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
Kansas City, MO Side Quests: Beyond the BBQ and Jazz
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Episode 146
Did you know there's an entire city humming along beneath the streets of Kansas City?
Kansas City has a well-earned reputation for barbecue, jazz, and the Chiefs. But scratch the surface, and you'll find a city full of stories that don't make the highlight reel. In this episode, we honor the classics and then go exploring, from a steamboat buried under a cornfield for over a hundred years to an underground business complex the size of a small city.
In this episode, you'll discover:
- The extraordinary story of the Arabia Steamboat Museum, a nineteenth-century time capsule found twenty-five feet underground in a Missouri cornfield, perfectly preserved for over 130 years
- SubTropolis, the world's largest underground business complex, carved out of ancient limestone mines beneath Kansas City, and yes, you can actually drive through it
- The surprising Kansas City origin stories of two iconic American snacks you've almost certainly had but never knew came from here
Kansas City kept surprising me at every turn, and I have a feeling it's going to do the same to you.
You ready? Let’s roam.
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