Conversations on The Road

It’s been some 20 years since Rosie’s Diner left teh Little Ferry Traffic Circle in New Jersey.

Famous for the filming of Bountie paper towel ads with “Rosie” (Nancy Walker), the diner had been a fixture along Route 46 since 1946.

Then in the 1990′s it was packed off and sent to a new home in Michigan.

There it thrived for a while, but now, sadly, bad times have fallen upon the diner. It was sold in auction this past Spring and an uncertain future awaits.

Back here in New Jersey we remember Rosie’s as we speak with Shandra Martinez, a business reporter from Grand Rapids covering the Rosie’s saga locally in Michigan.

 

 Rosie's [5:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

“Americans may be divided by politics, but we are united by our love of country,” said Henry Schleiff, President & General Manager of Destination America. “As a network inclusive to all, Destination America will celebrate this connective spirit by curating the common ground among us: the pluck of the worn saddle, the promise of exploring new territory, and the diversity that has made this nation great.”

Our guest into this Journey into Hidden America segment originally broadcast on SIRIUS-XM Radio is Marc Etkind,  senior vice president, content strategy for Destination America.  He chatted with Mark Walsh just as Destination America joined the portfolio of Discovery brands when it debuted on Memorial Day, 2012.

In a press release for the new network Marc said, “Our research, coupled with my own experience developing shows about America over the last 20 years, has shown that viewers have a huge appetite for content focused on our unique culture and spirit….By collecting the very best of travel, adventure, food, home, and natural history into one brand, we’re excited to create a new lifestyle destination for programming that Americans love.”

But the story goes much deeper. In this chat, Marc and Mark recall the power of the road as experiened through family road trips decades ago.

Destination America, related Marc Etkind, is a network that hopes to represent the staying power of such a sensibility.

The talk between Marc and Mark is a conversational journey worth a listen.

 

 destination america [8:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Like many, Lisa Rankin and Michael Lutzmann love Paris.

But in a most unique way, Lisa and Michael decided to do something about it.

Residents of Stratford, Ontario, the husband and wife team love to travel and learn about other cultures. To them, food is such an important part of experiencing those cultures.

They were in Florence about three years ago and took a tour called Taste Florence. It was one of the highlights of  their visit to the Italian city. They were so inspired, they decided to create a similar experience for others and decided Paris was the perfect city for it.

So was born Flavors of Paris, which offers unique culinary walking tours of the French capital city.

In this Journeys into International journeycast, we speak with Lisa and Michael about their passion for Paris & food and how they turned it into a business.

You’ll catch their enthusiasm and passion. And if you’re like me, you’ll be left almost being able to taste those Parsisian foods, wanting to hop on the next flight to Paris to join them and their tour.

To read more about Lisa and Michael, see: http://www.guide2paris.com/news/225/Paris-People—Interview-with-the-owners-of-Flavors-of-Paris

For more on Flavors of Paris or to reserve a place on a tour see: http://flavorsofparis.com/

 

 Flavors of Paris [23:55m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

At the time of the Illinois primary, we stopped to consider a statesman of the 20th century not too much recalled these days

Everett McKinley Dirksen (January 4, 1896 – September 7, 1969) was an American politician of the Republican Party. He represented Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives (1933–1949) and U.S. Senate (1951–1969). As Senate Minority Leader for over a decade, he played a highly visible and key role in the politics of the 1960s, including helping to write and pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Open Housing Act of 1968, both landmarks of civil rights legislation. He was also one of the Senate’s strongest supporters of the Vietnam War. He was know as “The Wizard of Ooze” for his oratorical style.

In this Journey into Illinois, we speak with Frank MaKaman  of the Dirksen Congressional Center in Pekin, Illinois, Dirksen’s hometown.

He reminds us that Senator Dirksen was a partisan but a Republican who worked with Democrats to get things done – a bi-partisanship lacking into today’s polarized political environment.

He also was one of the first political leaders to embrace the new media of television (You can imagine how different history might be if JFK debated Dirksen, not Nixon in 1960).

MaKaman also briefs us on the “historical collections” (Dirksen Collection, Bob Michel Collection and Ray Lahood Collection) and “Congress in the Classroom”, and “Congress Link”, all coming out of the Dirksen.

In all, why Dirksen shopld still matter.

This year only 11% of eligible voters participaed in the Louisiana Primary.

The weather was beautiful and it was festival time so folks stayed outdoors.

One of those festivals was the New Orleans Roadfood Festival. For it four blocks in the French Market were lined with dozens of top Roadfood cooks from New Orleans and all of Louisiana as well as from all across America, each offering a unique specialty.

This was NOT typical and expected festival fare: it was a taste of America’s most celebrated dishes, all gathered in one place: a foodie’s dream.

Many participants came from Louisiana but others came from as far away as Texas (Louie Mueller Barbecue of Taylor), Arizona (Tucson Tamale Company), and New York (Abbott’s Frozen Custard of Rochester).

Portions were right-sized and priced to provide everyone a chance to taste the maximum number of great regional eats as they stroll through the French Market inhaling delicious smells that range from real Texas pit barbecue to Pecan Pie to artisan boudin sausage made by Cajun country’s most beloved butchers.

There were book signings, cooking demonstrations and live music. There was even a Beignet Eating Contest.

Our guest, acclaimed author and radio personality Poppy Tooker of Lousiana Eats talks about this unique event, about New Orleans and Louisiana as  unique places and about the whole idea of Roadfood.

http://www.neworleansroadfoodfestival.com/Events/

http://poppytooker.com/Home.html

 

 Poppy Tooker [15:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Travelers to Hawaii love the beaches, the scenery, the pineapples and the culture. To most visitors, America’s 50th state just grew out of a mutually beneficial relationship between the islands and the mainland.

As with so much else in life, the explanation is not quite so simple.

The flip side of that story — how it all looked to the native Hawaiians — is much darker.

It is all found in LOST KINGDOM: Hawaii’s Last Queen, the Sugar Kings, and America’s First Imperial Adventure; By Julia Flynn Siler; Atlantic Monthly Press.

At the center of the story is Lili‘uokalani, the last queen of Hawai‘i. Born in 1838, she lived through the nearly complete economic transformation of the islands. Lucrative sugar plantations gradually subsumed the majority of the land, owned almost exclusively by white planters, dubbed the “Sugar Kings.” Hawai‘i became a prize in the contest between America, Britain, and France, each seeking to expand their military and commercial influence in the Pacific.

In this Journey, author Julia Flynn Siler traces Hawaii’s fraught history, from Captain Cook to American annexation.

 

 Hawaii Lost Kingdom - Siler [18:47m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Ferries plying the waters near Seattle handle about 24 million passenger trips each year — the ferry system provides both a commuter transit service and an adventurous outing. A voyage across the Puget Sound can offer spectacular views of the Seattle skyline to the east, wooded shorelines to the west, and an ever-changing interplay of light and color created by the skies and water. Around the Sound tower the Olympics Range, the rugged Cascades, and Mount Rainier.

It helps tie together an area of otherwise inaccessible islands, and helps define a sense of region and a sense of place.

Michael Diehl lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington, a ferry ride away from Seattle. He has created a book called “Crossings: On the Ferries of Puget Sound”. It chronicles  not just the experience of traveling on the ferries of the Sound, but also just what those ferries mean to the life and culture of the area.

The book weaves together factual information, images, and insights gathered during more than two years, presented in 304 pages with more than 375 original photographs.

Our guest talks about this central role for the ferries – how they matter and why.

 

 Puget Sound Ferries [19:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Minnesota, the State of Hockey, leads the nation in its devotion to Canada’s national game. Over 6400 players have played in the National Hockey League since its inception with the 1917-18 season. Minnesota outpaces Massachusetts and Michigan as the producer of American talent in the NHL. While much of that player development has taken place since the mid-1970s, the origins of this American hockey dominance can be traced to the 1890s. Minnesota was producing elite teams and players in the years before WWII.

 

 Minnesota Hockey [16:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The sons of Icelandic immigrants and friends since boyhood, the Winnipeg Falcons were a superbly talented team of just eight players who brought home Canada’s first Olympic gold medal in hockey in 1920. But before they became world champions, the Falcons endured years of prejudice on and off the ice.

They also fought for their country and were heroes during the First World War.

Our guest in this edition of “Journeys into Hockey” is author and renowned hockey historian Eric Zweig, who brings to life the fascinating story of the little team that wouldn’t quit.

 

 Winnipeg Jets [17:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jeff Marcus goes all the way back to 1904, the date of the first openly professional hockey league, the International Hockey League.
He goes on to cover all the coaches in all of those early leagues including the Ontario Professional Hockey League, The Eastern Canada Hockey Association, the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, the Western Canada Hockey League and the National Hockey Association. Of course, that NHA would later be reformed into the National Hockey League.
Marcus moves away from all the obscure pro leagues that littered the 20th century but does focus on all WHA and NHL coaches, right up until the current day.

 

 Hockey Coaches [9:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download