American Road Trip Talk

In the hotly competitive world of pro football, NFL tailgating is big-time fun and serious business. On game day, throngs of fans meet and greet to drink and eat in anticipation of the day's gridiron clash. There is even a Tailgating Hall of Fame! Matt Shea reports on how things play out each week in parking lots around the league.

Donelle Dadigan (Founder/President of The Hollywood Museum) visits again with news of current Special Exhibits of famous Film and Television autos that most of us will recall lovingly and with a good dose of nostalgia.

There is a doughnut shop and bakery in Clare, Michigan that has been in constant operation since 1896. This heritage business was just weeks from closing when members of the Clare Police Department came to the rescue. All nine of them. They saved a beloved local enterprise. We meet two of these heroes in this episode.

Driving toward the Manhattan skyline, you can see it for the first time only once. After that, it pays to be in the company of a streetwise friend who knows New York City intimately when you venture into the Big Apple. Karl Petry is back, this time to help road trippers prepare for a visit to the crossroads of the world.

Every make of automobile has its aficionados. For lovers of style and performance, ask any fan of the Pontiac lineage about the now-defunct GM make and you will see stars (and maybe a tear) in their eyes. Passion for Pontiac is our topic as we speak with enthusiasts Karl Petry and Ken Ulrich. (Encore Presentation)

Harriet Baskas returns as her brand new book, 111 Places In Seattle That You Must Not Miss, comes off the presses. From the magnificent to the quaint and quirky, Seattle is a realm unto itself with endless appeal and plenty of intrigue. A sharp-eyed journalist, Harriet puts it all into perspective.

California has a uniquely expansive claim on a road-tripper's imagination, with plenty of two-lane magic unfolding before an eager driver's eyes. With so much to see and do, we sought the best advice from ever-reliable Jamie Jensen, author of Road Trip USA.

Jamie Jensen, growing up in Southern California when car culture was ready to ride the wave of the future, became permanently enchanted with the open road early on; especially the lure of two-lane highways. With the publication of a ninth edition of Road Trip USA, Jamie has risen to the status of motoring maven. (Encore presentation)

The grandeur of the National Parks and Monuments has been on display in feature films for generations. Geoffrey Mark joins us with the backstory of iconic movies that made a location out of some of the most stunning scenery in the world.

Situated at the south end of Whidbey Island in Washington state, Langley is the land of lovely vistas and frequent festivals. The Whidbey Island Fair this year runs July 28th thru the 30th at the Fairgrounds and Events Center, being one example of a year-round penchant for celebration. Dena Marie of the local Chamber of Commerce has the inside scoop.

Observing the Do's and Don'ts of making your car, truck or SUV ready for a memorable summer trek aka The Big Road Trip is serious business. Karl Petry of the Garden State Pontiac Club is a go-to guy for advice on how to prevent costly automotive trouble from hampering your next open-road adventure.

Where will you go this year to celebrate Independence Day? All around the Sound, you can find a safe and spectacular 4th of July fireworks display to create memories for the whole family. Matt Shea joins us with some timely suggestions.

From July 22-31, visitors to Wyoming's famous Cheyenne Frontier Days return to the Cowboy state for the 126th year – kicking up dust and bringing 10 days of nonstop rodeo action and live entertainment. You can enjoy the world's largest outdoor rodeo and Western celebration – from a thrilling carnival and chuckwagon cookoff to world-class country music acts and bull riding.

In the land that Patrick Henry and the Green Mountain Boys once called home, a vibrant heritage of outdoor activity alongside gracious living continues in Vermont. Haley Rice of Come Alive Outside reveals a burgeoning grassroots movement with personal health and enjoyment in mind. Vermont is famous for more than just maple!

Mark Greene of CarsYeah fame recently parted with his beloved “Orange Crush” and in the process, discovered little-known insights into today's superheated automotive market. He has lots to share about the process of buying and selling cars in the midst of persistent inflation and pent-up demand.

Back in 1922, a future legend known as The Cherry Hut opened as a roadside pie stand. To the founders, it was a way to sell homemade cherry pies baked with fresh cherries straight from the family orchard. In 1937, the Cherry Hut moved to its present-day location on US 31 in cozy Beulah, MI. Throughout its long and storied history, The Cherry Hut has been celebrated for their down-home quality pies and jams.

Things can look downright mystical in misty Forks, Washington and otherworldly 100 miles away in Olympic National Park. Don't forget to have a soak in Sol Duc Hot Springs while you visit! Matt Shea shares highlights and his personal insights from years of trekking to a region that many call God's Country.

Over 80 years after Dorothy discovered, “There's no place like home,” the world returns to Oz every so often and thus to a magical place that remains close in heart and mind. Classic Hollywood historian Geoffrey Mark has a wealth of knowledge to share about The Wizard of Oz and its boundless legacy which revives itself with each new generation. Originally aired May 14, 2021.

The Nevada Northern Railway was built over a century ago to service one of the largest copper mines of the era. A museum in Ely, NV celebrates the men and workhorse machines of a rugged frontier time. We wanted to know more about all of it.

Erika Nelson is an independent artist and educator, exploring the fringes of art and culture she experienced on back roads and at offbeat roadside attractions that dot the American landscape. She travels in a permanently altered Art Car, exhibiting the World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things. Erika loves bringing us word of new and exotic places she has discovered.

Escape Rooms, combining elements of mystery, adventure and intricate teamwork, have become very popular destinations across America. Joey and Tonya Madia are aficionados of these eerie attractions and Joey is currently in high demand as a designer of them! Originally aired 8/6/2021

On the 52nd annual Earth Day, we talk with chronicler Harriet Baskas about cities and sites around Seattle and Puget Sound that celebrate our planet as well as the people whose environmental stewardship sets an example for us all.

Washington's beloved annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is back for 2022, and mainstays RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town, both visitor favorites, welcome you to feast your eyes on their gorgeous fields. Matt Shea has returned from another tour with fresh insights into a region renowned for its annual explosion of inspiring springtime colors.

Virginia Phillippi, Director of North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association, has made a career of connecting travelers with over a thousand museums under their coast-to-coast umbrella. If it has cultural or historical significance, it is important to the NARM membership. Aficionados, unite!

The wild, rustic and sometimes offbeat beauty of the Sunshine State is yours to enjoy along the system of two-lane roads that have helped to shape the destiny of Florida. For many, today's roadtrip adventure becomes tomorrow's nostalgia. Jamie Jensen is on hand to guide the ride.

Part nostalgia trip, part urban archeology, The Neon Museum in Las Vegas is an immense striking tableau of iconic Sin City. Aaron Berger, Executive Director of the museum, shares how neon signage and eye-popping architecture helped establish a unique patch of desert in the world consciousness.

Zak Bagans' The Haunted Mansion in Las Vegas has been voted #1 Haunted Destination in America. With over 30 rooms of thrills and chills, visitors enter a portal to the ghoulish wonders of Sin City: a world apart from the glitzy casinos. Our correspondent Matt Shea took the tour and survived! Listen to his tales of the macabre in this eerie edition.

Planning a vacation? Don't get ripped off! Adam K. Levin is a consumer advocate with more than 40 years of experience and is a nationally recognized expert on security, privacy, phishing schemes and identity theft. He is the founder of CyberScout and author of the book “Swiped: How to Protect Yourself in a World Full of Scammers, Phishers, and Identity Thieves.” Before you venture out, listen to this episode for great advice on outwitting the con artists.

Encore Presentation: Jamie Jensen, growing up in Southern California when car culture was then standing up to ride the wave of the future, became permanently enchanted with the open road early on; especially the lure of two-lane highways. Listen to a man who knows whereof he speaks.

In West Tennessee, the adventure starts in soulful Memphis but does not end there. The rural areas beyond the famous city are uncrowded, tranquil and inextricably linked to American history. You can feel the connection in this episode.

Everyone has a favorite car from the sensational (sometimes campy) days of television in the 60's, 70's and 80's. The Batmobile, perhaps? How about that jalopy The Monkees drove around town? Or maybe The General from The Dukes of Hazzard? Geoffrey Mark visits with inside stories of the rides that brought style and muscle to TV shows of days gone by.

When “kitsch” was first considered by art critics and historians, the prevalent view was that gaudy roadside attractions were good for a laugh and a bit of banal gratification thanks to sentimentality. Motoring visitors to the Pacific Northwest, however, are inclined to perceive such icons as a quirky welcome to the neighborhood. Harriet Baskas shares her appreciation of these beckoning behemoths.

An ingenious tech generation is hard at work developing alternative fuels for zero net carbon emissions on the highways. Mark Greene of Cars Yeah, our car culture maven, briefs us on a bold sector of science that is helping to shape the future out of thin air.

Utah has long been celebrated for having the “Greatest Snow on Earth and the Greatest Earth on Show”. Erika Nelson went there to find out for herself. What she discovered was a land of ancient grandeur and spellbinding wonders. Her tour of Capitol Reef National Park and elsewhere revealed miracles of Nature, some retouched by human hands.

Planning to travel with your pet this year? Dr. George Melillo believes results reward research. There are many pet carriers on the market and the best depend on what meets the individual needs of your companion. Good carriers should be waterproof and easy to clean; they should also be clearly marked with emergency contact information for the owner. Dr. Melillo joins us with expert advice on mastering the challenges of taking off while taking your pet along for the ride.

JoAnne Worley's instinctive comedic timing and irrepressible laugh make her a favorite of audiences everywhere. Her work includes television, movie and stage productions to game shows, talk shows, commercials, cartoons and opera. For more than 40 years she has been involved with the organization Actors and Others for Animals (founded 1971), which funds spay-and-neuter programs, and provides veterinary financial assistance to pet guardians in Southern California. Since 2007, JoAnne has served as president of the organization. Her expertise in safe, enjoyable travel with pets is well-trusted. Encore Presentation.

In honor of Elvis Presley's birthday, Cory Cooper shares his authoritative knowledge on the places where The King's feature films were shot. Including settings as diverse as New Orleans, Seattle, Hawaii and Las Vegas, hear the details of where, when and how Elvis made movie magic. (Encore presentation)

Happy New Year! In our last episode of 2021, we look back for inspiration to beloved literature with its roots in the American saga as we anticipate open-road adventures to come. As always, the highway is calling!

Holiday light displays in Puget Sound are a blend of the traditional and the downright quirky. Matt Shea returns with his first-hand account of some of the outstanding works created by neighbors who never stop trying to outdo each other, in the spirit of Christmas of course.

Welcome to Seneca Falls, the Real Bedford Falls! Each year, the town celebrates an It's A Wonderful Life Festival the second weekend in December. But the Museum is open all year round. Memorabilia abounds in this magical place of seasonal mirth and endless goodwill no matter when you come to town. We wanted to know more about The 75th Anniversary Celebration of “It's a Wonderful Life”.

Festive holiday magic has returned with Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, running through Jan. 2. The South Puget Sound tradition boasts more lights than ever, with more than 800,000 lights illuminating the zoo at night. Tessa Miller, Media Relations and Communications Coordinator, is our guest.

The driving distance between Oatman and Bisbee in Arizona is 433 miles. It takes a little over 7 hours. In between, you traverse the vibrant center of the state including Phoenix and Tucson. Jamie Jensen, one of America's foremost Road Warriors, has stories to tell and advice to offer for rugged individuals who want to motor their way through starkly contrasting views of the West, old and new.

In the past year, several visionaries of the automotive world have passed on. Their accomplishments are a wonderful legacy to all who celebrate the beauty of innovation and stylish performance. Mark Greene of Cars Yeah joins us to pay tribute. (Photo: clarewalshcounseling.com)

Labor economists were right. The prediction of a drastic shortage of drivers in the trucking industry has been borne out. This crisis has long-term implications for American consumers and the overall economy. Will a large increase in wages be enough to lure men and women into the rigs that bring goods to our communities?

World War I is referred to as the Great War or more ironically, 'the war to end all wars.' Influences of that terrible conflict resonate today. An historical presentation, with unrivaled exhibits and an unsurpassed collection of artifacts, are found in Kansas City, Missouri at The WWI Museum and Memorial. CEO Matt Naylor and Curator of Education Lora Vogt share their perspectives. An Encore Presentation

Everything old is new again with the rapid rise in electric cars. Actually, the visionary history of their development goes back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mark Greene of Cars Yeah joins us to survey the timeline of an automotive revolution; one that continues accelerating at a startling pace.

From Maine to Florida and on the Pacific Coast as well, historic lighthouses shine their beacon to safely beckon sailors home. According to maritime lore, however, many of them house spectral residents who prefer the darkness. Matt Shea researched legendary lighthouse ghosts for this episode. Pictured: St. Augustine Lighthouse in Florida.

Approaching the December 14th Centennial celebration of The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL near Chicago, holiday-themed beauty abounds at this famous public garden. The lights of Illumination are a warm diversion from chilly nights and other special displays make for a glorious family-friendly trek in the suburban woods during the most glorious time of year. Preston Bautista, Vice President of Learning and Engagement, is our guest.

Celebrating the lives, careers, and legacies of the “First Couple of Comedy,” and their incredible impact on the world, the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum has welcomed thousands of visitors from across the globe for over 25 years. I Love Lucy premiered 70 years ago. Gary Hahn of The National Comedy Center guests.

The Hollywood Museum, official museum of Hollywood, has the most extensive collection of Hollywood memorabilia in the world. It features 35,000 square feet, 4 floors of breathtaking exhibits and is the home of more than 10,000 authentic Showbiz Treasures. Founder Donelle Dadigan is our guest.

Chances are, that orange beauty you turned into a delicious pie or impressive jack-o'-lantern came from one of three Pumpkin Capitals of America, located in Floydada, Texas, Morton, Illinois or Half Moon Bay, California. Eric Spitznagel joins us to celebrate the most famous of pumpkin patches.