American Road Trip Talk

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.