An American Songline

Journeys in Vintage Music with Cecelia Otto

Travel-General

Reflections on “The Songs of World War One” Program

by

July 2017 performance at the Hayesville Opera House (built 1886) in Ohio, on the National Historic Register, taken with in-house hand-painted historic backdrops. Photo by Mike Hocker.

In March of 2017, two years after I performed my first Lincoln Highway concert, I debuted my second big concert program titled, “The Songs of World War One”. I knew that people would learn and enjoy the program, but I had no idea how it would be received. It was a wonderful surprise to find out not only that people enjoyed the concerts, but that I performed the music well past the 100th anniversary of the Armistice – all the way to November of 2019.

In those two and a half years of performing those songs, I met and connected with so many people nationwide who had their own stories and songs to share. And those stories made me think of all of the programs in a whole new way, and they changed me. It’s been a year since I last wore my re-created uniform, and I felt impelled to share some of what I saw and learned with you all.

  1. I had people of all backgrounds come to hear me sing and learn about this moment in history. The First World War is often a footnote in American history for your average person in the US. They didn’t learn about it (much) in school, and that’s more often than not because we really weren’t the “heroes” as we were in World War Two. And with the 1918 flu pandemic, Prohibition, The Great Depression and more, the Great War often takes a backseat in some history books and lesson plans. I was a part of a WWI marker dedication in Boise, Idaho in 2018. Because of the aforementioned circumstances, they never had a memorial put up in their Veterans’ Park, and were finally able to commemorate it a century later.
  2. Because of this war being overlooked, the roles that women played in the WWI are often forgotten or unknown here. My uniform as a contract Army surgeon was often a topic of discussion; people either thought I was “playing a non-American woman” onstage (French or Russian), or they assumed that it was not a “real costume”. I deliberately chose to re-create a surgeon’s uniform because of two reasons: 1) To highlight roles beyond what most people know (i.e. a nurse or a “Hello Girl”) and 2) To show modern audiences that some women who had special expertise were hired for their knowledge versus taking on a volunteer role (women were not allowed to enlist at the time).
  3. People often ask me if any contentious things happened at my shows. “Do things get political during your concerts?” they would ask. My answer: Never. People leave their personal beliefs at the door, they come to learn, sing along and have a laugh. I take my responsibility as a performer and historian to hold and create a space where they can come back in time with me without present-day judgements. And that shared experience builds community in the best way possible.
  4. Hearing the stories of veterans after shows – I still have no words that can express how much these moments have changed me. In two and a half years, I met lots of vets who served in World War Two, Korea, Vietnam, and in later wars. They would come up to me and share their stories with me. Stories of family members who served, stories of things that happened while they served. Things they learned while doing historic research on their own families or soldiers who served in their towns. It honored me that they felt so moved by the music to come to me afterwards to share these things with me, and it’s informed how I continue to sing and show up for people today.

One of the most important comments I received from a Vietnam veteran after a 2019 performance that has stayed with me ever since was, “I wanted to let you know I fought in Vietnam, and tonight’s concert made me think about war in a way I’ve never thought about before. Thank you.”

Every time I think about that moment in time, time stops for me. I can still see the look in his eyes when he shared this insight for him. I can still feel the adrenalin that courses through my body after a show drop immediately and his words took my breath away. While I share America’s history through these concerts and I’m grateful to be able to do so, it’s in those connections and spaces where everything moves into a life of its own which is the most important thing not only for you as an attendee, but for me as well.

For the veterans who are reading this, thank you for your service. I would not be able to share my songs and knowledge with the world without you, and I’m grateful for that. For those who have lost a friend or family member who served, I am truly sorry for your loss and every time I bring these songs back to life, I am thinking about them hold them with the highest honors in my heart. I hope to perform the World War One program again someday in the future, but in the interim I welcome your thoughts and your stories, either in the comments or reach out to me privately via email or the contact page. Thank you.

The Colorado Loop

by

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!

Bricks, bricks and more bricks! Exploring Western Iowa and Eastern Nebraska

by

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.”  –Jack Kerouac

With the nearing centennial celebration coming up this weekend in central Nebraska, the highway came to life on a whole other level as soon as I crossed the border. From billboard signs to little Lincoln highway signs taped to telephone poles, the whole state is “Thinkin’ Lincoln” and rightfully so. This past weekend, hundreds of cars of varying ages, makes, and models left both San Francisco and New York City and are heading this way right now. While I’ve certainly longed for this weekend and to see my fellow LHA Members for the conference next week (it will be amazing on so many levels), I have to admit it’s been a little weird to see the metaphorical “wrinkles smoothed over” of the towns I’ve been going through in the last couple days. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to see all of the changes and celebrate the highway, but I also wonder what the towns look like when there are no celebrations going on. Are there many Lincoln Highway signs up, or would one get lost trying to find everything? It’s something to think about.

The photos in today’s post are from Scranton, Iowa all the way to Central City, Nebraska. Landscapes start to change from corn fields to rolling hills. The city of Omaha breaks up the highway’s routine of being sleepy and quaint. You drive parallel to a major train route, and you see trains coming and going constantly. Traffic is busier than you would think as it’s still a major thoroughfare for the area. Roads are narrower (with minimal to no shoulder) to keep their historic integrity in some parts, which makes it tricky to drive when it’s super windy as I experienced. You’ll see a TON of brick roads that have been preserved by various communities that I passed through, and it’s interesting to see how different the bricks look in each place.  My favorite finds below are the following (and you’ll see pictures of all of this below):

1) The Village of Boys Town – This place is a must stop for you if you take the original route. They do amazing work, and there are several places that visitors can tour. It’s an important part of the highway’s history (as well as US history) that I fear may be overlooked at times.

2) Elkhorn Brick Road Stretch: You’ll find this west of Boys Town. 3.5 miles of a perfectly preserved brick road including signs, markers, and bridges.

3) The “Avenus of Trees” in Duncan: In the heart of Duncan you’ll see two rows of trees which used to flank the original route.

4) Gardiner Station Section: This can be found in between Duncan and Silver Creek, and here you’ll see an iron truss bridge with a wooden plank floor in amazing condition.

The next week will be crazy for me blogging-wise as I have performances in several places over the next 8 days including: Grand Island, Kearney, North Platte, and Sutherland Nebraska. I will post in real time when I can on my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, so if you want to check in to see how things are going until the next blog post you can visit me there. Until then everyone, safe travels wherever you may and have a Happy 4th of July weekend!

The Reed/Niland Corner: One of Best Places to Experience Highway History

by

It’s hard to believe this, but I’ve now been on the road touring and performing along the Lincoln Highway for three months. I’ve got three more months to go still, and it’s times like these when you need to regroup and recharge. This is where the historic Reed/Niland Corner comes into play.

I’m a firm believer that history is alive all around us, and appears in so many different ways, not just in books. At this part of the route in Colo, Iowa it’s so alive you really feel it. Built at the intersection of the Lincoln and Jefferson Highways (more on the Jefferson Highway shortly), this corner of the world saw a heavy amount of traffic. So much so, that back in the early 1920’s, Charlie Reed built a gas station. The Reed and Niland families quickly built a lunch stand which turned into a café later, and then also turned a makeshift campground into more permanent lodging for travelers. This area became one of the first if not the first place where you could get everything in “one stop”. It also quickly became one of the first places along the route that was open 24 hours as well!

As noted in my previous post, the Lincoln paved the way for other auto trails to be created throughout the country. The Jefferson Highway was the 14th route to be created after the Lincoln Highway, was the first North-South Transcontinental Route, and was named after founding father Thomas Jefferson. It was built in 1915 and runs from Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada all the way to New Orleans, Louisiana (it contains states which were involved in the Louisiana Purchase). To quote a Colo local, “It’s the only place where Lincoln and Jefferson actually do meet!” It is also called the “Palm to Pine Highway” to note the change in the trees along the route.

I still have several states to go on this tour, but I do have to say this part of the highway holds a special place in my heart. It truly feels like a home away from home, and I can’t say that about your average hotel and/or restaurant chain. You can’t get gas here anymore, but you can still stay in the restored Colo Motel and eat at Niland’s Café. If you can swing it in your travels, you should try to stay here at least one night so you can experience what this place is like, eat a meal, walk the grounds, and see all of the interpretive plaques and exhibits so you can learn about this place fully. You won’t regret it.

I again will put up some photos of this place, but know that the photos don’t do justice to how beautifully restored this area is.

For a more in-depth video of this historic corner, check out this great video on YouTube:

I’ll be hitting the road tomorrow so there will be a couple days where I won’t be writing much, so have a great first weekend of summer everyone and I’ll talk to you soon!

Living Gluten Free While on the Lincoln Highway

by

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

*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.

Sightseeing in Eastern Ohio with My Lincoln Highway

by

I have to admit, while it’s fun to explore these places by myself it’s good to have company with you from time to time. And that’s where Jamie from My Lincoln Highway comes in. She walks and photographs sections of the highway in detail, and I’m happy to say I parked the car and walked with her through some beautiful sections of the highway in Eastern Ohio.

Jamie and I spent a Saturday following the Lincoln from Hanoverton to Massillon Ohio, and then also the following Tuesday going from Massillon to Wooster. Again, I won’t duplicate what Jamie wrote in this post, this other post, as well as anything I wrote about when I visited Canton last year for the 2012 LHA conference (to read that post click here).

Here’s my top 5 highlights of the area in words (you can read more in detail in the photo gallery below):

1) First off, I loved walking around Hanoverton. I’ve never been to colonial Williamsburg, but I can imagine Hanoverton being very similar. The Spread Eagle Tavern is definitely a neat place to walk around itself, every room has its own history. If you are watching your budget while traveling, I recommend going for lunch in lieu of dinner. The food is just as good, and you’ll save a few pennies.

2) The McKinley Memorial is a lovely tribute to our 25th president. He wasn’t discussed much during my history classes growing up, so I learned a lot about his life and presidency. Plus, you can get your exercise in running up and down all those stairs!

3) The Massillon Museum has some great collections in it, plus there’s another Lincoln Highway marker right out of front of it. There will be a Lincoln Highway exhibit coming soon, plus you should go try to find both “Oscar” and “Harvey”. Free admission.

4) Downtown Wooster is slowly being revitalized, and there’s some great shops and antique stores that are fun to browse in. The Wayne County Courthouse is neat architectural find along the route; I’ve not seen a building of its type and condition yet.

5) Last but not least, any roads made out of brick. I know it may seem funny to you, but sometimes we have to look at what’s underneath our feet to appreciate our history. There’s some beautiful old red brick stretches of the highway along the route, and nothing transport you back in time faster than hearing your tires rumble as you drive slowly along the road. There are a few stretches of brick road along this route, and you can find where they are on Lincoln Highway Association’s Map: http://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/map/ (make sure the “Points of Interest” box is clicked on the right hand side, and zoom in).

FYI – I’m finding it easier as time goes on to upload photo galleries with all of my images below; it not only means those photos will be easier for you to see, but it’s a quicker turnaround (internet access/time permitting) for me to get updates to you as well. Comment away if you think this format is not working for you all, and I’ll adjust.

Up next, I’ll be dedicating a post to my performance in the Hayesville Opera house. Have a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend everyone!

Driving the Lincoln in Central Pennsylvania: A review of sights from Malvern to Stoystown

by

As I’ve noted before, I’ve not ever been to this part of the country before. With no relatives in Pennsylvania, there’s never been a reason to come out here. My week I spent in this area was wonderful. I felt like I was living in a mix of both Colorado and Ireland again. The mountain lifestyle combined with the stone buildings made it easy for me to feel “at home”.

I stayed at two different places along this part of the highway, including the famous Lincoln Motor Court (more on my stay there in a future post), and The Gettysburg Hotel. But what made the drive so memorable besides the scenery are the unique murals, artwork installations, and memorable shops that make the Lincoln Highway worth the drive [thanks in part to the great effort of the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor (LHHC)]. You feel like you’re discovering a local secret, which has still been untapped after all of these years.

I have hundreds of photos that can’t even come close to encapsulating how awesome and beautiful this part of the road is, but I’ll try. Here’s some of the highlights from this leg of the tour:

Up next, I’ll be writing about my stay at the Lincoln Motor Court, which is truly a wonderful step back in time. Until then, happy travels wherever you may go!

 

Getting ready for the 2012 LHA conference!

by

I got back from Mongolia on Monday afternoon, and I’m still a little jet lagged still but all in all doing very well.  It was a fantastic trip, and I look forward to sharing some of the highlights with you all after I’ve sorted through the 1,500 photos, videos and audio recordings I made while I was there.

No rest for the weary though-I hit the ground running when I came back.  I am very honored and pleased to officially say that I will be performing for the opening night dinner of this year’s 2012 Lincoln Highway Conference in Canton, Ohio.  I will be singing a few songs to give everyone a small taste of what people can expect when I take the program on the road in 2013.  I look forward to seeing everyone that I met in Lake Tahoe last year, as well as making new friends at this year’s conference.

If you can’t make it to the opening dinner or conference this year to hear these tracks, do not fear!  I am selling a special advance preview CD with five tracks on it for $5 at the conference (Look for my table in the book room and come and say hi!), and after the conference is over I will have a special link where you can purchase the CD (additional shipping costs will apply).

Like last year, I will be posting photos from the conference as well as giving written updates from the road. We will also try to get video of my performance as well so you all can finally see me sing, so stay tuned for that.

Safe travels to my LHA colleagues, and I look forward to seeing you all next week in Canton!