Backroad Odyssey : Travel Stories, Van Life & Road Trip Oddities

Noah Mulgrew

Traveling America's backroads, road trip experts - Noah and Noodles - explore fascinating locations overlooked while traveling.  Living out of a van, they unravel the - often shocking - story behind each neglected story or location. If you love travel, exploration and unique locations -  join us on the road! 

  1. The Parthenon, Y'all - The Gods Visit Nashville

    DEC 11

    The Parthenon, Y'all - The Gods Visit Nashville

    Nashville has a Parthenon ... why?  Nestled into Centennial Park in Nashville, Tennessee, lies an exact-size and detail replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece.  The thrilling story of America's Parthenon might surprise you.  Safe travels!  Works Cited: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42626877?read-now=1&seq=12#page_scan_tab_contents https://www.jstor.org/stable/42626877?searchText=the+parthenon&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dthe%2Bparthenon%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fspellcheck_basic_search%2Ftest&refreqid=fastly-default%3A9d9ba02e0f9f5e7a7c507ab701fa1ffe&seq=7 https://www.jstor.org/stable/826893?read-now=1&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents https://www.jstor.org/stable/501468?read-now=1&seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/parthenon/hurwit.html https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/british-museum-story/contested-objects-collection/parthenon-sculptures https://www.history.com/articles/parthenon-acropolis-ancient-greece-engineering https://library.nashville.gov/blog/2019/10/nashville-athens-southbut-why https://www.nashvilleparthenon.com/history https://www.stephdavidbaxter.com/the-nashville-parthenon/ https://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/athena-vs-poseidon-contest-name/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZDnv110iWo&t=498s https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-rise-and-fall-of-worlds-fairs-180979946/ Noah and Noodles here! We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to every listener of Backroad Odyssey. Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations. Follow each adventure visually at: https://www.instagram.com/backroadsodyssey/

    31 min
  2. The Savannah Story - America's First Urban Experiment

    NOV 25

    The Savannah Story - America's First Urban Experiment

    Today, we walk the oak-lined streets of Savannah, Georgia -  often referred to as America’s first truly planned city.  Savannah’s many parks, measured plots of land, and deeply walkable nature aren’t just an exercise in alternative city planning - the real story of Savannah’s creation might surprise you. The claim we’ll make today is this: Savannah, and Georgia itself to a degree, started as nothing less than a bold experiment challenging the way in which people should live. Curious? Let’s hit the road!  Works Cited:  https://www.jstor.org/stable/40584446?read-now=1&seq=25#page_scan_tab_contents https://www.jstor.org/stable/40577982?read-now=1&seq=13#page_scan_tab_contents https://www.jstor.org/stable/26413048?read-now=1&seq=41#page_scan_tab_contents https://www.jstor.org/stable/40550186?read-now=1&seq=24#page_scan_tab_contents https://www.jstor.org/stable/26228997?read-now=1&seq=9#page_scan_tab_contents https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/savannah/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbyuNHCDdNM&t=78s https://archive.strongtowns.org/journal/2024/3/8/lessons-on-development-patterns-from-americas-oldest-planned-city https://www.asce.org/about-civil-engineering/history-and-heritage/historic-landmarks/city-plan-of-savannah Noah and Noodles here! We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to every listener of Backroad Odyssey. Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations. Follow each adventure visually at: https://www.instagram.com/backroadsodyssey/

    28 min
  3. The Driftless - Caves, Hills, and the Myth of Flyover Country

    OCT 9

    The Driftless - Caves, Hills, and the Myth of Flyover Country

    Today, we explore a region shrouded in mystery …   An isolated land of rugged hills, carved river valleys, and secluded relics of ages past.  The American Midwest. Specifically, a region untouched by the many terraforming glaciers that flattened much of what we now refer to as the Upper Midwest.  What we find might surprise you...  Recording Locations:  Maquoketa Caves State Parkhttps://www.iowadnr.gov/places-go/state-parks/all-parks/maquoketa-caves-state-park Potosi, Wisconsin  https://www.potosibrewery.com/ Governor Dodge State Park https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/govdodge Mines of Spain -  Dubuque, Iowa https://www.minesofspain.org/ Highway 20, East of Dubuque Works Cited:  https://www.jstor.org/stable/30068294?searchText=glacial%20movement&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dglacial%2Bmovement%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A7adbd841d5b02ad978f1d3558444b56b https://www.jstor.org/stable/30054867?searchText=the+driftless+region&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dthe%2Bdriftless%2Bregion%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Ada2488f7a1a6ca5cd9e7a59f1218795c&seq=1 https://data.wgnhs.wisc.edu/pubshare/ES057.pdf https://eaglebluffmn.org/driftless/ https://www.iowadnr.gov/places-go/state-parks/all-parks/maquoketa-caves-state-park https://scholarworks.uni.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1430&context=jias https://www.wisconservation.org/the-driftless-region/ https://geology.utah.gov/map-pub/survey-notes/glad-you-asked/ice-ages-what-are-they-and-what-causes-them/ https://www.agatemag.com/2021/02/the-driftless-the-land-and-humans/ https://www.rafamedina.com/research/bryda/ Noah and Noodles here! We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to every listener of Backroad Odyssey. Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations. Follow each adventure visually at: https://www.instagram.com/backroadsodyssey/

    22 min
  4. The Birthplace of Iowa - The Fiddler and The Forge

    SEP 2

    The Birthplace of Iowa - The Fiddler and The Forge

    What is the REAL story of Iowa?  Nestled among the limestone bluffs along the Mississippi River, we unearth the curious origin of Iowa as told through the story of its first permanent European settler, Julien Dubuque.  … What was Iowa like before statehood? How, when, and why did it become a state?  Finally, WHY should you care?  Noodles and I explore these questions (and much more!) as we delve into the surprising history of our home state.  Safe travels!  Works Cited:  https://www.jstor.org/stable/3740672?read-now=1&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents https://www.npr.org/2016/04/06/473268312/before-it-was-dangerous-lead-was-the-miracle-metal-that-we-loved https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/features/article_1f520a43-4d6a-5677-b7f8-f9e490a79c91.html https://ouriowaheritage.com/honoring-the-ioway-tribe-of-johnson-county/ https://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/artifact/1442/julien-dubuque-lead-mining-and-mines-spain https://www.britannica.com/place/Dubuque https://papersofabrahamlincoln.org/events/E4015689 https://ouriowaheritage.com/2024/09/21/september-21-1832/ https://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/mypath/2668/path-statehood https://www.cityofdubuque.org/1060/History#:~:text=Dubuque%20is%20Iowa's%20oldest%20city,abundant%20amount%20of%20lead%20mines. https://www.britannica.com/event/Black-Hawk-War https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/french-exploratoin-mississippi-valley https://www.minesofspain.org/history/ https://ouriowaheritage.com/our-iowa-heritage-true-native-iowans/ https://ouriowaheritage.com/our-iowa-heritage-the-discovery/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9TLFqW0nCo https://uipress.lib.uiowa.edu/bdi/DetailsPage.aspx?id=102 https://www.minnesotatrap.com/history-in-the-making/shot Noah and Noodles here! We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to every listener of Backroad Odyssey. Your support fuels our passion and inspires us to keep sharing stories and discover overlooked locations. Follow each adventure visually at: https://www.instagram.com/backroadsodyssey/

    26 min
5
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

Traveling America's backroads, road trip experts - Noah and Noodles - explore fascinating locations overlooked while traveling.  Living out of a van, they unravel the - often shocking - story behind each neglected story or location. If you love travel, exploration and unique locations -  join us on the road! 

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