Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer

Nestled in the hills of Shenandoah Valley, the South River Highlands Country Retreat and Heartstone Lodge & Retreat Center are just four miles from Lexington, Virginia and two hours from Washington D.C. Tranquility and clarity of mind envelops this 250-acre rural hideaway. 

From San Francisco to San Diego, Hilton Hotels & Resorts has created the California Road Trip. Eight coastal Hilton Hotels are offering amenity incentives for the traveler such as unlimited Cable Car rides in San Francisco, and 2-for-1 trolley passes at Fess Parker Resort in Santa Barbara. 

Rockbridge County Virginia is steeped in history--a drive down Lexington’s main street is like stepping back in time—so much so that Hollywood has utilized downtown as a movie set for Revolutionary War, and Civil War era films. They just move the cars out and top up the roadways with dirt and they’re ready to roll.

The landscape of travel is evolving and hotels and resorts are responding to the demand for meaningful travel experiences, by individuals on holiday and corporate meeting and event planners. The Hilton San Francisco Union Square incorporates mindful meetings, mindful eating, mindful being as well as engaging guests with local non-profit opportunities.  

A conversation with Sharon and Mark Oldham, owners of Dancing Bear Lodge situated in the Great Smoky Mountains of Eastern Tennessee. Dancing Bear features 26 rustic but elegant lodge-style accommodations, an event center where live musical performances feature regional artists, and the award-winning Appalachian Bistro. We’ll also visit with the Bistro’s star-chef Shelly Cooper.

Danny Ray Carver’s dad started Carver’s Orchard in Cosby, Tennessee back in 1942, but the Carver clan has been growing apples in Appalachia for six generations, arriving in Eastern Tennessee in the late 1700’s. 

LA County’s WaterBus is and ideal way to experience Marina del Rey harbor—the second largest man-  made yacht harbor in the world. 

Jonathan Ball with the Rocky Top Wine Trail in Eastern Tennessee talks about the trail that includes wineries in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. 

Sugarlands Distilling Company in Gatlinburg, Tennessee uses traditional corn and rye, but infuses their “Shine” with an array of flavors, including dark chocolate, butter pecan, and apple bacon. A conversation with Kris “Tugboat”  Killingsworth, Tastings Manager at Sugarlands about the trendy new world of Shine.

The new Tennessee Whiskey Trail is made up of approximately 30 distilleries across the state. Tennessee distilleries range from small, boutique operations such as Corsair and Greenbrier in Nashville to legendary distilleries like Jack Daniels.

The Ryman Auditorium, revered as the “Mother Church” of country music, has been an anchor of the Nashville music scene for more than a century. The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee is the Mother Ship where the entire history of country music is showcased in the 360,000 square-foot multi-story facility.

Cayucos resident Robert Kittle talks with correspondent Tom Wilmer about his new book Franciscan Frontiersmen—how Three Adventurers Charted the West, published by the University of Oklahoma Press.

An overview of cool things to do and see in and around Gatlinburg, Tennessee--the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

Marina del Rey in LA County is one of the largest man made marinas in the world. It’s the home of multi-million dollar luxury yachts to a flotilla of sailboats and powerboats, and funky live-aboards.

Hollywood and its stars have maintained a love affair with Marina del Rey for decades, not only to sip and savor and hide out--but to utilize the locale as a film location for untold movies and TV shows.

Boo Mitchell carries on the legacy of his father, Willie Mitchell, as a producer of chart-topping hits.

One of Boo Mitchell’s proudest achievements was taking home the “Record of the Year” Grammy in 2016—the first time in the history of the Grammy Awards that a Memphis-made record garnered the award.

From a tiny, run down bait shop when Jay Harrison and his family purchased the business five years ago, the Outpost at Pickwick Dam, Tennessee has grown from zero employees to more than 30 today. The Outpost now includes a general store, a super popular restaurant, and an adjacent inn. Central to Harrison’s business model is to serve as a faith-based enterprise where his core mission is to hire and help employees seeking a fresh start in life.

A visit with the United States Marine Corps Historian at the National Museum of the United States Marine Corps located in Triangle, Virginia, adjacent to Quantico Marina Corps base.

 Join correspondent Tom Wilmer reporting from Detroit, Michigan at Comerica Park, the home of the Detroit Tigers. Wilmer visits with Ron Colangelo, Vice President Communications for the Detroit Tigers in the press box.

Casey Jones Village in Jackson, Tennessee, tucked in the heart of the fabled Music Highway, is actually an historic village with everything from an old-fashioned country store to an Antebellum mansion. There’s a museum showcasing the story of legendary train engineer Casey Jones, but the anchor of the village is the restaurant that specializes in traditional Southern comfort food—with a twist.

Join correspondent Tom Wilmer for a visit with Captain Chuck Myers aboard the historic M.V. Zumbrota, home ported today in Marina del Rey harbor.

Marina del Rey is in some respects a Southland best-kept-secret, as it’s often overshadowed by the glitz of Hollywood and the buzz of Disneyland. 

Back in the 1960s Stax Records served as an incubator of the Memphis, Tennessee Soul Music genre.

Join Tim Sampson Communications Director for the Soulsville Foundation where he talks about the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the genesis of “Soulsville”, the astounding Stax Music Academy, and Soulsville Charter School.

Cayucos resident Franz Wisner got dumped at the altar…then turned it into a career. Author of the New York Times bestselling book Honeymoon with My Brother  and How the World Makes Love, Wisner has shared his stories on Oprah, the Today Show, NPR, Vanity Fair, USA Today, and media outlets worldwide. 

Anakeesta marks a new dimension in Gatlinburg, Tennessee-- a popular base camp for vacationers who have come to these parts to experience the Great Smoky Mountains National Park since the 1930s. The Anakeesta adventure begins with a high-tech combination gondola, chairlift base station in the heart of town. Atop the mountain is Firefly Village, a zip line course, and treetop canopy walk 40 to 60 feet above the forest floor. Join visionary partners Karen and Bob Bentz.

Known fondly as the birthplace of Rock & Roll, Sun Studio opened its doors as Memphis Recording Service in 1950.

It was Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats’ “Rocket 88” Sun Records recording in 1951 that goes down in history as the first Rock & Roll single. A litany of legends came to Sun Studio to record and make music history—cats like Howlin’ Wolf, James Cotton, B.B. King and Johnny Cash.

This is the place where Elvis recorded his first single “That’s All Right” in 1954. And Sun is still recording music, in the same location today, in the same studio, using lots of the original tube-technology equipment.

March 3rd 1968 Martin Luther King delivered his last speech at the Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee.

6:01 p.m., April 4th 1968--Martin Luther King was assassinated at the Loraine Motel in Memphis. Twenty three years later, the National Civil Rights Museum was unveiled and it has continued unabated to showcase and teach the history and legacy of civil rights--from the arrival of the first slaves on the shores of America to lynchings, sit-ins, the Freedom Riders, Rosa Parks in Birmingham, Brown Vs. Board of Education, and the perpetuation of Jim Crow today.

Join Faith Morris, Chief Marketing and External Affairs Officer at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.

Tennessee Safari Park receives 200,000 visitors annually. It’s a family affair in more ways than one, as owner John Conley’s grandfather birthed the park in 1958. What started with a monkey ordered from Sears has grown to include a lexicon of wild, exotic animals from African warthogs to Giraffe, Bison, and White Bearded Wildebeests. Join John Conley as he shares his passion for the family run Safari Park, located on the Music Highway route between Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee.

Saint Mark Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas raised the roof when their gospel choir recently performed at Little Rock's Wildwood Park. Join correspondent Tom Wilmer for a visit with Darius Nelson, Pastor of Music and Arts, followed by 20 minutes of some powerfully awesome gospel singing. Saint Mark's choir has performed at the White House as well as around Arkansas.  

The Buffalo National River, situated in Northern Arkansas is free flowing for more than 135 miles. It’s one of North America’s last remaining undammed rivers.

Join correspondent Tom Wilmer on the banks of the Buffalo River for a conversation with National Park Ranger, Joyce Umbach, and Ben Milburn the owner and operator of Buffalo River Outfitters.

When Terry MacRae was a student at Cal Poly State University back in the early 1970’s he had no clue that the University’s learn by doing model would lead him on a life journey where he would eventually become the CEO of Hornblower Cruises. Considered the greenest fleet in America, Hornblower employs wind and solar technology and operates the largest small passenger-vessel operation in the country.   

MacRae shares his passion for the untapped potential of waterborne ferry transportation as a viable commuting option for not only San Francisco Bay but around America.