Send us Fan Mail

A single road sign can change your whole day. One minute you’re cruising the highway, the next you’re pulling off because the town name is so bizarre you have to know the story behind it. That’s the spark we follow as we dig into five weird and wonderful town names across the United States, using our road trip instincts and our geocaching mindset to figure out what’s actually worth stopping for once you get there.

We start with Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico, a hot springs town that literally rebranded itself after a famous game show and ended up with a funky, artsy desert vibe and nearby views around Elephant Butte. Then we head to Intercourse, Pennsylvania, where the original meaning of the word was far more wholesome than today’s jokes, and where Amish country shops, famous movie history from Witness, and a standout geocache turn a quick laugh into a real stop. From there it gets even stranger: Toad Suck, Arkansas leans hard into its legend with a festival and toad races, and Chicken, Alaska brings gold rush energy plus a “we couldn’t spell ptarmigan” origin story that might be the most practical naming decision ever.

Along the way we share real-life travel logistics too, including big-time vacation planning, passport renewal surprises, and the kind of small-town pride that makes places like Why, Arizona feel memorable even with a tiny population. Subscribe for more small town travel, geocaching-friendly stops, and road trip ideas, then share this with a friend and leave a review. Which town name would make you slam the brakes and detour?

ShellBee Homestead Youtube

Geocaching Vlogger Youtube

Support the show

Facebook
Instagram
Youtube

Send us Fan Mail

Four giant eggs. Four towns with big pride. One very specific kind of road trip that only makes sense once you’ve done it. We’re leaning into Easter season the way we know best: skipping the usual bunny-and-church talk and hunting down oversized egg landmarks across the USA, then using each stop to uncover the local history that made it possible in the first place.

We start in Wilson, Kansas with the World’s Largest Czech Egg, a towering, hand-painted tribute to Czech heritage that turns the whole town into a mini egg walk. From there we head to Winlock, Washington, where the town’s egg farming past still shows up loud and proud in the Winlock Egg and the annual Egg Days Festival. If you’re planning Pacific Northwest travel, this one lands nicely between Seattle and Portland and makes a fun geocaching-adjacent detour.

Next up is Mentone, Indiana, home of a 10-foot concrete egg built to promote a classic small-town egg festival and keep the community on the map. We wrap in Lorain, Ohio with the giant Easter basket in Lakeview Park on Lake Erie, a Depression-era joy project that’s still a perfect photo spot today and somehow has a geocaching-sized gap nearby that needs fixing.

We also share a clear update about our upcoming podcast break and how we’ll keep patrons in the loop with golden nuggets while we regroup. If you enjoy quirky roadside attractions, small-town travel, geocaching, and festival culture, hit subscribe, share this with your road trip buddy, and leave a review so more travelers can find us.

Support the show

Facebook
Instagram
Youtube

Send us Fan Mail

A haunted clown motel next to a cemetery. A gas station exhibit simply called “The Thing.” A Stonehenge replica built from old American cars. Then, somehow, a gigantic mailbox you can walk into takes the crown. That’s the kind of chaos we love, and it’s why our annual Roadside Attractions March Madness is back.

We’re joined by returning guest Megan Bannister of Oleo In Iowa, a roadside attraction expert who chases hidden gems, world’s largest things, and small-town oddities for a living. Together we run a bracket seeded with help from ChatGPT, debate what truly counts as a roadside attraction, and make tough calls when beauty, history, and pure weirdness collide. Along the way we hit favorites like Carhenge in Nebraska, Salvation Mountain in California, the Clown Motel in Nevada, Dr Evermor’s Forevertron in Wisconsin, and the surprisingly emotional lore of a giant pencil sharpening party.

If you’re planning a USA road trip, a Route 66 detour, or you just want a better list of quirky roadside stops worth pulling over for, you’ll leave with fresh ideas and strong opinions. Subscribe for more travel stories, share this with a road trip buddy, and leave a review with the weirdest roadside attraction you’ve ever visited.

Megan - https://olioiniowa.com/

Support the show

Facebook
Instagram
Youtube