Program 760: Sweet Southern Treats; Ben Franklin and Me; Nearby Travels

He's the American "Founding Father" with a wicked sense of humor. On the next Travel with Rick Steves, Eric Weiner [ WINE_er ] explains how the curiosity and accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin can inspire us all to live a long and useful life.

We'll also hear what goes into some of the sugary desserts and traditional foods that are local specialties in the American South.

And listeners report on North American travels they've enjoyed from Mexico and Cuba, to Quebec and the Pacific Northwest.

• Matthew Gavin Frank, author of "The Mad Feast: An Ecstatic Tour Through America's Food" (Liveright)
• Eric Weiner, author of "Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life" (Simon & Schuster)

• Matthew Gavin Frank examines a quintessential dish from each of the 50 United States in his book "The Mad Feast: An Ecstatic Tour Through America's Food." Matt teaches creative writing at Northern Michigan University.
• Eric Weiner explores the life of Benjamin Franklin and the example he sets for us in his book "Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life."
• Eric hosts writers workshops in the Himalayas.
• Eric Weiner discusses the "Geography of Genius" on Travel with Rick Steves program #750 from April 2024, and the "Geography of Bliss" on program #177a from October 2010.
• Caller Dick from Langhorne, Pennsylvania, documents his RV travels across North America for friends and family on a blog.

• "My great grandfather grew rice on his farm in the Lowcountry of South Carolina in the 1930s and red rice and rice casserole traditions are strong and enduring in my family. Red rice from Charleston Receipts (legendary recipe book) is my showcase dish when wanting to remember and impress. I nominate red rice for South Carolina's comfort food." (Syd in Atlanta)
• Caller has been to Canada to celebrate the July 1 "Canada Day" holiday. "We've been in Canada to celebrate three Canada Days. One in Vancouver, one in Toronto, and one in Québec City. It is interesting how different the celebrations were in each city, especially Québec City, which had previously celebrated Jean-Baptiste Day and spotted only a single red balloon salesman pushing Canada day memorabilia." (Justin in Jacksonville, Florida)
• "My wife and I are retired and own a motorhome in which we typically spend six to seven months a year, traveling across the United States and Canada. We've visited 49 states and 10 provinces/territories during the past five years. Along the way, we have visited so many iconic places we'd read about or seen on television as well as scores of locales and sites almost no one has ever heard of. Our travels have convinced us that no matter how much time we spend on the road, in the end we'll only scratch the surface of what North America has to offer!" (Dick in Langhorne, Pennsylvania)
• "While walking in a narrow street in Veracruz, Mexico, my girlfriend and I decided to walk up a set of white stone steps and then up to a pair of old carved doors. We opened them to a tiny atrium with a narrow curved staircase to the side. The noise of the street ceased completely when the doors closed behind us. Emboldened by the atmosphere, we walked up the stairs that ended at a small balcony. Looking down, we found ourselves in the middle of an intimate wedding ceremony. No one seemed to realize that they had an audience. The reverberation of the vows in this small chapel made for a very surreal and memorable experience that encouraged me to always seek the serendipitous whenever I travel. Ever since, I have taken the steps and opened the door." (e-mail from Tim in Houston)
• "While visiting my daughter on Vancouver Island, Canada, we spent time exploring the islands in the Salish Sea. On San Juan Island we watched a pod of orca whales swim past us. Last summer vacationing on Quadra Island we spent an entire day kayaking and saw humpback whales breaching several times. And walking along the spit, we got to witness an orca pod hunting salmon. It's magical to be a guest in their territory. I often go back on Google Maps to look for the whales." (Nicole in Flagstaff, Arizona)
• "My husband, son, and I went to Cuba a few months ago and were touched by the warmth of the Cuban people and the beauty of the island. We were surprised that they liked us, and were so friendly, and didn't resent Americans. They seem to be able to separate us from our government. It was so sad to see the long lines of people waiting for groceries at stores with empty shelves, the long lines at bus stops for buses that never seemed to come, and the general hardship under which they are living. We did go 'in support of the Cuban people' and stayed at a locally owned B&B, and ate all our meals at privately owned restaurants, attended local music performances, and enjoyed the arts and culture. We hired the local tour guides and drivers and have become friends with several. Cuba sure surprised us in so many ways. We now encourage our friends to make a visit, and we plan to return." (e-mail from Bonnie in Philadelphia)
• "We boarded a van in Pochutla, Mexico, and wound our way up the Sierra Madre del Sur, going north from the Pacific coast. We were bound for Oaxaca City. The van driver made a hairpin turn every 30 seconds for almost five hours. I loved the views: gorgeous, sweeping vistas of the mountainous jungles below, and plunging dropoffs that added to the already agitated state of my stomach. We stopped behind a local bus that had broken down and looked rather ancient. Guess what? We jammed passengers from that bus into our van and stopped at villages along the way, dropping them off at their destinations. Finally, we arrived at Oaxaca City, a 16th-century Spanish colonial town renowned for its chocolate, its Zapotec weavings, and its famous archaeological site of Monte Albán. I walked into a church that surely must have been shipped from Italy, with its lavish, gold-covered Baroque altar and ceiling. Ah! To enjoy Oaxaca City in the charming Las Mariposas, an inn, once the home of a Spanish family, with its multiple patios and breakfast served with homemade breads and sweets and café de olla (coffee from a jar). All this certainly helped me to endure winding back down the hairpin turns through the Sierra. Afterward, my brain recouped while staring at the turquoise waters, reclining on the beach on Oaxaca's southern Pacific coast, my mind drifting out to sea." (e-mail from Yvonne in Houston)

• SON_SCD_0096_02201_Man_Of_Principle_APM
• Greene String Quartet, "Hoedown Medley," The String Machine / Virgin Classics
• R.L. Burnside, "Come On In, part 2," Come On In / Fat Possum Records
• Akira Eguchi, piano intro to Chee Yun, "Georgia on My Mind," The Spirit of '96 (collection) / NPR Classics
• Dirk Powell, "Sweet Sunny South," If I Go Ten Thousand Miles / Rounder
• The Red Stick Ramblers, "That's What I Like About the South," Right Key, Wrong Keyhole / Memphis International
• * Greene String Quartet, "Hoedown Medley," The String Machine / Virgin Classics
• U.S. Air Force Band of Mid America, John Cheetham cond., "Over the Top: Jubilation on the Columbia (Journey of Three Rivers)," Exploration and Discovery / Atissimo!
• SON_SCD_0496_02501_Old_Covered_Bridge_APM
• Caroline Goulding, "Souvenir d'Amerique (variations on 'Yankee Doodle'), op. 17 (Henri Vieuxtemps)," Caroline Goulding / Telarc
• Ljubljana Symphony Orchestra, Carter Nice, conductor, "American in Paris (George Gershwin)," Barber: Symphony No. 1, Gershwin: American in Paris Concerto in F / Stradivari Classics (1998)
• Lara Downes, "Piano Sonata No. 2, 'Concord, Mass. 1840-60, Kx19 - The Alcotts (Charles Ives)," American Ballads / Postcards-Arkadia Records
• OMI_OMN_0059_00301_Jamestown_Suite_Colonial_Life_APM
• * KPM_KPM_0398_04501_Yankee_Doodle_Polka_APM
• Symphony Nova Scotia, "Octave Shuffle, for orchestra," Opportunity Knocks / CBC Records
• Gerard Lejoie, "Reel du Carnival du Quebec," Héritage Québécois (collection) / MCA Records Canada
• Chet Atkins, "Wheels," Travelin' / RLG-Legacy
• Tsa'ne Dos'e, "Inland Water Travel," Arctic Refuge: A Gathering of Tribes (collection) / Soundings of the Planet
• Irakere, "Boliviana," Cuba (collection) / Putumayo
• Trio Mexico, "El Penúltimo Beso," La Canción Oaxaqueña: Dulce, Amante, Romántica / Producciones Mexicanas Discográficas

* Indicates filler music used during internal breaks on the broadcast

• In the open to the segment B interview, Rick notes that Eric Weiner is joining us from a hotel room in Rome, where he is on his way to conducting a writer's workshop in Bhutan. Rick also notes that current interest in Ben Franklin is reflected in two recent TV series about him.
• At 32:54, Rick and Eric discuss Ben Franklin's examples of accomplishments well into his eighties in light of debate over President Joe Biden's age. Eric reminds us Franklin was the oldest delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 at age 81 — the same age Joe Biden will be in time for the November election.
• At 34:40, Eric notes that America was greatly divided in Franklin's time, as it is today, when loyalties to one's home state superseded a national identity as "American."
• The first caller in segment C reports on various Canada Day (July 1) observances he's had visiting Vancouver, Toronto, and Québec City.
• Rick mentions that Bonnie's e-mail at 54:58 is in response to hearing Chris Baker talk about Cuba on a recent edition of the show. (Chris last spoke about Cuba on program #742 in January 2024.)