Pop Culture Passport - Exploring Quirky & Cool Travel Destinations in the USA
Pop Culture Passport is your guide to quirky and cool travel destinations across the USA. Every other week, we explore unique things to do, from movie and TV filming locations and theme parks to roadside attractions, quirky museums, regional foods, and the fascinating stories behind the places you visit.
If you'd happily add 60 minutes to your trip to visit a filming location, the Jell-O Museum, a legendary roadside attraction, or a local spot with an incredible backstory, this podcast is for you.
I'm Beth Schillaci, aka the Roaming Yeti. I'm a travel content creator, pop culture nerd, and firm believer that the best discoveries happen when you layer a little curiosity on top of wherever you're already headed. I call them side quests: the detours, the unexpected stops, the "wait, THAT'S here?" moments that make any trip unforgettable and personal.
Whether you're planning a dedicated trip or looking for the perfect thing to add to somewhere you're already going, a work trip, a family visit, or a drive through a new city, there's always something worth the detour.
Think of this as traveling with your slightly nerdy, sort-of-cool friend who loves deep dives, unexpected discoveries, and finding the story behind the story.
Explore episodes about:
- Movie & TV filming locations
- Quirky museums & unique attractions
- Road trips & roadside attractions
- Theme parks & themed entertainment
- Regional foods, candy history & food tourism
- Day trips & weekend getaways
- Hidden history, origin stories & local legends
- Pop culture travel across the USA
Grab your Pop Culture Passport — let's roam.
Pop Culture Passport - Exploring Quirky & Cool Travel Destinations in the USA
From Scottish Rebellion to Glowing Monsters: The Story of Mini Golf
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Episode 153
What do Scottish women, rooftop golf courses, fairy-tale castles, and glowing monsters have in common?
They're all part of the surprising history of miniature golf.
This week on Pop Culture Passport, we're tracing the story of one of America's favorite summer traditions, from a quiet act of rebellion at St. Andrews in Scotland to the rooftop mini golf craze of 1920s New York City, through the Great Depression, and into today's elaborate themed and blacklight courses.
Along the way we'll visit:
- Whispering Pines Miniature Golf in Irondequoit, NY — the oldest continuously operating miniature golf course in America
- Tom Thumb Golf and the fairy-tale vision of Garnet and Frieda Carter
- New York City's incredible rooftop mini golf boom
- The rise of Putt-Putt Golf
- Modern Monster Mini Golf
Whether your favorite course has windmills, castles, pirates, or glowing monsters, miniature golf has been bringing generations together for more than 150 years.
The next time you pick up a putter, you'll know the remarkable story behind the game.
You ready? Let’s roam.
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