leftovers

I’ve been adding a few images I had not had time to post earlier… enjoy.
BTW: all the National Road photos where shot with an iPhone 4s.

a little early

a little early, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

My Ural motorcycle at the Melody Drive-In in Springfield, Ohio. (iPhone photo)

east end

east end, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

The east entrance to the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, in Wheeling, W.Va. (iPhone photo)

shadow shop

shadow shop, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

The workshop for Central State Hospital, formally the Central Indiana Hospital for the Insane. (iPhone photo)

go Hickory

go Hickory, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

The Knightsville, Indiana gym where the movie “Hoosiers” was filmed. (iPhone photo)

ready to run

ready to run, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

My motorcycle as seen from the entrance to the power plant of the Central State Hospital, formally the Central Indiana Hospital for the Insane. (iPhone photo)

National Road found

Well, I found it; the National Road.  Or should I say I found about .01% of it.  The part I noticed, and the smaller subset I photographed.

It a hard working road, cutting through the manufacturing and agricultural heartland of the middle west. It a political road;  its very construction causing constitutional arguments that raged for years.  It goes through several state capitals — past and present. It passes several places of higher learning and public and private k-12 schools. There is a lot to be learned from having traveled it. It goes through both impoverished areas and well-to-do hamlets. It did succeed at  linking east to west as Washington and Jefferson had hoped. Ironically, although it runs across much of the Mason-Dixon line, it did not do much to link north and south. It’s  been called many things including “America’s Main Street.”  But I like to think of it as America’s back yard.  I look forward to exploring it further. I highly recommend exploring a section near you.

early morning run

early morning run, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

A harness racer tries to beat the coming rain at the Effingham County fair grounds half-mile track in Altamont, Ill. (iPhone photo)

red letter day

red letter day, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

Discarded letters in the sign graveyard of  Signs & Graphics Inc. in Effingham, Illinois. (iPhone photo)

spirit of ’76

spirit of ’76, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

The sign graveyard of  Signs & Graphics Inc. in Effingham, Illinois. (iPhone photo)

old ford

old ford, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

The hood emblem of a weathered Ford as found in Montrose, Illinois. (iPhone photo)

young Abe

young Abe, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

John McClarey’s sculpture “Sitting with Lincoln” faces away from the Old Illinois Capitol Building in Vandalia Illinois. It is here the National Road terminated around 1837. (iPhone photo)

Tomorrow it ends

Today, I spent some time at home, before leaving tomorrow (weather permitting ) when I will tackle the last segment of the National Road.  I was able to get caught up on and post some photos I had not gotten to from the previous days. Enjoy.

Brownsville afternoon

Brownsville afternoon, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

Phillip Girand and Paul Ruane chew the fat outside an auto repair shop in West Brownsville, PA. (iPhone photo)

“insanity please”

insanity please, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

Graffiti scrawled on the wall of the Central Indiana State Hospital Power Plant, formally the Central Indiana Hospital for the Insane. (iPhone photo)

Ms. Firecracker

Ms. Firecracker, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

Cayla Maurer holds a giant container of fireworks near the Fireworks Outlet where she works summers in West Terre Haute, Indiana. (iPhone photo)

close shave

close shave, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

Felix Ferrell cuts the hair of Tim Pearison in the shop Ferrell owns and operates in downtown Marshall, Ill. (iPhone photo)

in the shadow of Wheeling

in the shadow of Wheeling, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

The west side approach to the Wheeling suspension bridge in Wheeling, W.Va. (iPhone photo)

great day

It is  amazing how beautiful rural Indiana and Illinois are early on a summer morning. I’m back home in Illinois, and have one last section of the road left.  Early next week I will do the last 75 miles.  I will be sorry when it is finished.  There’s a lot to see out there, but you’ve got to go look for it.

old walker

walker, a photo by b.poulter on Flickr.

A sign for the old Walker motel in Putnamville, Indiana.