The Good Road

People are flocking to Nashville - Music City, USA and yet the tourists, transplants and dreamers come to town completely oblivious to the origins of that name. We discover the true history of music city through Jefferson St., the cultural center of the black experience in Nashville before it was erased by the construction of Interstate 40.

The Good Road goes to space! – well almost. We go to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to learn about the critical role of the newly created Space Force. Space Force Guardians protect national security and oversee all launches. We discover the surprising role they play in our everyday lives.

A journey through the unique ecosystems of Puerto Rico highlight the important role government agencies, university initiatives and local communities play in conservation and the fight against climate change. And, we explore the mangrove fields of La Paguera on kayaks with René Esteves of University of Puerto Rico’s Sea Grant. We see first-hand the delicate balance of conservation and community.

Through stories from a chef, a basket weaver and a Grammy Award winning drummer we glean a better understanding of the myriad of ways that Gullah traditions and practices impact contemporary arts and culture in the low country of Charleston. At a beloved Charleston haunt Craig and Earl discuss the deep African roots of Gullah culture with the three black professionals and a local restaurateur.

If travel changes you then traveling to space changes you completely. We explore the overview effect in which people who travel to space develop a new perspective on what it means to call Earth home. We meet the educators, entrepreneurs and rocket scientists taking the next generation of men and women into the cosmos and learn about the unique ways they will get them there.

Puerto Rico occupies a unique place in American identity. Wholly American and yet uniquely apart. We explore this paradise through the lens of anti-colonial art in the heart of San Juan and through ex-pat poetry and spoken word in the shadow of the rainforest. Along the way, Craig and Earl chat with an independence minded activist at an old San Juan watering hole.

The James River is the reason for Richmond’s existence, and yet, in the 1970s it was one of the most polluted rivers in the country. We meet the activists and scientists who transformed it from a D- to a B+ with hard work, perseverance and art. We are also introduced to the Atlantic Sturgeon - the amazing fish that survived the meteor that killed the dinosaurs but was almost wiped out by humans.

When most people think of Nashville, they think Country Music and now, regrettably, bachelorette parties. But, locals know with a little effort you can find more than honkytonks and pedal taverns. We meet some of the people making space for “off brand” music and art. From Jack White’s third man records to LoveNoise promotions, we dive into the other side of music city.