Roadside attractions used to be everywhere across the United States, but in the last few decades many have died out. Veronica Rueckert and Rob Ferrett talk to the founder of Vintage Roadside about some of the coolest attractions that are still around and the cultural relevance of roadside attractions. They also discuss propsed federal regulations on trains carrying flammable fuel throughout the country, and check in on the latest happenings on Capitol Hill with the politics and Congress editor of USA Today.
Featured in this Show
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Vintage Roadside Attractions Tell Story Of American Travel, Culture
From a petrified creature museum in New York to a rock garden in Oregon, American roadways have a long history of roadside attractions. An expert on those attractions will soon visit Milwaukee to share his love of these unique and the unusual tourist sites — as well as the story they tell about American culture, travel, and history.
Jeff Kunkle, co-founder of the Vintage Roadside project, said there was a boom in roadside attractions with the expansion of U.S. highways in the 1930s. Sites like alligator and ostrich farms in Florida, an Aquarama show in Missouri featuring people dressed as mermaids and sea creatures, and a clown motel in Nevada offered unique travel opportunities to motorists on vacation.
Many roadside attractions, however, closed after the rise of the interstate system in the 1950s, which made a quick stop at a random attraction less easy to pull off.
Kunkle said he and his wife made roadside attractions their life’s work eight years ago, when on a road trip in central New York they began noticing old shops and attractions that had closed. Kunkle soon discovered that many locals didn’t know the stories behind the sites.
“We got in the car and had one of those life moments where we said, ‘Maybe we should take some time and let people know what happened to these places,’” said Kunkle. “So, we went home and quit our jobs and started Vintage Roadside.”
Part of Kunkle’s work involves tracking down memorabilia from roadside attractions that have closed over the years. He’s also met many of the people who have been behind those attractions. He even spent seven years tracking down all 39 performers from the Missouri Aquarama show and arranged a reunion.
Kunkle said that while many have closed, there are still a number of roadside attractions that survive today — including must-see sites like the 80-year-old Petrified Creatures Museum in Richfield Springs, NY. He said travelers should include the attractions in their plans.
“You don’t have to take an epic Route 66 trip,” he said. “Just start in your town and the surrounding area, and take roads you’re unfamiliar with. You’d be surprised what you can find.”
He added: “You can do some research ahead of time to look for roadside attractions, but it’s fun to randomly discover things. Turn off the GPS — just go and have fun!”
Kunkle is giving a photo presentation at the Harley Davidson Museum called “The American Road, Then And Now” on July 26.
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New Regulations Proposed For Trains Carrying Hazardous Fuel
The Federal Government is proposing new regulations for rail cars carrying flammable fuels, such as crude oil and ethanol. WPR’s reporter in Superior talks about what the new regulations would do, and how they would affect rail companies in Wisconsin.
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This Week In Congress – July 23, 2014
USA Today Politics and Congress Editor Paul Singer joins Central Time for his weekly update on happenings in Congress.
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Celebrating America's Vintage Roadside Attractions
During their heyday, roadside attractions could be found just about everywhere. But over the last few decades, many have died out. The founder of Vintage Roadside talks about some of the coolest attractions still remaining, the ones we’ve lost, and why they’re all an important part of American culture.
Episode Credits
- Rob Ferrett Host
- Veronica Rueckert Host
- Jeff Kunkle Guest
- Mike Simonson Guest
- Paul Singer Guest
- Chris Malina Producer
- Galen Druke Producer
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