Aerial Image Gallery – After Ike Documentary

In more than fifty locales, a cinematic drone was deployed to document the historic military convoy's journey along the iconic Lincoln Highway, spanning coast to coast in 1919. Below are examples of screenshots used in the After Ike documentary.

The image depicts a picturesque rural scene featuring a traditional covered bridge spanning over a small body of water, possibly a creek or a river. The bridge has a distinct red color with white trims around the entrance, and its roof appears to be a dark shade, possibly gray or brown. The structure of the bridge indicates it is a wooden construction, which is typical of historic covered bridges in the United States. The environment around the bridge is pastoral, with leafless trees suggesting it might be late fall or winter. To the left, there is a field that appears to be harvested, with hay bales or remnants of a crop visible. A fence runs parallel to the field, leading into a property with buildings in the far background, indicating a farm or rural residence. The sky is clear with no visible clouds, and the sun casts long shadows, indicating either early morning or late afternoon. The road leading up to the bridge is paved and features warning signs on both sides, cautioning drivers about the bridge ahead. The surrounding vegetation is sparse and winter-bare, giving an open view of the landscape around the bridge.

The convoy encountered a variety of road conditions resulting in detours caused by unsafe covered bridges and ongoing repairs. This experience is partly what influenced Eisenhower's later commitment to developing the Interstate Highway System during his presidency, which transformed American infrastructure and travel.

The image is an aerial view of a lush, green rural landscape near the Lincoln Highway in Ohio at Upper Sandusky. The area is characterized by rolling fields with varying shades of green, indicating different types of vegetation or crops. A straight road cuts across the scene from the bottom right towards the upper left, likely a country road providing access to the farms and houses dotted along its path. There are several farmsteads visible, with buildings, silos, and other agricultural structures. The fields are segmented by treelines and fences, creating a patchwork of cultivated land. In the distance, the flat horizon is only interrupted by the occasional tree line or farm building, which emphasizes the expansive nature of the area. The sky is dramatic, with large, fluffy clouds casting shadows on the ground below, suggesting that the photo was taken on a partly cloudy day. The play of light and shadow adds depth to the landscape, highlighting the contours of the fields and the texture of the vegetation.

This image captures the essence of the agricultural heartland of the United States, showcasing the vast open spaces and farmlands that are characteristic of this region. The Lincoln Highway, being one of the earliest transcontinental highways, connected many such rural communities across the country.

The image shows a vintage gas station, likely dating back to the mid-20th century or earlier, located at Reed Niland Corner in Colo, Iowa. The station has two classic red gas pumps in front, complete with analog dials and a glass top, which were typical of the era. These pumps carry the iconic white globe on top, a symbol often associated with vintage fuel stations. The building itself is a single-story structure with a white exterior and a brick foundation. The front porch area of the station is covered with an overhang supported by brick columns, providing shelter over the pumps and the front area of the building. The roof of the overhang shows some signs of weathering, indicating the age of the structure. There are white-framed windows with protective grilles, and what appears to be a service window, indicating that this station might have offered more than just fuel, possibly serving as a small convenience store or service station for travelers. On the right side, there's a picnic bench, suggesting that this location also serves as a rest stop for travelers. The surrounding area is grassy with a background of mature trees and a field, which suggests a rural setting. The sky is slightly overcast, giving the image a soft light with no harsh shadows.

This scene encapsulates a piece of American road-trip culture, particularly from the era when the Lincoln Highway was a primary route for cross-country travel. Gas stations like these were essential stops for motorists on long journeys. Reed Niland Corner in Colo Iowa, is a historic spot, known for preserving the heritage of the Lincoln Highway and giving visitors a glimpse into the travel experience from past decades.

The image presents a serene view of a rural landscape near Cotterell Township by North Bend, close to the old Lincoln Highway route. A straight dirt road divides the scene down the middle, leading the eye towards the horizon. On either side of the road are vast fields of crops showing different colors: to the left, a golden-brown color that is indicative of mature, perhaps ready-to-harvest crops like corn; to the right, a field with a mix of green and yellow hues, which could be soybeans or another type of crop in a different stage of growth. The sky above is expansive and dramatic with a beautiful display of fluffy white clouds scattered across the blue canvas, suggesting it's a day with good weather. The clouds cast shadows on the fields, adding texture and depth to the landscape.

This view is typical of the American Midwest, where agriculture dominates the landscape and long stretches of road connect small towns and farming communities. The tranquility of the scene captures the essence of the rural American heartland, a setting that has remained relatively unchanged in essence over the decades, despite technological and infrastructural advancements.

The image features a street view in front of the Lincoln Highway Interpretive Center located at 136 N. Elm St., Franklin Grove, Illinois. A vintage car, which appears to be a Model A Ford, is parked on the street, giving the scene a historical ambiance that aligns with the theme of the interpretive center. To the left, there is a weathered mural on the side of a stone building that reads "LINCOLN HIGHWAY" with the distance to "CLINTON 53" miles marked, suggesting this is a point along the historic Lincoln Highway. The mural, showing signs of age with its peeling paint, adds to the historic feel of the location. The building itself has a sign that reads "LINCOLN HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION HEADQUARTERS" above the door, indicating its purpose as a center for information and resources about the historic highway. The architecture of the building, with its stone facade and old-style windows, supports its historical significance. Across the street, there is a more modern brick building, adorned with American flags, that contrasts with the historical theme yet shows the continuity of community and function in this area. The street is clean, well-maintained, and quiet, suggesting a peaceful small-town atmosphere. The sky is partly cloudy, casting soft shadows and providing a pleasant light to the scene.

The image features a street view in front of the Lincoln Highway Interpretive Center located at 136 N. Elm St., Franklin Grove, Illinois.

GPT The image shows an aerial view of a street in Eureka, Nevada, with the courthouse visible on the left. The courthouse is a stately, two-story brick building with a distinctive red facade and white trim around the windows, typical of 19th-century architecture. In the foreground, there are other historic brick buildings, which contribute to the old-town feel of the street. The road runs straight through the center of the image, bordered by sidewalks and various other buildings, including businesses with signs visible to the street. The architecture and the presence of the courthouse suggest that this is a central area in the town, likely a hub for local government and commerce. In the background, there is a hilly landscape characteristic of the Nevada terrain, with sparse vegetation. The sky is clear and blue, indicating a bright and sunny day. The overall emptiness of the streets and the absence of heavy traffic give the impression of a quiet, possibly less populated area or that the photo was taken during a non-peak time of the day.

This scene captures the essence of small-town America, with its historical buildings and a sense of community centered around main streets and town squares. The town of Eureka, Nevada, with its rich mining history, is part of the larger story of the American West and reflects a preserved snapshot of the past.

The image provides an aerial view of Illipah Reservoir in Nevada, capturing a dramatic and natural landscape under an overcast sky. The dark, brooding clouds overhead suggest an impending storm, creating a stark contrast with the sunlit landscape below. Below, the terrain is a mosaic of colors: shades of green, brown, and yellow paint a picture of diverse vegetation and mineral-rich soils. The reservoir itself appears to have receded, revealing patterns of sediment and algae that add to the visual complexity of the scene. The surrounding landscape is a mix of rolling hills and flatter plains, indicative of the varied topography in Nevada. There are no trees in the immediate vicinity of the water, reflecting the arid climate of the region. A dirt road curves through the scene, providing access to the reservoir and emphasizing the remote nature of the location.

This snapshot at Illipah Reservoir captures the raw beauty of the Nevada landscape, with the dynamic sky adding a sense of motion and natural drama to the scene. It's a testament to the rugged and sparsely populated areas of the state, often characterized by their vast open spaces and the interplay of light and weather over such terrains.

The image displays a captivating aerial view of the desert terrain in Utah, between Delta, Utah, and Baker, Nevada, along the Lincoln Highway route. The landscape is characterized by undulating hills and valleys with a sparse covering of desert vegetation. The terrain is predominantly shades of brown, indicative of the arid conditions, and the hills cast long shadows, suggesting that the photo was taken either in the early morning or late afternoon when the sun is at a lower angle. The shadows accentuate the contours of the land, providing a sense of the texture and ruggedness of the desert environment. In the distance, a mountain range can be seen, adding a majestic backdrop to the scene. The sky is clear and expansive, with a soft gradient of light, implying that the area is currently experiencing calm weather. There are no signs of significant human activity or development in the immediate area, which emphasizes the remoteness and natural state of this part of the Lincoln Highway. The road itself is not clearly visible in the image, suggesting that this section of the desert might be less traveled or that the road is blending seamlessly with the landscape from this aerial perspective.

This image captures the isolation and vastness of the desert landscape that travelers on the Lincoln Highway would experience as they travel in the desert of Utah, offering a glimpse into the challenging yet beautiful environments the historic road traverses.

The image is a high-angle aerial shot of the Lincoln Highway as it cuts through a desert landscape in Nevada. The highway appears as a thin ribbon of tarmac stretching straight into the horizon. The terrain is flat and open with a vast expanse of sandy soil and scattered shrubbery typical of a desert ecosystem. The desert shrubs are relatively uniform in size and are the primary vegetation visible in the image, offering a sparse but widespread covering of the ground. The color of the vegetation varies from green to brown, indicating different plant health or species, which is common in desert environments where water is a limiting factor. In the distance, a mountain range can be seen, adding depth to the landscape and giving a sense of scale to the vastness of the open space. The sky is clear with only a few clouds, suggesting a typical sunny day in the desert. The emptiness of the road and the lack of any visible vehicles highlight the isolation one might feel traveling this stretch of highway.

The image is a high-angle aerial shot of the Lincoln Highway as it cuts through a desert landscape in Nevada. This scene encapsulates the remote and rugged terrain that the Lincoln Highway traverses in parts of Nevada, offering a sense of the historical route's role in connecting the East and West coasts of the United States through a variety of landscapes.

The image captures the vast and striking Sand Mountain, a large sand dune located in the Sand Mountain Recreation Area near Fallon, Nevada. The dune is the central focus of the image, with its smooth, sweeping lines and crests that are typical of sand dunes formed by wind patterns. The sandy expanse stands out against the rugged backdrop of the surrounding landscape, which features more solid, rocky mountains. The contrast between the fluid, dynamic form of the sand dune and the hard, stationary mountains is visually striking. In the foreground, there are tracks crisscrossing the flat area leading up to the dune, likely made by off-road vehicles, indicating recreational use of the area. This area is known for attracting off-highway vehicle enthusiasts, dirt bikers, and other visitors looking to experience the unique landscape and the thrill of riding on the dunes. The sky above is clear and blue, suggesting a day with good weather, ideal for outdoor activities. Despite the presence of tracks and distant vehicles, the scene conveys a sense of isolation and the vastness of the open desert.

The military convoy arrived at Sand Mountain, a large sand dune located in the Sand Mountain Recreation Area near Fallon, Nevada on August 29, 1919. The convoy's logbook reads: "Noon "chow” at Frenchman’s Station near enormous sand dune, 380 feet high."

The image is a scenic aerial view of Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe is known for its clear blue waters and is a popular destination for various outdoor activities including boating, which is evident from the boats visible in the water. In the image, the lake is bordered by a dense coniferous forest, indicative of the Sierra Nevada region where Lake Tahoe is located. The shoreline is dotted with various boats anchored near the shore. To the right side of the image, there's a road that runs parallel to the shoreline, with vehicles visible, suggesting that this area is accessible and possibly a popular spot for visitors to the lake. The sky is clear with few clouds, indicating good weather conditions at the time the photo was taken. The terrain, the clearness of the water, and the presence of boats suggest that this could be a summer or late spring day, which are peak seasons for visiting Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe straddles the border between California and Nevada and is known for its stunning natural beauty, recreational activities, and as a tourist destination throughout the year, with winter sports being popular during the snowy season. The 1919 military convoy passed by Lake Tahoe on September 1, 1919. From the convoy's logbook, it reads: "Scenery throughout day of greatest beauty, especially at Lake Tahoe."

The image provides an aerial view of the Altamont Pass area in California, featuring the California Aqueduct. The aqueduct, a significant feat of engineering, is designed to transport water from Northern California to Southern California, appearing as a snaking, man-made waterway through the landscape. The surrounding terrain is characterized by rolling hills that are predominantly golden-brown, indicative of the dry climate or possibly the end of the dry summer season in California. The lack of green vegetation suggests this photo was likely taken during a period of low rainfall. The aqueduct's presence contrasts sharply with the dryness of the surrounding hills, highlighting the importance of irrigation and water management in this region. Power lines can also be seen running parallel to the waterway, indicating the presence of infrastructure for electricity transmission. At the bottom right of the image, a roadway with vehicles provides a sense of scale and shows that this is an area accessible to the public. There are several buildings and what appear to be agricultural plots near the water, suggesting some level of habitation and land use for farming, likely taking advantage of the proximity to the water source. The sky is clear and blue, which is common in California, particularly in the central and southern parts of the state where cloud cover is less frequent.

The image provides an aerial view of the Altamont Pass area in California, featuring the California Aqueduct.

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Watch After Ike on PBS

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