Transcripts For WBAL Today 20100516

san francisco and jenna wolfe, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a sunday morning. i'm lester holt joining you today from san francisco. >> i'm jenna wolfe in studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. alone again, naturally. you were in merced, you can't stay still. >> covered 24 hour, san joaquin valley and delivered the commencement address at the university of california in merced and i'll show you a bit of that and how it went a bit later, but there's a lot to get to this morning including bp's latest attempt to stop the oil spill in the gulf. one side says it's like threading the eye of a needle. this morning we'll talk to the president of shell oil to find out if enough is being done to stop the leak. lester, was there an earthquake in puerto rico early this morning. it was felt throughout the island and while there was minor damage, so far there are no reports of injuries or deaths. lester? >> i'm standing obviously in earthquake country. all of the activity we've seen not only in california, puerto rico, you can run down the list that we've been seeing. it leads to a closer look of a possibility of a major earthquake hitting here in california. people for years have been talking about the big one. are we closer? where might it strike? we'll talk to an expert a bit later in the hour. and then we'll switch gears and continue our series "today hits the road." yesterday you drove down california with a convertible. not only did i drive the blue ridge parkway. i had the chance to bike it as well. it was a gorgeous stretch of the country. i hadn't been there before and i'm very much looking forward to sharing it with you. i even played guitar. >> it looked like you were in a minivan or something. i know the convertible looks bad, but if you can see the rent a car of this thing, the hood of this thing leads to oakland. it's like an aircraft carrier. don't worry about it. >> think that's the last time i'm going to do that. >> all right. well, let's move on right now to the top story in the gulf of mexico. nbc's mark potter joins us this morning from venice, louisiana with the very latest. mark, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, lester. we're still awaiting word from bp on whether a second attempt to insert a tube inside the broken pipe to siphon oil to the surface was successful. the first attempt met with problems meaning the oil flowing at the bottom of the sea kept going. while bad weather saturday failed to bring it to the surface in the gulf of mexico, was there a setback a mile below. they were trying to stop a massive flow of oil by inserting another pipe inside. first to suggest the initial attempt failed though was interior secretary them salazar touring a wild life rescue facility in port jackson, louisiana. >> they have had to reconfigure it, but they're back down again with the rise insertion tube. the procedure involves insevere weathering a mile-long tube that would siphon it into the ship into a spewing pipe and the damaged well, but the pipe connection didn't work. >> when they attempted to connect to it, the frame shifted so they were unable to make that connection. so what they had to do was bring the frame and the tool back to the surface and re-orient the frame. >> reporter: if other attempts fail engineers say they'll then use a so-called top hat much like an inverted funnel to try to collect the oil. later in the week they're planning a jump shot, also known as a bridging agent into the oil well blowout preventer. this would allow jamming it with rubber, plastic, copper, golf balls followed by mud in the hopes of sealing the leak. if successful it would be enc e encased in concrete. it's been done before, but never at 5,000 feet. the coast guard is offering assurances it knows where all of the runaway oil in the gulf is located. and shrimper roland hinkle says he hopes the attempt to seal the leak succeeds soon before his business grinds to a halt. researchers say they've found huge plumes of oil beneath the ocean surface and some thousands of feet below. they're studying the effect, but one of those concern is it could lead to oxygen depletion in the water. lefter? >> mark potter in louisiana this morning, thanks. john hoff meister is the former president of shell oil and the author of "why we hate the oil companies." he joins us from houston. thanks for joining us. i want to start off with the series of oil plumes deep in the gulf. it seems to reinforce this notion that no one really knows how much oil is spewing from the leak. is the question not knowing or is no one being straight with us? >> think people are giving their best estimates, lester. there's no reason not to just lay it out there. i think it's very hard to measure what's the combination of gas and oil. so i think the danger of that oil in the ocean is real. i think we have to do what we can to get that well plugged as soon as possible. to prevent the oil from getting into the ocean in the first place. >> help me understand that the methods are going through. it seems like nothing is working. it almost feels like a shotgun approach. is it like that or are we witnessing something that's more methodical than it appears? >> it's actually a methodical, disciplined engineering solution process that is discussed, debated, analyzed and then executed inside the crisis room that bp has set up. so you have this whole litany of possible solutions, each of which has its merits and also its d merits. the engineers will debate and discuss. a decision will be made to apply people to make the solution work. they then have to manufacture or engineer the parts. all of this is going on simultaneously. so it's not one solution and then let's go to b and let's go to c. they're all being worked simultaneously so as time progresses they're better prepared to try whatever is next on the list. the determination to stop this flow i think is genuine -- >> we keep hearing that there are other things that they're not trying, that have been used in other oil spills. is that, in fact, the case? >> well, you have to realize at 5,000 feet what might have worked elsewhere probably wouldn't work at 5,000 feet with all of the pressures. the best minds of the industry from across the industry and around the world are going to work on this and they'll go through the analysis of any and all solutions to try to get to the ones that they think they can make happen. >> john, you wrote the book on why people hate the oil companies. you have the president who has enough of this cozy relationship between the oil companies and the government. what's the long-term impact here of all this? >> well, i think too much could be made of what is a so-called cozy relationship. as the president of a company, i never felt a cozy relationship. i felt that the regulators did what the regulators were supposed to do. i felt that getting permits was always a challenge and a contest. there were no easy day i can remember. i felt government officials were doing their jobs in terms of enforcing regulations. i would appeal to higher levels. sometimes i would be heard. many times i would be pushed back on. so while there may be these allegations and there may have been instances where some individuals didn't do things according to the way they should have, i think that there is a healthy relationship, a healthy contest between what industry wants to do and what government does to protect society and the environment. i think if there's more regulations put in place -- >> john, we'll have to end the conversation there, but thank you so much for anything on with us. we do appreciate you being here. >> thank you. >> jenna? >> thank you. another story we're watching closely this morning. a new cloud of ash from the volcano in iceland is bearing down on europe this morning and could affect travel in parts of britain. nbc's stephanie goss is at heathrow airport this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, jenna. business travelers and tourists flying into and out of heathrow are crossing their fingers that it remain open. there is a ban of air travel in northern england, into parts of scotland and northern ireland. skientsists say this cloud is smaller than the cloud that shut down europe for six days last month, but it is still dangerous. it was caused by an eruption on thursday. the prevailing winds blew the clouds over the uk. it should sit here until tuesday or wednesday and during that time authorities say every one of the airports in this area could be shut down for a period of time. jenna? >> stephanie, what is the financial impact of all this. it has to be taking a huge toll at least on the airline, right? >> reporter: yeah, it is. it's enormous. they calculate that the six days when european airports were shut down that it caused the aviation industry in europe $3 billion. that doesn't take into account all of the money that was lost by businessmen that couldn't get to meetings. tourists that couldn't get to their hotels or had to stay longer in places. it's particularly difficult this week for british airlines. they recorded their highest annual losses this year in the company's history. they are also dealing not just with this ash cloud, but with union troubles. there's a strike and the cabin crew is planning a strike on tuesday that will go through the rest of the week. >> stephanie goss reporting to us from london. thank you. now we'll head over to the news desk where willy geiss has the other headlines. >> good morning, jenna. good morning, everyone. we begin overseas in thailand where government officials have reversed a decision to impose a curfew in parts of bangkok this after violent anti-government protests have killed more than two dozen people since thursday. nbc's ian williams has more. >> reporter: the army designated parts of riot-torn central bangkok a live firing zone. troops and snipers were opening fire on protesters who pelted them with rocks, mol taf cocktails and homemade rockets under the cover of thick black smoke from burning tires. amid the growing chaos and mounting casualties, the u.s. embassy said it was offering to evacuate the families of embassy staff and today they beefed up a travel warning to u.s. citizens. >> we're advising american sits zens to defer all travel to bangkok. >> reporter: the red-shirted protesters, mostly farmers from the poor northeast rejected the government and demanding immediate elections. the government claims they've been infiltrated by armed groups who the prime minister blames for the violence. on national tv he vowed not to retreat. ian williams, nbc news, bangkok. as calls spread for an economic boycott of the state of arizona, the governor there enlisted the help of vice presidential candidate sarah palin on saturday to defend a new law that cracks down on illegal immigration. palin and arizona governor jan brewer announced a new website that they say will educate americans about the state's border security. tense of thousands of people filled st. peter's square this morning in support of the pope over the clerical sex abuse scandal. pope benedict said he is comforted by the massive display of support he saw at the vatican. he thanked the crowds for their presence and for their trust. it was quite a finish at the preakness on saturday afternoon. >> look at it! look at it looking at lucky got it. >> you heard it there. he wins the jewel of the horse racing's triple crown. super saver 1978 was the last time we had one of those. what would a wedding day be without flowers, a beautiful white dress and a robot to conduct the ceremony. a japanese couple was married in tokyo by a four foot robot with flashing eyes and plastic pig tails. the bride and groom took commands from the robot named i-ferry and kissed the bride and the whole romantic thing just in that creepy robot voice. if you're interested in having an i-ferry at your wedding you can own one for just $68,000. yes, jenna, they are on the market and you can own one, too. that's the news. back to jenna. >> because that's what i want. >> can't you just rent one? is that possible? >> was that robot ordained online? i'm curious. >> i'm wondering how that worked, too. >> willy, thank you so much. that was informative. we appreciate it. >> janice huff is here with a check of the weather. >> let's check on the southern plains this morning and parts of the south are seeing heavy duty weather there. lots of rain expected today across the lower mississippi river valley and across the southeast, circulating around the low is quite a bit of heavy rain moving across portion of western tennessee and kentucky. there will be severe weather there and parts of arkansas today. some heavy rain h >> good morning, everyone. i'm tony pan. we're off to a kauai elt start on this sunday. a slight chance for a couple rain showers. most areas will stay dry. the high temperature around 7th florida, a muggy day and maybe some storms. 87 in miami. now here's jenna. >> all right, janice, thanks. we'll take a break. we're back right after this. cre. 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[ woman ] only from maybelline. claritin-d helps me breathe in and out. nothing works stronger, faster, or longer to relieve all my symptoms... ...including congestion without drowsiness. get claritin-d at the pharmacy counter. live claritin clear. he's just 9 years old and the only survivor of a plane crash that killed 119 people including his parents and older brother. the dutch boy named ruben got back on a plane to go back to the netherlands. peter alexander has the story. >> reporter: hidden beneath blankets and flanked by security, ruben was wheeled out of the front door and straight into the mob of photographers. the 9-year-old recently learned that his entire family, mother, father and older brother were dead. investigators still don't know why flight 771 from south africa crashed wednesday just short of the runway in libya. 103 people were killed, many of them dutch tourists. ruben's family was returning from an african safari to celebrate the couple's wedding anniversary. on a tour of the debris field a dutch reporter spoke with the army colonel who found the only survivor. >> translator: he was unconscious. unconscious. >> reporter: ruben was still buckled into his seat. his legs badly broken and barely breathing nearly a half mile from the plane's severed tail section. >> he opened the belt and take him to the ambulance. in the car, he cried. >> reporter: surgeons say the four and a half hour surgery on ruben's legs was a success. >> is he sedated at all? >> no. he's fine. he's okay. i don't think he needs to be. >> reporter: the family released a statement saturday thanking the doctors and the libyan government, but they're furious with a dutch newspaper that managed to interview ruben on the phone before his aunts and uncle arrived in tripoli. others apologized. they criticized dutch tv for televising ruben in his hospital bed. the anger is mixed with sadness. classes and neighbors lined up to sign a condolence group. the mayor ventsed his frustration. >> everyone wants to know what is going to happen with him. please leave ruben in peace. >> reporter: finally at home the cameras were kept away so a little boy can try to recover from an unimaginable tragedy. for "today," peter alexander, nbc news. dr. gail salt is a psychiatrist. good morning to you. >> let me ask you this. memory loss is so common when it comes to these kinds of things. the little boy was interviewed in the hospital and said he didn't remember anything. when you start remembering things how traumatic will it be for him. >> it's not really age related. when you have trauma to the head you tend to what happened before the event, even for period of time before the event and after the event. he's been told what happened. i would say what he remembers and going in and out of that will be related to whatever head trauma he had and also this is overwhelmly traumatic news. it's normal to defend against it to think oh, i know this happened and thinking later maybe this didn't really happen. that's a normal processing, your mind is fending off anxiety. >> he will stay with extended members of his family. should they be pushing for him to talk about this and remember certain things? >> it's an important point that we learned in recent years that you never push any person who's been through a trauma and make them talk. you provide an environment where they can talk if they want to, but for children this young, play therapy where in other words, interacting in a way where he can express his feelings and he might do it through drawing and he might do it through playing. and you will see trauma in the play, like plane crashes or terrible things happening and that's the child's way of processing what's happening. so they have to be supportive. they're his new family and they have to help him re-integrate and over time express himself in the way that he needs to, but remind him that he's loved and supported and he has a new family that will be there for him. >> thank you so much for being with us and we are back after this, but first, these messages. [ sneezing ] ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] what are you gonna miss when you have an allergy attack? benadryl® is more effective than claritin® at relieving your worst symptoms -- runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes -- and works when you need it most. benadryl®. you can't pause life. for every ant or roach you see in your home, there are hundreds more you can't. the solution? try combat source kill max baits. while aerosols only kill the bugs you spray, combat baits target the source of the problem. ants and roaches take the bait; carry it back to the nest and share it. the result? you destroy not just one, but the entire infestation. if you have unwelcome ants or roaches, try combat source kill max. also look for new combat liquid ant baits. brand power. helping you buy better. still to come, it's been more than 20 years since the quake that folks here in san francisco remember as the world series earthquake. is there a threat of a big one here in california to come? we'll tell you what scientists are saying. >> plus my trip back in time through the blue ridge mountains, but first, these messages. i'll take this. 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(announcer) settling for less is not smart. what is smart is getting more car for your money at carmax. for the money you'd spend on a stripped down new car, you could get a fully loaded, guaranteed-quality used car at carmax. now more than ever, the smart choice is carmax. the way car buying should be. >> good morning. i'm sarah caldwell. it is 8:25. here is a look at some of our top stories this morning. all good things must come to an end, and that includes preakness 2010. an upset win ended a spectacular week of festivities. lookin at lucky won the race and captured the dreams of super saver. by all appearances, a good time was had by all. >> it looked a lot more like preast preakness this year than it did last year. >> a more liberal alcohol policy than last year and an edgier ad campaign are credited with boosting appearance. >> an unbearable tragedy. a fire claimed the lives of three children. they lost their lives when a fire swept through a home around 3:30 saturday morning. the mother survived the fire but at last check she was in critical condition. >> people told me they were out here before the fire company came and they said that they were yelling for her to jump to safety from upstairs, and they jumped, but she didn't get the kids. >> the cause of the fire is still under investigation. >> another case of animal abuse in baltimore city by the hands of kids. several golfers at the carroll park course saw several kids beating a puppy. the golfers chased the kids away, but by that time it was too late. 11 news spoke to a golf course representative. >> we called the shelter. we gave them all the information we had. >> baltimore city animal control and b.a.r.c.s. are investigating the incident. >> a programming note, congressman elijah cummings will be our guest this morning. if you have a question send them in to www.wbaltv.com at sunday questions @ >> welcome back, everyone. we're off to a quiet start on this sunday. there are a few sprinkles out there. a mixture of clouds and some sunshine expected as we head into the afternoon. the high temperature around 71 degrees. tonight mostly cloudy. a slight chance for a couple rain showers. low temperatures have dropped into the 50's. the seven-day forecast is going to be cloudy and damp to start the work week. off and on rain showers monday and tuesday. the high temperatures will only be in the low to mid 60's. it looks much better wednesday, thursday, and friday. temperatures will jump back into the 70's. upper 70's to around 80. >> thank you, tony. thank you for joining us. "11 news sunday morning" continues in 25 minutes. sunday morning, may 16, 2010. it is a beautiful morning in new york and we thank a beautiful crowd, yes, you, for coming out to start our day with us. outside on the plaza, i'm jenna wolfe along with morning joe's kimberly geiss. it's great to have you with us. >> lester is out in san francisco. where exactly are you right now? >> i'm standing on the waterfront in downtn san francisco and behind me is the san francisco oakland bay bridge, 8 1/2 miles long and links oakland with downtown san francisco and i'm standing on the embarcadero and here is the ferry building at the foot of the financial center. it's worth noting, jenna, as we look at the bay bridge that this is a bridge the eastern span right now is in the middle of a major earthquake retrofitting project. that's because 20 years ago the world series earthquake, a part of the roadway actually collapsed in that quake. this morning we will talk about something never far from the minds of people around here and that is the subject of earthquakes. 20 years ago the big quake here since the last big one hit. a lot of folks wondering when the next one will happen and we'll look back at that quake and find out about the prospects for another major quake in california and whether it can actually be predicted, jenna. >> >> from there we will travel back east for our continuing series "today hits the road." yesterday you traveled down highway 1, and it was a beautiful, beautiful scene there. this morning i'll take you through the blue ridge mountains of virginia and north carolina. it was a beautiful drive. i can't wait to share it with you. it was gorgeous. i had never been there before. you didn't hit the road, but you did hit the internet. >> i did. >> did you like that transition? i spent all morning working on that one. >> people have a tube and now pets have that. people uploading their videos we have some priceless ones, of course, you have to have the bulldog on the skateboard and we'll show you all of that. >> is this for animals to log in or for smart animals to watch. >> for smart animals. >> first, we are joined by someone you've known for years and years, "l.a. law." he's busy signing autographs. he is too darn good looking. bla blair underwood. you're writing books. what's the appeal? >> you have great stories and great characters and it's another way to tell a story in a different way. >> this is your third book in the series. tell us about the character behind it. >> great to see you. >> i know. it's sunday morning, come on. this is the third in a series, it it follows a character, tennison. and we deal with adoption like angelina and madonna adopting babes and this baby is kidnapped and what i'm most excited about is this thing killed a book and it's a video book. now you don't just read a book. you read it and watch it. >> how does that work? >> you download it to your iphone or kindel and every once in a while, you push video illustrations and it comes to life. it's the future. >> it's brand new. this company started in october of last year. >> and the book again, is called? >> "from capetown with love." >> thank you so much. >> not every author can pull off the book. >> we're coming to you next time to star in the next one. >> you promise? can i get it in writing? ? you would write it on there that would be great. >> we'll get another check of the weather with janice huff. >> hi, jenna. i have a birthday. her friends carla and dana came from atlanta. >> are you excited to be here? >> i'm surprised. >> you got to meet blair. yes, oh, my gosh. happy birthday and these lovely people who have come to "the today show." let's check the weather and see what's going on. it's cloudy in the northeast and the sun is breaking out. we have a few showers and storms brewing across the southern states and the florida panhandle into parts of louisiana, alabama, and western tennessee >> good morning, everyone. i'm tony pan. we're off to a kauai elt start on this sunday. a slight chance for a couple rain showers. most areas will stay dry. the high temperature around 7 s afternoon. across the west, 76 in salt lake city, 62 in san francisco. and now here's lester. >> janice, thanks. as we reported earlier a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit puerto rico this morning. no reports of damage or injuries, but it's another reminder of what we live with especially in california. it's been over 20 years since san francisco endurd a magnitude 7.1 earthquake known around here as the world series quake and many are asking is california due for a big one? >> reporter: it was just 15 seconds. but a lifetime for some who survived it. >> lights were falling out of the ceiling. people were running around screaming. >> the gas lines were broken. >> when i came to, woke up from unconsciousness, i'm looking down at the water. >> severe, major earthquake that struck the san francisco area. >> reporter: it seemed nothing could top what was happening in candlestick park that afternoon. game three of baseball's world series between the san francisco giants and oakland as was about to start. >> all of a sudden the first thing i thought was the people above us in the upper deck or in the mezzanine pounding back. >> reporter: al michaels was co-hosting the tv pre-game show. >> we're having an earthquake! >> i think the words that came out was earth -- and you had a little bit of the cue sound as a k and we got knocked off the air. >> reporter: that world series broadcast not only alerted the world of what was happening here, it likely saved countless lives that's because thousands of bay area commuters who at normally 5:00 in the afternoon were instead safely parked in front of their tv sets watching the game. >> reporter: still, 42 people died when part of the nimitz freeway in oakland collapsed. on the bay bridge which connects oakland to san francisco, part of the upper roadway gave way just as drew stephan was driving across it. >> it was like someone had grabbed the end of the bridge and just gave it a great, big shake and the whole bridge started to drop out from underneath me. i remember the last thing that i said was we're going die. >> the 6.9 quake struck along the infamous san andre as fault, but that's not the fault that most concerns scientists these days. >> it's a crack that goes down six miles. >> goes down six miles. >> reporter: government geologist david schwartz points to a seemingly innocuous line of cracks that knock the hayward fault, that goes up the heavily populated east bay. >> it hits this wall and over time it actually pulls the wall apart. >> reporter: the last big quake along this fault was in 1868 and scientists say another is due. >> this is the fault that we're really worried about. >> reporter: how krat strofic would the side of a quake be here? >> estimates run anywhere between 11 $220 billion in damage. for more insight i'm joined by richard allen, seismologist and professor of earth and planetary science at uc berkeley. thanks so much for coming on. before we talk about the threat in this part of the country. a 5.7 quake in puerto rico. a lot of us were caught off guard by a quake in haiti. is that a typically seismic active region? >> we've seen quakes in puerto rico and building codes try to take that into being. a 5 is only a moderate earthquake. >> reporter: the bay area and the famous 1906 quake and we talked about the one 20 years ago and the concern about hayward. there have been a lot of earthquakes around the world lately, it seems. are there more than we're used to? >> we've seen a lot of earthquakes and that's for sure. when we look at the total number of events, it's not an unusually large number. we have quite a few beneath populated regions and we've seen the effect of them on our society and that's why it seems there isn't a large number. >> what have you learned from watching the experience in haiti and chile, for example, which was an even larger quake. >> one of the things that we can see is we do know how to build buildings in standard earthquakes and in chile they're built to withstand earthquakes and that's why we saw a relatively small number of fatalities with an earthquake of that size. >> reporter: here we're standing in downtown san francisco and we talked about the threat of the hayward fault and the san andreas. how would they rate compared to what we saw in chill. >> the buildings in california are built to the standards in chile. the catch is that we have to worry about the older buildings, the buildings that were built before modern retrofit standards and those are the buildings that may collapse during a big event. >> reporter: you do have historical models of how different fault lines have created earthquakes along. can that bring you closs tore predictions? can you narrow down and say this year, the next five years. >> we know there will be a big earthquake in the next two decades and that's forecasting and that's as good a job as we can do. we can predict earthquakes and most seismologists know we can't predict in the foreseeable future. we can provide warnings of earthquakes and we can use modern communications to detect the beginnings of an earthquake and provide tense of seconds warning before the shaking starts. >> i keep thinking of the massive population just over my shoulder. there are millions of people over there living on these fault lines. does it make any sense at all? >> well, it's a beautiful place, california. you took a drive down the coastal road yesterday and the same process that gives us this beautiful topography and the beautiful scenery also results in earthquake. they come together. at the same time we have to be ready for the earthquakes and make sure the homes will withstand the shaking. >> professor rich art allen, we do appreciate you being here. >> my pleasure. jenna takes us inside the blue ridge mountains right after jenna takes us inside the blue ridge mountains right after these messages. at cvs/pharmacy, you get a surprise as soon as you walk in the door. just go to the extra care coupon center [beep] and scan your card. then you print your coupons, and surprise! you save. it's so easy. just scan, print, save. scan before, you'll save more. i love my extra bucks! only at cvs/pharmacy. d trip my allergies put me in a fog. now i'm claritin clear. claritin works hard to relieve my worst symptoms without drowsiness... ...so i stay as alert and focused as someone without allergies. for me, claritin is the perfect allergy medicine. i only live claritin clear you know that dunking is for oreo cookies only. if dunking oreo cakesters were acceptable, there would be a song about it. there is. ♪ ice cold milk and an oreo cakester ♪ no. no, that is not -- no, that is wrong. 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[ female announcer ] kids who don't eat breakfast may not be getting the nutrition they need to keep their bodies strong. a nutritious start to the day is essential. that's why carnation instant breakfast essentials supplies the nutrients of a balanced breakfast. so kids get the protein and calcium they need to help build strong muscles and healthy bones. ♪ carnation instant breakfast essentials. good nutrition from the start. i got shotgun there. this morning we continue our series "today hits the road" to take a look at some of america's most scenic drives. yesterday lester took you down pacific coast's highway 1. today we head east to where the country roads take you home and back in time. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: appalachia, god's country where a simpler, quieter life await city folk like me. i didn't know much about it other than it's where they shot "dirty dancing." >> don't break it! don't break it! >> that was good enough for me. virginia is for lovers. let's go on this road trip, shall we? >> blue ridge parkway. here we come. >> and i was off to the countryside, 469 miles long, the parkway winds through the lush, blue ridge mountains between the shenandoah and great smoky mountains national park. this year the park turns 175 years old and to drive it is to reminisce. there is a slow, simpleness of lifestyle in the appalachian and blue ridge region that people lost touch with so they come here and rediscover that or find it for the first time. >> 20 million people a year visit, some finding quaint stops. or nature. >> it's a bunch of bull, if you ask me. >> reporter: or the breathtaking views. ♪ the hills are alive with the sound of music ♪ >> along the way, i turn to music to keep me company. ♪ you're the reason in my life, you're the inspiration ♪ >> i love country music! >> okay. maybe i needed more of an authentic country experience. we pulled up to another local staple, the blue ridge music center. ♪ ♪ >> musicians bobby paterson and willy gayhart shared bluegrass with me. >> something like that. >> i got a little carried away. >> and we ended the day with a little dance. >> here's our finish. ♪ ♪ >> day two, and we head into north carolina after spending most of yesterday in a car, it was time to unbuckle, get some fresh air and experience the parkway on a -- ♪ >> what? >> lynn cove is one of the scenist stretches of the parkway and at 4100 feet it takes countless cyclists to new heights. >> look at that. >> this right here is without a doubt one of the prettiest places you can come to on a bicycle. this is the most amazing way to take in the parkway. >> the only thing better would be, you know, in a car. >> or perhaps a hay ride? at mile post 328, the orchard at alta pass. >> carson is a former rocket scientist. >> i helped put men on the moon in the '60s. >> the whole apple orchard business is not rocket science. >> no it's not. it's tougher. >> after a few stories, the army came right down this road. >> and some is traditional apple stack cake. >> it just melts in your mouth. >> it does. >> my time on the road was coming to a close. i'd almost had the time of my life, but there was just one more thing i had to do. >> so here at park lake cove this, is where they shot the famous dirty dancing scene? >> right here, jenna. >> when in lure. ♪ i had the time of my life ♪ i never felt this way before ♪ ♪ >> lester, i need to mention and be very clear what i'm telling you here. the water was 38 degrees. so while everyone on the boat had jackets and scarves for the sake of this series, and i love this show and this network so much, i went in in a short-sleeve t-shirt and those pants, but i did, indeed, have the time of my life. >> you feel better eshths don't you? i'm not going to answer that question. i'm thinner and there was shrinkage. after the show and let's move right along. you actually headed north to uc merced for a special moment, right? >> uc merced is a 5-year-old school. they got first lady michelle obama to be their commencement speaker. i was there last year to have a preview to her speech and i had this exchange with a student. >> who is your graduation speaker going to be in 2011? >> are you free? >> yeah. and i said sure, four months later i get the letter and asked to become the commencement speaker for this year and then i heard what the first lady had in her remarks. >> next year's speaker better watch out because merced students know how to get what they want. >> yeah, they do know how to get what they want. i had a gait time there last night. they gave me, by the way, this nice t-shirt, and i talked to the students about shutting out all of the noise from the societal echo chamber telling them what to do and to listen to themselves. here's some of what i told them. >> you're not going hear this advice very often, but i'm going to say this this evening. start listening to your own voice for a change. for over 20 years, you've listened to your parents, your teachers, your peers and all of those nameless voice s, cross the digital landscape, but if you've learned how to respect yourself you should respect the little voice inside that spent the last four years or so growing up. you're there. graduates, candidates, good luck, congratulations and thank you in advance for what you will do to make this a better world. >> i had a great time, great folks there, jenna. by the way, they're looking for a commencement speaker for next year. >> that's why you looked so good last night because they probably will ask me and so that will make you look even better. lester, thank you so much. >> all right. >> and we're back after this. >> we'll take a break. steer clr of the confusion, go to metlife.com in less than 5 minutes, you'll get straight answers. like how much life insurance you really need and how much it costs. so, no matter where you end up buying, you'll make the best decision for your family. get guarantees for the if in life. from metlife. build your safety net with $500,000 of coverage for around $20 a month. ♪ traveling in the world of my creation ♪ ♪ what we'll see will defy ♪ explanation [ male announcer ] remember when you were five and anything was possible. ♪ happy 5th birthday again. ♪ come with me and you'll be ♪ in a world of pure imagination ♪ out on the plaza here this morning and let's be honest, everyone. we are obsessed with our pets. it was only a matter of time before there was a website where we can upload videos of lizards, cats, dogs, parakeets, whatever you have. we have youtube and now there's pettube. >> oh! >> pets are part of the family and close to our hearts. and now they've got their own social network. pettube is the latest destination for the precious moments of proud pet owners. >> and for the pets who are ready for their close-ups. created a year ago by matt lockman and his father brad, pettube's animal stars now attract an average of 7 million video views per month. >> we thought it was important to create a funny pet video website because we have the largest library of funny pet videos and we wanted the opportunity to get it. >> it's where pet owners share the joys of dinner time. or celebrate sporting abilities. show case special skills. >> good. >> and strange partnerships. and, of course, those quirky moments. >> i think people watch videos on pettube and then get inspired to add their own video to the community. >> it's a little bit of cute and a lot of unexpected as pets go viral and the internet goes to the dogs. >> jenna, some of those animals are more talented than many of my friends. >> i'm glad i'm not friends with any of your friends. >> what is this? why do the dogs do this and then do this for a half hour and it keeps them company. >> they're easily amused. >> hold on, let me just try it. go! >> no, i'm just kidding. that was great, willy. we're back right after this. , in a zesty "south of the border" chipotle sauce with red and green peppers, onion, and crisp corn. a bold new taste. i know. but i want people to think i'm a great cook. so hide. delicious! can i have your recipe? your secret is safe with me. hello... new bush's black bean fiesta. and try new texas ranchero, along with our other grillin' bea flavors. 0 to 60? or 60 to 0? [ tires screech ] how a car performs in a quarter-mile? [ engine revs ] or a quarter-century? is performance about the joy of driving? or the importance... of surviving. to us, performance is not about doing one thing well. it is about doing everything well. because in the end... everything matters. performance without compromise. that is what drives us. time for a check on what's coming up this morning on "meet the press" and david gregory joins us from washington. good morning. >> good morning, lester. a critical moment for the president and the future of the supreme court. will elena kagan become the president's confirmed nominee? we will speak to two key voices that will determine whether she gets to the high court. this is senator schumer of new york of the judiciary committee and also senator mitch mcconnell, the republican leader and our roundtable on big politics next week. important primaries in this midterm year, lester? >> we'll see you then. thanks. >> and that's going to do it for us on this sunday morning. willy geiss, janice huff, thank you so very much. next weekend, amy's going to continue on series on "today hits the road" she's taking us down rou >> congressmen elijah cummings is our sunday "q&a" guest. new waterproof additions we will show you. >> the weather is pretty quiet, but we have some rain boss: so word's gettin' out that geico customers could save even more on their car insurance by signing up for other things - like homeowner's or renter's insurance. nice work, everyone.