This document provides a summary of 5 postcards from a road trip along US Route 31 from Michigan to Alabama in 1962. The summary includes: 1) US-31 runs from Mackinaw City, Michigan to Spanish Fort, Alabama, passing through 5 states. Points of interest summarized along the route include sand dunes in Michigan, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in Indiana, and The Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee. 2) The route passes near Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, and ends in Mobile, Alabama, where it previously passed under Mobile Bay through the Bankhead Tunnel. 3) The document aims to summarize sights and experiences one might have had along US-31 in 1962

1. 5 Postcards from a US-31 Roadtrip
By Donald Dale Milne
https://www.roadtrip62.com/5-postcards-from-a-us-31-roadtrip.htm
Today’s mini-trip on a US-numbered highway takes Roadtrip-‘62 ™ to US-31, which currently runs 1280 miles from just south of Mackinaw City,
Michigan to Spanish Fort, Alabama. In 1962, it was a little longer on both ends. The north end went to the Mackinac Bridge and before 1957, it went to the
nearby Michigan State Ferry Docks. It shared this location with the beginnings of both US-23 and US-27, which I discussed in more detail on the first day of my
US-23 roadtrip (at https://www.roadtrip62.comus-23-day-1-mackinaw-city-mi-rogers-city-mi.htm ). The south end went into downtown Mobile, Alabama
through the Bankhead Tunnel. From Mobile to Indianapolis, Indiana, much of the route runs near or together with a freeway, I-65. I have to confess that I have
not driven any of the route south of Kentucky, but I have some favorite spots on the Michigan portion. The highway passes th rough five states, just missing
Florida’s Panhandle corner by approximately 1000 feet.
Sleeping Bear Dunes, Empire, Michigan (Yes, they really have that steep, 40o slope!)

2. While Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is well known for its spectacular sand dunes and sweeping Lake Michig an views, it’s too
far from US-31 for my five-mile Roadtrip-‘62 ™ rules. However, many other dunes are within the limit, including Ludington State Park, at Ludington, Michigan
(see https://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=468&type=SPRK ). You can hike up and down dunes for the entire day if you want,
beginning with the low dunes on the south end and ending with miles of open high dunes on the north end. Trails abound and will also take you past the Big
Sable Point Lighthouse, along the scenic Hamlin River for some salmon and waterfowl watching, and through some deeply shaded woods. My favorite trail is
the Lost Lake Trail. This trail uses a series of boardwalks to hop from island to island in Hamlin Lake, and makes an easy loop of about 2¼ miles. I’ve seen
deer, swans, frogs, beaver, herons, and even river otters on this trail! On the other hand, if you want to enjoy things from the water, you can rent canoes, kayaks,
or paddleboats and paddle around Hamlin Lake on the canoe trail. Or just stay out on the great beach all day and enjoy the lovely sunset at night! If you would
rather catch your sunset back in Ludington, head back to town at the end of the day and watch it with an ice cream cone from Park Dairy House of Flavors.
They’ve been around since 1948 and have both great food and a great hometown ice cream parlor atmosphere.
Other sand dunes are all along the Lake Michigan shore and are also easy drives off US-31. You can find themat Lake Michigan Recreation Area in the
Huron-Manistee National Forest just south of Manistee, Charles Mears State Park at Pentwater, Hoffmaster State Park at Norton Shores, Saugatuck Dunes State
Park at Saugatuck, and Van Buren State Park at South Haven.
Races of Man sculpture, Holliday Park, Indianapolis, Indiana

3. Near Lapaz, Indiana we cross US-6, which we last saw on day 18 of our roadtrip down that highway (at https://www.roadtrip62.com/us-6-day-18-
nappanee-in-joliet-il.htm ). Our next stop down US-31 is at Indianapolis, Indiana, the capital of the state. Here, we cross many US-numbered routes, which
radiate like spokes on a bicycle wheel from downtown: US-36, US-40, US-52, US-136, and US-421.
On the west side of town along US-136 is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, one of the oldest motorsport tracks in the world. We’re stopping at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway Museum (IMSM) (see https://imsmuseum.org/ ). The museum was established in 1956, and moved to its current building in 1976. It houses
both passenger cars and race cars, trophies, photographs, racing records, memorabilia, and fine art interpreting motorsports. The passenger cars lean toward
those built in Indiana, including Duesenbergs, Marmons, and Stutzs. In addition to race cars, other vehicles that have set world land speed records are displayed,
including motorcycles and dragsters. The museum displays about 75 cars at any given time, including the winning 1962 Watson Roadster driven by Rodger
Ward.
Other sights to see in Indianapolis are the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Garfield Park Conservatory, and Holliday Park (see https://bhpsite.org/ ).
The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is a museum and memorial to the only U.S. President elected from Indiana. Harrison was the 23rd president of the
United States and this building was his home. He and his wife Caroline built the house in 1874-1875 and lived here except when he was a US Senator and
President. After Mr. Harrison’s death, his second wife rented the property out until 1937, when she sold it to the Jordan Co nservatory of Music. The
Conservatory maintained the artifacts and certain rooms as a museum, and offered tours by appointment only from the 1950s to 1974. After a renovation that
year, it was opened as a full time museum.
I’ve visited the Garfield Park Conservatory (see https://www.garfieldgardensconservatory.org/ ) several times. It’s an enjoyable stroll through their
10,000 square foot tropical rainforest and outdoor Sunken Garden and fountains. The original building was designed and const ructed in 1916 and consisted of a
palm house, two show houses, two plant houses, a propagating house, and a service building. In 1955, that aging wooden Conse rvatory was replaced with a
welded aluminum-framed building. This art deco style building was the first aluminum building in the United States.
The “Races of Man” sculpture in Holliday Park was a mystery to me the first time I visited. I went to the park for their 3.5 miles of hiking trails and
views of the White River and saw this looming overhead. The sculpture was not signed at that time, but I have since found it is part of the ruins of the St. Paul
Building of New York City. It was moved here after demolition as part of a contest. These sculptures by Karl Bitter have so rt of traveled back home, as they
were carved of Indiana limestone.

4. Drapery Room, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky (postcard circa 1960, from author’s collection)
At Sellersburg, Indiana (just north of Louisville, Kentucky), US-31 splits into two routes, US-31E and US-31W. These rejoin at Nashville, Tennessee.
US-31W passes near both Fort Knox and Mammoth Cave National Park, while US-31E passes by the Abraham Lincoln National Historic Site. It’s easy to see
why highway planners could not decide which route to sign as US-31! Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, 30 miles south of Louisville.
Though the name conjures the storehouse of gold used as movie plot devices, the United States Bullion Depository is actually a separate but adjacent facility.
The army fort was first constructed in 1918 and has grown and changed missions several times over the years. Fort Knox is named after Henry Knox, the
country's first Secretary of War. It mostly housed the US Army Armor Center and Armor School, used by both the Army and the Marine Corps to train crews on
tanks. The last tank trained on was the M1 Abrams main battle tank in 2011. The United States Bullion Depository is a fortified vault building operated by the
United States Department of the Treasury. It stores over half the country's gold reserves, with the remaining gold held in the Philadelphia Mint, the Denver Mint,
the West Point Bullion Depository, and the San Francisco Assay Office. The Depository was completed in December 1936. Unfort unately for us, no visitors are
permitted and they never have been.

5. Farther down US-31W, at Park City, Kentucky, is Mammoth Cave National Park (see https://www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm ), which has the world’s
longest known cave system. Different cave tours use different cave entrances, some natural and other manmade. The Broadway Tour uses the cave's most
famous entrance and a path used for nearly two centuries. The Cleaveland Avenue Tour requires a bus ride to another entrance . It’s sights include sparkling
walls of gypsum and unique tube-shaped passages. For folks that have already heard enough cave tour guides’ bad jokes, the Discovery Tour is self-guiding!
The Domes & Dripstones Tour begins in a sinkhole, passes through huge dome rooms, and ends in the dripstone section known as Frozen Niagara. It ascends and
descends hundreds of stairs and several steep inclines. Besides the caves, there are over 80 miles of trails in the park for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
The trails offer wildlife spotting, river views, sinkholes, cave-fed springs, cemeteries, and views of the historic entrances to Mammoth Cave and Dixon Cave.
The cemeteries, and old church buildings, remain from the 30 small communities that were on the land before it became a national park in 1941. Some of the
church buildings are open for viewing.
Aerial view of The Parthenon and Centennial Park, Nashville, Tennessee (postcard circa 1965, from author’s collection)

6. This is the farthest south on US-31 I have been and one of the first places I visited when I began working and had vacation time to spend. It’s a bit odd
to see a replica of an ancient Greek temple in Tennessee, but Nashville has one! The Parthenon is a full-scale replica, complete with a full-scale replica of the
Athena statue of the original (see https://www.nashvilleparthenon.com/ ). It’s here because Nashville was once known as the “Athens of the South”, so of course
when Tennessee held a Centennial Exposition here in 1897, Nashville wanted to look like ancient Athens. As with all the buildings of the exposition, it was built
to be temporary. But while the others were removed at the end of the celebration, Nashville’s citizens had grown so fond of The Parthenon that they kept it. As
the exterior coating, sculpture, and decorative work were all made of plaster, they soon deteriorated and in 1920, the city b egan construction of a permanent
replacement. Casts were made of the original marble sculptures dating back to 438 B.C., housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in Great Britain, and the
building was rebuilt from concrete and brick to last. The building was completed in 1931 but the great statue of Athena in t he naos was not finished until 1990,
with final gilding and painting finished in 2002. The Parthenon serves as the City of Nashville's art museum. The main focus of the Parthenon's permanent
collection is 63 paintings by 19th and 20th century American artists donated by James M. Cowan. It also holds a variety of temporary shows and exhibits
throughout the year.
Alabama State Capitol at night, Montgomery (postcard circa 1960, from an online auction)
Montgomery is the capital Alabama, the last of three capitals we visit on this trip (Indianapolis and Nashville being the others). The Alabama State
Capitol (see https://ahc.alabama.gov/AlabamaStateCapitolPlanYourVisit.aspx ) is open to walk-in visitors. The current building is the second Capitol; the first
burned in 1849. The Capitol is a working museum and underwent a major restoration in 1992. Restored areas open to the public include the House of
Representatives, Senate Chamber, Old Supreme Court Chamber & Library, and Rotunda. The Senate chamber, restored to its 1861 appearance, has a trompe
l'oeil ceiling - a style of painting in which objects are painted to fool the eye into seeing depth. The twin cantilevered spiral staircases are one of the most famous
features. Monuments, statues, and gardens are contained on the five-acre surrounding grounds.

7. One block south of the Capitol is the First White House of the Confederacy, a 1835 Italianate-style house in which President Jefferson Davis and family
lived in 1861, while the Confederate capital was in Montgomery. It is furnished with original period pieces from the 1850s and 1860s, and is also open to the
public. It was owned by many different people after 1861 until the White House Association of Alabama bought it with the intention of preserving the building.
It was moved to its present location and restored in 1921.
West entrance of Bankhead Tunnel Mobile, Alabama (postcard circa 1960, from online auction)
The end of US-31 is in Mobile, Alabama, and the highway passes under Mobile Bay in the Bankhead Tunnel to reach the city. Here’s a bonus postcartd
for you! The tunnel was opened in 1940, and allowed a shortcut of nearly 8 miles off the old route using a bridge north of t own. The tunnel was built in
sections, floated to position, sunk next to the previous section, joined underwater, pumped dry, and finished in place. In 1973, a new freeway tunnel opened
adjacent to the old tunnel, but you can still come in the old route on what is now US-90 and US-98. The Bankhead Tunnel required paying a toll back in 1962,
but that was abolished when the freeway route opened.
I’ve never been to Bellingrath Gardens (see https://bellingrath.org/ ), about 23 miles south of Mobile, as I’ve never been to this southern coastline of the
country. But I need to start traveling in person again and this is on my list! The gardens opened to the public in 1932 and is the state's oldest public garden. It is
at the historic former home of Walter and Bessie Bellingrath. Walter made his fortune as one of the first Coca-Cola bottlers in the Southeast, which allowed the
couple to build the house and gardens. The home is also open for tours. If I get there, I’ll of course write it up here on Roadtrip-‘62 ™ .

8. Visit ROADTRIP-'62 ™ ( https://www.roadtrip62.com/index.htm )for more articles.
Or visit us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roadtrip62/119235794845685 ,
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Author of Roadtrip-'62 TM ( https://www.roadtrip62.com/ ), Donald Dale Milne
If you haven’t heard of nor Roadtrip-'62 ™ , my name is Don Milne and I'll be your travel guide on this virtual tour of the U. S. of A. First, I suppose
you're wondering why nor Roadtrip-'62 ™ is different from other travel sites? There's a very simple answer: everybody else travels only in space, but we also
travel in time! That's right, we don't just go somewhere, we also go somewhen. And the when is 1962. We'll try to see what's left today from1962, by driving as
if it were 1962. We will drive on highways as they were in 1962, try to eat only at restaurants that existed in 1962, try to stay only at motels that existed in 1962,
try to buy gas and sundries, play the music, see only the sites across America, and just generally live in America as it was in 1962!
What we will do is enjoy the FUN of cross-country driving. And the fun of cross-country travel is all the differences from our everyday life! We'll talk
about politics, food, great inventions, how people lived, television, and more. We'll get to see some of the people that made our history; that made this country
great. We'll stumble across unexpected pleasures, like one trip I made through Cherokee, North Carolina where I just happened to be in town as the 1996
Olympic Torch procession came through on it's way to Atlanta, Georgia. You really never know what you'll find when you travel!

9. 1962-style US-23 signs
Now, let's see where we'll be going! We're going to drive the US-numbered routes of 1962. Because we'll be using the roads of 1962, that means we
won't be on freeways very much. There weren't many freeways in 1962, as the country had just begun building the Interstate sy stem,, so we'll travel mostly the
two-lanes through every little town on the way. Sometimes even where there was a freeway, I'll go back on the old road just to see what was there. Anyway, even
if there was a freeway in 1962, it was only there for a couple of years and things had not changed much. Sometimes a "business route" ran through a town on the
old route, because there were no services at the freeway interchanges yet.
Just in case you're asking why 1962, it's because I remember 1962. I traveled on my first freeway as a boy with my dad about that time, and fell in love
with both travel and freeways. But, besides my own memories and the fact that it was a time largely before interstate freeway s, 1962 is just cool...wait and see!
And I'm writing this virtual tour just because I like to drive. I like to go places, see things, and just drive for the joy of driving! I decided I want to talk about it, to
share the fun with others. I'll be doing the driving on our Roadtrip-'62 ™, but if you see anything you like, I encourage you to get out on the road and enjoy it in
person. This virtual roadtrip may be fun, but there's nothing like the real thing!