American Road Trip Talk

Lucas, Kansas is preparing to host APRIL FOOLS-A-PALOOZA, a vibrant local art festival, where the town's artists and organizations come together to showcase their work. This event is held annually on April 1st and features open houses where visitors can meet and interact with artists in their studios. In addition, the Lucas Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting vendor booths at Lucas Community Cente...

Take a ferry ride back in time to Michigan’s Mackinac Island, the car-free destination in the Straits of Mackinac where the Great Lakes Huron and Michigan meet. Here, the streets are lined with Victorian-era buildings, and getting around is by foot, horse-drawn carriage, or bicycle. In 100 Things to Do on Mackinac Island Before You Die, experienced travel writer and photographer Kath Usitalo helps...

Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985 after being replaced by the interstate highway system. Nevertheless, The Main Street of America’s hold on several generations of road-trippers, including people not yet born when the last section of U.S. 66 was bypassed, has endured. Thanks to civic and individual efforts, the legacy of our Mother Road retains its neon glow and monumental status. Joey Madia visi...

Famous cars owned (or driven) by famous people: how could they disappear? An aura of mystery shrouds the fate of some legendary autos; all with a unique story to tell that nevertheless remains incomplete without sure knowledge of their whereabouts. Classic car aficionado Karl Petry guests with strange accounts of phantom rides that may be out of sight but are definitely not out of mind. American R...

For Valentine’s Day, we include a bonus episode for your enjoyment. Suzanne Mitchell joins us as co-host, having discovered towns whose name says it all. Then we acknowledge the Commonwealth of Virginia for their legendary slogan that made marketing history. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

On Valentine’s Day, we turn to our friend and regular contributor Matt Shea for examples of romantic artistic creations to be found at various locations around America. They offer proof that love is all around us if we just know where to look. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

“California, Here We Come!” The Ricardos and Mertzes began their cross-country drive to the Golden State on the January 10, 1955 episode of I Love Lucy. What could possibly go wrong? Suffice it to say, hilarity ensued. This week, Geoffrey Mark aka The Walking Encyclopedia of Hollywood History visits with a trove of information about Lucy, Desi, Fred, Ethyl and one of the most famous road trips in...

This week, we tackle the topic of how to form a mutually trusting relationship with your auto mechanic. Tony Clemente, owner of Silver Lake Auto Service in Belleville, New Jersey is our guest. Tony provides top-flight service to a loyal clientele that puts a premium on his expertise and experience. What does every customer have a right to expect from an automotive service provider and what does a...

Whether your tastes run to roughing it in the evergreen wild, packing up the RV for a long weekend trip or indulging in the rustic luxury of “glamping,” wintertime in Western Washington is no impediment to all the thrills you can discover on the open road. In this episode, Matt Shea is back with news of several resorts that put you in close touch with nature and offer year-round recreational oppor...

"Throw Me Something, Mister!" This phrase is famous in Bayou country; it is what people say as they get caught up in the Mardi Gras spirit. On this edition of American Road Trip Talk, you’ll learn why this is the perfect time to plan a visit to the land of “lagniappe” and see for yourself why the people, parades and special events in Louisiana's Cajun Bayou are tough to beat. Cody A. Gray, Preside...

This week’s episode features historic Springfield, Illinois and another star turn for Amy Beadle, Marketing Manager of the Springfield Illinois Convention & Visitors Bureau. Tune in or download and hear about events planned for 2025 in the Land of Lincoln. The 63rd International Carillon Festival, held in beautiful Washington Park, will be moving to Memorial Day Weekend this year. Springfield...

Our first episode of 2025 is a tribute to Jimmy Carter, America’s 39th President and beloved citizen of Plains, Georgia. Erika Nelson joins us to share her memories of visiting the church where Mr. Carter taught Sunday School as well as her appreciation for the people in Plains and the diverse modes of living to be found in rural Georgia. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califor...

Our last episode of 2024 features Mark Greene of Cars Yeah fame with In Memoriam tributes to four car culture legends who passed away this year. Also, we offer a retrospective on Mark’s successful podcasting career as owner and host of Cars Yeah as he slows his roll and hands over the wheel to a new host. Over the past ten and a half years, Mark has talked with over 2,550 Inspiring Automotive Enth...

Cameo Waters, Tourism Director of Jonesborough, Tennessee is our guest this week. Rich in regional history, Jonesborough attracts heritage tourism because of its status as Tennessee's oldest town and its proud architectural tradition, thanks to local historic preservation efforts. Among the landmarks is the Chester Inn, built in 1797, which still stands impressively downtown. Beyond all that, the...

What seemed like good ideas at the time to motor moguls in Detroit and other car capitals sometimes turned out to be star-crossed cars that were so unpopular, they have become infamous legends in their own right. It wasn’t just the Edsel or Yugo either. Many famous brands have suffered in the marketplace as the result of wayward imagination and misbegotten technology. Karl Petry, classic car and a...

In this encore episode, we talk with Destiny Egley, an authority on Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. Open year-round, the city has become a popular resort location, noted for its five hot pools suitable for bathing and featuring a turbulent inner tube run coursing through part of the town. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sel...

Erika Nelson, when she is not gracing the American landscape with her popular art projects, curates the Worlds Largest Collection of the Worlds Smallest Versions of the Worlds Largest Things. “Roadside Yuletide” is a phrase we coined to describe public monuments erected for when ‘Tis the Season. They are seen around the country. Erika shares about several of the best. (encore presentation original...

Seattle and Puget Sound are shaking off the effects of a bomb cyclone, undeterred in their preparations for Thanksgiving weekend and the traditional kickoff of the Christmas holiday season. Matt Shea, a frequent contributor to American Road Trip Talk, stops by with his detailed report on a variety of ceremonies and activities that offer family-friendly options for celebrating the “most wonderful t...

Bodega Bay in California found immortality as the setting for Alfred Hitchcock’s natural horror-thriller, The Birds (1963) and continues to draw cinephiles, Hitchcock fans and curiosity seekers by the thousands more than 60 years later. The seaside village combines laid-back charm with the echoes of its cinematic past and permanent association with Hollywood’s Master of Suspense. Geoffrey Mark gue...

From It Happened One Night to The Grapes of Wrath to Easy Rider to Thelma and Louise, some of the most iconic films ever made celebrate the dynamics of memorable characters taking to the open road. On this edition of American Road Trip Talk, we visit with classic Hollywood expert Geoffrey Mark to get the inside story of movies that took audiences on a vicarious ride to destiny. See Privacy Policy...

Jamie Jensen, seasoned road trip warrior and author of Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures On America’s Two-Lane Highways, is our guest for an exploration of Highway US-2 in Washington state. Listen and learn more about 325 miles of some of the finest scenery the Pacific Northwest has to offer from someone who knows whereof he speaks. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califor...

For our pre-Halloween episode, author and researcher Joey Madia joins us again; this time with a compilation of spectral thrills straight from the Mother Road! “Supernatural 66” is his term for a paranormal tradition that dots all eight states of Route 66 landscape. Haunted hotels, theatres and museums will be the focus of our interview. Joey is a raconteur so relax, listen and enjoy his recountin...

The RMS Queen Mary turned 90 on September 26th, 2024 and she has never looked more resplendent. Located in Long Beach, California since its purchase by the city in 1967, the legendary vessel is permanently moored as a tourist attraction, hotel, museum and event facility. As our guest Nicole Strickland can attest, the Queen Mary over the decades also has accrued a reputation for being among the mos...

Matt Shea opens the creaky gates of Halloween Road Thrills in the Pacific Northwest! Everything from scary to fun for both kids to adults, he won't trick you into anything so you can treat yourself to some spooky Halloween excitement. These are the places you want to hit the road to in your Boo-ick or whatever you are driving! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy...

Fall is among us, which means many of the green trees over the summer are now turning to their Autumn colors as Summer ends. New York Vinnie has been on more road trips across the country than he can count, and he shares his experiences on where and what makes the best road trip adventures during the Fall season in Washington State and other parts of the country. He also provides the information y...