American Road Trip Talk

For most of us, a road trip is no more strenuous than getting in our vehicles and driving from one destination to another. For our guest, Jamie Summerlin, his 2012 road trip was an extraordinary feat of human endurance that only 40 + other humans have ever accomplished. Starting at Sunset Bay State Park in Oregon, Jamie Summerlin ran 3,452 miles in 100 days until he dipped his 10th pair of worn shoes into the Atlantic at Annapolis, MD. In part two of our conversation this tough ex-Marine talks about the people he met along the way, how they renewed his faith in America and the team that helped him make this historic journey. Join us for part two of our conversation with this great American Road Warrior.

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Welcome to the second decade of the American Road Magazine. During the past 10 years we have covered lots of miles with our guests on American Road Trip Talk, but none of those excursions compare with the cross-country journey that today’s guest made in 2012. Starting at Sunset Bay State Park in Oregon, Jamie Summerlin ran 3,452 miles in 100 days until he dipped his 10th pair of worn shoes into the Atlantic at Annapolis, MD. In our conversation with this tough former Marine, Jamie will share the purpose behind his ultra-marathon and the people to whom he really wants us to pay attention. In this first of two parts Jamie describes some of the people he met along the byways of America on his coast to coast journey.

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I confess; I have favorites. After nearly 40 years of hosting talk shows, podcasts and a weekly radio program, I have interviewed an estimated 50,000 people and today’s guest, Erika Nelso, is one of my favorites. This delightful peripatetic artist is the author of the Think Big column that appears in every American Road Magazine. In this podcast, we talk not only about her most recent subject, the world’s largest Dime in a Box, but also telling the stories of the American Road, the passion that drives her art and about her plans for the future.

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Nothing says Christmas like sparkling lights, mistletoe and leg lamps. That is, of course, if you are a fan of the 1983 holiday movie, A Christmas Story. The film chronicles a hilarious holiday season during the late 1950’s through the eyes of a child. In one classic scene the father proudly displays his sweepstakes prize, a lamp in the shape of a woman’s leg. The story is pure fiction but not the house. It still exists in a Cleveland, Ohio working class neighborhood. Our guest is Steve Sidlecki, the executive director of The Christmas Story House and Museum and he will fill us in on more of the details. You can visit The Christmas Story House in Cleveland or online at their homepage to find the times for visiting and some of the merchandise from the movie. Just imagine how you'd look in one of those pink bunny pajamas!

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Believe it or not, covered bridges are as American as apple pie. According to Robert Huttinger, web designer and covered bridge aficionado, what we might consider quaint rural river crossings are very particular to North America. Robert is not only knowledgeable about these architectural wonders but he also wants to make sure that the rest of us can find them. That is why he developed a covered bridges app or program for the iPhone or iPad, a portable tablet in the hands of millions of users. We reviewed the application in detail in the fall 2012 issue of American Road Magazine. Robert will share his enthusiasm for covered bridges and tell how you can use his application to find one near you or even plan a vacation route to see a bunch of these beauties.

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Margaret Dunning may be 102 years old, but most of us might find it hard to keep up with her. In a recent issue of our magazine this remarkable woman was featured for her participation in a classic car event with her 1930 Packard 740 Roadster. In this second part of our interview, Margaret relates what it was like to travel on the original American Highways when there were more horses than horseless carriages. But her most incredible journey was the one she took when she was 12 years old; you don’t want to miss that story.

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Margaret Dunning may be 102 years old, but most of us might find it hard to keep up with her. In a recent issue of our magazine this remarkable woman was featured for her participation in a classic car event with her 1930 Packard 740 Roadster. During an extended interview with Margaret, she shared about her love for cars and told some fascinating stores about the beginnings of motor travel in America. In this first of a two-part interview, Mrs. Dunning tells how she first learned to drive and shares her fascination with the motor car. Part 2 will focus on her travels on the early American roads.

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It's not the kind of thing that you can miss if you are headed through the heart of the land of Lincoln. An enormous crucifix rises nearly 200' out of the corn and soybean fields of central Illinois and can be seen for miles away coming from any point of the compass on the flat landscape. It towers above the convergence of two major freeway systems: I 70 between Terre Haute, IN and St. Louis MO and I 57 between Chicago and Memphis, TN. In our Fall issue of American Road Magazine I wrote an article for the National Road column based on a visit I made to that monument and a discussion I had with Christy Hackman, spokesperson for the Cross Foundation. You're invited to join me for the conversation, which inspired the article that appeared in the magazine, and to find out more about this remarkable beacon of hope.

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From Biblical times the name Goshen has been synonymous with a promised land of plenty. That is exactly what the little community by the same name in Northwest Indiana’s Amish country became for Care Anderson’s relatives. His great-grandfather brought European candy making skills from Greece to Goshen where folks have come to count on those handmade delicacies and his corner restaurant, the Olympia Candy Kitchen. During a recent trip through Indiana American Road Trip Talk host, Foster Braun, interviewed Care in a quiet moment between customers to talk about the family tradition of good food and friendship that they have been serving for almost a century.

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Beautiful photography has been a key part of the magic of American Road Magazine right from the start. How fitting, then, that we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the magazine with the Take 10 Photo Contest to find the best "ten themed" images of the American byways! In this interview Becky Repp tells you how to help the magazine celebrate their tenth anniversary year by sending them your favorite “ten” themed road trip photo! You could win $250 and have your photograph published in an upcoming issue of American Road® magazine.

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