Treasures of our Town

ShellBee Homestead Youtube

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?

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EGGCELLENT Towns to Visit in the US! (US's Largest Eggs)

March 30, 2026

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.

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Roadside Attraction - March Madness 2026. Featuring Megan (Olio in Iowa)

March 16, 2026

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/

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Roadside March Madness - Patreon Picks

March 2, 2026

Five crowd-powered picks. One gloriously weird bracket. We asked our patrons to nominate America’s best roadside attractions and then argued our way to a final five, weighing what truly makes a highway stop irresistible: surprise, visibility, story, and a dash of “did I really just see that?”

We start by sharpening the definition of a roadside attraction—quirky, often free, and ideally something you can spot or stumble on while cruising—then put it to the test across a spectrum of submissions. Hell, Michigan brings playful immersion with singed postcards, a mini-golf gag reel, and the chance to be mayor for a day. Dignity of Earth and Sky elevates the genre with stainless steel and glass honoring Indigenous heritage, looming beautifully over the Missouri. Solomon’s Castle in Florida delivers pure maker magic, a tin-clad dream built by a single artist that turns oddity into awe.

Along the way, we explore the charm of Hattiesburg’s Pocket Museum Alley, packed with tiny installations, perspective murals, and geocaches—proof that small spaces can deliver big delight. We unpack the Thomas Dambo “Big Rusty” troll and how recycled art can spark a national scavenger hunt. And yes, we wade into Florida weird with Gatorland, tip our caps to the country’s smallest post office, and debate whether the Hollywood sign and dinosaur parks count as true roadside stops or full-on destinations. For dessert: a lonely Big Boy marooned in a Wyoming field, a world’s largest bobblehead, and the Peachoid—an unforgettable peach-shaped water tower with pop-culture cred.

By the end, we tally scores and call in our AI tiebreaker to lock the bracket. If you love geocaching, road trips, and the thrill of pulling over for something delightfully odd, you’ll leave with a punch list of must-see stops and a clear sense of what makes roadside culture so addictive. Join our Patreon to nominate future picks, vote in the bracket, and help steer the show. If this made you smile, follow, share with a road-trip friend, and drop a review—what’s your favorite roadside attraction we should feature next?

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100 Years of Route 66 w/ Valerie Bromann

February 16, 2026

A century on the odometer and still full of surprises—Route 66 turns 100, and we’re hitting the Mother Road with a guide who knows every neon sign, diner counter, and roadside oddity by heart. We welcome back Val Broman of Silly America to share her audacious project: a new Route 66 video every single day this year. From Illinois to California, she’s surfacing icons and deep cuts, proving there’s far more than 365 stories hidden along 2,400 miles of asphalt.

We trade favorites and discover fresh stops that deserve a pin on your map. Think a boom in muffler men across the route, a throwback breakfast at College Street Cafe in Springfield, a retro-chic stay at Motel Safari in Tucumcari, the folk-art wonderland of OK County 66, and the serene glow of Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch in California. We also talk about the dance between nostalgia and new energy—restored service stations, fresh selfie landmarks, and neon parks reviving Main Street after dark.

For travelers who want to plan smarter, Val built Route66Roadmap.com, a free tool that organizes attractions by state and type: roadside attractions, diners, motels, museums, and shopping. You can bookmark stops, shape an itinerary, and prioritize the experiences that matter to you. Geocachers will love how neatly it pairs with Adventure Lab routes and virtuals at famous corners and whales. Whether you’re eyeing a weekend segment or the full Chicago-to-Santa Monica run, you’ll leave with a strategy that mixes history, quirky wonders, and perfect photo ops.

Join us for a centennial celebration that doubles as a practical playbook. Subscribe, share this with your favorite road tripper, and leave a review so more travelers can find these hidden gems. Which Route 66 stop would you choose first?

route66roadmap.com

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