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

Welcome to the van as we dig up travel stories from the DEPTHS of Reddit! 

Abby (of Hooks.and.hops) joins us to discuss traveling air fryers, solo expeditions, and obvious vacations with second families. 

Buckle up and enjoy this week's laid-back conversation! 

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 a region shrouded in mystery …  

An isolated land of rugged hills, carved river valleys, and secluded relics of ages past. 

The American Midwest.

Specifically, a region untouched by the many terraforming glaciers that flattened much of what we now refer to as the Upper Midwest. 

What we find might surprise you... 

Recording Locations: 

https://www.iowadnr.gov/places-go/state-parks/all-parks/maquoketa-caves-state-park

Potosi, Wisconsin 

https://www.potosibrewery.com/

Governor Dodge State Park

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/govdodge

Mines of Spain -  Dubuque, Iowa

https://www.minesofspain.org/

Highway 20, East of Dubuque

Works Cited: 

https://www.jstor.org/stable/30068294?searchText=glacial%20movement&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dglacial%2Bmovement%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A7adbd841d5b02ad978f1d3558444b56b

https://www.jstor.org/stable/30054867?searchText=the+driftless+region&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dthe%2Bdriftless%2Bregion%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Ada2488f7a1a6ca5cd9e7a59f1218795c&seq=1

https://data.wgnhs.wisc.edu/pubshare/ES057.pdf

https://eaglebluffmn.org/driftless/

https://www.iowadnr.gov/places-go/state-parks/all-parks/maquoketa-caves-state-park

https://scholarworks.uni.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1430&context=jias

https://www.wisconservation.org/the-driftless-region/

https://geology.utah.gov/map-pub/survey-notes/glad-you-asked/ice-ages-what-are-they-and-what-causes-them/

https://www.agatemag.com/2021/02/the-driftless-the-land-and-humans/

https://www.rafamedina.com/research/bryda/

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 our inaugural collection of travel stories from the depths of Reddit, where my dog Noodles and I react to online tales that range from bone-chilling to heartwarming.

After two years on the road, Noodles and I craft informed commentary on Reddit's wildest travel stories; the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/13hmnlx/what_i_like_and_dislike_about_the_usa_as_a_tourist/?chainedPosts=t3_y2xroq

https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/117e2cx/whats_your_favourite_crazy_life_experience_travel/

https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/1cyuwuc/travel_mishaps_do_you_have_any_funny_travel/

https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/comments/11hk4m9/tell_me_the_stories_from_your_solo_travel_trip/

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/

What is the REAL story of Iowa? 

Nestled among the limestone bluffs along the Mississippi River, we unearth the curious origin of Iowa as told through the story of its first permanent European settler, Julien Dubuque. 

…

What was Iowa like before statehood? How, when, and why did it become a state? 

Finally, WHY should you care? 

Noodles and I explore these questions (and much more!) as we delve into the surprising history of our home state. 

Safe travels! 

Works Cited: 

https://www.jstor.org/stable/3740672?read-now=1&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.npr.org/2016/04/06/473268312/before-it-was-dangerous-lead-was-the-miracle-metal-that-we-loved

https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/features/article_1f520a43-4d6a-5677-b7f8-f9e490a79c91.html

https://ouriowaheritage.com/honoring-the-ioway-tribe-of-johnson-county/

https://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/artifact/1442/julien-dubuque-lead-mining-and-mines-spain

https://www.britannica.com/place/Dubuque

https://papersofabrahamlincoln.org/events/E4015689

https://ouriowaheritage.com/2024/09/21/september-21-1832/

https://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/mypath/2668/path-statehood

https://www.cityofdubuque.org/1060/History#:~:text=Dubuque%20is%20Iowa's%20oldest%20city,abundant%20amount%20of%20lead%20mines.

https://www.britannica.com/event/Black-Hawk-War

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/french-exploratoin-mississippi-valley

https://www.minesofspain.org/history/

https://ouriowaheritage.com/our-iowa-heritage-true-native-iowans/

https://ouriowaheritage.com/our-iowa-heritage-the-discovery/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9TLFqW0nCo

https://uipress.lib.uiowa.edu/bdi/DetailsPage.aspx?id=102

https://www.minnesotatrap.com/history-in-the-making/shot-towers-page-1.htm

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 visit the North Dakota Badlands where the too often overlooked Theodore Roosevelt National Park lingers in the shadows... 

While there, we answer the following questions: 

• How did Theodore Roosevelt come to have a National Park named after him? 
• Why is this sidelined National Park unique? 
• Why should you add this fascinating park to your travel bucket list?  

We'll also answer listener questions at the end - safe travels! 

Works Cited: 

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2711623?read-now=1&seq=6#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/23349843?read-now=1&seq=28#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.nps.gov/thro/learn/historyculture/park-history.htm

https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-national-parks/theodore-roosevelt

https://npshistory.com/publications/roosevelt/index.htm

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/theodore-roosevelt-national-park-examining-a-complicated-legacy

https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/parks/theodore-roosevelt-national-park/geology-theodore-roosevelt-national-park

https://www.nps.gov/thro/learn/nature/bison-buffalo.htm

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/

Noodles and I summit Lookout Mountain to explore the monumental conflict that occurred along its slopes.

Why is the subsequently named "Battle Above the Clouds" overlooked? 

How is it significant in FULLY understanding the events of the American Civil War? 

Let's find out! 

Works Cited: 

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40575782?searchText=the+battle+of+chattanooga&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dthe%2Bbattle%2Bof%2Bchattanooga%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Abc390e4a72296881b8f8341aa523d433&seq=1

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/40575782.pdf?refreqid=fastly-default%3Ab920b762dd06e7c71041cfb1c91c6ec1&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&initiator=&acceptTC=1

https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7249/j.ctt2tt90p.13?searchText=important+battles+of+the+civil+war&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dimportant%2Bbattles%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bcivil%2Bwar%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A5a9978e079bb262d18be4f72bad3178f&seq=35

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/lincoln-promotes-grant-as-top-civil-war-general-march-10-1864-235790

https://www.history.com/shows/grant/interactives/ulysses-s-grant-battle-map

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMK79steT6A

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/grant-at-lookout-mountain.htm

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-24/battle-of-lookout-mountain

https://www.battlesforchattanooga.com/history

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/10-facts-battles-chattanooga

https://npshistory.com/publications/civil_war_series/9/sec7.htm

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

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

https://www.history.com/shows/grant/interactives/ulysses-s-grant-battle-map

https://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/vick/significance.html

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/

In the bustling metropolis of Seattle, Washington - a curious resident claims the shadows beneath Aurora Bridge ... 

Those who dare to venture into its liar speak of its sheer size, stern gaze and possessive nature. 

But! Few can tell you the reason for the trolls residency.

Noodles and I revisit our exploration into the thrilling origin of The Fremont Troll. 

Works Cited: 

https://www.seattletimes.com/life/a-brief-history-of-the-fremont-troll-a-menace-that-evokes-a-smile/

https://seattle.curbed.com/2019/6/4/18650083/fremont-bridge-troll-history-location

https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/type0122e.html

https://wanderwisdom.com/travel-destinations/All-About-the-Seattle-Fremont-Troll-and-How-to-Find-It

https://wedgwoodinseattlehistory.com/2015/05/01/history-of-the-fremont-neighborhood-in-seattle/

https://historylink.org/File/1320

https://visitseattle.org/neighborhoods/fremont-wallingford/

https://fremontartscouncil.org/trolloween

https://seattle.curbed.com/2019/6/4/18650083/fremont-bridge-troll-history-location

https://themonumentous.com/exploring-the-economic-and-cultural-impact-of-the-fremont-troll/

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/

What's a National Park City? 

My dog Noodles and I hike the trails of America's FIRST National Park City - Chattanooga, Tennessee - to find out! 

The answer might surprise you ... 

We'll also answer listener question at the end - which include: 

• How would you rank the National Parks you've been to? 
• Just listened to the Civil War series, how much research would you recommend doing before visiting Gettysburg? 
• What area of the country is most "van-friendly?" 

Works Cited: 

https://www.jstor.org/stable/24889660?read-now=1&seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/historyculture/yellowstoneestablishment.htm

https://www.history.com/articles/yellowstone-national-park-origins

https://www.doi.gov/blog/americas-public-lands-explained

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/chattanooga-just-became-north-americas-first-national-park-city-heres-what-that-means-180986465/

https://www.nationalparkcity.org/national-park-cities/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJasV-itdoc

https://www.nps.gov/efmo/learn/historyculture/the-ovement-to-create-a-national-park-in-iowa.htm

https://www.forbes.com/sites/micheleherrmann/2025/04/29/chattanooga-is-now-north-americas-first-national-park-city/

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/

What's the real story of West Virginia? 

Why is the state often ignored, stereotyped and forgotten?

In what world do these questions explain the flurry of West Virginia Mothman sightings of the 1960's? 

We answer all this and more as we hike mountain trails and visit the small town of Point Pleasant, a location infamous for its association with the Mothman. 

Safe travels! 

Works Cited:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4242460?searchText=the+battle+of+point+pleasant&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dthe%2Bbattle%2Bof%2Bpoint%2Bpleasant%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A37008b1977b34b4942bbe80356d2cc59&seq=3

https://www.jstor.org/stable/27649920?read-now=1&seq=14#page_scan_tab_contents\

https://www.jstor.org/stable/43198067?read-now=1&seq=10#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26233743?read-now=1&seq=24#page_scan_tab_contents

https://wvpublic.org/mothman-legacy-has-ties-to-ancient-folklore/

https://folklife.si.edu/magazine/mothman-point-pleasant-west-virginia

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/history-west-virginia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-VU_Yqadus

https://virginiahistory.org/learn/why-there-west-virginia

https://wvminewars.org/news/battleofmatewantrial

https://www.history.com/articles/west-virginia

https://www.britannica.com/place/Point-Pleasant-West-Virginia

https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.battleofpointple00poff/?sp=11&st=image

https://www.appalachianforestnha.org/america250-in-the-appalachian-forest-stories/9xb7pdcqj9jg88wmg1rhbouepzp5ep

https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/west-virginia

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 Noodles and I camp in the Haze of the Blue Ridge Mountains to answer the following questions:

What are the blue ridge mountains? 

Why are they worth exploring? 

Why has this section of the country long been steeped in mystery, supernatural stories and the occasional strain of true crime.

We also answer listener questions including: 

• What place would you not revisit? 
• What’s a funny story from the road? 
• What makes van life worth it? 
• Do you have a favorite Noodles story? 

Recommendations: 

The absolute best brewery tour of Asheville NC (trust me): 

https://www.beercitybrewerytoursavl.com/

My personal favorite brewery in Asheville:

https://cellarestbeer.com/

Great civil war site in Chattanooga, TN:

https://www.lookoutmountain.com/

Top 5 places to catch a sunset: 

https://www.southeasttennessee.com/hiking-to-lookout-mountains-sunset-rock/

Follow our insta for more recommendations - backroad_odyssey

Works Cited: 

https://www.britannica.com/place/Appalachian-National-Scenic-Trail

https://static.pbslearningmedia.org/media/media_files/0d83ef92-65ad-4b54-bd77-2dd1b4b886c2/239b6682-7944-4df8-bc28-548eda4d33eb.pdf

https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/geography-environment/blue-ridge-mountains/

https://blueridgetales.com/tales-of-the-moon-eyed-people/

https://www.nps.gov/blri/learn/nature/mountains.htm

https://hendersonvillebest.com/have-you-ever-wondered-how-the-blue-ridge-mountains-got-their-name/

https://blueridgetales.com/

https://friendsofblueridge.org/our-mountains/mountains-history/

https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/omni-grove-park-inn/ghost-stories.php

https://www.exploreasheville.com/article/top-10-haunted-spots-asheville

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/