The Nifty Fifty Show

Kennen Sparks
  • 5.0 (3)
  • PLACES & TRAVEL
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Have you ever gone on a road trip or looked at a map and wondered...what makes that place different from all others? In this podcast, I talk about the stories that give places their identity. The Nifty Fifty Show is the perfect companion for the road warrior, armchair traveler, and the curious, as well as the perfect antidote to the dreaded word "flyover." So pull out a map, and let's get going! Have any fun stories? Comments? Questions? Feel free to email me at kennen@niftyfiftyshow.com.

  1. FEB 13

    South Bend to Youngstown

    Send a text We're on both I-80 and I-90...a thrill as we drive into Ohio! We'll stop and talk for awhile in Toledo, Glass City, before heading east and (sadly) bypassing Cleveland. There is time, though, for a few rollercoasters at Cedar Point!

    26 min

  2. FEB 6

    Iowa City to South Bend

    Send a text We're crossing the Mississippi! But not until we talk about wrestling and why Iowa. After we'll talk about John Deere and flat states vs pancakes before passing Chicagoland and ending near Notre Dame!

    36 min

  3. 12/17/2025

    Lincoln to Iowa City

    Send us a text Today we're talking boxed cakes, rivers, and gilded domes as we travel from one state capital and past another. We also finally leave Nebraska and are finished with the dry Western states!

    28 min

  4. 12/10/2025

    Nebraska Side Trip: Hastings, Red Cloud, and a Hop into Kansas

    Send us a text We're taking a quick break from the interstate (again) and heading south through the plains of Nebraska to see where America's favorite childhood drink was invented and stop by a literary gem of a town before heading to Lincoln to pick up our journey again.

    26 min

  5. 12/03/2025

    Cheyenne to Lincoln

    Send us a text We're making it out of the West and into the Midwest as we leave Wyoming. Today's topics range from women's suffrage to Cabela's to a heartfelt community story centered on trains running through North Platte. The land is getting greener as we enter the rain-fed plains...

    28 min

  6. 11/19/2025

    Salt Lake to Cheyenne

    Send us a text Now comes the worst possible drive ever: Wyoming. (Sorry not sorry.) But before we leave SLC, we'll talk about the Olympics and pioneers, then endure Evanston and the barrenness of central-southern Wyoming where it snows in June and there's a random Lincoln statue in the mountains.

    32 min

  7. 11/12/2025

    Winnemucca to Salt Lake City

    Send us a text We're crossing the West, I promise! Today's episode covers eastern Nevada and Western Utah, ending in Salt Lake City! We'll talk about Basques, the Great Basin, salt, and Utah's lovely hilltop state capitol.

    35 min

  8. 11/05/2025

    Nevada Side Trip: Carson City and Lake Tahoe

    Send us a text We're taking a small break from the interstate and heading south of Reno to Nevada's cute state capitol and one of the most gorgeous lakes in the world. We're also in true Western territory, with some of the largest ghost towns and silver mines in American history close by as well.

    18 min
See All (21)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Have you ever gone on a road trip or looked at a map and wondered...what makes that place different from all others? In this podcast, I talk about the stories that give places their identity. The Nifty Fifty Show is the perfect companion for the road warrior, armchair traveler, and the curious, as well as the perfect antidote to the dreaded word "flyover." So pull out a map, and let's get going! Have any fun stories? Comments? Questions? Feel free to email me at kennen@niftyfiftyshow.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Kennen Sparks
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Nifty Fifty Show
  • Show Website
    The Nifty Fifty Show