RoadSpoke’s app seeks to discover America. It turns drives into explorations by uncovering — at almost every exit and looming landmark — what happened… right....HERE!

But hey, let's face it: as romantic as the concept appears, the drive is often dull as molasses.  So that is where we come in!   On a bleak 4, 6,  or 8  lane "tabla rasa", we add context to everything you see.  See that cornfield on your left?  That was where African-American Union Soldiers beat back a superior force of  Rebel Cavalry. See the empty blighted factory on your left? That was where Remington Rifles, the so-called "gun that won the west" were manufactured. And just behind it was where rapper LL Cool J grew up and dropped his first album in his grand-parent's basement. That's just the sort of thing we do.   

​Our roadside reveal illuminates our common heritage and unravels our collective DNA. It’s absolutely fascinating how much occurred in our own backyards — to hear where T Rex trod or where Washington rode and which Hollywood actress  dumped her useless philandering playboy!

But does RoadSpoke succeed?


Annually lots of folks go out to search for America — to find her secrets and OUR essence.  In fact, every year 212 million Americans take a road trip for pleasure.

​
All of them follow asphalt trails to uncover America’s promise. “On the Road” promises boundless horizons and fruitful plains.  Famous Beat writer Jack Kerouac did it.

His joyful stream-of-consciousness novel “On the Road” is credited with being the 1950’s opus that “turned on” an entire generation.  It propelled rebellious ’60's kids to forfeit post-war Middle American Values and search for more significance.  Hundreds of Thousand hit the road with nothing but a dream and a thumb to hitch-hike by. ​

Before Kerouac, during the Depression, Nobel Literati John Steinbeck sent his Okies rolling west along Route 66, the Mother Road. Like Americans every day, Steinbeck's protagonists, the hopeful Joad family manifestly searched for a brighter future. ​

In 1967, CBS  Reporter Charles Kuralt started a series  called "On the Road”.  It became a regular Friday night feature on "The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite". Kuralt wandered “America The Beautiful” in a motor home in search of her people and their stories. The show lasted almost 40 years. He wore out 6 RV’s before he was through.

When discussing the show’s popularity, Kuralt said,  “The everyday kindness of the back roads more than makes up for the acts of greed in the headlines.”


Kuralt famously avoided the interstates ​in favor of the nation's side streets. He also said:  “Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything...”

​Hear this … Here!


On Ramp to  I-95 Exit 24 in FL To: FL 84 near Ft Lauderdale


“The next few Exits are in Fort Lauderdale. Fort Lauderdale exists because of the Seminoles. It was built as an outpost to defend against the Seminoles during the Seminole Wars in the years before the Civil War.   

​The Seminole Tribe of Native Americans gets a lot of respect in Florida.  Teams, like Florida State,  are named for them. And why not?  They are in fact the only Tribe that did not formally sign a treaty of surrender with the US Government.

​Another Fast Fact: The Seminole Wars — and not the current Mideast Conflicts — are the longest wars in US History.  Starting about 1810, The Seminole Wars spanned over forty years.  Around the time of the Second Seminole War in the 1830's and 1840's three forts named Fort Lauderdale were constructed along the New River.  These outposts were to keep the Native Americans south in the Everglades.   


The Seminole Indians were actually bands from different Indian tribes that had escaped south from what was the United States and had taken refuge in the large un-inhabited tracts of swamp. Many were Creek Indians from Georgia. And many were escaped slaves as well.

In fact as far north as Virginia, so-called Seminole Trails trace the path for Slaves south to Freedom. Many so-called Trails are still called such today and many, like the Seminole Trail in Charlottesville Virginia,  are now official state  roads. Anyways,  intermarriage was common and these people became known as Black Seminoles.

The Seminoles became famous as swamp fighters using guerrilla tactics and eschewing horses for canoes to swiftly navigate the mud sucking swamps.  By May 10, 1842, when a frustrated President John Tyler ordered the end of military actions against the Seminoles, over $20 million had been spent, 1500 American soldiers had died. Still no formal peace treaty had been signed.

While many Seminoles had been displaced to Oklahoma's Indian territory, walking the Trail Of Tears,  the remaining Seminoles began the 20th century where they had been left at the conclusion of the Seminole Wars -  hiding out in remote camps in the wet wilderness areas of South Florida.


They may have been poor. But they were free.  And they remain so to this day.


#Seminoles #FortLauderdale #Undefeated #NativeAmericans #BlackSeminoles #Slaves #PresidentTyler #SeminoleRoad     ​

Hear this right… HERE!


I-95 South EXT 49B to 695 and I-70 West, near Baltimore, Maryland


Quick! Look Up.  See the exit sign?  Upcoming Exit 49 b is an innocuous number for a major crossroads.  Imagine that from this point in the highway you can pretty much go ANYWHERE in North America. You can drive to California, to Florida to Alaska or to steamy Mexico.  Brazil or Peru even!

The road promises infinite possibilities. Starting right HERE on I-95, Interstate 70 goes from here — near Baltimore in the mid-Atlantic States— transecting the continent through Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, and ending all the way out in tiny Cove Fort, Utah. 

I-70 and I-95 are Cross Roads just above the Mason Dixon line.  Cross roads is the theme here where cultures cross and mix.  I-70 goes over the highest point on the Interstate in the Colorado Rockies.  The road goes   through some serious country, right? Well, even more than you can imagine.  


Not a lot of music investigates the trials of Life’s long road like Country Music.  Do you get crazy when you hear certain Country and Western songs?  No?   Not really a Country Western fan? Or do you love it?   Well that does not matter because with Patsy Cline,  let’s just say her music transcended the boundaries of musical genre.  Songs which have become world wide classics resonated with all Americans and are today recognized all over the globe. One of those songs, named “Crazy” should immediately come to mind.   
​

There are not a lot of musicians who crossover from Country and Western to pop.  Most recently, the brightest star in this rarified firmament is none other than Taylor Swift. 

Born in 1989, Taylor shot to the top of the charts when she was just a teenager.  For her, the road to fame was relatively easy. Her  hit "Our Song", made Taylor the youngest person to single-handedly write and sing a number-one song on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.  Swift's second album, “Fearless”  explored country pop fusion and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.  At the age of 18, her singles “You Belong to Me”  and “Love Story” became crossover hits garnering huge audiences in both the Pop and Country Western audiences.

However, Taylor owes a lot to a person who had dropped out of high school to help support the family, worked in a Virginia slaughter house plucking and gutting chickens, and was a victim of parental child abuse. This happened all before little Patsy Cline turned 17.

While Patsy Cline had to wait to her mid twenties to achieve her success in the late 1950’s and early ’60's,  she was the very first Country artist anywhere who became a major artist on both the Pop and Country Western charts.   ​

No doubt Patsy’s struggles expanded the emotional resonance of her songs.  Her limpid clear voice had universal appeal.   In fact, she credits a sickness that almost killed her with expanding her vocal range.  Abandoned by her father and born to a 16 year old mother at the height of the Great Depression in 1932 east of here in the Blue Ridge community of Windsor, Virginia,  Patsy Cline found stability and started her ascent to stardom at the Moose Lodge  in nearby Brunswick, Maryland. There she met her first husband who provided some sort of stability for the 16 year old itinerate singer.

If you take the next exit west on Interstate 70,  you will be encounter Brunswick in a few miles.  But in an interview in 1957, Patsy claimed that her hospitalization and near death at age 13 for rheumatic fever actually improved her voice. Said Patsy, “"I developed a terrible throat infection and my heart even stopped beating. The doctor put me in an oxygen tent. You might say it was my return to the living after several days that launched me as a singer. The fever affected my throat and when I recovered I had this booming voice.”


Booming is hardly the adjective to describe Patsy’s hits. Soulful. Melodic.  Haunting even. Patsy is best remembered for “Walkin’ After Midnight”, “I Fall to Pieces”, “She’s Got You,” and “Crazy”.  Fast Fact: “Crazy” was an early single written by a little known Nashville songwriter  named Willie Nelson. Willie originally called the song “Stupid”. No doubt even as “Stupid”, the great Patsy Cline would still have made it a number one hit — in both genres.

As a pioneer for women in Country Music, Patsy was among the first to sell records and headline concerts.  Still her career was cut short one night in a storm somewhere over Tennessee.

Returning to Nashville from a concert in Kansas City, Patsy’s plane crashed. She was just 31.


Since her tragic death in that 1963 plane crash, Patsy’s fame has just grown.  Patsy Cline has been cited as one of the most influential singers of the 20th Century.  Her music has influenced musicians of various styles and genres. But ultimately Patsy Cline’s roots were pure country.  No surprise: in 1973, she became the first female performer to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.


Rest in peace, Patsy Cline. Enjoy your success, Taylor Swift.  Across a universe of time and space the road leads directly from Patsy to Taylor. You both owe each other and have much to be thankful for.  But Taylor Swift would not have happened without Patsy Cline...  and there is nothing crazy about that.




#PatsyCline #CountryMusic #CountryandWestern #TaylorSwift #Crazy #Walkinaftermidnight #WillieNelson #

Hear this right…. Here!
EXIT 14b-a; I-95s to: I-78 to Staten Island, Jersey City & Bayonne, New Jersey

Onramp to I-278s; New Jersey, Goethals across I-95 to Elizabeth, NJ & Staten Island NY


You are surrounded by miles of salt marsh which were once considered useless except as a dump yard for New York City’s garbage.  Now we know New Jersey’s salt marshes are in fact an essential nursery for many species of commercial fish like stripe bass and flounder as well as hundreds of species of wading birds like egrets and herons. ​

Tony Soprano knows something about Fresh Kills.   Tony Soprano is in the waste removal business. A lot of his garbage ended up in these wetlands. “The Sopranos” television show made much use of the wetlands in and around Staten Island and  North Jersey.  Utilizing the gritty beauty and the sad industrial patches of these wetlands, scenes were shot showing recyclables being dumped,  hijacked trucks getting offloaded, and bodies being disappeared. ​

In 2013, the Writers Guild of America named The Sopranos the best-written TV series of all time while TV Guide ranked it the best television series of all time.


Chase had been fascinated by the mafia from an early age, witnessing such people growing up. The series is partly inspired by the Boiardo family and the DeCavalcante family.  Both were prominent New Jersey organized crime families when Chase was growing up near here in Clifton and North Caldwell. ​

On  a Saturday in August 1909, 59 days after starting in New York, Alice Ramsey drove off a ferry into San Francisco. She thus became the first woman to drive a motor car across the United States.


The Hackensack native discovered that the lack of suitable roads made the adventure more similar to a trip by gold seekers in the days of ’49 than it did to modern day travelers.  Only 152 of the 3600 miles were paved. ​

Despite this, Newspapers remarked on the good shape of her Maxwell car. It was dusty but clean. They said it was not battered and scarred but showed that it had received treatment "much more considerate than would have given by a man."


Still, Ramsey had it right when she said, "Good driving has nothing to do with sex. It's all above the collar.” As for the transcontinental trip itself, articles described the machine climbing steep grades, crawling roads made from goop, extracting the machine from an irrigation ditch, suffering multiple blow outs and the necessity of driving as much as possible alongside the railroad tracks of the Transcontinental Union Pacific in order not to lose contact with civilization. ​

Other than the tracks, Ramsey used maps provided by Triple A. She needed the best horse trails wide enough for car travel. ​

​Remarkably it is very difficult to imagine how stone aged vehicle travel was just a few generations ago.  In 1960 she was named Woman Motorist of the Century by Triple A and she would live until 1983. 




In large part, the safety standards of both highways and vehicles as advocated by the Triple A are responsible for today’s smart standards. And so it will be as the world embarks into a future of driverless cars.  Then as now, safety, technology and the Triple A lead the way.


Thanks Triple A! Thanks Alice Ramsey!


#CrossCountry #Roadtrippers #RoadWarrior #Firstladytodriveacrosscountry #AAA #TripleA #AAAMaps #WomanMotoristoftheCentury #Motorist #SpokenRoad #

10/22/21

Hear this Here!
Exit 190 I-95s in SC To: SC 34, to Dillon near Dillon,SC
The name Shiloh comes from the Bible. It means Place of Peace.  Peace is not usually associated with Dixie’s racial history.  But the same cannot be said about religious tolerance. Over 300 years, South Carolinians have been welcoming of many faiths.


Not to be confused with the famous Battleground in Tennessee, the upcoming town of Shiloh is over fifty percent African American.  For almost 230 years, African Americans from 1708 to 1930 were a majority of the South Carolina’s population. While discrimination was long enforced on racial grounds, the state promoted religious toleration to encourage white immigration. By the 1800 census the population had increased 38 per cent to nearly 340,000 of which about 150,000 were slaves.

​But it was not long before ambitious traders profited by their close familial connections to relatives back in the old country.  Peddlers became store owners, store owners became wholesalers, wholesalers became commodity traders, and commodity traders became brokers and bankers.

​As Marshall Sklare wrote in Commentary Magazine:


“The scions of banking families would marry the offspring of the owners of German-Jewish companies in a variety of fields, and these companies—some of them later to become the country’s leading department stores and mail-order firms—would then raise capital through the banking houses with whom they had formed family connections. There were banking families, of course, which had even closer ties to the retailing business, having themselves engaged in it at one time. In fact, several of the most important banking houses were established by one or another Bavarian villager who began his American business career by carrying a pack on his back, and later graduated to a horse and wagon.


Not all the Jewish banking houses, to be sure, could point to such Horatio-Alger beginnings; some were originated by immigrants who had served their apprenticeship as bankers rather than as peddlers. A few of the founders had come to America with wealth or connections, and others were assisted by European Jewish financiers (and in some cases served as their American representatives).”


This German Jewish aristocracy — with names like Loeb, Levi Strauss, Guggenheim,  Goldman, Schiff, Seligman, Belmont and Warburg — generally started out in southern trading centers like Memphis and here in Charleston. Only later would they migrate north and join the ranks of other robber barons like JP Morgan, John D Rockefeller, and Cornelius Vanderbilt.

These families, Christian and Jewish, turned monopolies in trade or commodities into famed Wall Street banking houses such as Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, JP Morgan, and Chase Bank. ​

...why are generations of Rothschilds still a financial force in Europe — but not much mentioned on this side of the pond? ​

Well, you see, the Rothschilds were true to their Southern partners.  The Rothschild Bank lost its cachet in the United States right after the Civil War.  Banking is full of risks and that storied bank made the unforgivable mistake of investing in the Confederacy not the Union, which is why post-Civil War, the Rothschild Bank never rose in New York.

Still despite the Rothschild's failed investment, South Carolina celebrates today  more than two centuries of vibrant Jewish Heritage.​

#OurCrowd #Jew #GermanJews #SouthCarolinaJews #Bloomingdales #GoldmanSachs #LehmanBrothers #Banking #Macys #BAltmans

Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Alfred was the son of Doctor Frederick Kilmer a physician employed by the Johnson and Johnson Company. Doctor Joyce Kilmer is notable in his own right as the inventor of the iconic Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder.


His son, Alfred, was a poet/ soldier best known for his 1913 poem “Trees”.​

 He was married to Aline Murray, also an accomplished poet, with whom he had five children. Later he is also credited with naming the 69th Infantry of the New York National Guard;  he called his 69th Regiment from New York City,  "The Fighting Irish". ​

Perhaps this was not surprising either.  His family were immigrants from repressive regimes in the Middle East. Civil Rights? Forget about it. In America, his Dad carried a pocket copy of the Constitution everywhere he went.  Also not surprising was that the immigrant child would enroll at UVA — the college created by Jefferson himself.


Muslims have served in every American war since the Revolution. An African American Muslim named Peter Salem was at the Battle of Bunker Hill near Boston.  He is credited with shooting a British Major sending the redcoats into retreat.


Muslims have fought in the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War.


At UVA, the Muslim student from Silver Springs signed up to join the Reserve Officer Training Corps. Upon graduating in 2000, that UVA grad, Humayun Saqib Muazzam Khan, was commissioned as a Captain in the United States Army and was deployed to Iraq. ​

Only 6 years previous, the US military had commissioned its first ever Muslim Chaplain. Military Chaplains are empowered to support all faiths. Still, it took roughly 200 years before a Muslim got ordained to perform the same duties as countless Protestants, Catholics and Jews had before them.


In military modesty the occasion was discreet. And meaningful.  The Frocking Ceremony for the Navy's first Muslim chaplain, was conducted by his colleague Navy Chaplain Arnold Resnicoff.   Chaplain Resnicoff attached shoulder boards with a Muslim crescent insignia to the uniform of Imam Monje Malak Abd al-Muta Noel Jr. ​

​It was 1996, the same year that Monaj Khan graduated from John F Kennedy High. While new Chaplain Monje Noel was a Muslim,  Chaplain Arnold Resnicoff was himself a Rabbi.
 
At that time Imam Noel was just one of 2 Muslims to serve  the military's growing Muslim community which numbers around 10,000.  Noel, a native of Salem, New Jersey, said the unique epaulets on his uniform are a positive sign for Muslims.  ``I think it's good for the Muslim community to be able to see them in the service. It lends an air of legitimacy and credibility. We are represented. We are here.’'


Later, at a reception including military brass and Muslim leaders, Noel tried to shy away from the Limelight. Said he:  ``This is the Navy's night. This is God's night.''  Now new Muslim Soldiers or Chaplains are hardly newsworthy.

Fast forward to 2004. Captain Khan was inspecting a guard post in Iraq when a suspicious vehicle approached.  Ordering his troops to stay back, he stepped forward. The car stopped. Then detonated. Later it was determined to have been carrying more than 200 pounds of explosives. ​

Captain Khan’s father, Khizr Kahn, still carries a miniature of the Constitution in his pocket. He also has a wall dedicated to his son’s service. It’s hung with medals, flags, and photographs.

​Despite or perhaps because he is an immigrant and a Muslim, he knows intimately the sacrifices so many other military families have suffered through our history — and other of his countrymen still take for granted.


#KhazirKhan #CaptainKhan #ImanMonjeNoel #FirstMuslimChaplain #KhizrKan #Muslims #JohnFKennedyHighschool #HumayunKhan        ​

Rewind a year. When Sean was 15, he met 14 year-old Shawn Fanning over the Internet where the two bonded over esoteric topics like theoretical physics.  Now fast forward a few years.  The 2 Shawns co-founded Napster, a free file-sharing service for music. Only problem was, they did not tell the music companies they were sharing their songs. Within one year, by June 2000, Napster with its black cat logo had tens of millions of users.  Lawsuits by various industry groups including heavy metal band Metallica eventually shut down the business. ​

Zuckerberg said "Sean was pivotal in helping Facebook transform from a college project into a real company."   Later in 2014, no less than Justin Timberlake would play the part of Sean Parker in the major motion picture, THE SOCIAL NETWORK. ​

Sean now busies himself being a major philanthropist. The former hacker who grew up off the next exit’s net worth is over three billion dollars. Giving away millions, Sean is a major establishment figure in Silicon Valley. His Foundation’s main targets are eradicating malaria, understanding allergies, and curing cancer. ​




Not bad for a former juvenile delinquent from Virginia, right?   


#SeanParker #OaktonHighSchool #ChantillyHighSchool #Facebook #JustinTimberlake #MarkZuckerberg #ShawnFanning #FranconiaVirginia #SpringfieldVirginia   ​

​Fast food outlets are all along Interstates so you are all familiar with Wendy’s, Burger Kings, and McDonald’s. Believe it or not though, back in the 1800’s establishments that sold just food were almost unheard of.  Eating out was rare if largely unheard of. Everyone ate at home. Eating out  was only something travelers would do and so Hotels or taverns may offer meals to their nightly guests but no one else.


Then just before the Civil war,  fine dining became a thing with rich people but mainly in big cities. Delmonico’s in Manhattan is credited with being one of the first eat-only places. All the fashionable and famous in the Big Apple would gather there to see and be seen

Then came the Civil War.  Perhaps it was then with vast segments of the population traveling far from the farm did offering meals for pay become an idea. From the Civil War forward, inns, taverns or saloons would offer food to supplement the sale of their profit centers which was liquor or beer. But except for pickled or salted meats and vegetables,  almost all food was cooked to order.  There was no standardization of meals nor were meals pre- fabricated in industrial capacities.


In the 1950’s Fast Food rose in tandem with high speed travel along interstates. Upcoming is a Wendy’s. ​

Founded in 1969 in Ohio by Dave Thomas and named for his daughter, Wendy’s claim to fame is being the home of fresh, never frozen beef. The chain is also known for its square hamburgers, sea salt fries, and Frosty, a form of soft-serve ice cream. ​

Now for the answer to the Road Test:


What was the name of Dave Thomas’ daughter… the one for whom Dave named the chain? 

If you said "Wendy" , technically you would be wrong.  Wendy or Wenda was just her baby name.  Melinda Lou was the lady’s real name.


Now let’s get right to exit. I want a Frosty from Melinda Lou’s. And don't forget... you gotta tell em RoadSpoke sent you!"​

​#Wendy's #DaveThomas #Frosty #NewJersey #ExitofThe Day #Delmonico's

Hear this …. right....HERE!

EXIT of the DAY: I-95n Exit 4 To: Route 4, Portsmouth, New Hampshire and White Mountains


“Hey Road Crew! Off upcoming Exit 4 is the University of New Hampshire. So that means it’s a time for a Test... a Road Test, of course!”   

“The winner of this Road Test wins 10% off an IKON Ski Pass. The Ikon Pass allows you to ski or snowboard at many mountain resorts all over North America.  Some of Ikon’s mountains are Aspen and Deer Valley out west and Loon and Killington here in New England.  The savings offered here represent between $200 to $2000 depending on where you ski and how often.  

The evolution of multi mountain ski passes is quite smart business-wise.  According to an article in Penske Media Corporation’s Digital Magazine, SPORTICO, written by John Wallstreet, “Vail Resorts and Aspen Skiing Company have led an industry wide consolidation that has dawned an era of multi-resort seasonal passes providing skier discounts on lift tickets, a hedge against warm winters, and incentives to visit different mountains.”   ​

Fabulous Loon Mountain is maybe 90 minutes up approaching Route 4 which cuts over to Interstate 93. ​

I-93 north drives right up the middle of New Hampshire. A beautiful drive, the highway slices through farmlands and foothills before giving way to serious mountains.  In fact, Loon Mountain is just 2 hours from Boston. So world class skiing is just a commute away.

​Now, please pay attention, cause here are the Fast Facts:

New Hampshire is nicknamed the “Switzerland of America” because of the beautiful scenery. It is  even more famous as the Granite State.​

The rugged terrain is reflected in the independent character of its inhabitants. After all, the state motto on license plates proudly proclaims, “Live Free or Die”. ​

Speaking of liberty or death, winter sports are a great reason to come to New Hampshire. The Granite State boasts the largest nordic cross country ski trail network in the Northeast.  As for alpine sports, well it’s all in the name. The New Hampshire section of the Appalachian Mountains are named the White Mountains.  The White Mountains are usually covered with snow from late November to May.
​
The highest mountain in the New England is Mount Washington — also known for its wild weather.  Mount Washington is not a ski Mountain but that’s okay by me. ​

Being over 6000 feet high, it looms almost two thousand feet over neighboring ski resorts like Loon Mountain.  In the warmer months, you can drive or even take an antique train up and relax or get a meal at the Summit House. ​

But if it’s winter, forget about it. It seems as if Mount Washington breaks its own records for wind speeds and frosty temperatures every few years. For 76 years, Mount Washington held the record for fastest surface wind gust in the world. That blast clocked in at 231 miles per hour. ​

Washington is the highest of a line of summits, the Presidential Range, that are named after presidents and famous freedom fighters like Revolutionary War General Lafayette.
​
Speaking of Mountains and Freedom Fighters, world famous Olympic Skier, Bode Miller,  should get a mountain named after him. ​

Bode is a Franconia, New Hampshire native. Known for his go-for-broke ski style, he is equally famous as being an iconoclast who does everything his way.  In one memorable interview after he tore down the mountain with skis just barely holding the trail, he revealed that he may have had a little too much to drink! ​

Regardless, the Granite State local is one of the greatest World Cup racers of all time with 33 victories. In 2008, Bode and fellow American Lindsey Vonn won the overall World Cup titles for the first U.S. sweep in 25 years. ​

​An Olympic Gold Medalist, Bode is  just one of 5 skiers to have won Olympic medals in 4 different ski- disciplines — downhill, super- G, slalom, grand slalom, and combined.  So if Bode tipples a little, you cannot fault his discipline in skiing!  Bad pun, I know.

But maybe for someone in your household, skiing or snowboarding isn’t your winter thing. Well there are beautiful trails for snowmobiling. Fast Fact: the first snowmobile was invented in Ossipee, New Hampshire. ​

New Hampshire prides itself on being a state concerned with personal liberties and freedoms so get ready to voice your right to win an Ikon Pass!

New Hampshire's state motto is, without a doubt, one of the most well-known of the 50 states. And it makes sense! It represents the American spirit and is said to have been the words spoken by a dying revolutionary soldier from the Granite State.  Incidentally, that is the road test. And no peeking at the New Hampshire License plates on cars next to you.  Eyes up! 
 
So what is the state motto of New Hampshire?  If you answer correctly, you can claim the deal on Deal Radar by saying you want the Ikon Pass Spoken Road discount.

You have 3 seconds to answer or you lose the Ikon Pass. Three… and two and  one… what is it?

That’s right: Live Free or Die. Now go for broke like Bode Miller. Claim that Ikon Pass. Just remember, you gotta tell ‘em,  “RoadSpoke and Bode Miller sent you!”
​
#IkonPass #BodeMiller #Olympics #WorldCup #Skiing #Snowboarding #GraniteState #NewHampshire #LoonMountain #LindseyVonn ​

EXIT of the DAY:  EXIT 5 on New Jersey Turnpike I-295 To: Burlington, New Jersey, and Mount Holly,New Jersey


Ok Road Crew, what do you do on a typical Christmas night? Gather around a fire and digest the over-served remains of the day? Pack up the wrapping paper and play with the new toys? Kinda anti-climatic right?


Well on the night of Christmas 1776, our future President, General George Washington was rowing across the turbulent, wide and freezing Delaware River in pitch darkness. Ahead of him lay the British Army and a battle to determine the future of the United States. ​

Mount Holly, New Jersey played a seminal role in securing Washington's first major victory against the British at the Battle of Trenton.  The year of 1776 was about to end badly since Washington had lost both the morale of his troops as well as lost every battle since the British had landed at Long Island and had chased him across New Jersey to the Delaware River near Trenton. Christmas was approaching and typically, armies reduced their hostilities during the winter. Marching troops was not easy so over the course of centuries, most European Armies camped and waited out the long winters.


The Hessians under the British stopped pursuing Washington and set up their winter quarters. Meanwhile Washington made it look like his army was camping in Pennsylvania. The broad Delaware River would provide a moat between the two armies preventing any easy attacks. ​

On December 17, 1776, Colonel Samuel Griffin of the Continental  American Army slipped across the Delaware River with 600 untrained boys. He marched to Mount Holly, where he set up a few "3-pounder" artillery pieces on Iron Works Hill. Moving up and down the line, they blasted away making more noise than damage. This was a decoy to draw away a portion of the main enemy army from their camp at Trenton.


It worked. Hessian commander Carl von Donop, was told that there were 3,000 American troops at Mount Holly.  Two days before Christmas, December 23, 2,000 Hessians grudgingly decamped to Mount Holly. There they engaged in an artillery exchange, known as the Battle of Mount Holly. ​

Late Christmas Eve, the American boys slipped away having successfully divided the enemy's forces.


On Christmas Night,in the dead of night  with the Hessians celebrating the holiday, George Washington crossed the Delaware in a daring surprise attack.  After George Washington crossed, the fact that thousands of Hessian troops had been drawn to Mount Holly aided his success in the Battle of Trenton at dawn December 26.   


A total surprise, the hung-over Hessians were caught asleep in their tents. ​

Washington's victory sparked America's fading morale.  Arguably without the success of Trenton, Washington's Army would have lost the financial support of the Colonial Congress in Philadelphia as well as the moral support to fight from his bedraggled troops. Facing mass desertions,  it would not have lasted the winter.


But without the heroism of some young patriots at Mount Holly, Freedom for America could have been lost forever.


#MountHolly #AmericanRevolution #WashingtonCrossingtheDelaware #ColonialCongress #Trenton #BattleofTrenton #BattleofMountHolly ​

In the early 1960’s, Walt Disney and his brother Roy Disney embarked on a super-secret endeavor, known simply as “Project X”. They scoured the nation for a new location for a follow on theme park to their Anaheim based DisneyLand. First and foremost, they were looking for cheap land. ​

Walt did not want that to happen in Orlando.  He would be sure that they could control the surroundings, which would include first-class facilities for recreation and accommodation. On top of that there are acres of open space. ​

Today, Orlando has become one of the top tourism destinations not just in Florida but in the world. So, as much as it has impacted the local economy, it certainly has fulfilled if not exceeded Walt’s vision. ​

Sadly the original Imagineer never saw the fruits of his dreams.  Walt Disney was a heavy smoker all his life. He died of Lung Cancer in 1966, 5 years before Disney World ever even opened. ​

​EXIT of the DAY: Exit 34 on I-278 To Queens, Mid-Town Tunnel and Long Island Expressway in Sunnyside, Queens.

Ok Road Crew, check out the white sign for the upcoming Exit - the Queens Midtown Tunnel.   It distinguishes the largely working class borough of Queens from Midtown Manhattan -- the access point for major corporate players on Media, Advertising and Communications.  One person who embodies a player in all those sectors crossed over from Queens but never forgot where he came from. Like the tunnel itself, he connects his humble roots to touch millions. In doing so, he has become an industry unto himself.   

LL Cool J stands for Ladies Love Cool James.  But before he was LLCoolJ, he simply was "James".  Always searching, James Todd Smith's first hit at the ripe old age of 16 investigated the lack of musical inspiration in a rap anthem called "I need a Beat."   In March 1984, when NYU student Rick Rubin and promoter-manager Russell Simmons founded the then-independent Def Jam label, 16-year-old Hollis, Queens-native LL Cool J was creating demo tapes in his grandparents' home. The commercial success of "I Need a Beat", along with the Beastie Boys' single "Rock Hard" (1984), helped launch the iconic label, Def Jam.

Concurrently his first film role was in a high school football movie called "Wildcats". Cool J then landed the role of Captain Patrick Zevo in the 1992 film "Toys" in which he shared the silver screen with Robin Williams.

As we all know, LL Cool J is currently a series lead with Chris O'Donnell on "NCIS: Los Angeles". ​

Cool J portrays NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna, an ex–Navy SEAL who is fluent in Arabic and an expert on West Asian culture. 


But perhaps what best accounts for his getting a 2016 Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is the fact that he appeared on Sesame Street.

LL Cool J appeared in Sesame Street's 39th season where he introduced the word of the day, "Unanimous".

Obviously it is unanimous that the Ladies Love Cool James and so do people of all sexes -- especially fans from Queens who love road trips!


https://www.timeout.com/chicago/music/50-best-road-trip-songs


#LLCoolJ #JamesToddSmith #RobinWilliams #RockHard #IneedaBeat #NCIS #GoingBackToCali #Toys #BeastieBoys #DefJam #RussellSimmons #RickRubin #Hollis

There are some ridiculous laws on the books in the state of Florida. We did some research and found some of the silliest. Many of these laws are only in effect in certain cities. So for example, selling fruit in one city is all right but you could spend hard time if you cross the county line.  Up in Destin, Florida please don't set off any torpedoes. It's illegal there.  Not sure about the rest of the state, but they have a problem with torpedoes in Destin. Must be a lot of large alligators or something. ​

Also Good to know: in all of Florida, men are not allowed in public wearing a strapless dress. As long as you've got straps of some sort, you're cool.  ​

Also, in Destin, it is illegal for an ice-cream man to sell ice cream in a cemetery.  But what’s really weird, in Hialeah, strolling or ambling is a misdemeanor.


Still all that’s nothing compared to selling certain fruits in Miami.  In Miami, you could face up to 30 days in jail for selling oranges on the sidewalk.  And don't even think about showering naked!  It's an actionable offense. ​

Maybe the cops perp walk you with your handcuffs in front.... Raincoats must be popular round here.  And as if people do not have enough outdoor activities to entertain them, in Daytona Beach, you're banned from molesting trash cans.  In Key West, don't molest the chickens. They're a protected species. But they need to hear that in Key West… ​

​Finally, here is one that does make sense.    In the state of Florida, it's illegal to have physical relations with a porcupine. Ouch!  But maybe you can have relations with a chicken outside of Key West. The State Law is not clear on that issue

And finally, in case you are riding down the interstate on Jumbo, know this: When you tie it to a parking meter, your elephant gets charged just the same as your car would. ​

Now for the Road Test. How many days do you get in jail for selling Grapefruits in Miami? You have three seconds. 3…2…and 1. The answer is no time. You get no time in jail. That’s because it is only illegal to sell Oranges. Now go park your elephant and feed the meter. And when you visit upcoming Deltona, no romancing porcupines.  Pervert!


Oh and go get your Buy 1 Get 1 Free Deal of Pepsi or Doritos at Joe’s. Just tell em RoadSpoke’s Silly Laws sent you!”


#sillyFloridalaws #Roadtrippers #FastFacts #Jumbo #ParkingElephants #Florida #Snowbirds ​

De Soto’s  Guide was named Juan Ortiz. A gifted linguist who likely also used Native American sign language, he recruited guides from each tribe along the route.

The main initiative of the trek of course was to seek gold.  And Native Americans must have propelled the army forward with fables of vast bonanzas just a little further up the trail “toward the setting sun.”
​
The expedition was generally belligerent with one battle alone inflicting over 2000 fatalities on a single Mississippian Tribe. ​

What peaceful exchange occurred no doubt was thanks to Juan Ortiz.    Still Juan Ortiz caused tension within the Spanish Officer Corps since he refused to dress as a Spaniard.
​
When Gold was not forthcoming, other officers questioned Juan's motives. However, De Soto remained loyal to Juan Ortiz, allowing him the freedom to dress and commingle freely with the Native Americans.

After 3 years, in 1542,  the army of 700 Conquistadors was ultimately reduced to just over 300.  But neither Juan Cortiz nor Hernando De Soto made it back to Mexico City.  

Juan Cortiz died anonymously along the western part of the trek, while De Soto died of Fever in May 1542.  Fearing mutilation by vengeful Indians, De Soto's body was weighted and after night fall commended to the waters of the Mississippi. ​

If you had the RoadSpoke app, this is what you would hear…here:


I-95n at Exit 14B to I-78n to Bayonne, NJ


"Ok, now… Quick, look up.  In the distance to you you can now see the Statue Of Liberty. This is the best highway to see Lady Liberty because she is not blocked by Bayonne’s shipping cranes.  So now it is time for a Road Test. Get ready to listen to the Fast Facts.

Fast Facts: in 1883 a call was sent out for writers to submit words to affix forever to her massive granite  pedestal. Fund raising to erect the colossal gift from France had fallen off. So this request was a gimmick to engage Americans.  Back then there was no Facebook or Instagram much less TikTok to gather and focus the attention of millions of fans. So the word went out by newspaper. It was successful.  Such famous authors as Mark Twain and Walt Whitman submitted written pieces.

At the same time,  a 34 year old Jewish poet named Emma Lazarus was outraged by recent anti-semitic violence in Russia.

These so-called anti-semitic pogroms created hundreds of thousands of refugees who sailed across the ocean to America’s Golden Door.

 Back in New York City, Emma, submitted her 14 line poem.  Sadly, the poem stagnated for years.   

Emma Lazarus never herself even saw the erected statue — even though she sailed right past it 5 years later.  The daughter of a wealthy sugar refiner, Emma was in Europe on the Grand Tour when she was diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease. Returning to New York, she was too weak to go on deck to see the recently constructed Lady Liberty.  Emma died 4 months later.

Fast forward 15 years to 1903. After tireless efforts by her friend Georgina Schuyler, the stirring words of Emma Lazarus were finally affixed.  Called “The NEW Colossus”, the poem spoke of replacing classical male giants with a new form and spirit: Lady Liberty.
  ​

It may have taken years for Americans to realize the full meaning of the Gifts from Emma Lazarus and the French, but its significance was not lost on millions of immigrants who would nearly sink their listing ships as they all rushed to the port side to see this promise of a New World. ​

Here now are her 14 lines:


"Not Like the brazen giant of Greek Fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land, Here at our sea-washed sunset gates shall stand, A mighty WOMAN with a torch, whose flame is the imprisoned lightning, and her name, Mother of Exiles..."

"From her beacon-hand glows worldwide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities  frame. “Keep ancient lands your storied pomp,” cries she with silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”    ​

In years since, many unknown and famous  Jewish immigrants have sought the  Golden Door  and become United States Citizens: actress Natalie Portman, Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger and world famous scientist, Albert Einstein to name but 3.

Now for the Road Test.  What was the name, nationality, and religion of the poet who wrote, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free?”


You have three seconds:  Three and two and one. Her name is Emma Lazarus, American, and she was Jewish.  Please do not forget it.


#StatueofLiberty #LadyLiberty #EmmaLazarus #TheNewColossus #LibertyStatePark
#immigrants #immigration #Jews #Roadtrip