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 Ghostbusters to Taylor Swift: Hollywood History at LA’s Hotels
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Episode 126
Ever 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. In Los Angeles, some hotels don’t just host guests, they host entire worlds.
In this week’s episode, we check into some of LA’s most cinematic hotels to uncover how these iconic spaces became part of Hollywood’s story — from early Academy Awards banquets to modern music videos and everything in between.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- The Hollywood Roosevelt, where the first Oscars were held, and Marilyn Monroe found her first modeling job.
- The Chateau Marmont is Hollywood’s most secretive hideaway and the setting for countless whispered legends.
- The Hotel Figueroa, built by women, for women — now a showcase for LA’s artistic reinvention.
- The Langham Huntington, Pasadena’s elegant chameleon, transforms into locations around the world on screen.
- The Millennium Biltmore, a cinematic icon that’s hosted Ghostbusters, Pretty in Pink, The Dark Knight Rises, and Taylor Swift’s “Delicate.”
From golden-age glamour to modern pop culture, these hotels reveal how Los Angeles continues to reinvent itself — one film, one guest, and one unforgettable stay at a time.
You ready? Let’s roam.
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