done in regards to keeping optimum health. You’re always reading labels, looking at menus online, and calling restaurants in advance of your arrival to make sure everything is safe. If you have a smartphone, use those apps that will help you find what you need. For me, Find Me Gluten Free and Yelp have been a godsend and extremely crucial for my trip so far. I’ve been able to locate and read reviews of restaurants and grocery stores (again I like to give my money to local communities, not chains if possible) and use them to my benefit. When in doubt, don’t eat there!

4) Consider Alternative Housing Arrangements While on the Road

This tour has been a grassroots tour from the get-go, and that means I’ve relied on the kindness of strangers to give me a couch/bed to sleep on. One of those components of finding people to stay with is through CouchSurfing. With CouchSurfing, you can create a profile and note your food allergies. You can either be a host to people, or people can host you. Depending on where you are going, you can find people who can accommodate your lodging and dietary needs (i.e. cross-contamination free kitchens) plus get a local’s perspective of the community you are traveling through. Air Bnb also has affordable accommodations as well that might have kitchens where you can cook your own food as well.

Below is a few snapshots of some of my positive food experiences. I couldn’t put the web links to the restaurants in the pictures, so click below on the name of the place if you want to learn more about them.

Grandma’s Grotto

Little E’s Pizzeria

Mad Mex

After my first performance I celebrated with Gluten and Dairy Free piece of Chocolate Cake!
My CouchSurfing host in suburban Philadelphia introduced me to Elderflower Liqueur, yum! Tie it in with bonfire, and it was a great way to unwind on a non-performance day.
For Gluten Free Folks, there’s tons of quick “instant” noodles made out of rice or tofu that are ready within minutes. I picked up a few things at the Asian Market in this case.
You can see my write up about the General Warren Inne in an earlier post, but seeing a menu like this makes me happy.
I found this place through Instagram. I posted a picture with the hashtag #glutenfree and within 20 minutes one of the family members of Grandma’s Grotto had reached out to me to tell about who they are and what they do. Their whole family is GF, and the food was amazing.
This their Gluten Free Menu, and they have a dessert case and freezer full of items that are all gluten free (many are also dairy, corn and nut free too).
Grandma’s Grotto made me this special Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake, and it was gluten and dairy free.
As I said earlier, I’ve been able to find bread pretty easily. These french bread loaves were from Grandma’s Grotto, and I was able to use them in rural Pennsylvania where gluten free items were not readily available.
Little E’s Pizzeria was heaven. Great gluten free pizza, beer, and cider, plus they had organic and vegan options as well.
I had this meal at Mad Mex in Pittsburgh (can you believe it was a lunch portion?), and again everything was gluten free and dairy free.
This meal comes from one of my CouchSurfing hosts in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This Salmon was caught, flash frozen and shipped from Alaska by the host’s brother. We made up a homemade glaze with some items I had in my food stash and voila! With rice, vegetables, and good conversation, it was a great culinary experience.
Okay, this shows that not everyone knows what you’ll find in a small town cafe. This is a Scotcheroo (new to me until two days ago), which is a rice krispy treat made with peanut butter and butterscotch instead of marshmallows. Cover it with chocolate, and you’re done! I found these in NIland’s Cafe in Colo, Iowa (more about them in a future post).

*I was not compensated by any places or companies above to endorse their product(s). Please read all labels and menus before consuming any food to make sure it’s right for you.

Filed Under: Casein Free, Gluten Free, Lincoln Highway, Odds and Ends, Travel-General Tagged With: casein free, dairy free, Eating on the road, Find Me Gluten Free, GFree Connect, gluten free, Grandma's Grotto, Lincoln Highway, Mad Mex, Rural America, Schar, The GFB, travel

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Follow Cece’s American Songline Journey

Relive the Struggle for Women’s Rights

An American Songline: Centennial of Suffrage is now available to purchase, featuring lyrics for 14 suffrage anthems, as well as Cecelia Otto's notes and commentary..

PURCHASE NOW »

Upcoming Tour & Show Dates

Come see Cece perform live! See if she’ll be performing near you in the near future.

SEE CECE LIVE »
  • Dribbble
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2025 — An American Songline • All rights reserved.

Log in