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
Kansas City, MO Side Quests: Beyond the BBQ and Jazz
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Episode 146
Did you know there's an entire city humming along beneath the streets of Kansas City?
Kansas City has a well-earned reputation for barbecue, jazz, and the Chiefs. But scratch the surface, and you'll find a city full of stories that don't make the highlight reel. In this episode, we honor the classics and then go exploring, from a steamboat buried under a cornfield for over a hundred years to an underground business complex the size of a small city.
In this episode, you'll discover:
- The extraordinary story of the Arabia Steamboat Museum, a nineteenth-century time capsule found twenty-five feet underground in a Missouri cornfield, perfectly preserved for over 130 years
- SubTropolis, the world's largest underground business complex, carved out of ancient limestone mines beneath Kansas City, and yes, you can actually drive through it
- The surprising Kansas City origin stories of two iconic American snacks you've almost certainly had but never knew came from here
Kansas City kept surprising me at every turn, and I have a feeling it's going to do the same to you.
You ready? Let’s roam.
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