Treasures of our Town

Link - https://skydrift.world/

You can love travel and still be stuck at home, stuck at work, or stuck in a waiting room. That’s why we brought on Rob (president of Munzee and part of the Skydrift team) and Scott (the developer behind Skydrift) to talk about a different kind of location-based game: one that’s calm, slow, and surprisingly addictive.

Skydrift Explore the World is a GPS-based idle travel game where you launch hot air balloons from your real location and let them drift across real maps. Along the way, you see what your balloon flies over and collect digital postcard moments when it lands. We dig into who it’s for (geography nerds, travelers, families, achievement hunters), how features like daily balloons and long-distance flights keep things moving, and why a “low and slow” design can still scratch the geo itch for geocachers and Munzee players.

Scott also pulls back the curtain on the build: iOS, Android, web, and an API that schedules flights, plus how AI can speed up development without replacing the human work of testing, filtering content, and responding to player feedback. We also cover privacy choices (like not showing balloons immediately near your launch point), the free-to-play model, and how optional purchases support servers without turning the game into pay-to-win.

If you’re curious about virtual travel, location-based gaming, or just want a relaxing app that makes the world feel bigger, give this a listen, then download Skydrift Explore the World and tell us where your first balloon lands. Subscribe, share the show, and leave a review so more explorers can find us.

Open Audio

Airplane Pet Peeves & the Joy of Flying

September 21, 2026

We vent our biggest air travel pet peeves from the gate to baggage claim, then zoom out to remember why flying still feels like a modern miracle. We share the etiquette rules we wish everyone followed, plus the tiny in-flight wins that make the whole trip smoother.
• gate crowding and lining up before your zone
• oversized carry-ons and aisle-blocking during boarding
• middle seat armrest “rights” and seat choice trade-offs
• seatback grabbing and other personal-space violations
• window shade control and being mindful of glare
• chatty seatmates and simple ways to signal “not today”
• the great reclining debate and why it changes everything
• seat swap etiquette and when to say no
• the gross stuff like bare feet, hair over screens, and nail clipping
• standing up right after landing and pushing past rows
• baggage carousel crowding and how to speed it up for everyone
• the joys of flight, disconnecting, and the adventure waiting on arrival
• geocaching, Adventure Labs, and Munzee opportunities during layovers
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The Great Minnesota Getaway: Why the State Fair Feels Like Travel

September 7, 2026

The Minnesota State Fair isn’t just a fairground, it’s a full-blown temporary city, and walking through the gates feels like crossing a border. The sounds change first, then the smells hit, then the crowd closes in, and suddenly you’re “traveling” without ever leaving the Twin Cities. We’re joined by our friend Tim, also known as Minnesota Boy, to help us translate the Great Minnesota Get Together for anyone who loves road trips, local culture, and finding hidden gems in plain sight.

We get practical about how to do the Minnesota State Fair without burning your whole day in lines: how big it really is, why you can’t simply “wing it,” and how the official Minnesota State Fair app (and even an AI-built itinerary) can help you plan around schedules, distances, and those must-try foods that only exist in one location. Then we dig into the fun stuff: Pronto Pup vs corn dog, roasted corn dipped in butter, deep fried green olives, Sweet Martha’s cookies, all-you-can-drink milk, and the brand-new foods that create blockbuster lines.

But the best travel stories aren’t only about eating. We talk agriculture and tradition too: livestock barns, 4-H competitions, the Miracle of Birth exhibit, crop art made from Minnesota-grown seeds, and the dairy building’s butter sculptures including Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Add in live music stages, grandstand concerts, classic rides, people watching, and rapid-fire “best of” picks, and you’ve got a one-day guide to seeing Minnesota through travelers’ eyes.

If you enjoy travel podcasts, state fair food culture, and quirky American traditions, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who’d love the fair, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the show.

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Why You Should Visit "The Geocaching Capital of the Midwest" (West Bend, WI)

August 24, 2026

Craig’s internet went down, so I grabbed the mic, opened GarageBand, and turned a quiet week into a full-on geocaching travel report. If you’ve ever wondered what makes a mega event feel genuinely worth the drive, West Bend, Wisconsin has an answer: the $1,000 West Bend Cash Bash, a town that embraces geocachers, and a lineup of brand-new hides that are actually creative, polished, and fun to do back-to-back.

I walk through why West Bend has built a reputation as the geocaching capital of the Midwest, from the scale (they advertise 1,200 geocaches within 10 miles) to the tradition of releasing 50 new caches for the event. I break down how the cash raffle and prize tickets work, what the “all things Wisconsin” theme looks like on the trail, and the specific caches that made me laugh out loud, including a cheese shop-style container, a Quick Trip multi that nails the gas station vibe, a Hodag creature build, and even a cow you get to “milk” to earn the find.

There’s also the people side: seeing familiar faces, meeting newer geocaching creators Mitch and Becca, and trading my shareables in person for the first time. I wrap with practical planning tips for next year (timing, lodging, and why an Airbnb can beat inflated hotel rates) plus a bonus detour to the Miller Brewery tour in Milwaukee, complete with a geocache that’s been around since 2001.

If you enjoy geocaching stories, gadget caches, Midwest travel, and destination-worthy hide quality, subscribe, share this with a caching friend, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.

Open Audio

Midwest Geobash Unpacked with Scott Berks

August 10, 2026

We head to Wauseon, Ohio for Midwest Geobash with geocacher and longtime podcaster Scott Burks, digging into why this mega feels like geocaching summer camp. Along the way, we get real about event culture, trading, and what makes a small-town weekend turn into a community tradition.
• why Midwest Geobash feels different from most mega events
• camping onsite and how it changes the whole weekend
• GCPC live call-in dynamics and building a listener community
• Area 51 nightlife rules and the late-night social scene
• vendors, food trucks, tournaments, poker run, and the massive silent auction
• pathtags, flashtags, and the rise of digital shareables
• how geocachers pump money into local Wauseon businesses
• teardrop camper pros for nimble, affordable travel
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Scott Camper

The Geocaching Podcast