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.
Episodes
158 episodes
Where to Eat & Drink in LA: A Snack Society Field Report
Episode 133From English toffee at the Original Farmers Market to the best smash burger I’ve ever had, this Snack Society field report is a highlight reel of food and drink stops in LA that have us still talking. These are the spots we tr...
Shop, Snack, and Nerd Out: Pop Culture Stops in LA
Episode 132Ever wonder where to shop or snack like a pop culture nerd in Los Angeles?From iconic comic shops and vintage bookstores to on-screen diners and galactic cantinas, this episode is your guide to the quirky, cool, ...
Quirky & Cool Rochester: Side Quests While Visiting the Finger Lakes
Episode 131Heading to the Finger Lakes, Niagara Falls, or even Buffalo? Don’t skip Rochester — this city’s full of side quests you didn’t know you needed.In this episode, we’re heading to Western New York for a quirky detour throu...
A Year in Quirky Travel: 5 Standout Moments Beyond LA
Episode 130What were your favorite travel moments this year — the unexpected discoveries, weird details, or hidden gems that stuck with you?In this final episode of 2025, I’m taking a look back at some of the quirky and coo...
Nerds, Fun Dip & Stranger Things: Exploring 80s Candy Culture with Jason Liebig
Episode 129What was your go-to candy in the 80s — and why do those flavors and wrappers still feel so nostalgic today?In this episode, Beth sits down with Jason Liebig, one of the country’s top nostalgia experts and ...
America’s Santa Theme Parks and Other Christmas Destinations
Episode 128Did you know there’s an entire trail of Santa-themed parks across the U.S.—some dating back more than 75 years?In this festive episode, I unwrapped a twinkle-lit road trip through America’s Santa Parks — the vintage the...
The Evolution of Disney California Adventure: From WestCOT to Cars Land
Episode 127What happens when Disney builds a brand-new park… and it flops?When Disney California Adventure opened in 2001, critics called it everything from “underwhelming” to “a state fair with better landscaping.” But t...
From Ghostbusters to Taylor Swift: Hollywood History at LA’s Hotels
Episode 126Ever walked into a hotel lobby and felt a strange sense of déjà vu?Maybe it’s the chandeliers, the marble floors… or the feeling you’ve seen this place before, like in a movie, a show, or even a Taylor Swift video. ...
8 Ghost Towns You Can Actually Visit
Episode 125Would you explore a town where the residents left long ago — but the spirits never did?This week on Pop Culture Passport, we're taking a road trip through America’s eeriest and most intriguing ghost towns. Thes...
Inside The X-Files Preservation Collection in Saratoga Springs, NY
Episode 124What if you could walk into a room filled with real props, costumes, and behind-the-scenes treasures from The X-Files?In this episode, I interview Kelly and Jim, the dedicated collectors an...
Ghosts, Ghouls & Gift Shops: Spooky Museums Across the US
Episode 123What do haunted saloons, vampire folklore, and alien encounters have in common?They all live in museums you can actually visit — and we're taking you there in this Halloween-ready episode of Pop Culture Passport...
Lights, Camera, Backlot! Touring Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank
Episode 122What’s it like to walk through Sheldon and Leonard’s apartment, visit the Friends fountain, and the school from Abbott Elementary—all in the same afternoon? Join me on this behind-the-scenes adventure through...
Walking in Walt’s Footsteps: A Pop Culture Pilgrimage Through Walt Disney’s LA
Episode 121Have you ever wondered where Walt Disney lived, worked, and dreamed—before Disneyland?In this episode of Pop Culture Passport, we’re heading off the beaten path in Los Angeles to e...
The Santa Monica Pier and Carousel: Route 66, Movie Magic, and One Very Good Pig
Episode 120What do a Paris museum, a Route 66 road trip, and a carousel pig have in common? They all showed up in the most unexpected way during a walk along the Santa Monica Pier.In this episode of Pop Culture Passport...
Echo Park: LA’s Hidden Hollywood Backlot (and the Real Echo Lake)
Episode 119What do swan boats, silent films, and a rack of vintage Disney clothes have in common?They’re all part of the story in LA’s Echo Park—a neighborhood with deep Hollywood roots and a laid-back creative spirit.I...
Udvar-Hazy National Air & Space Museum Near D.C.: Iconic Aircraft and Movie Magic
Episode 118What do Transformers, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Raiders of the Lost Ark have in common? You’ll find pieces of all of them at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center.In this episode, ...
Hidden Details at Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar: A Disney Springs Scavenger Hunt
Episode 117Located in Disney Springs, this Indiana Jones–inspired watering hole is packed with hidden treasures, Easter eggs, and deep Disney lore. On a rainy afternoon, my husband and I turned our visit into a full-on scavenger hunt—and...
From Backlot to Batuu: The Evolution of Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Episode 116Did you know Disney’s Hollywood Studios used to be a real working production studio—with animators, soundstages, and even the house from The Golden Girls?Today, it’s now focused on immersion into the movies, bu...
LA Stories & Theme Park Magic: Disneyland, Universal FanFest & Superlative Highlights
Episode 115What do Randy’s Donuts, a Hollywood parking lot papal announcement, and a Back to the Future dance party on the Universal backlot have in common? They were all part of our unforgettable family trip to Los Angeles.In thi...
Kodak Moments - Exploring the George Eastman Museum
Episode 114What do vintage cameras, organ concerts, and a pie recipe have in common? You’ll find them all at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, NY—where photography, film history, and personal storytelling collide.In this epi...
7 Quirky Regional Foods Worth the Road Trip
Episode 113Have you ever tried a Slugburger? Or eaten chili straight out of a bag of Fritos? In this episode, we’re wrapping up our road trip series with a delicious detour through some of the quirkiest regional foods in the U.S.W...
Trolley Parks: The History of America’s Original Amusement Getaways
Episode 112Did you know many of today’s amusement parks started with a streetcar? In this episode, we’re rolling back to the late 1800s to explore the fascinating world of trolley parks—recreational destinations created by trolley compan...
Mid-Atlantic Theme Park Road Trip: 6 Must-Visit Parks for Thrills & Nostalgia
Episode 111What makes a perfect road trip for theme park fans? In this episode, we head down the East Coast on a journey to six standout parks in the Mid-Atlantic. From chocolate-scented coasters to vintage carousels and European ...
National Parks on the Big Screen: Real Places from Star Wars, Indiana Jones & More
Episode 110Ever watched a movie and thought, “That view can’t be real”? In some cases—it absolutely is.From redwood forests to alien deserts, America’s national parks have quietly played starring roles in some of your favorite fil...
Visit the Real Radiator Springs: Route 66 Stops That Inspired Cars
Episode 109Ever wish you could step into Radiator Springs? What if I told you it was inspired by real places you can actually visit?This week, we’re hitting the road to explore the real-life Route 66 destinations that inspired Pix...
