Backroad Odyssey : Travel Stories, Van Life & Road Trip Oddities

Eleven kids. Twenty-three grandchildren. One very long walk.

Today we're telling the story of Emma Gatewood - a 67-year-old grandmother who sets out alone to hike ALL 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail. 

We'll explore the ancient history of the Appalachian Mountains, the origins of the trail, and attempt to answer the following question using Emma's fascinating story: 

WHY do we choose to move? 

Here at Backroad Odyssey, we're usually obsessed with the destination. 

Today, in our new iteration of Travel Stories, it's all about the journey.

Works Cited: 

https://grandmagatewood.com

https://www.jstor.org/stable/44131250?searchText=the%20appalachian%20mountain%20trail&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dthe%2Bappalachian%2Bmountain%2Btrail%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Ac1f67e4f400c38c37098f1ae0c2eff19

https://www.jstor.org/stable/25764487?searchText=the%20origins%20of%20the%20appalachian%20trail&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dthe%2Borigins%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bappalachian%2Btrail%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Ae4482aadf5df41c9fbd7e04331c23981

https://www.outdoors.org/resources/amc-outdoors/history/grandma-gatewood-the-first-woman-to-solo-hike-the-entire-appalachian-trail/

https://appalachiantrail.org/about/atc-history/

https://appalachiantrail.org/news-stories/where-the-appalachian-trail-began/

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/geology/appalachians

http://www.virginiaplaces.org/geology/appalachians.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIV2o-OWYTs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIV2o-OWYT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VO2Oujz3jA

Noah and Noodles here!

We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to every listener of Backroad Odyssey.

Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations.

Follow each adventure visually at:

https://www.instagram.com/backroadsodyssey/

Today, we’re heading to the Indiana frontier, where not one, but two bold experiments in utopian living took shape.

First, a deeply religious community led by a self-proclaimed prophet, convinced they were preparing for the Second Coming of Christ. 

Then, a dramatically different vision: a secular society built on equality, education, and shared ownership, led by a Welsh social reformer.

Two visions. Two ideologies. One small town.

Both attempts unfolded in New Harmony, Indiana—and both left behind stories that are as strange as they are fascinating.

So buckle up… we’re off to Utopia friends.

Works Cited: 

https://www.jstor.org/stable/27790455?searchText=robert%20owen&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Drobert%2Bowen%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A729865f03db7e18a3b377a052be0999b

https://www.amazon.com/New-Harmonys-first-Utopians-1814-1824/dp/B0006XMLN0/ref=sr_1_1?crid=D8WN5WDQOEBF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.EZq-yHE7pEvysml3BGzp6-SywGpm4tuU8b8rOtXEvGQhmoCmbOSIo2jl4RgfSeGZS1_Ds5fcLGIRXemg42tBe7vscUmCYUzN3erAizvn8AUy7H32EYcIppNsokXkjdPGte2RMiSSn1T4Vb8-CyTUCw.5cHNPt0SxB01HYicMdo_tzMtDIKl6NuDsqEhxZhHs4Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=new+harmony%27s+First+Utopias&qid=1778114064&sprefix=new+harmony%27s+first+utopias%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-1

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2716919?oauth_data=eyJlbWFpbCI6ImJhY2tyb2Fkb2R5c3NleXBvZEBnbWFpbC5jb20iLCJpbnN0aXR1dGlvbklkcyI6W10sInByb3ZpZGVyIjoiZ29vZ2xlIn0&oauth_data=eyJlbWFpbCI6ImJhY2tyb2Fkb2R5c3NleXBvZEBnbWFpbC5jb20iLCJpbnN0aXR1dGlvbklkcyI6W10sInByb3ZpZGVyIjoiZ29vZ2xlIn0&oauth_data=eyJlbWFpbCI6ImJhY2tyb2Fkb2R5c3NleXBvZEBnbWFpbC5jb20iLCJpbnN0aXR1dGlvbklkcyI6W10sInByb3ZpZGVyIjoiZ29vZ2xlIn0

https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1324&context=masters

https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1377&context=communalsocieties

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2707769?searchText=robert+owen&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Drobert%2Bowen%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Aece5e69492f146ab67e66e74e080afd5&seq=1

https://www.jstor.org/stable/27792086?searchText=robert+owen&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Drobert%2Bowen%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Aece5e69492f146ab67e66e74e080afd5&seq=2

https://www.ijhf.org/members/1980/frances-wright

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2221015?searchText=robert+owen&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Drobert%2Bowen%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Aece5e69492f146ab67e66e74e080afd5&seq=4

https://www.jstor.org/stable/27786079?searchText=new+harmony&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dnew%2Bharmony%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A1d85ec71d8acb464201d9d5ba956b19e&seq=9

https://newharmony-in.gov/about-new-harmony.php

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofWales/Robert-Owen-Father-British-Socialsm/

https://bookviewcafe.com/temporary-utopia-the-lovely-new-harmony-commune/

https://www.econlib.org/library/columns/y2025/schansbergutopianexperiments.html

https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1324&context=masters

https://www.econlib.org/library/columns/y2025/schansbergutopianexperiments.html

https://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/1-segregated/separate-but-equal.html

https://online.utpb.edu/about-us/articles/psychology/the-psychology-of-cults/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyHLLzmNje0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0jCH7QVhm4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmDDCsdQNAY

Noah and Noodles here!

We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to every listener of Backroad Odyssey.

Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations.

Follow each adventure visually at:

https://www.instagram.com/backroadsodyssey/

Who is Jimmy Buffett and why should you care? 

On our drive north, we make an unexpected stop at his childhood home in Pascagoula, Mississippi. 

While visiting locations important to Buffett's life, we ask three simple questions: 

• Who is Jimmy Buffett?
• What is unique about his fanbase?
• Why is it worth looking into the life and legacy of "The Mayor of Margaritaville?

Fan of his music or not - you - like me - will learn something from the life he led. 

Cheers and safe travels! 

As promised, here is some material to look into: Buffett's first band in New Orleans: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PVU4dhQgzY&list=RD7PVU4dhQgzY&start_radio=1

Early Buffett song mentioned in the show: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMn0mP3LsIM&list=RDwMn0mP3LsIM&start_radio=1

Buffett's last known performance, two months before his death:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGDqdEIF8a4&list=RDVGDqdEIF8a4&start_radio=1

Works Cited: 

https://www.amazon.com/Jimmy-Buffett-Good-Life-All/dp/1501132563/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ZPFJCAEK9SF0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sXZUYvIcnlFq-FPD7L7hMejksDMdkzLDqwWAnrhAu8bJmVmqBOefJS-oyL2oiIgmvulSsnyKxKSIoqoe6UUwy69eZ77wq-OsTbBmj0JutNVL_WtYzs3PfExsS8SQtaIYr4P5bCq1sjlF6UHBcuNSWbnYTKALcU_Iqs5l5WPPCbRidfUAJd2vMa77AUWWj5kTuHzJjJr51cHZYP42yyk7Q6JCNS_aRtgQINLNrTCiGpk.2s57gS1KvJExJrkW5dBTSb_Q_Q_szWoSedekzUUCbrY&dib_tag=se&keywords=jimmy+buffet+a+good+life+all+the+way&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1775158981&sprefix=jimmy+buffet+a+good+life+all+the+way%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-1

https://www.history.com/articles/yacht-rock-origins-counterculture-reaction

https://www.michigandaily.com/arts/music/is-jimmy-buffett-yacht-rock-a-look-into-genre-classification/

https://www.jimmybuffett.com/about

https://www.margaritavillekeywest.com/jb-in-key-west

https://www.mobile.org/blog/post/license-to-chill-a-guide-to-jimmy-buffetts-mobile/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-nVWYVTz20

Noah and Noodles here!

We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to every listener of Backroad Odyssey.

Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations.

Follow each adventure visually at:

https://www.instagram.com/backroadsodyssey/

Modern Mermaids are friendly; they haven't always been so kindhearted ... 

Today, we dive into the obscure origins of the mermaid myth, uncover the darker aspects of their story, and attempt to understand modern portrayals of the mythical maid of the sea. 

We'll brave the seas of Ancient Greece, hear the solemn hymns of medieval monks, and witness the ethereal mermaid performances at Weeki Wachee State Park. 

Come on in, the water's fine! Or, is it ...? 

Works cited: 

https://www.jstor.org/stable/44085758?read-now=1&seq=12#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40920822?read-now=1&seq=13#page_scan_tab_contents

https://lithub.com/part-of-our-world-on-the-mermaids-of-walt-disney-hans-christian-andersen-and-w-b-yeats/

https://www.ripleys.com/stories/mermaid-history

https://iakovidis.medium.com/behind-the-mythology-mermaids-749cd44ace5c

https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/marine-mammals/mermaids-manatees-myth-and-reality

https://www.historyhit.com/singing-sirens-the-mesmerising-history-of-mermaids/

https://fairytalefridays.substack.com/p/the-little-mermaid

Noah and Noodles here!

We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to every listener of Backroad Odyssey.

Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations.

Follow each adventure visually at:

https://www.instagram.com/backroadsodyssey/

Welcome to St. Petersburg, Florida.

In between the pristine beaches, thriving art scene, and historic neighborhoods of the aptly named “Home of Perpetual Summer,” we ask three thought-provoking questions:  

What makes St Petersburg, Florida, uniquely deserving of the title “The Home of Perpetual Summer”?

Did a single coin toss, as legend suggests, decide the city’s name?

And finally, how did one St. Pete brewery reclaim and redefine a long-time symbol of oppression within the city? 

Safe travels! 

Works Cited 

https://geog.ufl.edu/2025/04/17/stpete/

https://www.history.com/articles/florida

https://www.weather.gov/fsd/season

https://spmoh.com/betting-on-the-sunshine/

https://www.vox.com/videos/408969/stpetersburg-florida-weather-sunny-sunshine

https://www.greenbenchbrewing.com/green-bench-history

https://spmoh.com/the-life-lies-of-st-petes-founding-mother-2/

https://www.visitflorida.com/travel-ideas/articles/st-petersburg-african-american-deuces-neighborhood/

https://www.stpetebikingtours.com/post/how-st-petersburg-got-its-name-it-might-not-be-what-you-heard

http://www.saint-petersburg.com/famous-people/peter-demens/

https://theweeklychallenger.com/a-visual-history-of-civil-rights-social-change-in-pinellas-county-part-3/

https://tampamagazines.com/a-visual-timeline-of-st-petersburg/

https://www.pelliclemag.com/home/2025/7/14/a-stone-of-hope-green-bench-brewery-in-st-petersburg-florida

Noah and Noodles here!

We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to every listener of Backroad Odyssey.

Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations.

Follow each adventure visually at:

https://www.instagram.com/backroadsodyssey/

Today, we explore one of the most shell-populated shorelines in the world: Sanibel Island. 

Cradled along Florida’s Southwest Coast, the island provides conditions perfect for multitudes of perfectly preserved shells to wash gently ashore.

Why? How? And why should you care? 

Let’s get into it because more than just diving into the unique nature of Sanibel Island, we’ll uncover the nature, origins, and importance of the shells themselves. 

Their story might surprise you. 

Works Cited: 

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40865490?read-now=1&seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2017/february/mollusc-evolution.html

https://environment.yale.edu/news/article/sea-levels-rise-mussels-provide-coastal-ecosystem-protections

https://sanibel-captiva.org/sanibel-island-shelling/

https://www.wanderlustmagazine.com/inspiration/the-worlds-7-best-beaches-for-finding-shells/

https://www.shapeoflife.org/news/featured-creature/2018/02/26/anomalocaris

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDQa0okkpf0

https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/cambrian-arms-race

https://www.iloveshelling.com/blog/seashell-identification/

https://shellmuseum.org/shells-and-science/shells-guide/

https://sanibel-captiva.org/sanibel-island-history-captiva-island-history/

https://sanibelmuseum.org/sanibel-history/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/national-museum-of-natural-history/2022/06/22/the-story-behind-the-seashells-by-the-seashore/

https://www.museumoftheearth.org/marvelous-mollusks#:~:text=Mollusks%20are%20an%20extremely%20diverse,freshwater%20and%20in%20the%20sea.

Noah and Noodles here!

We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to every listener of Backroad Odyssey.

Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations.

Follow each adventure visually at:

https://www.instagram.com/backroadsodyssey/

Welcome to the van! 

During any road trip, questions are bound to arise as your surroundings change. 

Today we ask: 

How and when were speed limits first established? 

Why do trucks have to stop at weigh stations? 

What is the worst state to start a homestead in (and why)? 

And finally, what's the absolute flattest state in the United States? 

Let's hit the road! 

Works Cited: 

https://blog.americansafetycouncil.com/the-history-of-speed-limits-in-america/

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Walter-Arnold-Worlds-First-Speeding-Ticket/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/140314-flattest-states-geography-topography-science

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-2/nixon-signs-national-speed-limit-into-law

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1969-1976/oil-embargo

https://www.nps.gov/home/learn/historyculture/abouthomesteadactlaw.htm

https://redemptionpermaculture.com/7-of-the-worst-states-for-homesteading-and-the-reasons-why/

https://www.freightech.us/post/history-of-trucking-in-america

https://hdfleet.com/facts-every-fleet-should-know-about-truck-weigh-stations/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/50421599/?clipping_id=15388481&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjUwNDIxNTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3NjcxMTgxNzgsImV4cCI6MTc2NzIwNDU3OH0.NlPl0r7aeCgmNjlU7lpVqcBezgwKvQkoQL1i-KOsYD4

https://law-school.open.ac.uk/blog/red-flag-act

Noah and Noodles here!

We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to every listener of Backroad Odyssey.

Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations.

Follow each adventure visually at:

https://www.instagram.com/backroadsodyssey/

Nashville has a Parthenon ... why? 

Nestled into Centennial Park in Nashville, Tennessee, lies an exact-size and detail replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. 

The thrilling story of America's Parthenon might surprise you. 

Safe travels! 

Works Cited:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/42626877?read-now=1&seq=12#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/42626877?searchText=the+parthenon&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dthe%2Bparthenon%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fspellcheck_basic_search%2Ftest&refreqid=fastly-default%3A9d9ba02e0f9f5e7a7c507ab701fa1ffe&seq=7

https://www.jstor.org/stable/826893?read-now=1&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/501468?read-now=1&seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/parthenon/hurwit.html

https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/british-museum-story/contested-objects-collection/parthenon-sculptures

https://www.history.com/articles/parthenon-acropolis-ancient-greece-engineering

https://library.nashville.gov/blog/2019/10/nashville-athens-southbut-why

https://www.nashvilleparthenon.com/history

https://www.stephdavidbaxter.com/the-nashville-parthenon/

https://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/athena-vs-poseidon-contest-name/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZDnv110iWo&t=498s

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-rise-and-fall-of-worlds-fairs-180979946/

Noah and Noodles here!

We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to every listener of Backroad Odyssey.

Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations.

Follow each adventure visually at:

https://www.instagram.com/backroadsodyssey/

Today, Midwestern highways inspire us to ask:

• Why are barns red? 
• What defines the boundaries of the Midwest? 
• Why are Hay Bales round? 
• And finally, most controversially, perhaps, which Midwestern state has the worst drivers? 

Let's explore the answers as we hit the road! 

Works Cited: 

https://blogs.loc.gov/picturethis/2018/05/a-closer-look-why-barns-are-red/

https://dahp.wa.gov/barn-paint-colors

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/why-are-all-swedish-cottages-painted-red-180975914/

https://falurodfarg.com/en/about/the-story-of-the-red-cottage/

https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/maybe-the-midwest-is-a-state-of-mind/

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/18/us/midwest-states-harris-trump.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kionasmith/2021/03/18/this-is-why-hay-bales-are-round/

https://www.vermeer.com/na/balers/history

Noah and Noodles here!

We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to every listener of Backroad Odyssey.

Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations.

Follow each adventure visually at:

https://www.instagram.com/backroadsodyssey/

Today, we walk the oak-lined streets of Savannah, Georgia -  often referred to as America’s first truly planned city. 

Savannah’s many parks, measured plots of land, and deeply walkable nature aren’t just an exercise in alternative city planning - the real story of Savannah’s creation might surprise you.

The claim we’ll make today is this: Savannah, and Georgia itself to a degree, started as nothing less than a bold experiment challenging the way in which people should live.

Curious? Let’s hit the road! 

Works Cited: 

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40584446?read-now=1&seq=25#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40577982?read-now=1&seq=13#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26413048?read-now=1&seq=41#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40550186?read-now=1&seq=24#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26228997?read-now=1&seq=9#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/savannah/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbyuNHCDdNM&t=78s

https://archive.strongtowns.org/journal/2024/3/8/lessons-on-development-patterns-from-americas-oldest-planned-city

https://www.asce.org/about-civil-engineering/history-and-heritage/historic-landmarks/city-plan-of-savannah

Noah and Noodles here!

We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to every listener of Backroad Odyssey.

Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations.

Follow each adventure visually at:

https://www.instagram.com/backroadsodyssey/