Conversations on The Road

To folks like me, it started from a Gordon Lightfoot song.

But beyond the song, the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald is a fascinating one. The ore carrier broke into two during a heavy storm in Lake Superior in 1975, resulting in 29 lives lost.

Each year this tragedy and other shipwrecks are recalled throughout the region.

We speak with Lee Radzak of the Split Rock Lighthouse, where a beacon is lit each year to remember the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald and others who lost their lives on the lakes.

 

 Edmund Fitzgerald [16:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Some years ago, folks in Mountain View, Arkansas wanted to brng folks to their community during the fall foliage season.

They came up with a Beanfest, but with beans you can’t stop there. Logically, the fun eventually played out to include the after beans.

One thing led to another and now each year folks come from far and wide to watch and compete in the annual Outhouse Races.

Jimmy Edwards speaks with us from Mountain View about beans, outhouse racing and a lot of fun.

 

 Outhouse Races [11:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

What happens to all those pumpkins that are not smashed on Mischief Night or turned into Pumpkin Pie? Many become part of a municipal mulch pile, but others are turned into competitive projectiles.

We are talking about pumkpin chuckers. No, this is not like what you have seen on Letterman. It is much more. Part sport, part science, part art form.

For this Conversation on the Road, we speak to a chucker from Montana, Scott Kellum. He tells us about what he does, why he does it, and about the community of chuckers.

 

 Pumkin Chucker [11:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download