By now, you’ve likely watched TV news, catching clips of bedimpled Freddy, a guy on social media with a German flag by his name.
Let us climb on the bandwagon to note Freddy and other foreign visitors have been receiving abundant attention as soccer fans who flew to the U.S. for the World Cup, rented cars and just started driving. During road trips, they’ve been posting their experiences on social media, including foods like bagels (American style) and toppings like Ranch dressing (Hidden Valley style). Even Bill Maher lauded their adventures.
One early report listed the Waffle House at 1AM: “Great food, great prices, great staff.” Buc-ee’s: “DUDE LMAO (Yep! Slang for ‘Laughing My A Off!’) THIS IS A GAS STATION.” Bass Pro Shops: “They were selling rifles in there.”
Visitors have been extolling their travels to places Americans take for granted. Not because they’ve touted Buc-ee’s as some monumental discovery (We already were aware of its grandeur from one of Barbara Blomquist’s columns, “Southern Americana on Steroids.”), but because they’ve recognized meeting kind, freedom-loving independents who also enjoy road trips and welcoming visitors to our homeland. They’re not discovering anything new or especially exciting to us in this land of plenty with 50 states; yet, folks from foreign lands tell us they’re in awe.
And we got to thinking, mindful of growing up in Indiana, attending college in Kentucky and finding jobs that took us to live in South Dakota, New York, St. Thomas USVI, New Jersey and now Illinois.
Naperville, Illinois
Our thoughts shifted to those reposted pictures. Perhaps local youth could recapture stay-cation experiences right here in DuPage River City. We have so much here. For starters, consider attractions such as downtown Naperville, North Central College, Pioneer Park, Centennial Beach, Naper Settlement, the Riverwalk, Knoch Knolls Park, Naperville Crossings, Block 59, 53 Century Walk locations and more than 400 eateries.
We’re grateful for the risk takers, can-do spirit and all that’s been accomplished locally since the days when Captain Joe Naper and his family arrived in 1831. Freddy likely would enjoy a visit here where he’d recognize the significance of German immigrants who built the 1841 Meeting House as well as the 1880s Blacksmith Shop at Naper Settlement. Plus, every autumn German heritage is celebrated when the outdoor history museum hosts Oktoberfest.
And, of course, Naperville is home to Kreger’s Brat and Sausage Haus, a known favorite since 1893. And Bill Kreger’s been seen on TV, too!
Moving right along…
On June 3, I enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime 90-minute experience with Joe Naper’s great-great-granddaughter, Jean, at the Best Western Naperville Inn. Jean and her husband, Ed Kislesky, now residents of Fort Collins, Colorado, were in Illinois to visit her son’s family and nine grandchildren. A day earlier, they’d visited with Naper Settlement President & CEO Rena Tamayo-Calabrese for a tour of the museum as well as the Naper Homestead at Mill Street and Jefferson Ave. They also enjoyed meeting with Mayor Scott Wehrli.
As we chatted in the breakfast lounge at Best Western, we discovered similar interests and travel experiences. Jean’s résumé revealed she’d inherited the Joe Naper spirit of adventure, enterprise and accomplishment.
You might say we spent more time than necessary sharing stories about the pine-covered Black Hills in South Dakota. Ed is an avid motorcyclist and they recounted summer tours to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
And I flashed back to 10 days one August when our children were ages 5, 7 and 9, a time when our family took a road trip from Rapid City, South Dakota, through Montana and Wyoming to Yellowstone. We spent one day in Sturgis when the rally was in progress. Keeping our kids’ eyes from seeing what was uncovered and riding on the back of most motorcycles was tough. Ed said those days of Sturgis are now a thing of the past.
One memory refreshed another and I began reminiscing about the Independence Day I’d experienced at Mount Rushmore the summer I’d worked at “The Shrine of Democracy” while in college. The other day I heard news that Mount Rushmore plans to host an America 250 fireworks display for the first time since 2020, prompting the tune to “This Land Is Your Land” to take over my mind.
And as though it were yesterday, the spectacular fireworks display over the granite monument of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abe Lincohn flashed in my memory. Or was it on TV?
Sam Levenson quote partly applies
Who knows why, but a Sam Levenson quote appeared at the bottom of a recent online story comparing environmentalists to conservationists. And I wondered, what ever happened to Sam Levenson? So I asked AI. And I was led to myriad moments of his good-natured wisdom.
“The whole world is watching America, and America is watching TV,” noted American wit Levenson back in his lifetime, more than 46 years ago and way before hand-held electronic devices and Freddy.
And I recalled watching TV late one evening back in the early 1990s when a bemused comedian guest of Johnny Carson proclaimed, “I just don’t like daily newspapers. Just as soon as I get finished reading one, another one arrives at my doorstep.”
Through ups and downs for nearly 25 years, independently-owned Positively Naperville always has been a hyper-local news source. In print monthly and digital daily, we’ve aimed to highlight good things in our growing and walkable community, including care and maintenance of neighborhood sidewalks, now in progress.
Positively Naperville hasn’t always been easy. But our newspaper has always been available to pick up in racks, now at more than 30 locations. Some readers tell us they begin from the back page. No matter! Thanks for reading. Happy Independence Day every day. Let freedom ring.
– Stephanie Penick
PN Publisher
Update, July 6, 2026 / PN is eager to add that in between rain storms, the annual NRFV Independence Day Freedom Ruck March was a great walk along the Riverwalk to the parking lot at Highland Park Elementary along Hillside Road.
