LHHC | An American Songline

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:

The Dutch Haven gift store has been a fixture in Lancaster County has been a fixture on the highway since the 1920’s.

This is part of the original store at the Dutch Haven, which has since expanded into a store that carries around 10,000 items.

This is a close up of a statue of Lincoln in Gettysburg. This statue is accurate in every way, including the detail of Lincoln’s hands.

Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum and Candy Shop is a MUST visit. This place is a lot of fun, and there really is something for everyone here. Free admission.

This is just one excerpt of Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum, which contains over 10,000 elephants of all shapes and sizes.

One panel of a Lincoln Highway Mural. You can find this mural in Chambersburg on the Lincoln Lanes building.

There are several huge Roadside sculptures along the highway, but I think this one is my favorite. You can find this one near Shatzer’s Fruit Market heading West out of Chambersburg.

There’s lots of boom and bust along the Lincoln, and here’s an old probable house/business ruin just outside of St. Thomas, PA.

Another great Lincoln Highway Mural, this one can be found near Bingham’s Orchard.

There are dozens of these decorated gas pumps along the route, and this one of “Vincent Van Gas” can be found at the Lincoln Garage in downtown Schellsburg.

One of the most famous fixtures of the Lincoln Highway was the Ship Hotel, which sat at this mountain overlook on Allegheny Mountain for 69 years before it was destroyed in a fire.

You can see a picture of what the Ship Hotel looked like at this mural not too far away from the site at Route 30 Antiques in Central City.

Also at Route 30 Antiques, this gas pump was dedicated to the Ship Hotel as well.

About 5 miles south of the Lincoln Highway sits the memorial for Flight 93. It’s a solemn but beautiful place, and definitely a must visit. While you are not allowed to walk on the crash site (nor should anyone!), you are welcome to photograph it.

Duppstadt’s Country Store Sign, found in Buckstown/Stoystown

This gas pump can be found at Duppstadt’s Country Store, a fixture on the highway since 1904.

I think this barn mural about the Lincoln speaks for itself.

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!