Introduction to the 2025 Middle Third Tour
by Jim Cassler
Buckle-up and get ready to go! The Middle Third Tour will begin the evening of Tuesday, June 17, when we meet in suburban Chicago to greet old friends, meet new ones, and prepare for the adventure that will commence the next morning.
Bright and early Wednesday we’ll hit the road, departing Joliet heading west out of the burbs and into the farmlands of western Illinois. The day will certainly feature a stop at the Lincoln Highway National Tourism HQ and Interpretive Center in Franklin Grove, among other highlights of the area, before landing in the Sterling / Rock Falls area for the night. As usual, we’ll gather as a group each evening for dinner, where we can share our personal experiences of the day.
A leisurely day awaits us Thursday as we approach the mighty Mississippi River. On its eastern bank lies Fulton, Illinois, with its Dutch heritage and picturesque windmill. To the west is Clinton, Iowa, with its lighthouse, riverside parks and downtown shops inviting us to stop in and browse. Enjoy small-town America as you complete your drive to Cedar Rapids for the next overnight stop.
At dinner on Thursday evening, representatives of the Iowa LHA Chapter will enlist us all in a Poker Run for Friday's drive. This takes us through iconic Lincoln Highway places like Belle Plaine, Tama, and Colo, before winding-up in Ames for the night. Landmarks like Preston's Garage, the Tama Bridge, and Niland’s Corner are must-see stops in east-central lowa. It promises to be an adventurous day, with the competition just adding to the excitement!
Saturday takes us through the farms of western lowa to the Missouri River. The route passes through the town of Ogden, where the Lincoln Highway Association was reborn in 1992. Soon after that, you’ll enjoy a visit with Bob and Joyce Ausberger at the Iowa Lincoln Highway Museum / Clubhouse / Garden in Grand Junction. Follow this with a ride up the carillon tower in Jefferson for a great view of Lincoln Highwayland! We’ll check out the brick streets of Woodbine and the attractions at Missouri Valley, before descending to the river town of Blair for the first time on any of our tours, as we enter Nebraska on the 1928 route.
Our longest day on the road will be Sunday, when the tour takes us to our day’s destination at the geographic midpoint of the Lincoln Highway — Kearney. This will be a full day, which will include the popular Glur’s Tavern in Columbus, the Seedling Mile in Grand Island, and of course the Great Platte River Road Archway in Kearney. This popular attraction spans I-80, tracing our westward movement across American over the past two centuries. If you’ve never been there, it’s a must-see! If you have, it never gets old.
Monday, June 23 is the starting day of the 31st annual LHA Conference in Ogallala, Nebraska. The tour group will join the conference group from Monday until Wednesday morning as a part of the tour. Before arriving in Ogallala for the night, we begin the day in Lexington with a visit to the Heartland Military Museum, a stop which was sadly missed on a previous tour. Of course, we’ll motor into Gothenburg to learn about our postal history at one of the remaining Pony Express stops there. By this time, we’ll have experienced how much the railroad parallels the Lincoln Highway, so a tour of the Golden Spike Tower at the Union Pacific complex in North Platte is certainly appropriate! By mid-afternoon, we’ll cruise on into Ogallala, and begin our Conference participation.
On Tuesday, we’ll leave our cars behind and board the bus for a trip on the famed but short-lived Colorado Loop of the Lincoln Highway. The day will be spent learning the history of small towns in northeastern Colorado, and what the advent of the highway brought their way. On our return to Ogallala that evening, we’ll herd you down to the old west saloon for some great chow, and a rousing cowboy show to round it out.
The last full day on the road will be Wednesday, June 25. The tour will complete its voyage across western Nebraska, passing through Sidney, the ghost town of Lodgepole, and Potter — home of the Tin Roof Sundae! The group will enjoy its closing banquet that evening at the Frontier Days grounds in Cheyenne, where we’ll celebrate our adventure, reminisce a bit, and bid adieu to those who will be leaving us the next day. Others may choose to return to Ogallala Thursday for the conclusion of the conference, which we were there to open on Monday.
If you are interested in participating in the Middle Third Auto Tour and have never been on one of our tours before, there is much you need to know! The tour is designed for you to travel in your own vehicle — whatever that vehicle might be. We travel at a leisurely pace so that you have time to see and do things that interest you along the way. Part of the mystique of our tours is what people drive. Antique and collector cars are always a favorite. Motorcycles and motorhomes are frequently used. It’s up to you!
Each vehicle will be provided with turn-by-turn directions to guide you along the route. Along the route, each day will have planned stops at museums and attractions, usually a lunch, and always a dinner meal. We also arrange for a motel for lodging as a group each night, and breakfast is included with your lodging. The tour staff will be along to handle all the details and arrangements, and provide limited support in case of problems along the way. The tour fee includes your directions, admission to planned stops at museums and attractions, scheduled meals and gratuities, identifying signage for on your vehicle, and staff support. You are responsible for your vehicle and fuel costs, lodging costs, and expenses at places you visit “on your own.” Tourers may join us for as few as two days, the entire eight days on the road, or any amount in between.
Deadline for registration is April 30, 2025.