American Road Trip Talk

The summer 2013 issue of our magazine features the theme: Neon Sights that Keep the Night Bright. In the Motoring the Mother Road column, I wrote about an ambitious Neon Heritage Preservation program led by Jim Thole, a member of the board of the Missouri Route 66 Association. Be sure to check out the magazine issue for great photos and more details. In 2008, a terrible windstorm blew through St. Louis, MO and nearly tore down a neon sign, which had been a local landmark. Jim Thole and his fellow committee members sprang into action and the Neon Heritage Preservation Committee began its crusade to turn historic neon lights back on Route 66. In our final podcast in this series, Jim Thole will introduce us to the other members of the Neon Heritage Committee, reveal how they get the sign owners to allow their signs to be restored and look to the future of preservation.

The summer 2013 issue of our magazine features the theme: Neon Sights that Keep the Night Bright. In the Motoring the Mother Road column, I wrote an article about an ambitious Neon Heritage Preservation program led by Jim Thole, a member of the board of the Missouri Route 66 Association. Be sure to check out the magazine issue for great photos and more details. In 2008, a terrible windstorm in St. Louis, MO nearly tore down a neon sign, which had been a local landmark. Jim and his three fellow committee members sprang into action and the Neon Heritage Preservation Committee began its crusade to turn historic neon lights back on Route 66. In this second of three podcasts Jim outlines the ambitious projects that he and the committee have accomplished during the last 5 years.

The summer 2013 issue of our magazine features the theme: Neon Sights that Keep the Night Bright. In the Motoring the Mother Road column, I wrote an article about an ambitious Neon Heritage Preservation program led by Jim Thole, a member of the board of the Missouri Route 66 Association. Be sure to check out the magazine issue for great photos and more details. In 2008, a terrible windstorm in St. Louis, MO nearly tore down a neon sign, which had been a local landmark. Jim and his three fellow committee members sprang into action and the Neon Heritage Preservation Committee began its crusade to turn historic neon lights back on Route 66. In the fall of 2011, I met Jim while on a visit to St. Louis just after the lighting of the Crestwood Bowl in suburban St. Louis County. In this first of three podcasts Jim Thole focused the conversation on the restoration of the Crestwood Bowl sign.

The last weekend of June 2013 in Kearney, NE marks the 100th Birthday Party for the Lincoln Highway, one of the first transcontinental highways for automobiles across the United States of America. In Part 2 of our Centennial Celebration for the Lincoln Highway, Sarah Focke, of the Kearney Convention and Visitors Bureau gives you all the details on the upcoming celebration. Car buffs, Lincoln Highway aficionados and the Lincoln Highway Association are all gathering for a big week of celebration between Sunday, June 30 and July 5.

The last weekend of June 2013 in Kearney, NE marks the 100th Birthday Party for the Lincoln Highway, one of the first transcontinental highways for automobiles across the United States of America. In Part 1 of our Centennial Celebration for the Lincoln Highway, Sarah Focke, of the Kearney Convention and Visitors Bureau gives some of the background on why her fair city of 30,000 was chosen to host the party. Sarah will also fill us in on the history of this main line for autos across the heart of America. Don’t miss part two when she will give you all the details on the upcoming celebration.

Perhaps no other roadside attraction is as closely identified with the American Road as the neighborhood drive in movie theatres that once dotted the US map. Sadly the ritual of warm summer evenings with the family piled in the car to watch the latest blockbuster has gone the way of the Edsel in most places. But the good news is that people like Jim Kopp of Stephens City, VA are hard at work keeping that tradition alive. Our guest on this podcast runs, the Family Drive In, a 500 car outdoor theatre the last remaining Drive In in northern Virginia about an hour west of Washington, D.C. Jim is not only passionate about keeping this unique entertainment experience alive but he has found a very special way to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Drive In Theatres in America. He helped create a category for an upcoming episode of Jeopardy. The venerable game show will air a special, July 4th show featuring a category called At The Drive In. Jim will share all the details in this podcast.

The rich earth of the Mississippi River bottom just east of St. Louis has long been a place to grow some of the best produce in the country. In particular, it was something of the tomato capital of the Midwest for many decades. What better monument to that juicy history than a massive catsup bottle, masquerading as the city water tower for Collinsville, Ilinois? In this podcast you’ll meet the Big Tomato himself, Mike Gassman, who along with his wife and many other volunteers have successfully fought to preserve their unique roadside attraction.

The great Heritage Tractor Adventure is taking place again between June 7 and 10th in the rich Illinois farmlands just outside of Chicago. The adventure, with a three-day tractor ride, combines vintage farm tractors and displays with entertainment, great food, and family fun. WGN-720 AM's own Farm Reporter, Max Armstrong, an avid collector himself, will be setting off on the adventure with you. His knowledge of the Midwest farming community, and passion for vintage tractors, makes this an event worth your while. That is why we are bringing you this vintage American Road Trip Talk interview with Max himself. For more details about the Heritage Tractor Adventure June 7-10 visit www.heritagetractoradventure.com

Erika Nelson has dedicated her life to hunting down the world’s largest attractions along the American Road and then creating The World’s largest collection of the World’s Smallest Replicas of the World’s Largest Attractions. Erika is an artist and regular columnist who journals here trophy finds in the Think Big column of each American Road Magazine. In the spring 2013 issue, the world’s largest Pirate kidnapped her attention outside of Treasure Island, Florida. Erika not only tells how this unique landmark captured her attention but she also gives us a great reason for taking a second long look at these colossal monuments across America and at their communities.

For most of us the idea of rolling down Route 66 involves a nostalgic trip on 4 wheels powered by a motor. For Virginia Sullivan that’s two wheels too many and her vehicle runs on legs. She is with Adventure Cycling Association based in remote Missoula, Montana which is in the middle of an ambitious Route 66 mapping project. In part 2 of our conversation, Ginny explains how this great cycling group sprang up in remote Missoula, Montana and the appeal that Route 66 has for international visitors.

For most of us the idea of rolling down Route 66 involves a nostalgic trip on 4 wheels powered by a motor. For Virginia Sullivan that’s two wheels too many and her vehicle runs on legs. She is part of Adventure Cycling Association based in Missoula, Montana. I caught up with her on a Skype connection a while back to talk about an ambitious Route 66 mapping project and to learn about the association. In part 1, Ginny talks about the history of the organization and its project.

The 2013 spring issue of American Road Magazine featured a story about a golf course in northern Michigan with a one-of-a-kind feature to its course. Sweetgrass Golf course is part of the Hannahville Indian Community resort complex just north of Green Bay, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan. The 18 golf complex benefits from the beautiful wetlands that feed into the traditional tribal hunting grounds and from some unique survivors of nearby highways. Our guest, Scott Herioux, CFO of the Hannahville Community Resort complex, tells the story of rescued bridges and how they came to be part of the Sweetgrass Course. This podcast is brought to you by Levy County Florida and Springfield, Illinois Mile after Magnificent Mile.

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. Today’s podcast is brought to you by Levy County Florida.

One of the best parts of an American Road adventure is finding interesting and authentically local places to eat along the way. If you are planning a trip down the mid-Atlantic coast, you should take notes on today’s podcast. In Volume 4 of the 10th Anniversary edition of American Road Magazine, our Diner Days column focused on the tiny and unique Ten Top Restaurant in an historic Norfolk Virginia neighborhood. It’s a story of romance and a love of good, homemade food that our guest and co-owner Rick Fraley has to tell about his charming Ten Top Restaurant. In this second of two podcasts Rick tells the secret of delicious homemade delicacies straight from Chesapeake Bay.

Legend has it that Napoleon said, “An army marches on its stomach.” Whether that is true or not, it is absolutely true that finding new, interesting and authentically local places to eat is a wonderful part of the American Road adventure. In Volume 4 of the 10th Anniversary edition of American Road Magazine, our Diner Days column focused on the tiny and unique Ten Top Restaurant in Norfolk Virginia’s historic Ghent neighborhood. It’s a story of romance and a love of good, homemade food that our guest and co-owner Rick Fraley has to tell about his charming Ten Top Restaurant in this first of two podcasts.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was one of America’s most influential presidents having brought the country through the Depression and to the brink of victory in WWII. The quaint town of Hyde Park, New York was his hometown and the site of the Roosevelt Inn, the Memory Motel in our Winter 2012 issue. Karen Rudowski runs this family motel along with her mother Raili. In this second part of our conversation with her she shares more about the inn and the rich history that surrounds the city of Hyde Park on the Hudson.

In the colonial days of Ichabod Crain, the Headless Horseman and the Knickerbockers, a stagecoach, post road connected New York City and the state capital of Albany. The little city of Hyde Park along side the mighty Hudson River marked the halfway point in the long journey and was a frequent overnight lodging place. That Post Road still exists as US Route 9. In a recent issue of American Road Magazine the Memory Motel column featured The Roosevelt Inn, a family owned, modern day rest stop for travelers in Hyde Park. In this first of two podcasts Karen Rudowski who runs the Inn along with her mother shares the unique nature of this quaint motor court and its historic surroundings.

For most of us, a road trip is no more strenuous than getting in our vehicles and driving from one destination to another. For our guest, Jamie Summerlin, his 2012 road trip was an extraordinary feat of human endurance that only 40 + other humans have ever accomplished. Starting at Sunset Bay State Park in Oregon, Jamie Summerlin ran 3,452 miles in 100 days until he dipped his 10th pair of worn shoes into the Atlantic at Annapolis, MD. In part two of our conversation this tough ex-Marine talks about the people he met along the way, how they renewed his faith in America and the team that helped him make this historic journey. Join us for part two of our conversation with this great American Road Warrior.

Welcome to the second decade of the American Road Magazine. During the past 10 years we have covered lots of miles with our guests on American Road Trip Talk, but none of those excursions compare with the cross-country journey that today’s guest made in 2012. Starting at Sunset Bay State Park in Oregon, Jamie Summerlin ran 3,452 miles in 100 days until he dipped his 10th pair of worn shoes into the Atlantic at Annapolis, MD. In our conversation with this tough former Marine, Jamie will share the purpose behind his ultra-marathon and the people to whom he really wants us to pay attention. In this first of two parts Jamie describes some of the people he met along the byways of America on his coast to coast journey.

I confess; I have favorites. After nearly 40 years of hosting talk shows, podcasts and a weekly radio program, I have interviewed an estimated 50,000 people and today’s guest, Erika Nelso, is one of my favorites. This delightful peripatetic artist is the author of the Think Big column that appears in every American Road Magazine. In this podcast, we talk not only about her most recent subject, the world’s largest Dime in a Box, but also telling the stories of the American Road, the passion that drives her art and about her plans for the future.