Shopping for Art Along the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor in Pennsylvania

If you want to buy art, the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor in Pennsylvania is a great place to do it. There are a lot of recommendations about how to travel on the Lincoln Highway (which is known at Route 30 for a good bit of the journey around here), so rather than planning out a route for you, I'm going to offer you a few of my best points of interest and let you figure out your own route. Still, if you need a route planned for you, the PA Heritage Corridor website has several pre-planned options for Lincoln Highway travel.

Touted as the first road across the United States, the Lincoln Highway was built in 1913 and stretched from Times Square in New York City and ended at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Though the route has been changed several times, and superhighways have made faster travel, the Lincoln Highway is still considered one of the best ways to see the country. If you are looking for handmade art by local artists, the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, which stretches 200 miles between Westmoreland and Adams counties in Pennsylvania, is a great place to start.

So, where to find the art? For one thing, there's the Lincoln Highway Roadside Museum, which aims to bring the art to the people, which means that as you drive, you'll be pleasantly surprised by roadside murals, painted gas pumps, and larger than life statues (aka the roadside giants), but you can't buy these. Pennsylvania's Handmade Along the Highway website is a great way to get out there and meet local artists and crafters as well as enjoy some of the most amazing scenery in the state. But by far the best way is to get out there and drive.

Where you can buy art is at a wide variety of stops along the way, like the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, (221 N. Main Street, Greensburg, PA). Listed as an official stop for Lincoln Highway Artisan Wares, the museum gift shop has a great selection of beautiful and unique jewelry items, which I highly recommend you check out. The museum itself is also great, and a bargain at $5 or less. While you are in Greensburg, check out DV8 on Pennyslvania Avenue for art by local artists and a great cup of coffee. You should also make the wonderful drive up Seton Hill Drive to Seton Hill University, which has a most beautiful campus. If you are in town during the school year, the Harlan Gallery features work by upcoming student artists as well as exhibits by prominent artists.

Another worthwhile stop is Ohiopyle State Park. Not only are the waterfalls and surrounding trails beautiful, there's great art to be found at Reilly's Best Coffee House and Gallery (corner of Lincoln & Sherman Streets, Ohiopyle, PA 15470). I haven't had a coffee at Reilly's, but I have been pleasantly tempted by the fudge. Yum! Some of the art available for purchase includes photographic prints of area natural wonders, tie dyed clothing, hand-painted murals on leaves, and a nice selection of jewelry. Next door to Reilly's is a store you don't want to miss: Backyard Gardens, which features handmade mustards, apple butter, preserves, and all sorts of local delicacies... which you can try before you buy. Woohoo! Also, around the corner is the Firefly Grille, where I am always tempted by the fresh lemonade.

I just went to the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art (One Boucher Lane, Route 711, Ligonier, PA 15658) for the first time the other day, and I have to say it was well worth the visit, and I definitely got my money's worth... since it was free! Not only are there beautiful gardens of bee balm and lavender out front, the small gallery is packed with great art. There's a standing collection of beautiful glass paperwork, and the current exhibit is A Changing Landscape: From the City to the Countryside (on view now through August 1), which features some great and unexpected Lincoln Highway artwork. Everything in the gallery is for sale (with a few exceptions) and if you ask at the door, you can receive a price list to take around with you as you browse. While you are in the area, be sure to take a stroll through downtown Ligonier, which is a cute little place. Also, make sure to check out Linn Run State Park, especially Beam's Rock, which offers easily accessible and great views of the countryside. (Be careful though -- the cliffs offer 90 foot drops in places and many people have died there when they weren't being careful -- still, I'd consider it safe enough for older children and adults who aren't going to be drunk or careless on the rocks.)

Try to get to Bedford on a day that isn't a Sunday or Monday, as we were disappointed to find all of the galleries closed when we arrived, but do take in lunch at The Green Harvest Company (110 East Pitt Street, Bedford, PA 15522), which is by far the best place I've had lunch for a long time -- and with a bill of $20 for two people who both had the delicious Harvest iced tea and an appetizer, the prices can't be beat. Bedford is also home to the famous 2 1/2 story coffee pot (see pictures) and along the way there, you'll pass the site that used to house the Ship Hotel. Unfortunately, the Ship is long gone, but the view, which encompasses 3 states and 15 counties, is literally breathtaking! You'll also get to see bison and make sure to check out the Bison Corral Gift Shop (2708 Lincoln Hwy, Schellsburg, PA 15559-8102) as well for an eclectic selection of bison goods, jewelry, and meat. Finally, you can't miss Gravity Hill, which is a favorite of kids and the young at heart. It's a bit of a drive, but it's fun, and really, why not? It's probably not as cool as the hype surrounding it, but there is a geocache on the road, so it's like two adventures in one.