Inspiring Automotive Enthusiasts is the trademark and mantra of Mark Greene whose passion for classic automobiles and the adventures to be had in them can be traced back to his car-crazy boyhood and a surprise visit to the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas.
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Roadside Attraction Warrior, Erika Nelson Returns
Erika Nelson, roadside attraction warrior and consummate curator of The World’s Largest Things, returns to share her insights into the Big Tire in Michigan, The House on the Rock in Wisconsin and American Gods, a STARZ network series for the road-tripper in all of us.
Visit WebsiteMaking Memories to Last a Lifetime
Host Gary Mantz and his well-traveled guest Suzanne Mitchell reminisce about their “Great American Road Trip of 2017” from Sarasota to Seattle and back including details of amazing places they encountered.
Visit WebsiteHolly Barker and the Launching Pad on Route 66
Holly Barker and her partner Tully Garrett rescued and lovingly restored the legendary Launching Pad restaurant on Route 66 in Wilmington, IL. The massive Gemini Giant statue is the guardian of this grandly reopened treasure featured in the Spring, 2018 issue of American Road Magazine.
Visit WebsiteTony Craig: About Animation and Roadside Americana
Artist Tony Craig shares tales from his prolific career in Disney cartoon and digital animation/production, now entering a third decade; he also reveals a passionate gift for preservation of roadside Americana through his exceptional watercolor art.
Visit WebsitePaul Bahnmeier and Historic Lecompton, Kansas
Lecompton, Kansas is known as the “Birthplace of the Civil War and Where Slavery Began to Die.” The desperate, even vicious political and military saga of the free-state vs. slave-state division that led to the Civil War is explained in detail by Paul Bahnmeier, President of the Lecompton Historical Society.
Visit WebsiteJerry McClanahan and The Mother Road
A highly regarded artist and photographer, Jerry McClanahan shares his love for and vast experience of Route 66 dating back to the family treks of his childhood nearly six decades ago up to the present. The Mother Road is deep in his soul and lovingly rendered in his popular artwork, commissioned by people around the world.
Visit WebsiteErika Nelson: The Collection Finds A Home
After a long hiatus, we are back on the American Road with the folks who are part and parcel of the stories in our magazine. In this first edition, we meet Erika Nelson, one of the authors who has given us a unique view of the American Road’s roadside attractions for over a decade.
Erika is kind of a travelling evangelist for folk art both collecting it and encouraging its creation. She has chronicled bigger than life attractions along our nation’s byways: Everything from the biggest duck on Long Island to the largest baseball bat in Louisville, Ky and an enormous catsup bottle that serves as the water tower in Collinsville, IL Erika has collected these and miniaturized them into…the World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things.
I caught up with Erika recently at her home base in Lucas, KS where she is now planning on establishing a world HQ for her collection. A local businessman donated an historic building as a base for her miniatures and she is going to spend 2017 setting up her base of operations in the Sunflower State. You’re going to love Erika’s definition of the kind of art she scours America’s backroads to find. To see more images from the story in this podcast visit the Erika Nelson photo gallery.
Edward Leedskalnin’s Coral Castle
Greater Miami’s Coral Castle, rated one of the Top 35 museums across the U.S. by TripAdvisor, is featured. The unique complex built by Edward Leedskalnin (working alone!) comprises one of the most mystical and scientifically baffling wonders of the modern world. Ken the Tour Guide shares his expertise and some local history.
Visit WebsiteMeet the Repps/American Road Magazine/Route 66
American Road Trip Talk on 1150 KKNW Seattle debuts with an interview of co-founders Thomas Arthur Repp and Becky Repp. Host Gary Mantz talks with the Repps about their partnership both in life and on the open road. Route 66 gets special attention in this episode.
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