John-Boy's radio interview is recorded via a process called electrical transcription. Electrical transcriptions were special phonograph recordings widely used during the Golden Age of Radio. They looked much like LP records, but were only used by radio stations and not for sale to the public.
At Ike's store, Caspar asks for a pack of Wings cigarettes. Wings were a ten-cent economy brand of cigarettes popular during the Great Depression.
The uncredited banjo player for Bobby Bigelow's band is Larry McNeely, an American five-string banjo player known for his collaboration with Glen Campbell.
Erin suggests they name the rowboat Ile-de-France, which was also the name of a famous luxurious ocean liner of the time. The SS Ile-de-France was the favored ship for wealthy, fashionable Americans to travel to Europe on.
First of two appearances by Kathy Cronkite as Sally Barstow. Previously, Cronkite was seen in several earlier episodes in a non-speaking role as one of John-Boy's classmates at the Waltons Mountain school.