See America
84 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 222 ratingsA podcast about great destinations. Join us on one epic road trip across America.
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Episodes
The Last Blockbuster
September 30, 2021 06:52 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBBefore streaming services we had Blockbuster - but did you know one remains in operation? On this episode, we share the downfall of Blockbuster, and how the Bend, Oregon location keeps its doors open to this day.
The Empire State Building
September 21, 2021 11:50 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBOver the more than 200 years of its existence, the US has become home to a number of iconic sites that domestic and international travelers alike place at the top of their must-see lists. The classic memorials and museums circling Washington, DC spring to mind, of course, because of their importance to both the history and future of our country, but other cities outside our capital possess an immediate connection with a building or structure: for instance, San Francisco’s graceful and majest...
Somewhere Over Wamego: The Wizard of Oz Museum
September 09, 2021 06:02 - 12 minutes - 11.5 MBThe small town of Wamego, Kansas, with its modest population of nearly 5,000, is not a sprawling, sepia-toned farmland featuring Aunty Em, Miss Gulch, and Professor Marvel. It does not look like much of the Midwest landscape that comes to mind. Oh, no. Wamego, Kansas has poppy fields and Emerald Cities; yellow brick roads and ruby red slippers and lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Because somewhere over the rainbow is Wamego, Kansas, a town whose cultural identity has been oz-ified into no ...
Ben & Jerry‘s
September 03, 2021 18:00 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBFrom modest beginnings in the small town of Burlington, Vermont, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and other products can now be found in freezers in over 30 countries. This is their story.
Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve
August 26, 2021 04:39 - 8 minutes - 8.06 MBEvery year, from February to May, 1,800 acres of desert plateau spring to life with color. Purples, yellows, oranges, and blues all come together on the sprawling arid landscape to emulate an Impressionist painting; a fluid composition of light and hue, playing with intensity and movement. The four-petaled, burning orange poppy is illuminated as it contrasts with a vast, blue California sky. This week on the See America Podcast, the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in Los Angeles County, Califo...
Cahokia Mounds
August 18, 2021 21:25 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBWhen Americans travel internationally, they often encounter nations and civilizations far older than their 245-year-old home country. As they explore new cultures, the travelers learn the depth and breadth of antiquity, often well-preserved, in many of these foreign lands. How wonderful it is, they marvel, that we can take a trip back in time and see government buildings, houses of worship, homes, roads, markets: elements of entire societies that were established and active hundreds of yea...
The Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
August 10, 2021 04:28 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBEvery October the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta creates an enchanted world of vibrant balloon-filled skies, special-shaped balloon rodeos and twilight balloon glows. In Balloon Fiesta Park, visitors walk alongside the balloons, witnessing these colorful, graceful giants inflate and leave the ground against the backdrop of the cerulean desert sky. The number and enormity make you feel like a kid again, immersed in a wondrous world of color and light, of excitement and sound. If...
City Light's Bookstore & The Beat Generation
August 07, 2021 23:02 - 8 minutes - 7.91 MBThis week, The Beat Museum, City Lights Bookstore and the movement of a Generation that all started in San Francisco, California in the 1950s. These artists wielded their medium to question mainstream politics and culture, ushering a renaissance of new ways of thinking and creating in the world. If you're enjoying the show, please consider helping us reach even more people by leaving a five-star review on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/see-america/id1479148682 Save...
City Light‘s Bookstore & The Beat Generation
August 07, 2021 23:02 - 8 minutes - 7.91 MBThis week, The Beat Museum, City Lights Bookstore and the movement of a Generation that all started in San Francisco, California in the 1950s. These artists wielded their medium to question mainstream politics and culture, ushering a renaissance of new ways of thinking and creating in the world. If you're enjoying the show, please consider helping us reach even more people by leaving a five-star review on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/see-america/id1479148682 Save...
Winter Island
July 21, 2021 06:48 - 12 minutes - 11.7 MBThe Boston metropolitan area offers a rich and intriguing look back to several significant points in American history: the landing of the Mayflower, the Boston Tea Party, the War of 1812. One community close to Boston that has held multiple levels of interest and fascination for literally centuries is the small town of Salem, 15 miles northeast of Boston proper. Most people know Salem primarily as the site of the notorious 1692 Salem Witch Trials, as well as for its many references in medi...
House on the Rock
July 15, 2021 04:50 - 9 minutes - 8.94 MBA 200 foot sea creature that’s bigger than the statue of liberty. The largest carousel in the world, illuminated by over 20,000 light bulbs. A room that goes on forever. The largest collection of miniature doll houses and circuses - all under one roof. Today, we’re visiting what’s been called “the fever dream of the Midwest,” House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wisconsin.
The Isabella Steward Gardner Museum
June 29, 2021 20:02 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBEarly in the morning of March 18, 1990, two thieves disguised as police officers robbed a Boston museum of thirteen works worth some $500 million – the greatest known property theft in history. Among the works was The Concert, one of only 34 known by Johannes Vermeer and thought to be the most valuable unrecovered painting at over $200 million. And The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt's only known seascape. The story of the theft and its subsequent investigation is told in a thrilling...
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
June 29, 2021 20:02 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBEarly in the morning of March 18, 1990, two thieves disguised as police officers robbed a Boston museum of thirteen works worth some $500 million – the greatest known property theft in history. Among the works was The Concert, one of only 34 known by Johannes Vermeer and thought to be the most valuable unrecovered painting at over $200 million. And The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt's only known seascape. The story of the theft and its subsequent investigation is told in a thrilling...
The PEZ Museum
June 22, 2021 05:13 - 10 minutes - 9.75 MBPEZ. Known for its collectible dispensers depicting thousands of beloved characters and for its fruity brick-like candies, the brand has solidified its place in United States pop culture. From stocking stuffers to Easter baskets, PEZ is a nostalgic staple constantly innovating its appeal to kids and collectors alike. Nestled in Orange, Connecticut, with over 4,000 square feet of PEZ collecting goodness, one Museum offers a peek into all things PEZ.
Chicago's Museum Campus
June 16, 2021 07:53 - 9 minutes - 8.92 MBIf you’re looking for places to visit that are visually and audibly stunning, spark the imagination, are in close proximity, appeal to the whole family, and are educational to boot, one of the best and most unique ideas is Chicago’s own Museum Campus, located on the shores of Lake Michigan, a short distance from downtown. While two components of the Museum Campus include the historic Soldier Field football and soccer stadium (home of the Chicago Bears) and the gigantic McCormick Place conven...
The Heidelberg Project
June 09, 2021 05:52 - 13 minutes - 12 MBArtist Tyree Guyton is on a mission to rehabilitate the image of his community through art. Discarded stuffed animals cling to a boat like barnacles, an old, bright pink hummer shell protrudes from the ground, colorful polka dots decorate an old two-story house and painted numbers ornament another. Tyree has transformed his city block and his community into the third most visited cultural site in Detroit. This week on the See America Podcast, The Heidelberg Project.
The Georgia Peach Festival
June 02, 2021 02:08 - 9 minutes - 8.44 MBMany popular tourist destinations owe a large part of their identity to a singular aspect of their culture. In France, locals will introduce you to the joys of any one of their thousand distinct cheeses, while thoughts of Brazil might bring to mind their stunning beaches. You know that if you visit Arizona that one way or another, you’ll probably catch a glimpse of the Grand Canyon. If your travels bring you to the great state of Georgia, at some point, unless you take great pains not to d...
Meow Wolf
May 25, 2021 03:40 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBWhat is a “Meow Wolf”? Some have said it's a “psychedelic funhouse.” Some liken it to “Burning Man,” the outdoor music festival. Others say it’s an “intergalactic, interdimensional travel agency.” While most have no idea what we’re talking about. Save 15% on a Roadtrippers PLUS subscription and start building your ultimate road trip. Use code RVMILES2X at checkout. Photo: Rusty Blazenhoff. Connect with See America on Instagram and Facebook, and share your love of road trips in the See ...
The Kennedy Space Center
May 05, 2021 06:08 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBSpace Travel is starting to change dramatically, but the history of space travel is one of the most incredible pieces of America's story, and few places can it be better felt than in Cape Canaveral. I'm Jason Epperson, and this is the See America Podcast. From coast to coast, we See America one mile at a time, discovering stops along the way that are eclectic, historic, ridiculous, breathtaking, inspiring, and humbling. This week, the Kennedy Space Center.
Lookout Mountain
April 27, 2021 05:55 - 10 minutes - 9.41 MBIn the southwestern corner of Tennessee, a mountain towers over the city of Chattanooga, at its peak, it's rumored that you can see 7 states. This destination is certainly one borne of natural beauty and history, but the dawn of auto tourism led it down a similar path as the Niagra Falls - commercial kitsch, with See Rock City signs plastering that 7-state region. That's ok, that nostalgia is historic now, 90 years later. This week, Chattanooga's Lookout Mountain.
The Best Places in America to Pee
April 20, 2021 04:01 - 9 minutes - 8.66 MBSee America is back! We're kicking off season 7 with a fun roundup of some of the most interesting and amazing bathrooms in America, along with the best places to stop when you have to do your business on a road trip!
The Best Places to America to Pee
April 20, 2021 04:01 - 9 minutes - 8.66 MBSee America is back! We're kicking off season 7 with a fun roundup of some of the most interesting and amazing bathrooms in America, along with the best places to stop when you have to do your business on a road trip!
The Nashville Parthenon
March 23, 2021 23:51 - 10 minutes - 9.71 MBThis week, we are adding to our ever-growing list of episodes highlighting international landmark replicas that dot the American landscape with a road trip to the iconic Parthenon, located not in Athens...but in Nashville, Tennessee.
Tombstone
March 17, 2021 02:53 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBThe world's most famous gunfight didn't happen where you think it did, and it only lasted for 30 seconds. But the spat between the lawmen Earps and Cowboy Clantons is one of the most enduring legends of America. And really, how long does a gunfight need to last? The town it happened in is one of the few places you can truly step back in time and be there, much as it was, at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 1881. This week, one of the last boomtowns in the American Frontier, Tombstone, Ar...
The Jell-O Gallery Museum
March 08, 2021 08:07 - 10 minutes - 9.44 MBIn upstate New York, one museum is dedicated to a boxed dessert that's been a part of America for nearly 125 years. America's Most Famous Dessert's success story is the result of marketing that would help shape the advertising industry throughout the 20th century. There's always room for Jell-O... This week, The Jell-O Gallery Museum in LeRoy, New York.
Wild Blueberry Land
February 21, 2021 04:49 - 10 minutes - 9.83 MBThis week, a celebration of the Pine Tree State's 40,000 acres of Wild Blueberries at Wild Blueberry Land in Columbia Falls, Maine.
The London Bridge
February 09, 2021 07:15 - 12 minutes - 11.1 MBOur journey today definitely spends some time in Europe, as much of America's story does. But it ends in the 1970s, in Lake Havasu, Arizona, where a piece of world history was salvaged for a tourist attraction like no other: The London Bridge
Buc-ee's
January 26, 2021 03:17 - 10 minutes - 8.18 MBThis week, we journey to the world's largest convenience store — Texas' famed Buc-ee's. A place filled with miles of treats and sodas and bathrooms so clean you'll hold it for an extra fifty miles just to use them. It's a chain that's become a legend.
Dr Pepper
January 17, 2021 07:07 - 11 minutes - 9.05 MBIt's been called the "King of sodas" and "liquid sunshine," and over the years it's gone through several variations - Red Fusion, Diet Cherry Chocolate, and "made with real sugar," but at the end of the day, the original reigns supreme. In an industry where companies are constantly trying to reinvent themselves, this brand's original formula has stayed near the top of the leader board since it was first introduced over 100 years ago. This week, the history of Dr. Pepper and the Dr. Pepper m...
Wall Drug
January 13, 2021 03:58 - 9 minutes - 7.89 MBOne of the world's most well-known roadside attractions, nearly in the middle of nowhere South Dakota began as a stop for free ice water, coffee, and donuts for service personnel on the way to an Air Force Base. Today, it's a tourism icon. And the coffee price has gone up drastically — from free all the way up to a whopping $.05. This week, the Wall Drug store in Wall South Dakota.
Evel Knievel
January 04, 2021 07:03 - 22 minutes - 18.2 MBEvel Knievel made the leap from rural county fairs to sold-out stadiums through a unique combination of bravado, determination, and promotional genius. He invented himself and his business, jumping, crashing, and miraculously recovering to promise even more outrageous stunts to come.
Alaska and the Aurora Borealis
December 28, 2020 07:49 - 8 minutes - 6.87 MBEach winter, thousands of people descend upon Alaska in hopes of catching one of the most spectacular light shows on earth. Steeped in legends and myths that can be found in cultures throughout the world, these brilliant lights are one of our most majestic natural wonders, and certainly, one of the most highly photographed. Their presence gives a sense of the otherwordly to a state that already feels far removed from its 49 other brothers and sisters. This week, Alaska and The Aurora Boreal...
The West Baden Springs Hotel
December 20, 2020 08:52 - 12 minutes - 9.7 MBIt's surely not a stretch for me to say that most people imagine that all the stunning major hotels in the US are in popular tourist destinations. But what if we told you one that has been called the 8th wonder of the world—an architectural marvel with nearly 250 exquisitely appointed suites, a world-class spa, 45 holes of championship golf, and an atrium dome that was once the largest in the world—is in a town called French Lick, Indiana?
America's Strangest Graves
December 13, 2020 07:00 - 14 minutes - 11.6 MBNormally on this show, we take you to a single destination, but this week we're changing it up a bit. We're going to take a journey across the country to the final resting places of —some famous, some infamous, some completely unknown. These people all left their mark at the last possible moment, with some of the strangest tombs you'll find on earth.
Mark Twain's Hannibal
November 29, 2020 07:41 - 14 minutes - 9.94 MBThe Great River Road follows the Mississippi River’s length, on both sides, providing access to much of this beauty, mixed with the industrial history of America. We’ve covered several Mississippi river towns on this show - Minneapolis, Rock Island, St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans - but there’s one town where you can get the quintessential Mississippi river experience. A town where much of the popular image of the Mighty Miss’ was born, home to Samuel Clemons, who would use a Mississippi Riv...
Jack Daniel's Distillery
November 16, 2020 05:43 - 13 minutes - 9.56 MBJack Daniel’s may sound like a ubiquitous, mass-produced brand, but it’s always been made the same way, in the same place, the same way it was made by the man whose name is on the label.
America's First Bank Robbery
November 09, 2020 08:44 - 11 minutes - 7.79 MBMany historians cite the first bank robbery in the United States as February 13, 1866 when associates of Jesse and Frank James robbed the Clay County Savings Association in Liberty, Missouri. If that date sounds way to modern, your history senses are keen. To find out more about the real first U.S. bank robbery you’d have to travel back to 1798, 68 years before Jesse and Frank James, and 1,127 miles northeast to the city of brotherly love. This week, Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsy...
Lizzie Borden
October 26, 2020 08:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MBLizzie Borden took an axe, And gave her mother forty whacks; When she saw what she had done, She gave her father forty-one. Actually, the bordens received only 29 whacks, not the 81 suggested by the famous ditty, but regardless, Lizzie Borden’s alleged murder of her parents is one of the most famous murder trials in history. This week, on our special Halloween edition of the podcast, the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast / Museum, where you too can sleep if you dare, as the specters of An...
Radio City Music Hall
October 19, 2020 07:03 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MBNew York City. The bright lights of Broadway shine on no less than 40 of the greatest stages on earth, and yet, one venue in the Big Apple outshines all others. This week, Radio City Musical Hall.
The Mall of America
October 14, 2020 08:30 - 10 minutes - 7.47 MBUp until about 30 years ago, there wasn’t much that made the North Star State — Minnesota — a destination for international tourists. It’s 10,000 lakes included. That all changed on August 11, 1992, when 10,000 people all had their first day of work in Bloomington, a suburb of the twin cities, at what would become one of the most popular tourist destinations in America, second only to Times Square. This week, the Mall of America.
Carhenge
October 04, 2020 19:20 - 9 minutes - 6.63 MBIn Wiltshire, England sits a prehistoric monument of epic proportions. Featuring a ring of standing stones each around 13 feet high, seven feet wide, and weighing about 25 tons, Stonehenge is a household name shrouded in folklore and fame. Constructed between 3,000 BC and 2,000 BC it has been legally protected since 1882 and was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. It’s an awe-inspiring and curious site for sure, and if we ever do a See the World Podcast, Stonehenge will be on the shor...
The Library of Congress
September 27, 2020 07:49 - 16 minutes - 11 MBAmerica is home to lots of things that we get to claim are the biggest and greatest, but there’s one facility in the U.S. that probably deserves more bragging rights than any other, and it’s not one that’s often talked about. It’s the biggest library in the world, and It also just happens to be one incredible display of American architecture. This week, the Library of Congress.
Graceland
September 20, 2020 07:37 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBLast week we talked about Elvis’s major failure at the Grand Ole Opry, and this week, we thought it would be a good idea to let him redeem himself. The Opry might be the mother church of country music, but Graceland is the palace of rock & roll.
The Grand Ole Opry
September 14, 2020 07:38 - 15 minutes - 10.9 MBThis week, we take you behind the scenes of the world's longest-running radio show and country music's pinnacle of achievement, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
Grant's Farm
August 23, 2020 07:53 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBSt. Louis, Missouri. Along the mighty Mississippi. Home of the Arch, the Cardinals, and Budweiser beer. Whatever you feel about a “Bud,” the Anheuser-Busch Family revolutionized the brewing industry and distribution of beer to America and the world. And they made a fortune doing it. Here, in the Gateway to the West, you can visit the fruits of their labor, at the estate that is featured in dedicates of Budweiser imagery, with a team of massive clydesdales hitched to that red Budweiser wagon....
The TCL Chinese Theatre
August 16, 2020 09:14 - 13 minutes - 18.1 MBHollywood, California. Land of make-believe. If you’ve ever been, you know that a lot of what is glitters, isn’t actually gold. A trip down Hollywood Boulevard these days is chock full of cheap costumed look-sort-of-alikes. The Hollywood walk-of-fame has somehow become the major symbol of this once harrowed place, and it’s a giant pay-to-pay scam. Does anyone really need to get their picture taken with David Spade’s star? Thankfully, Hollywood Boulevard isn’t all urine stench and phony idols...
The American Banjo Museum
August 02, 2020 08:20 - 13 minutes - 18.5 MBBricktown. Oklahoma city. A museum in this vibrant city tells the story of the only real, truly American musical instrument. It wasn’t just developed in America, it was borne through the struggle for freedom, and tells the story of our country through its percussive draw, its rapid-fire playing style, and it’s expressive and exquisite construction.
Pikes Peak
July 28, 2020 07:48 - 12 minutes - 8.79 MBAs anyone who’s visited Colorado Springs can tell you, it sits in the shadow of an ominous mountain - it’s is an amazing sight to behold. The 14,115-foot summit rises over the plains with a sort of ancient majesty. It predates humanity by millions of years and was here long before anyone first settled the region. For centuries and even millennia, it’s been recognized by people of all cultures as one of the most striking landmarks in Colorado. Everyone has had their own name for it, each tryi...
The Mars Cheese Castle
July 19, 2020 21:53 - 12 minutes - 8.5 MBA glowing white stone castle shines like a beacon of hope to weary travelers in the southeast corner of Wisconsin...but no knights in armor or kings and queens live here. This is a castle of another type, one that enshrines Wisconsin’s most prized product. Cheese. This Week, Kenosha Wisconsin’s Mars Cheese Castle
Central Park
July 12, 2020 03:39 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBAmidst the hustle and bustle of America’s largest city sits an incredible greenspace that just happens to be one of the most filmed locations in the world, appearing in over 350 films and counting over the years. It’s been home to dozens of iconic concerts and is the second most visited tourist destination in America. Yet it’s so big, it never really feels too crowded. It also happens to be America’s first landscaped public park: New York’s Central Park.