American Road Trip Talk

Erika Nelson returns with more stories of the artistic gems and roadside attractions she has discovered in her continuing travels as creator and curator of the World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things. This time, we turn our attention to America’s heartland and the magical legacy of Oz. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California...

Something new under the Mojave Desert sun! Camel Safari announces three distinctive experiences for viewing the property’s exotic desert animals. Visiting 176 acres under wide-open skies 80 minutes north of Las Vegas, guests can choose from the Feed With A Keeper Safari, Day Glamp Camp Safari and VIP Sunset Safari. Resident zoologist Allie Singer has all the details. See Privacy Policy at https://...

From coast to coast, they move the country forward while driving big rigs with 18 wheels. The life of a long-haul trucker can be lonesome but seldom is short of adventure. Matt Shea, who made his living for many years in the industry, talks about places seen and people met while he crisscrossed the storied road of American commerce. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Pr...

The National Corvette Museum was established in 1994, with a mission of celebrating the invention of America’s Sports Car; preserving its past, present and future; and educating the public. The 115,000 sq. ft. facility is located on a 55-acre campus in Bowling Green, Kentucky which also is home to the world’s only General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priv...

Americans by the millions are planning to take to the highways this year; especially when they can do so safely and conveniently. Hollywood long has celebrated road travel and revealed a nomadic streak in our national character. Geoffrey Mark, popular curator of cinematic and television knowledge, shares about movies and TV shows with themes of living large and finding America on the open road. Se...

Vaccinations are rolling out and warm weather is approaching, enticing many to travel for the first time since the pandemic began. Millions of us are opting for road trips this spring. Those who left their cars sitting in the garage throughout the pandemic need to anticipate maintenance needs now or risk costly repairs. Tim Clay, Chief Business Development Officer at DigniFi, shares insights gaine...

The resort town of Seaside, Oregon offers some of the state’s most stunning ocean vistas and ample opportunities for windswept walks, on the sands or along the Seaside Promenade. Recently, the city has become home to the annual Oregon Ghost Conference. Nicole Strickland, paranormal author and featured presenter, joins us to share her experiences. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and...

Ashley Waymouth is a park ranger and the Anniversary Coordinator for Hot Springs National Park. In this episode, we'll be exploring natural features of the park, its social history and of course, the centennial celebration underway. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Mount Airy, North Carolina and the famous Mayberry Inn harken back to a simpler time, when CBS’ The Andy Griffith Show brought gentle laughter and wholesomeness to America from 1960-1968. Today, the community is a shrine to the still-popular program and its many memorable characters. Step back in time as Matt Shea, a Mayberry aficionado, reflects on the town’s heritage as chronicled for American R...

Pacific Northwest chronicler Harriet Baskas surveys some of the better-known films and TV shows set in or near the Emerald City. Some have been filmed there entirely while others capitalized on the stunning scenery and urban chic of Seattle to frame memorable dramas and comedies. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-...

Anson Williams, famous for his role as Potsie Weber on Happy Days, keeps faith with the idea that happy days are still “yours and mine” in the here and now. Nostalgia will always have its special place and today, Williams is also passionate about helping highway drivers stay safe by warding off drowsy driving. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https:/...

Frequent “Trip Talk” contributor Erika Nelson is back, this time with lots to share about COVID-safe roadside attractions. Included are Butch Anthony's drive through museum in Alabama; the Enchanted Highway in North Dakota; and Porter Sculputre Park. All are outdoor venues that you can road trip to and through. And hear about those Mardi Gras House Floats! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/p...

St. Joseph is identified by the slogan, "Where the Pony Express started and Jesse James ended." Beth Conway, Communications Director at the local Convention & Visitors Bureau, draws from a trove of historical fact and lore in telling the story of “St. Joe,” voted the top true western town in 2007. The townsfolk continually revel in living up to that award. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.c...

Hickory Corners, Michigan is home to the sprawling Gilmore Car Museum. Within, you can find motorized totems from every avenue of American life, including the TV Highway. Coming in 2021, the return of a Happy Days icon: Fonzie’s 1952 Triumph motorcycle. Hear the obscure story behind the famous bike. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/...

Classic TV actor Hank Garrett joins us for a round of nostalgic talk about his improbable rise from childhood poverty in Harlem to a rewarding life in Hollywood. Mr. Garrett is the only surviving cast member of the still-beloved Car 54, Where Are You? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

The 4077th took up prime time on American television for 11 memorable seasons. The set for the legendary M*A*S*H series also took up some prime real estate in Malibu, California. To think that it all could have gone up in flames! The harrowing story behind the famous finale of a still-beloved TV show is revealed by American Road contributor Jess Winfield. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr...

Until 1960’s tales of the macabre “Mothman” scared the dickens out of the locals, Point Pleasant, West Virginia was exactly what you might expect: an historic riverside town with bucolic vistas and friendly people. Today, the town is still small but with an outsized legend and lots of early American lore to attract throngs of visitors every year. Tonya and Joey Madia are Point Pleasant pilgrims wi...

In honor of Elvis Presley’s birthday, Cory Cooper stops by to share his expertise on locations and sets 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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not...

Cars Yeah creator and host Mark Greene has an unquenchable passion for automobile technology and the countless places it can take us. To start 2021, we talk with Mark once again about the array of museums and exhibits that put automotive ingenuity on proud display from coast-to-coast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-...

Fantasy Lights is a drive-through Christmas light display located just south of Tacoma. It's the largest holiday drive-through event in the Northwest, featuring nearly 300 elaborate displays and thousands of sparkling lights. An eye-popping variety of displays are found around Puget Sound, as detailed by guest Matt Shea. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice...

Edgar Cayce's Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) was founded by Edgar Cayce (1877–1945) in 1931 to research and explore a wide variety of spiritual subjects. His headquarters, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is still going strong as a center of inquiry and metaphysical tourism. Josie Varga and Kathy Lamm share their appreciation of a unique man and his legacy. See Privacy Pol...

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privac...

(Originally aired 2-28-20) Cynthia Schreiner Smith is an actor/writer who was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota where she still lives. Since 1998, she has worked at the Wabasha Street Caves in St. Paul, researching, writing scripts and acting as a guide for their historical tours. Cynthia shares her knowledge of the town's Gangster Era and talks about why the Twin Cities are hardly identical....

The holiday feast dates back to November 1621, when the newly arrived Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians gathered at Plymouth for an autumn harvest celebration, an event regarded as America’s “first Thanksgiving.” History merges with our personal recollections in this episode dedicated to America’s perennial time of gratitude. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy...

The World’s Only Corn Palace is Mitchell’s premier tourist attraction. Some 500,000 tourists come from around the nation each year to see the uniquely designed corn murals. The city’s first Corn Palace was built as a way to prove to the world that South Dakota had a healthy agricultural climate. Today, the Palace is a cultural showpiece of the Prairie with cleverly designed themes. Thanks to cornp...