CA RxR 2.15: Bonus – Auto Trails

As promised, we had one more bonus episode to tide you over during the break between Season 2 and Season 3. In this episode, we explore the auto trails that were in California before we started having signed numbered highways. Auto Trails discussed include (a) trails that are maintained today—El Camino Real, De Anza Trail, Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, and the Pony Express National Historic Trail. We spends most of the time on the major historic auto trails: Lincoln Highway, Pacific Highway, National Old Trails Road, Old Spanish Trail, and the Arrowhead Trail. Other trails discussed include the Atlantic-Pacific Highway, Bankhead Highway, California to Banff Highway, Dixie Overland Highway, Lee Highway, Lone Star Trail, Midland Trail, New Santa Fe Trail, National Park to Park Highway, Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean Highway, Santa Fe Trail, and the Victory Highway. Regular episodes should resume mid to late September with Season 3, which will cover Route 3 through Route 7.

Here’s the link to the show:

And here’s the link on Spotify for Podcasters (to be updated when the episode posts):

Here are some relevant links (I may edit this to add more links in later, and there are many many more):

• California Highways: Trails and Roads
• Gribblenation:
  • Hunting the early Lincoln Highway and US Route 48 from French Camp west of Altamont Pass
  • Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville
  • Cajon Pass; Cajon Pass Toll Road, National Old Trails Road, US Route 66/91/395 and Interstate 15
  • Old Stage Road; the “real” El Camino Real and predecessor route to US Route 101 on the San Juan Grade
  • Donner Pass; hunting for the Dutch Flat & Donner Lake Road and abandoned Central Pacific Railroad Tunnels
  • Dog Valley Grade
• National Auto Trail Associations:
  • Lincoln Highway Association
    • Official Map of the Lincoln Highway (Interactive)
• Federal Highway Administration – Highway History:
  • The Lincoln Highway
  • The National Old Trails Road – Part 1: The Quest for a National Road
    • Motor Routes to the California Expositions by A. L. Westgard
    • The National Old Trails Road Photo Gallery
  • The National Old Trails Road – Part 2: See America First in 1915
    • National Old Trails Part 2 Photo Gallery
  • The National Old Trails Road – Part 3: Promoting the Road During a War
  • The National Old Trails Road – Part 4: From Named Trails to U.S. Numbered Highways
  • The Pikes Peak Ocean To Ocean Highway – The Appian Way Of America
• Auto Trail Pages:
  • Varner Guides American Roads: Auto Trails
  • Route 40
• Recommended Books:
  • California’s El Camino Real and Its Historic Bells by Max Kurillo and Erline M. Tuttle. Sunbelt Publications; ISBN: 0932653375; (November 2000)
  • Touring the Old Redwood Highway: Mendocino County. The book covers the time period from the 1920’s to the 1950’s and the old auto camps, auto courts, motels, service stations, novelty shops that were along the old road. It also has quite a bit of highway history. There are about 200 photos (mostly postcards) in the book. Hawk Mountaintop Pub (2001). ISBN: 0967216222.
  • The Lincoln Highway: Main Street across America by Drake Hokanson. University of Iowa Press; ISBN: 0877456763; 10th anniv edition (May 1999)

We encourage you to explore our back catalog through this site or our Spotify for Podcasters home.