On the Smithsonian’s Re-opened Museum of American History

A favorite stop for tourist and native alike in Washington, DC is the Smithsonian’s Musuem of American History.

After being closed for renovation, the museum is now open again. We speak with Washington Post columnist about the museum - what iit was, what it is and what that means to us all.

At: http://conversationsontheroad.com

Great American Beers: Twelve Brands that Became Icons

Beer has always been an important part of American culture. Bill Yenne wrote a book that looks at the history of a dozen brewers (Acme, Ballantine, Fallstaff, Hamm’s, Lone Star, Lucky, Miller High Life, Olympia, Pabst, Rainer, Rheingold and Schlitz) and what made them matter. It’s about beer but its’ about much more.

Bill Yenne joins us for this Journeys into Beer.

At:
http://conversationsotheroad.com

Traditional Rural Mardi Gras Run

Mardi Gras is best known in New Orleans. But the tradition is not limited to the Crescent City.A traditional Mardi Gras is to be found in the form of a Courir de Mardi Gras in Church Point, Louisiana, On Louisiana’s Cajun Prairie northwest of Lafayette.

The object of the Courir is to go from farm to farm in costume and on horseback or by wagon and collect ingredients for a communal gumbo to be served at the Church Point Saddle Riders Club. The meal is accompanied by live Cajun French music and dancing.

We speak with Todd Richard about the Courir de Mardi Gras (actuall two - one for adults and one for kids).

A more complete description of the event follows or can be found at the event website: http://www.churchpointmardigras.com

The podcast can be heard at:
http://conversationsontheroad.com

Bowling Across America

For Mike Walsh, the answer was simple: bowl. Propelled by a curiosity to see America through a common, if beer-framed, lens, he quits his job and sets out to meet the people who populate the country’s bowling alleys. His adventure becomes much more than a simple bowling trip as he veers beyond the game’s ten frames and into the heart of America. The result was a book, BOWLING ACROSS AMERICA: 50 States in Rented Shoes.

We speak with Mike Walsh about the inspiration for his trip, the trip itself and how the experience changed him.

At:
http://conversationsontheroad.com

Honoring Abraham Lincoln in the Style of his time

Col. Theodore Henry L. Henry - Commander & Band Manager, 10th Illinois Volunteer Calvary Regiment NFP - joined us in this conversation.

Colonel Henry leads a 19th century period orchestra that is played at a Bicentennial Ball to be held at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of President Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois.

At:
http://conversationsontheroad.com

The Cowboy Yodeler at the Cowboy Poetry Gathering

Wylie Gustafson is a singer/songwriter who has toured nationally and internationally with his band, Wylie & The Wild West (formerly Wylie & The Wild West Show). The band is known for its blend of Western swing, classic country, cowboy, rockabilly, folk—and yodeling—served up with infectious energy.

Wylie is best known for his yodel, which has become a symbol for Yahoo on its commercials.

Wylie Guftason is a fixture at the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada.

We speak with Wylie about his life on the range, his career, his music (and yodeling), and what makes the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko so special.

At:
http://conversationsontheroad.com