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.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=706
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Nevada Beyond the Casino Strips
There’s more to Nevada than one-armed bandits, cheap buffets, and Elvis impersonators. From ice ages to expeditions, Paiutes to pioneers, and dams to divorce seekers, our guest has written about the various sides of the Silver State.
Richard Mereno is the former publisher of Nevada Magazine and numerous books, including “A Short History of Carson City, Nevada (University of Nevada Press, 2011). He is also a winner of the 2007 Nevada Writers Hall of Fame Pen Award.
In his writings about Nevada (various books), Mereno has taken the time to discuss the various roadways and the Nevada towns that were and are inhabited. For example, his book about the Roadside History of Nevada divides into six chapters: Interstate 80 (The Emigrant Trail), Reno and the Lake Tahoe Area, US 50 (The Loneliest Road in America), US 95 and US 6 (The Silver Trails), US 93 (The Mormon Trail), and The Las Vegas Area.
In doing so, Moreno expands on all those little Nevada-shaped historical markers that line the desert highways of the state, And as one reviewer described it “recalls the hopes, dreams, faith, wins and losses of the pioneers that turned a desert wilderness into the typically rather dysfunctional Nevada experience of today”.
Says another reviewer about Moreno: “ (He) captures the best of what Nevada is all about”. He shares some of that knowledge and passion with us in this “Journey into Nevada”.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=682
Richard Mereno is the former publisher of Nevada Magazine and numerous books, including “A Short History of Carson City, Nevada (University of Nevada Press, 2011). He is also a winner of the 2007 Nevada Writers Hall of Fame Pen Award.
In his writings about Nevada (various books), Mereno has taken the time to discuss the various roadways and the Nevada towns that were and are inhabited. For example, his book about the Roadside History of Nevada divides into six chapters: Interstate 80 (The Emigrant Trail), Reno and the Lake Tahoe Area, US 50 (The Loneliest Road in America), US 95 and US 6 (The Silver Trails), US 93 (The Mormon Trail), and The Las Vegas Area.
In doing so, Moreno expands on all those little Nevada-shaped historical markers that line the desert highways of the state, And as one reviewer described it “recalls the hopes, dreams, faith, wins and losses of the pioneers that turned a desert wilderness into the typically rather dysfunctional Nevada experience of today”.
Says another reviewer about Moreno: “ (He) captures the best of what Nevada is all about”. He shares some of that knowledge and passion with us in this “Journey into Nevada”.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=682
Loved and Loathed in the South: Kudzu
As the political crowd turned to the South (South Carolina and Florida) for Presidential primaries, so did we.
Our topic is kudzu – something, along with BBQ and Football, frequently in the thoughts of folks in the South.
There’s so much of this fast-growing vine in the Southeastern U.S., you might think it was a native plant. Actually, it has taken a lot of hard work to help kudzu spread so widely. Now that it covers over seven million acres of the Deep South, many people consider it a pest, but kudzu is used in ways which might surprise you.
Our guest, Max Shores is a producer/director in the Center for Public Television & Radio at the University of Alabama. He also serves as adjunct faculty in the department of Telecommunication & Film. He has produced a number of documentaries about life and culture in the Southeast, including one about Kudzu, The Amazing Story of Kudzu.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=678
Our topic is kudzu – something, along with BBQ and Football, frequently in the thoughts of folks in the South.
There’s so much of this fast-growing vine in the Southeastern U.S., you might think it was a native plant. Actually, it has taken a lot of hard work to help kudzu spread so widely. Now that it covers over seven million acres of the Deep South, many people consider it a pest, but kudzu is used in ways which might surprise you.
Our guest, Max Shores is a producer/director in the Center for Public Television & Radio at the University of Alabama. He also serves as adjunct faculty in the department of Telecommunication & Film. He has produced a number of documentaries about life and culture in the Southeast, including one about Kudzu, The Amazing Story of Kudzu.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=678
The Big Scrum – How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football
Just in case you missed it on the radio:
This is the intersting, never-before-fully- told story of how Theodore Roosevelt helped to save the game that would become America’s most popular sport.
In its infancy during the late nineteenth century, the game of football was still a work in progress that only remotely resembled the sport millions follow today. There was no common agreement about many of the game’s basic rules, and it was incredibly violent and extremely dangerous. An American version of rugby, this new game grew popular even as the number of casualties rose. Numerous young men were badly injured and dozens died playing football in highly publicized incidents, often at America’s top prep schools and colleges.
Objecting to the sport’s brutality, a movement of proto-Progressives led by Harvard University president Charles W. Eliot tried to abolish the game. President Theodore Roosevelt, a vocal advocate of “the strenuous life” and a proponent of risk, acknowledged football’s dangers but admired its potential for building character. A longtime fan of the game who purposely recruited men with college football experience for his Rough Riders, Roosevelt fought to preserve the game’s manly essence, even as he understood the need for reform.
In 1905, he summoned the coaches of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton to the White House and urged them to act. The result was the establishment of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, as well as a series of rule changes— including the advent of the forward pass—that ultimately saved football and transformed it into the quintessential American game. The Big Scrum reveals for the first time the fascinating details of this little-known story of sports history.
In this Journey into Hidden America we spoke with John J. Miller, author of “The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football.” He writes for National Review, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications. “The First Assassin,” a Civil War thriller published in 2010, is his first novel. His nonfiction books include “Our Oldest Enemy,” “A Gift of Freedom,” and “The Unmaking of Americans.” The Chronicle of Higher Education has called him “one of the best literary journalists in the country.” A native of Detroit, he lives with his family in Prince William County, Virginia.
To learn more about John J. Miller and his work, visit his website at www.HeyMiller.com
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=675
This is the intersting, never-before-fully- told story of how Theodore Roosevelt helped to save the game that would become America’s most popular sport.
In its infancy during the late nineteenth century, the game of football was still a work in progress that only remotely resembled the sport millions follow today. There was no common agreement about many of the game’s basic rules, and it was incredibly violent and extremely dangerous. An American version of rugby, this new game grew popular even as the number of casualties rose. Numerous young men were badly injured and dozens died playing football in highly publicized incidents, often at America’s top prep schools and colleges.
Objecting to the sport’s brutality, a movement of proto-Progressives led by Harvard University president Charles W. Eliot tried to abolish the game. President Theodore Roosevelt, a vocal advocate of “the strenuous life” and a proponent of risk, acknowledged football’s dangers but admired its potential for building character. A longtime fan of the game who purposely recruited men with college football experience for his Rough Riders, Roosevelt fought to preserve the game’s manly essence, even as he understood the need for reform.
In 1905, he summoned the coaches of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton to the White House and urged them to act. The result was the establishment of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, as well as a series of rule changes— including the advent of the forward pass—that ultimately saved football and transformed it into the quintessential American game. The Big Scrum reveals for the first time the fascinating details of this little-known story of sports history.
In this Journey into Hidden America we spoke with John J. Miller, author of “The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football.” He writes for National Review, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications. “The First Assassin,” a Civil War thriller published in 2010, is his first novel. His nonfiction books include “Our Oldest Enemy,” “A Gift of Freedom,” and “The Unmaking of Americans.” The Chronicle of Higher Education has called him “one of the best literary journalists in the country.” A native of Detroit, he lives with his family in Prince William County, Virginia.
To learn more about John J. Miller and his work, visit his website at www.HeyMiller.com
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=675
Chevy’s Heartbeat @ 100
Just in case you missed it on the radio:
In November, 2011 Chevy and parent General Motors were marking its 100th anniversary — the documents establishing Chevrolet were completed Nov. 3, 1911. Given its early uphill battles with richer Ford, and a century of other trials, many historians and analysts of the automotive industry consider it nothing short of remarkable that Chevy has survived this long,
At the time we spoke with David Kiley, Editor in Chief of AOL Autos about Chevrolet (He was recently a Left Jab guest on Jeep @ 70). The conversation is about its cars over the years, but also about its cultural impact…From “See the USA in Your Chevrolet” sung by Dinah Shore to “Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet” and “The Heartbeat of America” – Kiley maintains that brand Chevy is an integral part of “Brand USA”.
http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=673
In November, 2011 Chevy and parent General Motors were marking its 100th anniversary — the documents establishing Chevrolet were completed Nov. 3, 1911. Given its early uphill battles with richer Ford, and a century of other trials, many historians and analysts of the automotive industry consider it nothing short of remarkable that Chevy has survived this long,
At the time we spoke with David Kiley, Editor in Chief of AOL Autos about Chevrolet (He was recently a Left Jab guest on Jeep @ 70). The conversation is about its cars over the years, but also about its cultural impact…From “See the USA in Your Chevrolet” sung by Dinah Shore to “Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet” and “The Heartbeat of America” – Kiley maintains that brand Chevy is an integral part of “Brand USA”.
http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=673
Monday, February 20, 2012
Davy Crockett @ 225
In case you missed it on the radio:
David “Davy” Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) - folk-hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet “King of the Wild Frontier”. He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives, served in the Texas Revolution, and died at the Battle of Alamo.
Crockett grew up in East Tennessee, where he gained a reputation for hunting and storytelling. (At the time of his birth, however, the surrounding area was part of the autonomous territory known as the State of Franklin). After being elected to the rank of colonel in the militia of Lawrence County, Tennessee, he was elected to the Tennessee state legislature in 1821. In 1826, Crockett was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Crockett vehemently opposed many of the policies of President Andrew Jackson, most notably the Indian Removal Act. Crockett’s opposition to Jackson’s policies led to his defeat in the 1834 elections, prompting his angry departure to Texas shortly thereafter. In early 1836, Crockett took part in the Texas Revolution and was killed at the Battle of the Alamo in March.
Crockett became famous in his own lifetime for larger-than-life exploits popularized by stage plays and almanacs. After his death, he continued to be credited with brazen acts of mythical proportion. These led in the 20th century to television and movie portrayals, and he became one of the best-known American folk heroes.
A larger than life figure he once boasted, “I can run faster, walk longer, leap higher, speak better and tell more and bigger lies”.
In this Journey into Hidden America podcast, we spoke with Sally Baker of the Davy Crockett Tavern Museum about what was happening to observe the hero’s 225th birthday anniversary, and why Davy Crockett still means so much to so many (The 1950′s TV program and more).
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=670
David “Davy” Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) - folk-hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet “King of the Wild Frontier”. He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives, served in the Texas Revolution, and died at the Battle of Alamo.
Crockett grew up in East Tennessee, where he gained a reputation for hunting and storytelling. (At the time of his birth, however, the surrounding area was part of the autonomous territory known as the State of Franklin). After being elected to the rank of colonel in the militia of Lawrence County, Tennessee, he was elected to the Tennessee state legislature in 1821. In 1826, Crockett was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Crockett vehemently opposed many of the policies of President Andrew Jackson, most notably the Indian Removal Act. Crockett’s opposition to Jackson’s policies led to his defeat in the 1834 elections, prompting his angry departure to Texas shortly thereafter. In early 1836, Crockett took part in the Texas Revolution and was killed at the Battle of the Alamo in March.
Crockett became famous in his own lifetime for larger-than-life exploits popularized by stage plays and almanacs. After his death, he continued to be credited with brazen acts of mythical proportion. These led in the 20th century to television and movie portrayals, and he became one of the best-known American folk heroes.
A larger than life figure he once boasted, “I can run faster, walk longer, leap higher, speak better and tell more and bigger lies”.
In this Journey into Hidden America podcast, we spoke with Sally Baker of the Davy Crockett Tavern Museum about what was happening to observe the hero’s 225th birthday anniversary, and why Davy Crockett still means so much to so many (The 1950′s TV program and more).
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=670
The Old Soldier’s Reunion
In Newton, North Carolina they have been staging The Soldier’s Reunion (called the Old Soldier’s Reunion since 1930) for a long time.
In fact, the event is one of the longest running events of its kind in the United States. Almost every year since 1889, during the third week in August, veterans gather together for a week of celebration. There are only two years during which the event was not held, 1944 and 1948, due to polio outbreaks.
In this Journey into Hidden America podcast, we chat with Wayne Dillinger from Newton about the Reunion, what takes place, and why it remains such an imprtant and powerful occasion.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=668
In fact, the event is one of the longest running events of its kind in the United States. Almost every year since 1889, during the third week in August, veterans gather together for a week of celebration. There are only two years during which the event was not held, 1944 and 1948, due to polio outbreaks.
In this Journey into Hidden America podcast, we chat with Wayne Dillinger from Newton about the Reunion, what takes place, and why it remains such an imprtant and powerful occasion.
At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=668
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)