User Reviews

My summary is not an insult. It's just that Rick Sebak has established a strange little niche on PBS. Instead of grand and sweeping documentaries like you'd see from Ken Burns or on "The American Experience", he chooses seemingly mundane topics and brings them to life. Strange roadside buildings, farmer's markets, old amusement parks, the beach and even hot dogs are the sort of topics he's tackled in his films--all strange bits of Americana that you just won't find celebrated elsewhere.

In this installment, Sebak tackles the pretty much forgotten Lincoln Highway. No, this is not the ultra-famous Route 66--but the much less praised Lincoln Highway--a series of roads that were the first to cross America. But, because many of these roads are tiny and in out of the way places today, they don't see all that much traffic. Connecting New York to California, the roads have just been bypassed by super-highways. But, Sebak and his crew manage to find a few interesting places (and a few not all that interesting) and feature them in this film. While I liked much of the film, it did feel like there wasn't quite enough material for one hour and the film lacked the excitement and charm of most of his other films. But, it's still a decent film--a good time-passer and there are a few nice moments (such as finding out about the boyscout). Worth seeing--but you might want to try his other meandering films first.

shoe house

I've seen far too many Americans who rarely venture more than, say, 50 miles from home. How many Americans have seen America?

In this documentary we see Americans who have traveled coast to coast tracing the Lincoln Highway, and people who love to take shorter weekend trips exploring the old route in more detail around their home. Either way, the high definition video captures the excitement and feel of the road. I hope it inspires viewers to experience the Lincoln Highway for themselves, or at least explore off the beaten path of the Interstates and franchise food alleys.

This documentary gives you a feel for the history of the route, and for those remnants of history that remain. As a small child we once stayed in an old auto court with individual little cabins, and it has always remained burned in my memory. It was nice to see that some still survive, even with well preserved interiors. Very cool.

Wanderlust has been in our blood for centuries.

Long before my time there was a series of juvenile novels (which I found in an antique book store in Port Washington as a child) called "The Motor Boys," that described some youths, an automobile, a compass, and lots of canned food exploring America around 1906.

Closer to my time, there was Jack Kerouac and "On the Road." Not long after, there were the "See the USA in Your Chevrolet" TV commercials (check Youtube). Then Charles Kuralt, whose "On the Road" vignettes have some of the same feel as Rick Sebak's film. Those who remember these are getting a little decrepit, a fact I can attest to, and which is evidenced by the Lincoln Highway club members. But perhaps they were once, when young, inspired by Kerouac and Chevrolets and Kuralt, and even Robert Frost, to follow the road less taken. Today, for some, that is the Lincoln Highway.

I have seen America and North America, from coast to coast, corner to corner, and all the states and most provinces in between. Sadly, a lot has changed, and not for the better, once verdant valley vistas filled with development and shopping centers. Young people, see it while you can. I hope this film inspires you to help document and preserve some of the history of roads in your area.