CNMI = Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Saipan, Tinian & Rota Tour Apps

THE SAIPAN TOUR APP! $0.99

• Over 125 sites & points of interest*
• Photos/text of current/missing waysides
• Additional facts, figures and trivia
• GPS locations (opens in Googlemaps)
• Hard-to-find bird & wildlife posters
• National Register of Historic Places sites
• Garapan Heritage Trail sites
• Geocaching&trade sites
• works in offline mode once downloaded

BUY ON THE GOOGLEPLAY STORE

THE TINIAN TOUR APP- $0.99

• Over 60 sites & points of interest*
• Photos,text of current/missing waysides
• Additional facts, figures and trivia
• GPS locations (opens in Googlemaps)
• Hard-to-find bird & wildlife posters
• National Register of Historic Places sites
• Tourist & Motorist Rules of Conduct
• Usable while offline

BUY ON THE GOOGLEPLAY STORE

THE ROTA TOUR APP-$0.99 (COMINGSOON!)

• Over 60 sites & points of interest*
• Photos,text of current/missing waysides
• Additional facts, figures and trivia
• GPS locations (opens in Googlemaps)
• Hard-to-find bird & wildlife posters
• National Register of Historic Places sites
• Tourist & Motorist Rules of Conduct
• Usable while offline
ORDER ON THE GOOGLEPLAY STORE

“Hey Walt! I'm back in South Jersey, and I miss the warmth of the islands. I am excited for your latest project; the idea couldn't have occurred to a better person. If you don't mind my sharing, I imagine uses for your app beyond the obvious. As an island, "ex-pat" I hope to use it to bring my island experiences to life via the visuals and commentary your app provides. I'm going to share it with other ex-pats. When I taught English (essay-writing) at NMC, my students found it challenging to describe their island, beyond, "it has beautiful beaches." This app will broaden their scope.The younger generation could really benefit from this app. If I were to return to the CNMI I would make it mandatory for students to download and consult your app. Have you demonstrated it to NMC? The high schools? Just my two-cents! Anyway, I wish you continued success!”

— C.R., [former English instructor, Saipan-Tinian]

*CATEGORIES: Chamorro / Carolinian/ Pacific island culture, Spanish era, German era & Japanese era, WWII, Memorials, Nature and Saipan Now!
SCOPE: features waysides maintained and/or funded by The CNMI Historical Preservation Office (HPO), National Park Service (NPS), American Memorial Park (AMP), Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA), Mayor's Office and other agencies and organizations.

Parents, teachers, visitors & tour guides!

What are "waysides???"
generic image of wayside

"Waysides" are the informational signs you often find near historic places, culturally-significant sites, monuments, memorials, nature/wildlife conservation areas and scenic spots. They tell an important story and preserve the history and culture of a destination for visitors as well as residents.

With the DiscoverSaipan, DiscoverTinian & DiscoverRota series of self-guided, GPS-aided tour apps, you'll own a permanent record of over 200 waysides, photos and sites! With it, you can: Play the Discover Saipan, Tinian and Rota game with friends and family Discover secret spots and trivia you never knew! Become the expert when you show your guests around the island! Share with and help lost tourists!
• Provide useful information at your fingertips
• Instill a sense of pride in these islands
• Save time (Quickly answer questions ("How deep IS the Marianas Trench???")
• Preserve hard-to-find bird & wildlife posters ("Was that a Kingfisher?!")
• Update the app with each new version!
• Save money! They're all FREE to residents during this initial launch and beta test! REQUIREMENTS: For the best experience, your phone should have
• a default browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) for Googlemaps
• email client (Gmail, Outlook,etc.) to send us feedback

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NEW SELF-GUIDED, GPS-ASSISTED TOUR APP PRESERVES DAMAGED & MISSING WAYSIDE SIGNS IN CNMI
Image to accompany press release:

House of Taga Interpretive Center on Tinian 2020

[Photo: Jan 2020) Informational signs like Tinian's House of Taga Interpretive Center have been inaccessible since Typhoon Yutu. This and most every wayside (past and present) on each island have been transcribed (in English) and are available in the new DiscoverSaipan, DiscoverTinian & DiscoverRota Waysides Tour mobile phone apps, free for 1 week every 30 days!.

"Waysides" are the informational signs you often find near historic places, culturally-significant sites, monuments, memorials, nature/wildlife conservation areas and scenic spots. They tell an important story and preserve the history and culture of a destination for visitors as well as residents. Sometimes, however, those useful waysides fade, become damaged by exposure to the elements, vandalized or even stolen--and may not be replaced due to lack of funding and other reasons. As part of his "Waysides Tour Project," local Saipan author and internet entrepreneur, Walt F.J. Goodridge, has created a free mobile phone app that seeks to preserve the information on over 200 waysides throughout Saipan, Tinian and Rota.

"There've been times I've taken guests to popular spots here on Saipan and Tinian," Goodridge explains, "and I'll discover that a particular informational sign is no longer there. So, I created this resource to effectively restore and preserve damaged or unreadable signs or those that have been (or may soon be) destroyed by typhoons."

For example, the Taga House Interpretive Center with the story of King Taga was destroyed during Typhoon Yutu. However, using photos he'd taken over the years, Goodridge transcribed the full text, and has made it available in the app!

"It's not just for tourists," Goodridge adds. "Families here on island can download the free app, use it to go treasure hunting, and discover things about the islands they can be proud of and share with others (including lost tourists) in a fun, convenient way!"

The Saipan and Tinian apps are being launched in a beta test phase with a call for help for the Rota edition: "If you have any photos of signs on Rota and any island that no longer exist," Goodridge asks, "use the app to send me a message so I can include it."

The apps are available for Android phones in the GooglePlay Store, and an iPhone version will be released (Appstore) soon. Until then, iphone users can bookmark a web version. The tours are also available in paperback format.

COMBINED, THE THREE TOUR APPS FEATURE:
• Over 200 sites and points of interest on Saipan, Tinian & Rota
• Photos & text of existing, damaged and missing "waysides"
• Additional facts, figures and trivia
• GPS locations
• Hard-to-find bird & wildlife posters
• National Register of Historic Places sites
• Garapan Heritage Trail sites
• Tourist & Motorist Rules of Conduct
• Usable while offline

Find it on the Google app store or scan the QR code

ALSO AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK

If you prefer turning pages the "old fashioned" way!

Discover Saipan! The Waysides Tour

A self-guided, GPS-assisted, waysides-included tour using the 125+ informational signs on the island of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)!

by Walt F.J. Goodridge

The Discover Saipan Waysides Tour book cover

"Waysides" are the informational signs you'll find posted near historic places, culturally-significant sites, monuments, memorials, nature/wildlife conservation areas and scenic spots. They tell an important story and preserve the history and culture of a destination for current and future generations of visitors and residents. Sometimes, however, those valuable waysides become worn, damaged by exposure to the elements or simply vandalized or even stolen--and may not be replaced due to lack of funding or other reasons. The Waysides Project is my effort to provide a permanent, portable and preserved record of the many waysides (as well as additional facts and trivia) that tell Saipan's story for visitors and residents alike! Using photographs compiled over the years, the Discover Saipan Waysides Tour booklet is your keepsake record of the images and information of existing as well as "missing" waysides from sites all over the island! Some are quite remote and hidden. Therefore, I've included GPS locations in the paperback as well as in the mobile phone app version so you, your friends and family can go on a "Saipan in a Day" treasure hunt to find them all and effectively give yourselves a self-guided tour of the island! (120 pages; 8.5" x 11"; ISBN-10: ISBN-10: 1-65-154629-0 ISBN-13: 978-1-65-154629-1

Download a preview

Order the paperback edition:

Discover Tinian! The Waysides Tour

A self-guided, GPS-assisted, waysides-included tour using the 60+ informational signs on the island of Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)!

by Walt F.J. Goodridge

Discover Tinian Waysides Tour book cover

The second in the CNMI Waysides Project, Discover Tinian! is a collection of over 60 waysides on this island of beauty and history. Tinian is inextricably linked with one of the most significant chapters in the earth's history: the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan by the United States. Both planes that delivered that destructive payload took off from Tinian--at the time the busiest airfield in the world. Tinian is also home to one of the earliest civilizations on the planet, that of the ancient Chamorro people. These waysides and the resulting self-guided tour will highlight these and other chapters in Tinian's story. (65 pages; 8.5" x 11"; ISBN-10: 1-65-154776-9 ISBN-13: 978-1-65-154776-2)

Download a preview

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Discover Rota! The Waysides Tour

A self-guided, GPS-assisted, waysides-included tour using the 125+ informational signs on the island of Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)!

by Walt F.J. Goodridge

The third in the CNMI Waysides Project, Discover Rota! contains waysides and suggested tour of this island. (50 pages; 8.5" x 11"; ISBN-10: 1-65-155112-X ISBN-13: 978-1-65-155112-7)

Download a preview

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Help Fund the Tour App Project!

You Can Help Fund the Project

This is my personally-funded project. It is not associated with any government agency or organization. If you'd like to help in my research, paying student translators and transcribers, flights to Tinian and Rota, hiring local guides, buying GPS-enabled devices, hosting the website and other expenses, you can donate any amount below! As we say in Jamaica, "one one cocoa full basket!" which means "every little bit helps!" Use the Paypal donate button or the GoFundMe link below! Thanks!--Walt, The Jamaican on Saipan!

Donate via Paypal:

or use QR Code (takes you to paypal site): qrcode for contributing to the Waysides Project

Other books about Saipan

Saipan is a small island in the Western Pacific, but don't let its size fool you, it has countless tales to tell! Join me as I partner with Saipan residents from around the world to share their unique stories.

There's Something About Saipan!
A visitor's guide to fantastic facts, tantalizing trivia, startling statistics, dramatic diaries and hair-raising history from America's most colorful island territory
by Walt F.J. Goodridge

Yes, there's something about Saipan that endears it to visitors and residents alike. But what is it exactly? Is it the weather? Is it the unique history? Is it the warm, welcoming indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian people? Is it the unique mix of guest workers and expats from all over the world? Is it the unique, possibly magical. energetically enhanced proximity to the Marianas Trench, a combination of all these or something as yet unidentified? Read More!

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Chicken Feathers & Garlic Skin
Diary of a Chinese Garment Factory Girl on Saipan
by Chun Yu Wang and Walt F.J. Goodridge

It took a lot of courage for a 25-year-old girl from Wu Xi City in Jiang Shu province, China, who had never flown on a plane, and who had never left home before, to travel 2,000 miles to a foreign country in search of work. It took even more courage to stay once she discovered what life was really like for a factory girl on the island of Saipan in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). This is the only first-hand account of work and life in the garment factories of Saipan. (196 pages; 5.5" x 8.5"; ISBN: 978-0974531342) Read more at www.saipanfactorygirl.com
Also available in Spanish

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Saipan Living!
A comprehensive guide for moving to, finding a job, working, living or vacationing in the Northern Mariana Islands of Saipan, Tinian and Rota!
by Walt F.J. Goodridge

Where exactly is Saipan? Is it a place I can escape to? Can I retire comfortably there? What taxes will I need to pay? Will I be able to vote in the US elections? Do I need a visa or passport to go there? Find out the truth from current, on-the-ground information not even the CIA website, travel guides, or blogs can reveal! Learn everything you need to know about visa & passport requirements, job opportunities, labor laws, expat communities, pets, churches, schools, gun laws, crime stats, the economy, dating, land ownership and much, much, much more! (162 pages; 7" x 10"; ISBN: 978-1481277297) Read more at www.saipanliving.com

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Saipan Now!
A photo adventure
by Walt F.J. Goodridge, Ferdinand Ramos, et.al.

Author, local photographers and visiting tourists team up to create a photo book capturing the beauty, culture and lifestyle of contemporary Saipan! 100 pages; 8" x 10"; PAPERBACK ISBN: 978-1493736379 ) Read more at www.bestofsaipan.com

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Drinking Seawater
a typhoon Soudelor memoir
by Riza Ramos and Walt F.J. Goodridge

On the night of Sunday, August 2, 2015, Typhoon Soudelor made landfall on the island of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Though officially recorded as a "Category 5-equivalent super typhoon," speculation continues that Soudelor's winds far exceeded this category. Cars and even trucks were overturned, and it was later discovered that the wind speed recording equipment was destroyed during the storm; the highest speed recorded before the failure was 180 miles per hour. At the time, it was the most powerful storm to make landfall...ever...anywhere that year.

The eye of a storm is a roughly circular region of mostly calm weather, typically 30-65 km (20-40 miles) in diameter, located at the center of strong tropical cyclones. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the most severe weather occurs. Soudelor's core (the eye and eyewall) was smaller than the island. That's why the devastation on Saipan was so intense, and why the neighboring island of Tinian, only two miles away, was virtually untouched by the storm. Riza Ramos, her husband Ferdinand, and two children survived the devastation of that typhoon at point during which they were actually outside and unsheltered. Drinking Seawater is that story. However there is more... Read more at www.rizaramosbooks.com

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From Bugle Boy to Battleship
a Battle of Saipan and Battle of Guam Veteran's Memoir
Lloyd Glick as told to Walt F.J. Goodridge

Born in California on December 28th, 1923, Lloyd Glick was a naive 18-year-old boy watching a movie at a theater in downtown Berkeley on Dec 7 1941, when they stopped the movie to announce Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Four months later, with his parents' signed permission, he joined the United States Navy. That decision would ultimately land him the position of Musician Second Class aboard the USS North Carolina as a member of the ship's band while it participated in the bombings of Saipan, Guam, Palau, Pohnpei, and battles throughout World War II's pivotal Pacific Campaign.

Bugle Boy to Battleship is Lloyd's fascinating account of his two years at sea, as well as his return to visit the island of Saipan 70 years later.

Bugle Boy to Battleship includes the actual emails that also tell the story of the unique relationship between Lloyd and his "tour guide" --an author living on Saipan--who became inspired by their correspondence to help Lloyd document his story for this and future generations Read more at www.bestofsaipan.com

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Amelia Earhart on Saipan
The mystery solved!
by Walt F.J. Goodridge

It's been known for over 70 years that Saipan figures prominently in Amelia Earhart's fate. Check out this keepsake from my Saipan in a Day-Amelia Earhart tour!

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