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Author Previews Lincoln Highway Series

Lincoln Highway was America's first transnational highway. Stretching from New York City to San Francisco, it was completed at the dawn of the automobile age.

To mark the centenary of the highway, Dan Libmantraveled it on his bicycle. Libman is an author and NIU faculty member who was featured in WNIJ's 2012 Summer Book Series.

An avid cyclist, Libman says traveling by bike put him at roughly the speed of early automobiles:

"The speed limit was in the low 20s when the highway was completed. So on a bicycle I could replicate that better and actually see what the traveler saw 100 years ago." -Dan Libman

During his trip, Libman spoke with a Lincoln Highway expert, and met a fellow traveler who called this highway more interesting than the famed Route 66.

Eastern half of Lincoln Hwy in Illinois (American Byways)

In Creston, Libman toured a 19th Century opera house. He also stopped at the renovated Standard Oil Stationin Rochelle, the first filling station on the Lincoln Highway in Illinois.

Western half of Lincoln Hwy in Illinois (American Byways)

Libman chronicles his journey during our series "Pedaling Lincoln Highway," which starts Wednesday during Morning Edition on WNIJ, right after NPR news at 6:30 & 8:30. The series, which continues Thursday and Friday, was produced by Dan Klefstad.

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