Pop Culture Passport - Exploring Quirky & Cool Travel Destinations in the USA
Pop Culture Passport is your guide to quirky, cool, and nostalgic travel across the U.S.—from movie filming locations and theme parks to roadside attractions and pop culture museums.
If you'd happily add 60 minutes to your trip to visit a filming location, the Jell-O Museum, or a roadside diner from your favorite TV show, this podcast is for you.
Every other week, I’ll take you behind the scenes of iconic and offbeat destinations, sharing their history, stories, and the fun details. Along the way, we’ll dive into theme parks, explore quirky museums, and uncover the real places behind your favorite movies and shows.
I'm Beth Schillaci—aka the Roaming Yeti. I’m a travel content creator, pop culture nerd, and obsessive road trip planner who somehow turns an 8-hour drive into a 21-stop itinerary (because you never know what you’ll find). I’m also the creator of the Quirky & Cool Travel Guide, a curated directory of unique U.S. destinations, and I share even more travel stories and pop culture finds on The Roaming Yeti Blog.
Think of this as traveling with your slightly nerdy, sort-of-cool friend who thrives on deep dives, unique finds, and laughter-filled road trips.
Grab your Pop Culture Passport—let’s roam.
Pop Culture Passport - Exploring Quirky & Cool Travel Destinations in the USA
Atlanta Side Quests: Quirky, Pop Culture & Hidden Gems Beyond the World Cup
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Episode 136
If you’re traveling to Atlanta for the World Cup… will you only see the stadium version of the city, or will you side quest into the places locals actually love?
Atlanta is getting ready to welcome the world, and yes, the stadium energy is going to be incredible. But some of the most memorable parts of this city live outside the official fan zones.
While researching this episode, I kept coming back to one idea: many of Atlanta’s most beloved places exist because someone cared deeply about one specific thing, puppets, folk art, public art, secret cocktail culture, or even a giant roadside chicken, and decided to build something around it.
This episode is all about Atlanta side quests, the stops that make a trip feel personal, memorable, and very you.
In This Episode, We Cover:
• The Center for Puppetry Arts and why Atlanta became home to the Jim Henson Collection
• Doll’s Head Trail and how one person turned a dumping ground into powerful folk art
• Hidden and personality-driven stops like Tiny Doors ATL, Swan House, and the Red Phone Booth
• Atlanta filming locations (Marvel, Black Panther, Stranger Things, and more)
• Two iconic Atlanta food landmarks you can’t miss: The Dwarf House and The Big Chicken
Atlanta isn’t just a host city. It’s a city full of creativity, obsession, and personality, and those are usually the places that make the best travel stories.
If this episode inspires you to add a side quest to your next trip, even if it’s close to home, then it’s done its job.
You ready? Let’s roam.
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