American Road Trip Talk

In our Winter 2013 issue of American Road Magazine we wandered a bit north of our theme area of Washington State into the Canadian Rockies for the subject of our Memory Motel Column. Tucked in the foothills of the craggy grandeur of British Columbia near the town of Ainsworth Springs stands the Mermaid Lodge and Motel. Not quite the image that would seem to go with a town that grew up in the rough and tumble of the Canadian Gold Rush. In part three and our final interview with Marsh Giles, the current innkeeper shares a wonderful story about the bawdy mermaid sign that once graced her Lodge and the artists who have memorialized the inn.

Welcome to Part 2 of our interview at the Indiana Medical History Museum in Indianapolis where I met Mary Ellen Hennessey Nottage, the passionate curator of medical history in Indiana. We conducted the interview as we strolled through what had been the pathology lab for the state's main mental health hospital for more than a century. In Part 2 of our interview you will find out how death provided both a valuable resource in medical study and a compassionate benefit to the deceased's family. This interview was not only remarkable because of the historical artifacts and history of the institution but also because it traced the early efforts to hunt down a cruel disabler and often killer, mental illness.

In our Winter 2013 issue of American Road Magazine we wandered a bit north of our theme area of Washington State into the Canadian Rockies for the subject of our Memory Motel Column. Tucked in the foothills of the craggy grandeur of British Columbia near the town of Ainsworth Springs stands the Mermaid Lodge and Motel. Not quite the image that would seem to go with a town that grew up in the rough and tumble of the Canadian Gold Rush. In part two of our interviews with Marsh Gillies who is the current innkeeper along with her husband she describes the colorful history of the Lodge and how her family overcame a terrible tragedy to maintain the historic inn. Don’t miss our third interview when Marsha will share a wonderful story about the bawdy mermaid who once graced her Lodge.

In our Winter 2013 issue of American Road Magazine we wandered a bit north of our theme area of Washington State into the Canadian Rockies for the subject of our Memory Motel Column. Tucked in the foothills of the craggy grandeur of British Columbia near the town of Ainsworth Springs stands the Mermaid Lodge and Motel. Not quite the image that would seem to go with a town that grew up in the rough and tumble of the Canadian Gold Rush. In part one of our interviews with Marsh Gillies who is the current innkeeper along with her husband we will find out about the fascinating history of an area of the Rockies that has been a gathering place for millennia due to its healing waters. In part 2 and 3 Marsha will share the colorful history of the Lodge itself and her family’s overcoming tragedy to maintain it.

In 2011 a California grocer named Dave Schaub drove his Brizio-built Custom ’32 Ford roadster through all 49 continental United States in an amazing 7 days, 14 hours and 21 minutes. We featured a picture of Dave at the finish line in Alaska in one of our recent Friends in the Fast lane Column. In part two of our interview Dave describes how he made the incredible journey on 5 hours of sleep a day without being accompanied by a chase crew. It was literally man and machine against the clock for nearly 9,000-miles to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford University Hospital. But the most challenging part of the race against the clock and the most inspiring part came as Dave entered Canada on his way to the finish line in Alaska.

In 2011 the jovial California grocer drove named Dave Schaub drove his Brizio-built ’32 Ford roadster through all 49 continental United States in an amazing 7 days, 14 hours and 21 minutes. We featured a picture of Dave at the finish line in Alaska in one of our recent Friends in the Fastlane Columns. It was all part of an effort to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford University Hospital. In this first part of the interview, Dave talks about getting himself and his custom car ready for the grueling journey. In part 2 Dave Schaub will reveal a surprising benefit that he gained from the journey.

You only have to mention the words “Route 66” and people all over the world begin to conjure up their own visions of this nostalgic ribbon of American highway. I seriously doubt, however, that many if any of you would identify pigeons with that same stretch of asphalt. However, for our guest in this two-part American Road Trip Talk podcast, Route 66 is a feathery racetrack. Randy Goodpasture is the owner, loft manager and organizer of the Route 66 Race in which the contestants are the noble carrier pigeons capable of speeds for hundreds of miles that will blow your mind. In this second part of our conversation Randy talks about the unique nature of these powerful pigeons and how he builds a relationship with them that turns out winners. There is even an American Pigeon Museum in Oklahoma City where you can see some of the high flying and decorated war heroes of the flock.

You only have to mention the words “Route 66” and people all over the world begin to conjure up their own visions of this nostalgic ribbon of American highway. I seriously doubt, however, that many if any of you would identify pigeons with that same stretch of asphalt. However, for our guest in this two-part American Road Trip Talk podcast, Route 66 is a feathery racetrack. Randy Goodpasture is the owner, loft manager and organizer of the Route 66 Race in which the contestants are the noble carrier pigeons capable of speeds that will blow your mind for hundreds of miles. In this first part of our conversation Randy gives us the big picture of what a pigeon race is and what it has to do with Route 66. In part 2 we’ll find out more about the character of these noble birds, some of whom were decorated war heroes.

Like any good fish story, the tale of the National Freshwater Fishing Museum located in the wooded Lakeland of northwest Wisconsin is about a big one…that didn’t get away. In this second of two parts, Emmett Brown, the museum director, gives some of the vision and mission behind the Hall of fame. It is very much about protecting our valuable fish stocks and educating the public about ways to keep our freshwater resources healthy. Emmett even has a story about the big one that got away…deliberately. For a full article about the museum and a collection of photos, check out our Winter 2014 issue of American Road Magazine.

Like any good fish story, the tale of the National Freshwater Fishing Museum located in the wooded Lakeland of northwest Wisconsin is about a big one…that didn’t get away. Emmett Brown, the current director of the Museum, takes us on a two part tour of this remarkable and growing collection of freshwater fishing memorabilia, hall of fame for the greatest fishermen and women and even home to over 100,000 lures, rods and reels. For a full article about the museum and a collection of photos, check out our Winter 2014 issue of American Road Magazine. In this first of two parts, Emmett tells us how a famous distillery was behind the opening of the museum and he’ll describe a part of the display that might even make old Noah step off the ark for a look!

The movie The Help took viewers behind the scenes of a post WWII southern society in the midst of change. It was filled with wit, insight and mouth-watering southern fried dishes. When Hollywood location scouts for the movie found Greenwood, MS, they knew that had struck gold. The architecture, cotton fields, fabulous food, and residents who welcome everyone with open arms were enough to convince producers that Greenwood was the perfect place. Here to give us a guided tour of Greenwood is Paige Hunt who directs the town’s convention and visitor’s bureau. She’ll tell you all about the rich blues and southern cuisine that make a trip to the Delta Country well worth your while.

For many of us this has been a hard winter that has kept us cooped up. Good news, there is an event taking place during the first two weeks of February that is guaranteed to get you out of the house. The scenic Hocking Hills area of Ohio just 40 Miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio is hosting a Comfort Food Cruise Feb. 1-2 and 8-9. Karen Raymore, the Executive Director of the Hocking Hills Tourism Association has all the details about this wonderful opportunity to visit a winter wonderland and to sample local comfort food for just $15. It’s a feast for the eyes and the tummy. You can find full details and get your tickets online at www.explorehockinghills.com.

If you have been a frequent listener to these podcasts you will know me as the host of American Road Trip Talk but most of the time I wear an entirely different hat. For 40 years I have been a radio broadcaster in the Detroit Metropolitan area and for the last 16 of them I have hosted a weekly show called the Internet Advisor where we help people with their computer problems and introduce them to experts in the field. So what has that got to do with traveling the open road? Glad you asked. On the first show of 2014, I interview Mike Wendland, a nationally noted tech reporter on radio and CBS TV Network. Mike recently retired and, like some of you, decided to take his considerable talents on the American Road in a small RV. Mike has turned this new chapter in his life into a whole new career called Roadtreking. You can find stories and pictures of his adventures at http://www.roadtreking.com. Mike now handles all sorts of topics from repairing your generator to dealing with sitting disease and knowing

For many years now Erika Nelson has been like a big game hunter stalking her elusive prey all over the continental United States. The major difference is not the size of her quarry but that they stand still so patiently waiting to be captured. I am referring of course to the World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World Largest Things. Erika is a peripatetic artist who has scoured the American Road for the Largest Coin, Biggest Ball of String, Biggest Bank Vault Door and most recently the World’s Largest Baseball. During this interview we will catch up with our busy copyist as she was home for a short break before heading out to capture another one of the American Road’s Largest Roadside Attractions.

Collinsville is a little town in southwest Illinois with a big roadside attraction that’s hard to miss and that will be even harder to miss this Christmas season. Towering over a hundred feet above the town’s main road stands the world’s largest catsup bottle, a symbol of both the town’s proud past and valiant efforts to save the landmark during the 1990’s. In this podcast Mike Gassman, President, CEO and Big Tomato of the non-profit World’s Largest Catsup Bottle, Inc. tells how they got Jolly Old St. Nicholas to climb 70 feet up that tower.

Sometimes the best visits you make during a vacation are those unique, hidden attractions that aren't on the big maps. It's a special little cafe, a unique overlook or a remarkable museum that is full of extraordinary displays. Such was my experience when I visited the Indiana Medical History Museum off US 40, the National Highway, just outside downtown Indianapolis. There I met Mary Ellen Hennessey Nottage, the passionate curator of medical history in Indiana. We conducted the interview as we strolled through what had been the pathology lab for the state's main mental health hospital for more than a century. This interview was not only remarkable because of the historical artifacts and history of the institution but also because it traced the early efforts to hunt down a cruel disabler and often killer, mental illness. In Part 2 of our interview you will find out how death provided both a valuable resource in medical study and a compassionate benefit to the deceased's family.

Nothing evokes the magic, the tainted/painted history of the showplace of the west Las Vegas, Nevada like the gaudy brilliance of its brash neon signs. Our summer 2013 issue was entitled Electric Avenue and dedicated to the neon signs that pointed the way to lodging, lunch and lots of roadside attractions but none could quite match Las Vegas for pure size and scope of magnificent displays of gas and glass. One of our Tunnel Vision articles in that issue focused on the Neon Boneyard of Las Vegas, also known as the Neon Museum. In this podcast Danielle Kelly, executive director of the museum, fills in some of the history of the display and shares her own artistic passion for preserving these unique works of art.

In Tacoma, WA, summer 2013 ended with a Blast From The Past at the LeMay Family Collection. What began, as a personal collection of vintage cars more than 40 years ago is now the largest private collection in the world with 2,200 vehicles according to the Guiness Book of World Records. The Blast from the Past annually raises funds to help local charities and serves as a showcase for the highlight of the upcoming Annual LeMay Car Show, Auction & Swap Meet around Labor Day weekend. According to our guest Stacy Rushton, Office Manager for the LeMay Family Collection, in 2013 the Blast from the Past featured a very unique restored item from 1961. LeMay Family technicians normally specialize in revitalizing Edsels, Packards and Duessenbergs but I guarantee that you will never guess what it was that they restored in 2013. Don’t miss this fascinating peek at a unique charity event at a very special spot on the American Road.

The summer 2013 issue of American Road Magazine focused on: Neon Sights that Keep the Night Bright. Dave Hutson, our guest in this podcast, is the man who brings the warmth of yesterday back to those glowing gas sentinels. He is the owner of Neon Time, a company in suburban St. Louis, MO that specializes in restoring neon signs. He is also part of the Neon Heritage Preservation Committee that was formed by the MO Route 66 Assoc. in 2008 to save endangered historic neon signs along the Mother Road. In this second of two conversations, Dave shares some of the secrets to resurrecting the glow back in a motel’s marquee and restoring the allure of an historic St. Louis donut shop. You’ll find that the skill of “bending glass” and giving it the perfect hue is a precise and rare skill.

Our summer 2013 issue of American Road Magazine is focused around: Neon Sights that Keep the Night Bright. In this podcast we meet Dave Hutson, the man who brings the warmth of yesterday back to those glowing gas sentinels that once beckoned us to spent the night or to enjoy some homemade comfort food along the American Highway. Dave is the owner of Neon Time, a company that specializes in restoring neon signs in suburban St. Louis, MO. He is also part of the Neon Heritage Preservation Committee that was formed by the MO Route 66 Assoc. in 2008 to save endangered historic neon signs along the Mother Road. In this first of two conversations, Dave shares the challenges of putting the glow back in a motel’s marquee and restoring the allure of an historic St. Louis donut shop. Listen closely and you will learn the art of creating that special Neon glow.