Weekend America

We're All Winners

Olympic athletes and their history-making moments inspire and provide us with lasting memories. Weekend America's Charlie Schroeder spoke with some former Olympians and had them reflect on the iconic moments that have made them historic figures.

Our Very Own Sea Monster

There's a farmer's market today in Lake City, Minn., on the shores of Lake Pepin, a popular getaway spot for folks from Wisconsin and Minnesota. People will buy produce, socialize, hang out... Some might be staring really hard at the water, looking for a ripple, maybe a fin, perhaps a monstrous slimy head.

Man-cation at the Shooting Range

This weekend in Manchester, N.H., you can shoot a machine gun for $25. If you don't have your own, you can rent one. And actually you can do that any day of the week in Manchester. Weekend America's Sean Cole was recently invited up to one of those ranges by his friend Nick, who called the trip a "man-cation." Unfortunately, Sean is what was referred to on the playground as a "girl."

Weekend Soundtrack

The Haunted House

Sue Ely listens to "Haunted House" by Natalia Zukerman on the weekends. Host Bill Radke gets inside it.

The Crime of Cultural Preservation

Imagine growing up feeling as if you didn't belong anywhere. Imagine going back to the place where you were born to record the traditional folksongs you grew up listening to, only to be arrested for espionage. This and more happened to Ngawang Choephel, but he's not bitter, just more determined to preserve the music and autonomy of his Tibetan culture.

America's Weekend: Making Biscuits, Riding the Hurricane

We look forward to hearing from our listeners here at Weekend America, especially when you all tell us about the things you get into over the weekend. This week, we went through the Flickr feed of pictures tagged "Weekend America", picked some of our favorites and contacted the photographers to hear the stories behind them.

One Word at the Pool

Back in 1978, Marcia Bryant her brother and her friend all spent hot summer days at the local city pool in Cleveland. Bryant remembers it as a gleeful experience: Kids would get dropped off by parents and finally they were free, with nothing to do but splash around in the inviting blue water. But all that changed with one word on a Saturday in 1978. Bryant tells us what ended her days at the pool. Also, Laura Higdon flashes back to her Coppertone-infused youth, poolside; and Bruce Cuningham recalls a revelation that he had at the pool as a child, when he made a new friend.

We're All Winners

Olympic athletes and their history-making moments inspire and provide us with lasting memories. Weekend America's Charlie Schroeder spoke with some former Olympians and had them reflect on the iconic moments that have made them historic figures.

The Cutting Edge of Rollercoasters

Weekend America's Krissy Clark takes us into the secret world of thrill ride research and development to find out what's the next big thing in thrill rides. She learns that the amusement park arms race is headed in a new direction. It's not quite as hair-raising as she thought.

East Meets West, Past Meets Present in Seattle

This weekend finds us at the Panama Hotel in Seattle's Japantown, which has been around for more than a century. It was once home to Japanese immigrants at the turn of the century and literally comes with its own emotional baggage. David Weinberg went to Nihonmachi (a local name for Japantown) to get this story for our summer travel series.

The Weekend Shift

Having Fun, Making Magic in the Kitchen

Michael May has known chef Ian Pierce since high school. He was sort of a hippie and class clown -- so May was a bit surprised when he read the reviews calling Pierce one of St. Paul's best chefs, and decided to visit his kitchen.

My Dad the World Champion

Don Spero is six-foot-two, bald and tough. A long time ago, he once had a duel with a formidable Russian champion. As the sun comes up one Saturday morning, Don and his daughter Laura reminisce at the Potomac Boat Club about an athletic rivalry that has achieved mythic status in the family lore.

Poolside in Los Angeles

In Los Angeles, the word poolside is practically synonymous with Summer. And Los Angeles is practically synonymous with Hollywood. Weekend America's Krissy Clark finds the intersection of the pool and the Hollywood lifestyle at her local public pool.

Sustainability

Foraging for Lunch on the Streets of L.A.

Could you make a meal off what you found growing on the streets of one of America's biggest, most polluted cities? Nance Klehm can -- she takes Bill Radke on a walking tour of L.A., foraging for salad fixings amid the traffic and noise.