This week, I have for y’all a little (big) update! Back in November, I realized that I’d misplaced this box set of RV travel tapes, and I’ve been on the hunt for them ever since. Luckily, a friend had borrowed them, and I’d just forgotten about it. The original digitization of these (which is no longer on Youtube) wasn’t never really something I was happy with.
Since I couldn’t find the tapes, I’ve been pointing my readers towards this archive that someone else graciously uploaded to Archive.org; however, it’s out of order and the uploader seems to have the same problem as I do…
As I wrote about in my post back in April of 2022, these are Extended Play (EP) Mode tapes, and I’ve been struggling to get a better picture from this kind of media since I first started digitizing. Last week, I came across a composite video clarifier, and thought these would be a good test for it.
For $3 at a thrift store, I picked up a Clearline Concepts VC-1 Deluxe Video Clarifier, and while the results weren’t massively different from running the VCR directly to my capture card, I could definitely see a change.
Both the color control and noise reduction functions helped clean up the low-quality image from these EP tapes, but the effect was a lot more subtle than I was hoping for. I’ve tested all the VCR’s I have or have had while looking for one that will play this kind of tapes a little better and I’ve yet to find one that gives an image I’d be happy with. All of my current players are from the tail end of the VHS era (mid 1990s- early 2000s), and none of them have a manual tracking knob, so for the past couple months I’ve been on the lookout for something older with that feature, but no luck yet.
The video clarifier did help quite a bit, though! There’s still some heavy over-saturation and color smearing, but compared to what the original digitization looked like, I’d say I’m pretty happy with how these turned out.
Well, I hope you’re ready to explore America’s best kept secrets! Let’s get right into the tapes!
Episode 1 - New Hampshire and California
1996 | Runtime 60 Minutes
AUTUMN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
Quaint New England Towns
Travel through quaint New England towns during the peak of the fall sea- son. Discover the "Castle in the Clouds", ponder the mystery of America's Stonehenge and meet friendly people at Maine's Fryeburg Fair, travel to North Conway and the beautiful New England Inn.
CALIFORNIA GOLD - Old Sacramento and Gold Rush Country
Follow California Highway 49 into gold rush country. We begin exploring the charms of old town Sacramento in California's capital city, then discover gold mining lore in colorful small towns. For a climax, you'll see a "200- pound chicken" (a.k.a. our nervous host) lowered on ropes into a deep, dark cave.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST
California's Lost Coast
Far from California's metropolitan areas lies the small towns, big trees, and solitude of California's lost coast. Follow us along US 101 and California Highway 1. From Crescent City to Booneville, then through Rocky Mountain National Park.
Episode 2 - New Orleans, Louisiana, and Colorado
1996 | Runtime 60 Minutes
CAJUN CARAVAN
New Orleans and Louisiana Bayou Country
An exciting way to explore the mystery of Louisiana bayou country. Come along as 36 RV's are loaded onto 3 huge barges in New Orleans for a unique visit down the Mississippi River, past ante bellum mansions and into the swamps of Cajun country. Then on to the fabled French Quarter.
COLORADO'S ROCKY MOUNTAINS
Denver to Rocky Mountain National Park
Take a peek at Denver from the Buffalo Bill Museum and burial place. Travel through old mining and gambling towns surrounded by beautiful moun- tain scenery. We'll visit the famous Baldpate Inn, home of the largest key collection. Enjoy horseback riding and the great outdoors on your way through Rocky Mountain National Park.
COLORADO'S HIDDEN SECRETS
Royal Gorge, Cripple Creek to Pikes Peak
Discover the spectacular beauty of Colorado, visit the Royal Gorge and the world's highest suspension bridge. Take a ride on the incline railway to watch river rafting on the wild Arkansas river. Travel to Cripple Creek to explore a real gold mine. Then climb Pikes Peak; at 14,110 feet it's the highest point in Colorado.
Episode 3 - Colorado and Florida
1996 | Runtime 60 Minutes
COLORADO
EXPLORING HELL'S CANYON
Jet Boating On The Snake River Here is off-road adventure to the deep- est canyon on North America-Hell's Canyon on the Snake River in western Idaho. Join the privileged few who enjoy the spectacular wilderness scenery by jet boat, splashing through rapids and sharp bends as the river winds through the canyonlands.
FLORIDA PART 1
Orlando, Disneyworld, Seaworld, NASA, Lake Okeechobee
Discover Orlando's Disneyworld and Seaworld, then travel east to the Kennedy Space Center and NASA to watch the Space Shuttle take off. Visit warm sandy beaches, go airboating on Lake Okeechobee, then on to Bradenton where Spanish explorer DeSoto landed. FLORIDA FLORIDA PART 2 Sarasota, Ringling Museum, Cypress Gardens, St. Augustine Travel to Sarasota, home of the Ringling Museum of Art. See the histo- ry of the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus, then on to Cypress Gardens to see beautiful flowers, water-skiing and "Wings of Wonder". Then travel to St. Augustine, one of our nation's oldest cities.
Episode 4 - Idaho, Utah, Las Vegas, Arizona, and South Dakota
1996 | Runtime 60 Minutes
IDAHO-UTAH WILDERNESS
Journey to Arches National Park Join us for a visit to the stark beauty and wonders of Utah's canyonlands, ending at the Arches National Park. This journey begins in Idaho and threads along scenic back roads, allowing you to enjoy the scenery, small towns, and interesting people of this rugged corner of the American West.
LAS VEGAS AND ARIZONA
Las Vegas to the Western Coast of Arizona
Discover the glitter of beautiful and famous Las Vegas, the land of many dreams. See today's attractions; volcanos, pyramids and pirates. See the original London Bridge now located at Lake Havasu. We'll get acquainted with this magical desert region as you travel from Las Vegas down the west- ern coast of Arizona.
SOUTH DAKOTA AND MT. RUSHMORE
Travel The Old West Country We'll tell stories of Cowboys and Indians of the old west, see the real Boot Hill and learn about Calamity Jane, Wild Bill Hickock and Sitting Bull. Travel from Wounded Knee to historical old Deadwood, then on to Mt. Rushmore for some breathtaking views of this American monument.
Episode 5 - Massachusetts, Michigan, and Minnesota
1996 | Runtime 60 Minutes
MASSACHUSETTS COAST AND CAPE COD
The Beautiful New England Coast
Travel the beautiful New England coast all the way to Cape Cod. Visit performers dressed in period costumes aboard the Mayflower and at the Plymouth Plantation. See picturesque harbor towns, Old Salem, and Plymouth Rock. Enjoy the beauty of the fall colors as we travel this beautiful New England state at the peek of the fall season.
MICHIGAN'S WESTERN SHORE
From South Haven to Mackinac Island
Journey the scenic western shores of Michigan, from South Haven to Mackinac Maritime Museum. Travel to Holland, famous for its annual Tulip Time Festival, authentic Dutch Village and Windmill Island. Then on to Mackinac Island and the famous Grand Hotel.
MINNESOTA'S NORTH SHORE
Traveling The North Shore Of Lake Superior
Delicate natural beauty, warm people and interesting history at every turn of the road. This is the adventure we invite you to share as we travel to a region off the beaten track. Travel Minnesota's scenic by-way which follows the majestic North Shore of Lake Superior.
Episode 6 - Montana and Oregon
1996 | Runtime 60 Minutes
MONTANA'S GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
Blue Lake to Glacier National Park
Travel scenic highway 2 from Eastern Washington to Montana and Glacier National Park. Stop at Pioneer museum in Eastern Washington for a bit of history. Travel through Idaho, with a stop at picturesque Blue Lake. Then we'll travel to Montana for fun and adventure as we discover Montana's Glacier National Park and the beauty along the way.
OREGON'S ALPENFEST
Visiting Wallowa Valley
Our adventures cross the mountains in the northeast corner of Oregon that are known as the Swiss Alps of America. Appropriately, the locals celebrate their European heritage with an annual Froelichkeit or Alpenfest. Half the fun is getting there; the other half is dancing into the wee hours of the night.
OREGON'S BIGGEST FAULT
Steens Mountain Country
Our wanderers discover that Oregon has one big fault that many people don't know about, not even the natives. Hidden in the southeastern corner of the state, the geological fault in the Steens Mountain country has sculptured the landscape into stark beauty, especially at sunset. Come explore this magical area.
Episode 7 - Oregon, Tennessee, Washington DC, and Virginia
1996 | Runtime 60 Minutes
OREGON'S MT. HOOD
Mountain Caravanning and the Columbia River Gorge
Our roving camera joins a group of RVers who get together not only because they have a reason to do so, but also because they come up with an excuse enjoying the spectacular scenery along the Columbia River Gorge en-route to Oregon's Mt. Hood. Come join their Alpenfest!
TENNESSEE'S GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS
Nashville And The Grand Ole Opry
Country music abounds when we visit Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry and Opryland. Discover the real beauty of this land as we travel the backroads of Tennessee. We'll have fun and adventure as we visit some of the interesting things along the way to the Smoky Mountain National Park.
WASHINGTON DC AND VIRGINIA
Discover The Civil War Country and The Shenandoah Valley
Travel from Washington DC to Blacksburg, Virginia. History is every- where as we travel through Virginia's Civil War Country. We'll visit the Manassas Battlefield and explore inside a Confederate Museum. We'll discover the Luray Caverns in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley on our way to the FMCA RV rally in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Episode 8 - Oregon and Wyoming
1996 | Runtime 60 Minutes
OREGON’S PIONEER WAGON TRAIN
Modern Day Pioneers Along The Oregon Trail
Join modern day pioneers on a real wagon train as they travel along the Oregon Trail. See what life was like as the original pioneers headed west. These modern day pioneers are dressed in period clothing, sleeping under the stars and cooking over an open fire. A great experience with lots of music and dancing.
WYOMING
Old West Days In The Grand Tetons
We begin in Salt Lake City, Utah's capital city, and wander the back country to Jackson Hole, Wyoming's impressive gateway to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone Park. Our camera crew captures views of the majestic mountain scenery in memorable sequences and interesting people during Old West Days in the Grand Tetons.
OREGON'S HEARTLAND
This is a background tour of Oregon's John Day Country, in central Oregon. We start this loop trip from the small community of Biggs Oregon, situated on the Columbia River, then travel through some of the most inhospitable, but delightfully scenic back country. We will visit the Rhagwan Shree Rajneesh Commune and the painted hills. Discover the John Day Fossil Bed National Monument, the town of Fossil, and more on this American Odyssey adventure.
Episode 9 - Seattle Part 1 and 2, Travelling America
1996 | Runtime 60 Minutes
SEATTLE: The Emerald City Part 1
Discover the City of Seattle Washington, located in the Great Northwest, also known as the Emerald City. We begin this American Odyssey adventure at the Space Needle in the center of the city. We'll go downtown to see new and old buildings, parks and a bit of history. Walk through the Pike Place Farmer's Market, which brings us to the waterfront and the Seattle Aquarium. Here we board the Good Time III for a tour of the harbor. We'll end this half of Seattle at the Woodland Park Zoo and Rose Garden.
SEATTLE: The Emerald City Part 2
We begin this Odyssey at the under- ground tour under the streets of old Seattle for a history lesson. We'll see the Boeing Museum of Flight, Seattle's floating bridges, and its surrounding areas. Also in this episode you'll have a chance to see an overview of what we call "The Great Northwest".
TRAVELLING AMERICA
In our American Odyssey adventure we travel to various destinations around America. We'll see the breathtaking beauty of the fall colors of New England, we'll discover Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park and Colorado's Rocky Mountains. We'll then travel south to Florida, where we'll visit NASA Space Port at Cape Canaveral, warm sandy beaches, Disneyworld, Sea World and Cypress Gardens. Then on to New Orleans and the Louisiana Bayou Country. We end this overview of America in the winter retreat of Arizona.
Episode 10 - Washington
1996 | Runtime 60 Minutes
WASHINGTON'S OLYMPIC PENINSULA PART 1
Washington's Pacific Coast Highway 101
Here is some of America's most spectacular scenery - where the rugged coast of Washington's Olympic Peninsula meets the coastal mountains. In this first of a two-part series, we begin in the Capital city of Olympia, and travel north on Highway 101 along the east side route of the Olympic Peninsula.
WASHINGTON'S OLYMPIC PENINSULA PART 2
Washington's Pacific Coast Highway 101
In this second of a two-part series, we travel south on Highway 101 along the west side of the Olympic Peninsula. We'll travel from the edge of the continent at Cape Flattery, along the Pacific Coast toward the Columbia River, and on to the Oregon border.
WASHINGTON'S SAWTOOTH MOUNTAINS
High Mountain Horse Packing
On this adventure we'll ride along with a colorful group of people as we go high mountain horse packing! Using reliable mounts and pack horses, we will explore beautiful mountain scenery and travel over rough terrain for a unique look at eastern Washington's Sawtooth Mountains.
Well, that’s it for this week! I hope you enjoyed the tapes! If you’re looking for more, please check out my page on Archive.org for the full list of digitized media. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message right here or drop a comment below. If you haven’t already, please check out the one of my previous posts below, or all of my other previous posts here. Thanks so much for checking out this week’s edition of Diptych!
See you soon!
—Forrest
You'll Never Guess What I Bought for $1
For myself and many people my age, I think Bill Murray’s parody of Jacques Cousteau in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) was our first introduction to the absolutely wild life and legacy of the French oceanographer. From the accent to the distinct woolly red cap that he and the whole family wore regularly, he’s just as iconic as he is eccentric.
Ask Your Parents Permission Before Going Online!
This week is a classico mixed bag of media for y’all to enjoy. With a triple feature of dogs, a DVD from Russia, and a new (to me) form of meditation, there’s something for everyone this week! There’s no grand introduction this time, so let’s get right into the tapes!
Hooked on Puppets
This week in the VCR (and scattered all around the den) I’ve got something very special for y’all. While I don’t remember watching this at the appropriate age, this is a set of tapes I remember very vividly, having watched them in either the 3rd or 4th grade. At the beginning of this summer, I was digging around some thrift shops in Johnson City, Tennessee, and came across this box set and I immediately recognized all the characters on the box!
Great article! I was wondering if you would share how you took the product photo for the header? I've zoomed in and examined it closely and can't seem to figure out if the reflection is real or not.
An RV is a need now.