Eric on The Road

Journeys into the offbeat, off the beaten path, overlooked and forgotten - by Eric Model

Friday, September 24, 2010

A Mingling of Leaf-Peeping and Time Travel (NY Times)

From The New York Times:

By DAVE CALDWELL
Published: September 23, 2010

Vintage railroads throughout the Northeast bring passengers fall foliage views they can’t enjoy from a road.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/travel/24foliage.html?ref=arts

Passing: Eddie Fisher (LA Times)

Eddie Fisher, whose smooth voice helped him become one of the most popular singers in the nation in the 1950s and who was known for his highly publicized marriages and divorces to some of the most famous Hollywood starlets of the era, has died. He was in his 80s.

Fisher died Wednesday in Berkeley of complications from hip surgery, his daughter, Tricia Leigh Fisher, told the Associated Press.

Between 1950 and 1956, Fisher recorded 25 songs that made the "Top 40," including 19 "Top 10" hits and four that reached No. 1.

Fisher's boyish good looks and natural charisma also helped him land roles on television shows and such feature films as "Butterfield 8," "Nothing Lasts Forever" and "Bundle of Joy."


But it was his failed marriages to Debbie Reynolds, Connie Stevens and Elizabeth Taylor that many remember Fisher for best. He also reportedly was involved with Judy Garland and Ann-Margret.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/singer-eddie-fisher-dies-at-82-in-berkeley.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+lanowblog+%28L.A.+Now%29

Thursday, September 23, 2010

On the trail of the Amish (USA Today)

By Jayne Clark, USA TODAY

Along the Indiana Heritage Trail are curiosities you don't see just anywhere: an Amish girl peddling down a country road furiously texting on her cellphone. A Tommy-gun deflecting police booth erected to thwart '30s-era gangsters. And Mae West's 1931 Chevy housecar, to name a few.

http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/summerroadtrip/index

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Liberace Museum To Close Its Doors (NPR)

From NPR News:

September 14, 2010

The Liberace Museum in Las Vegas will close its doors next month after decades of showcasing the elaborate threads, jewelry, cars, pianos and candelabras of the man known as "Mr. Showmanship." The extravagant pianist, who died of AIDS in 1987, was one of the highest paid entertainers in the world at one time. Jack Rappaport, the museum's president, talks about why the museum is closing and what's going to happen to all that stuff.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129861224

Monday, September 13, 2010

A Downtown Hub Is Missed, and a Replacement Is Stalled (NY Times)

From The New York Times:

By ABBY GOODNOUGH
Published: September 11, 2010

Cities like Boston that gave up iconic buildings or businesses for outsized projects that may now never happen are suffering from a rising sense of regret.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/us/12filene.html?scp=1&sq=boston%20journal&st=cse

Passing: Allen Dale June, Navajo Code Talker (NY Times)

From the New York Times thru AP:

Mr. June was one of the last three original Navajo code talkers of World War II.
He was one of the 29 original Navajo code talkers who confounded the Japanese during World War II by transmitting messages in their native language.
He died on September 9, 2010 in Prescott, Ariz. He was 91.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/us/11june.html?scp=1&sq=navajo%20code%20talkers&st=cse

Also, hear our podcast about the Navajo Code Talkers: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=353

Long Past the Last Match Point, Debating What’s Next at Forest Hills (NY Times)

From The New York Times:

By FERNANDA SANTOS
Published: September 10, 2010

The stadium that was once the focus of American tennis has been unused for years . The club that owns it is considering its sale to a developer that plans to replace it with condominiums.



http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/nyregion/11oldstadium.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=forest%20hills&st=cse

Sunday, September 05, 2010

Landscapes Framed by a Chevy (NY Times)

From The New York Times:

By KAREN ROSENBERG
Published: September 2, 2010

Lee Friedlander’s “America by Car,” at the Whitney Museum, consists of black-and-white photographs taken from inside cars.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/arts/design/03car.html?ref=automobiles

Tracing the Family Tree of Vacation Road Trips (NY Times)

From The New York Times:

By LARRY EDSALL
Published: September 3, 2010

The Recreational Vehicle/Motor Home Hall of Fame museum offers a nicely presented display of rolling American history.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/automobiles/05CAMPER.html?ref=automobiles

Wanderlust on Wheels: The R.V. Turns 100 (NY Times)

From The New York Times:

Vintage recreational vehicles are in high demand for display this year, as the industry celebrates its centennial.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/automobiles/05RV.html?ref=automobiles

Saturday, September 04, 2010

Yankee magazine marks 75 years as New England's champion (via Usa Today)

From the Associated Press via US Today:

In its 75th anniversary issue, on newsstands in August, the magazine named Kent, Conn., population 3,000, the best town in New England for fall foliage.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2010-09-04-yankee-magazine-fall-foliage-kent-connecticut_N.htm

Eat Your Way Down I-95, And Other Stops To Make (NPR)

From NPR News:

In their seven-year love affair with Interstate 95, Stan Posner and Sandra Phillips-Posner have found the best Polish sausage, Berger cookies and a battleship you can spend the night on.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129635773