Uncovering The Corners Of The World

After crossing the bridge from Arizona to California, we arrive in Needles to explore a historic freight and passenger depot called El Graces. Next, we order a stack of fluffy, golden pancakes topped with strawberries at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant before searching for mysterious guardian lion statues in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Lastly, we drive to Amboy to find the iconic Roy's Motel and Café and explore a symmetrical crater at Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark.

“On this day in 1863…absolutely nothing happened,” are the words written on a plaque in Seligman, AZ, a town founded in 1886, and our first stop this week. In Houck, we cross the 77-foot-long Querino Canyon Bridge overlooking the Querino Canyon, before we stay at one of the last surviving iconic Wigwam Motels in Holbrook. Lastly, we stop at a small town that made a short appearance in the 1940 film “The Grapes of Wrath” to buy some souvenirs.

Williams, Arizona is the "Gateway to the Grand Canyon" and the last town that was bypassed by I-40. We start our road trip this week in Williams, AZ, a town 60 miles away from the Grand Canyon. Driving two hours east, we explore petrified wooden logs scattered around the Petrified Forest National Park and an art piece dedicated to Route 66 history. In Winslow, we investigate a meteor crater that could fit 20 football fields on its floor.

Along Route 66 in Arizona is Two Guns, a ghost town surrounded by a legend of murder and paranormal curses. A detour from Route 66 takes us to the Grand Canyon to explore a different side of the geological wonder and the hidden waterfalls in a remote small village. In Flagstaff, we hike alongside cliff dwellings built in the canyon.

In the "Land of Enchantment," we rest at the historic Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, before buying unique gifts at Tee Pee Curios (gift shop). While passing through Albuquerque, we cross a bridge that was once part of Route 66. Then, we search for Acoma Pueblo, which is home to a Native American tribe that has lived in New Mexico since 1150 A.D., or even before that.

Through twists, turns, and dead ends, we drive to New Mexico to discover a highway that plays parts of “America the Beautiful.” Next, we admire the architectural ruins in Pecos National Historic Park. Lastly, we drive through Glorieta, New Mexico to find the Pigeon's Ranch, a building used as a battleground, hospital, and prison in the Battle of Glorieta.

We're back this week in Shamrock, Texas, as we search for the States of Route 66 Mural. For lunch, we compete in the "World Famous 72-ounce Steak Challenge" at the Big Texan Steak Ranch. In the small town of Groom, Texas, we find a 190-foot cross and a tower that looks like it could tip over. Music is "McCarthy" by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

In the Lone Star State, we find a station and café that is similar to a building in a Disney/Pixar movie. In Amarillo, Texas, we look closer at the ten colorful Cadillacs buried in a flat open field. Lastly, we try not to touch the barbed wire sculptures at the Devil's Rope and Route 66 Museum. Ouch! Music is "McCarthy" by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

In the "Oil Capital of the World," we grab our cameras and take photos of the tallest oil derrick (currently) in North America at the Route 66 Historical Village. Next, we put on an apron and "serve" soda at the National Route 66 Museum and Old Town Village as we visit each museum to see antique cars and rare historical documents that capture Route 66 and the early life in Oklahoma. Lastly, in a living ghost town, we tug the door to the One Room Jail in Texola, OK. Music is "McCarthy" by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

About 400 miles of Route 66 runs diagonally through Oklahoma, our next state on our Route 66 trip. In Arcadia, we walk around the only wooden round barn on Route 66. Next, we take a bite of the legendary Route 66 cookies at Dairy King, in Commerce, OK. Lastly, just across the street from Dairy King, we take a few photos of a service station where supposedly Bonnie and Clyde might have stopped there for gas. Music is "McCarthy" by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)

Before we part ways with Missouri, we take a train ride at the National Museum of Transportation. In Galena, Kansas, we meet the characters from the 2006 animated movie Cars (Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, Luigi, and more) scattered on Kansas's 12.8-mile stretch of Route 66. Lastly, we fasten our seatbelts as we drive on a bridge built in 1923. Music credit to 'McCarthy' by Blue Dot Sessions

Next one our Route 66 road trip is Missouri where the road extends for more than 280 miles in the state. Our first stop is in Cuba, Missouri, to see The World's 2nd Largest Rocking Chair, but the only largest rocking chair on Route 66. Next, we calculate time using Missouri's Stonehenge before cooling off at Grand Falls.

Route 66, also called the Mother Road, weaves 2,400 miles with gusty winds on open-fields, scorching deserts covered in lava beds, and ends on pier lined with palm trees as tall as skyscrapers. To embark on the ultimate Route 66 road trip, we start in Illinois where the road begins. Along the way, we test our reflexes at Arcadia: America's Playable Arcade Museum, take some photos of the World's Largest Railsplitter Covered Wagon in Lincoln, IL, and stroll through the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

Amongst Costa Rica's abundant wildlife, there is one particular animal people can't wait to see. Collin Sugg shares with us the curious creatures that you might cross paths with in Costa Rica, and digs into the history of some of San José's landmarks including the National Theater, an opera house built in 1897 to accommodate a legendary opera singer. He also leaves us with some tips to consider before booking a flight to Costa Rica. (Part 2 of the “Tasting Pura Vida: Collin Sugg's Adventure in Costa Rica”, episode 85).

Why are Starbucks coffee beans grown in Costa Rica? What is the proper technique for tasting coffee according to Starbucks? What are some cultural differences between the US and Costa Rica? These are just some of the questions that my good friend and fellow podcaster, Collin Sugg (along with his cat Tom Barnaby) answers this week as he retells his trip to Costa Rica. This episode is divided into two parts (Episode 85 and 86), be on the lookout for the episode 86 coming soon!

The Daniel Hess Carpet Sweeper from 1860 is one of 100s of vacuum cleaners that line the walls of the Museum of Clean, our first stop this week. Next we cool off from the heat by descending towards Shoshone Ice Caves that may be haunted. Our last stop this week is at Shoshone Falls - the “Niagara of the West.”

Ironically, potatoes are not native to Idaho. To understand everything there is to know about potatoes in Idaho we start our trip by staying a night at the Big Idaho Potato Hotel and then learn about the potato industry at the Idaho Potato Museum and Potato Station Cafe. We end our road trip this week in Cottonwood, ID, to visit a non-potato attraction.

Happy New Year 2024! We start the new year by maneuvering a 30,000 lb wheel loader (excavator) at a heavy-equipment playground on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. Next, while on the "Loneliest Road in America," we cross the border to the Republic of Molossia. Then we stop by the Stokes Castle, a three-story granite tower in the Nevada desert.

In the hottest and driest area in the United States, we visit a mining town that used to transport a chemical across rough roads from Furnace Creek to Mojave. Next, we visit Berlin-Ichthyosaur (Ick-theo-saur) State Park to see a ghost town that is also the site of 225-million-year-old marine reptile fossils. Lastly, we grab a drink at the Ponderosa Saloon before we head downstairs to explore its underground gold mine.

What better way to celebrate Halloween than in city (in Minnesota) that claims to be the first in the United States to host a Halloween celebration? In Death Valley National Park, we find a ghost town with some eerie sculptures and a haunted tale. Lastly, we visit the filming location of the 1998 movie Halloweentown.

Tug-of-war might be a friendly backyard game, but it is an intense annual competition in Port Byron, IL, and LeClaire, IA. These two small towns stop all river traffic to pull a 2,700-foot rope across the Mississippi River. Besides cheering on our favorite team (or state) at Tug Fest, we look for the 30-foot-bicyclist statue in Port Byron, IL, and then count the matchsticks in the Harry Potter's Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sculpture at the Matchstick Marvels Museum in Gladbrook, IA.

The "World's Largest Indoor Carousel," a 200-foot tall blue whale, and a mechanically operated 80-piece orchestra ensemble are a few of the surprises that we find in the House on the Rock this week while in Wisconsin Dells. Next, we sail down the Wisconsin River and stop to see a dog recreate the "Leaping the Chasm" photo, before diving into Lake Delton on the Original Wisconsin Duck.

Roanoke Island's first English settlers vanished without an explanation. On Roanoke Island, we stopped by the Fort Raleigh Visitor Center to read about the "Lost Colony," Native Americans, and the Freedman's Colony. In Manteo, North Carolina, we peer out of the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, a replica of the 1877 lighthouse. At the Roanoke Island Maritime Museum, we observe staff restore historical vessels.

(Part 2 of "The Alaskan Excursion with Collin Sugg") Are there ghosts in Skagway, AK? Who won the Lumberjack Competition in Ketchikan? How can you get to Juneau? Fellow podcaster Collin Sugg explains the darker side of Skagway and narrates the Lumberjack Competition between the US and Canadian teams. He leaves some tips and advice for those planning to take a cruise to Alaska.

Fellow podcaster and returning guest Collin Sugg walked me through his first ever cruise trip to Alaska. His sightseeing excursion started in Seattle, Washington, where he stopped by the Space Needle, the pop culture museum, and a stained glass garden. Before arriving in Alaska, Collin recommends some of the activities to try while at sea.

A dream castle with a heartbreaking ending resides on Heart Island, our first stop this week in New York. Next, we discover the life of the "conservation" President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site. Finally, we hike the Gorge Trail at Taughannock Falls to view a waterfall that is taller than Niagara Falls.

A thick white fog wraps around the Appalachian Mountains as we drive towards the Great Smokey National Park this week. Before we enter the park, we examine rods and lures at the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians. Next we taste various flavors of honey in Robbinsville, North Carolina. Lastly, we explore one of Great Smokey Mountains National Park hidden attractions — a lost town submerged in the Fontana Lake.

Connecting the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina/Tennessee is the Blue Ridge Parkway. We drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, a two-lane road that zigzags through the Appalachian Mountains. Along the way, we climb to the highest point on the parkway, before stopping at an overlook to search for the Glassmine Falls. Then we tour the Mabry Mill, built around 1905, and the Puckett Cabin, the former home of a midwife.

Following the Nine-Mile Canyon road to the Book Cliffs, we look for a rugged canyon wall covered with more than 10,000 intricate petroglyphs. Next, we race across a salt desert and try to set the fastest land-speed records. Lastly, about a five-hour drive from the salt flats takes us to Moab, Utah, where we stop at an underrated national park to view its diverse spectacular landscape.

She crunches numbers by day, and dances the night away at local speakeasies. My friend, Natalia, joins me on this week's episode of Uncovering the Corners of the World podcast to share her recent trip to Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC, where she jokes about reliving the scene from the movie “National Treasure” in real life, shares what an exhilarating night she had out on the town, and leaves us with some advice for those traveling to Washington, DC.

On a lake that is between 3.5 and 8 times saltier than the ocean, we travel to the Antelope Island, an island layered with mysteries. We hitch a ride on the first transcontinental railroad grade at the Golden Spike National Historic Park. In Circleville, we stop by the home of the notorious Wild West Outlaw Butch Cassidy.

This week, we drive to the Chief Joseph Ranch, a cattle ranch and a filming location for a Western TV drama series. Next, we walk through a silver, lead, and zinc mine in a city that was the largest supplier of copper. Lastly, we analyze dinosaur fossils at Makoshika State Park.

Joining me for part 2 of the “Hollywood of the South” tour is Cassidy Stephenson, a video game writer and film enthusiast. In this episode, she continues her Vampire Diaries and Stranger Things tour. She also shares her itinerary for an upcoming trip to Japan. *Be sure to listen to episode 66. “Hollywood of the South” Tour with Cassidy Stephenson Pt.1.

Where exactly was The Vampire Diaries or Stranger Things filmed and where can you find the original houses of Confederate Generals? Video game writer and film enthusiast (and my best friend) Cassidy Stephenson joins me on this episode to share her most recent trip to Georgia searching for recognizable landmarks from the TV show The Vampire Diaries and Stranger Things. *Be on the lookout for episode 67 for part 2.

Between the Northern Rocky Mountains that run through Montana, we find a garden with 1,000 Buddha statues. In Dillion, we travel back to the "Old West," to explore a ghost town known for its gold and lawlessness. At one of Montana's famous national parks, we hike to a hidden passageway that cuts through the Ptmarigan Wall.

Try the sweet sticky maple syrup with us this week at the New England Maple Syrup Museum. In Woodstock, we discover who the first conservationists were at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park. At the Billings Farm, we learn what life was like for a farmer in the 1890s.

We browse books this week at a library that is located both in the US and in Canada. Next, we tour the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream factory before we learn more about the American Resolution at Mount Independence.

RVs or motorhomes have been around since the early 1900s, but how exactly has camping and traveling changed since then? In Elkhart, Indiana, we travel through time at the RV/MH Hall of Fame to see the evolution of RVs, trailers, and motorhomes from the earliest models to the modern types. Next, we visit Indianapolis, or rather the catacombs that lie underneath the city. Lastly, we stopped by Mentone to see a 3,000-pound egg.

Brace yourself for the cold this week as we head to the coldest place on Earth: Antarctica. Our first stop in Antarctica is to see Blood Falls, a red-colored waterfall. Next, we stroll through homes that were constructed as part of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911-1914, known as Mawson's Huts. Lastly, we send a postcard from the only post office located in Antarctica. Welcome to season 5!

From skijoring (a racing sport where a skier gets pulled by a horse) to broomball tournaments to keg toss competitions, these are some of the wildest winter activities and sports that you can find at the carnivals in Colorado, Minnesota, and Iowa.  Luckily, if you are looking for a way to start off your New Year, these carnivals are scheduled for January and February 2023.  Happy New Year! 

Have you ever tried sandboarding? We grab our sandboards and surf the tallest sand dunes in North America at Great Sand Dunes National Park. Next, we search for gold at Argo Gold Mill and Tunnel. Lastly, we spend a few hours perusing comic books at Mile High Comics Megastore.

Surrounded by the San Isabel National Forest, we visit a stone-castle with a tower that measures 160 feet. Next, we see the largest cliff dwelling with 150 rooms at the Mesa Verde National Park. Lastly, we board a locomotive that weaves through mesmerizing and picturesque landscapes within the San Juan National Forest.

On this spooky adventure, we visit the Salem Witch Village in Massachusetts to learn about the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Next, we fly to California to walk through Bodie (at Bodie State Historic Park), a once thriving gold-mining Wild West town that is now abandoned and cursed. Lastly, we question whether Bigfoot, Yetis, and the Loch Ness Monster are just fictional creatures at the International Cryptozoology Museum in Maine. Happy Halloween!

Everything is covered in salt: the stairs, the walls, the statues, and the chandeliers hanging above are covered in salt crystals. We travel to Poland this week and walk down at least 320 stairs to explore the Wieliczka Salt Mine. While we are underground, we join the next tour group and visit the Cracow Saltworks Museum (Muzeum Żup Krakowskich Wieliczka), the largest underground museum in Europe. Once we exit the mine, we stop by the Graduation Tower (Tężnia Solankowa) to relax and breathe in the fresh salty air.

We're back in Georgia this week as we explore the ruins of an old mill that produced uniforms for soldiers in the 1840s. Next, we test our taste buds and noses at the World of Coco-Cola museum before we pet alpacas and llamas in Atlanta, Georgia.

No internet service. No cell service. If you're lucky, the last text message you'll get will say "Welcome to Canada," once you depart the ferry on Kelleys Island. We visit Kelleys Island, an island on Lake Erie with more golf carts than cars, even though there is only one golf course (and it's for miniature golf). It's the perfect weekend getaway where we examine the delicate flowers in Kelleys Island State Park and then tour the Charles Herndon Gallery and Sculpture Garden before we learn about commercial fishing at the Kelleys Island History Museum.

This week we are traveling to Georgia to walk through a museum with more than 3,500 lunchboxes at The Lunchbox Museum in Columbus. Next, we sail a boat to Cumberland Island to see the ruins of a mansion from 1884. Lastly, we hike on a trail to see the Little Grand Canyon, a canyon, that is about 1/30th the depth of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Check out Uncovering the Corners of the World podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZW61meM5Hg

70 miles west of Key West is Dry Tortugas National Park, our first attraction this week. Next we travel to Ocala to see the Gypsy Vanner Horses at the Gypsy Gold Horse Farm before we dip our toes into the Warm Mineral Springs in North Port. Lastly, we tour the Pirate and Treasure Museum to learn about the history of pirates. 

Welcome to season 4! We are on the road this week as we travel to the Florida Keys. Along the way, we tour the only International Towing Museum in the world that happens to be in Tennessee before we head off on an expedition through the Myakka River State Park which is home to not only alligators but other wild creatures. Lastly, we drive on a highway that crosses open waters and is near an island.

A legend that is celebrated and feared in Point Pleasant, West Virginia is what we are exploring today at the Mothman Museum. Next, we take a bite out of historic candy that was popular in the 1800s and 1900s. After that, we climb to the top of the Thorny Mountain Fire Tower at Seneca State Forest for a view that takes our breath away. Happy 1st Day of May!

The laws of gravity don't seem to apply as we tour the "Mystery Hole" in Ansted. In Cameron, we examine artifacts that may or may not emit energy that sends chills running down our spine at the Archive of the Afterlife or the National Museum of the Paranormal. Then we face our fear of heights on the bridge walk (an open-air 88 stories high catwalk) under the New River Gorge Bridge.