Treasures of our Town

Send us Fan Mail A single road sign can change your whole day. One minute you’re cruising the highway, the next you’re pulling off because the town name is so bizarre you have to know the story behind it. That’s the spark we follow as we dig into five weird and wonderful town names across the United States, using our road trip instincts and our geocaching mindset to figure out what’s actually wort...

Send us Fan Mail Four giant eggs. Four towns with big pride. One very specific kind of road trip that only makes sense once you’ve done it. We’re leaning into Easter season the way we know best: skipping the usual bunny-and-church talk and hunting down oversized egg landmarks across the USA, then using each stop to uncover the local history that made it possible in the first place.  We start in Wi...

Send us Fan Mail A haunted clown motel next to a cemetery. A gas station exhibit simply called “The Thing.” A Stonehenge replica built from old American cars. Then, somehow, a gigantic mailbox you can walk into takes the crown. That’s the kind of chaos we love, and it’s why our annual Roadside Attractions March Madness is back.  We’re joined by returning guest Megan Bannister of Oleo In Iowa, a ro...

Send us Fan Mail Five crowd-powered picks. One gloriously weird bracket. We asked our patrons to nominate America’s best roadside attractions and then argued our way to a final five, weighing what truly makes a highway stop irresistible: surprise, visibility, story, and a dash of “did I really just see that?” We start by sharpening the definition of a roadside attraction—quirky, often free, and id...

Send us Fan Mail A century on the odometer and still full of surprises—Route 66 turns 100, and we’re hitting the Mother Road with a guide who knows every neon sign, diner counter, and roadside oddity by heart. We welcome back Val Broman of Silly America to share her audacious project: a new Route 66 video every single day this year. From Illinois to California, she’s surfacing icons and deep cuts,...

Send us Fan Mail What if you could walk into a movie and stay the night? We head to Woodstock, Illinois—the real-world stand-in for Punxsutawney—and sit down with Lori, the innkeeper behind the Cherry Tree Inn Bed and Breakfast, the house fans know as Phil Connors’ wake-up spot. She tells us how she tore down the no trespassing signs, opened the door to anyone peeking through the windows, and buil...

Send us Fan Mail Florida didn’t just thaw us out—it rewired how we explore. We landed in Fort Myers with a loose plan and a lot of curiosity, then let geolocation games, local tips, and a few bold choices turn a winter weekend into a highlight reel of hidden gems. We chased the oldest geocache in Florida through a recently burned Everglades trail, watched smoke curl above the path, and laughed abo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Treasures of Our Town podcast, hosts Joshua and Craig reflect on their experiences over the past year, sharing personal stories, family updates, and insights into their podcasting journey. They discuss the unique towns and quirky attractions they've explored, engage with their listeners through patron submissions, and celebrate the growth and achievemen...

Send us Fan Mail What if the life you’ve been chasing is waiting in a town you’ve never heard of? We sit down with journalist and filmmaker Corey Hepola, the creator of My Town, a high-quality docuseries that spotlights the people, jobs, and everyday magic inside America’s small communities. Forget the stereotypes—Corey shares why the data, the stories, and the views from the ground all point to a...

Send us Fan Mail A simple plan to tackle Nevada’s ET Highway turns into a cross-state quest for awe. We kick things off in Phoenix and climb toward Flagstaff, chasing a crisp horizon and a stop at a veterans memorial built to catch the sun at 11:11 on 11/11. The Grand Canyon delivers that familiar shock of scale from new South Rim overlooks, and then Route 66 starts pulling us back in time. Seligm...

Send us Fan Mail A tiny town with no stoplight. A maker who keeps a notebook by his bed. And a film that asks a simple question: if you hide it, will they come? We pull back the curtain on our Geocaching International Film Festival finalist and the real story that inspired it—how Chad (aka Tricassius) turns dreams into intricate gadget caches that draw people from around the world to Gilby, North...

Send us Fan Mail A grand staircase, carved wood, and a story that refuses to fade—Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana, has all the makings of a legend. We sat down with Erica Taylor, who manages adult and teen services and unexpectedly became the point person for all things paranormal, to explore why this Victorian Gothic landmark draws both researchers and ghost hunters. From the founding visi...

Send us Fan Mail A virtual geocache pointed us toward one of America’s most delightfully odd treasures: Barney Smith’s Toilet Seat Museum. What started in a San Antonio garage now lives inside a soaring, neon-kissed shrine at The Colony’s Truck Yard, where porcelain “columns,” floor-to-ceiling seats, and a playful ceiling homage to Michelangelo turn folk art into a full-sensory experience. We swap...

Send us Fan Mail A city this generous doesn’t just welcome you—it hands you a map and dares you to follow your curiosity. We land in San Diego on a points ticket, grab a budget Turo with unlimited miles, and set off to turn the weekend into a living treasure hunt built around a geocaching block party called “Signal’s Island.” From push-scootering through Balboa Park’s Spanish Revival plazas and th...

Send us Fan Mail Craft breweries have evolved into must-visit destinations for travelers seeking authentic cultural experiences across America. In this episode, we dive into why these local establishments offer so much more than just great beer—they're gateways to understanding a community's character, history, and values. We share personal stories from breweries that left lasting impres...

Send us Fan Mail Join Craig and Josh as they share their experiences visiting bucket-list roadside attractions they've previously featured on the podcast but never seen in person. • Josh visits the World's Biggest Ball of Paint in Alexandria, Indiana, adding layer #30,085 and becoming a brief world record holder • Meeting Michael Carmichael, the passionate creator who started painting la...

Send us Fan Mail Support the show Facebook Instagram Youtube  

Send us Fan Mail West Bend Cache Bash stands apart from typical geocaching mega events because it's organized by the town's Chamber of Commerce, highlighting how this Wisconsin community has embraced geocaching as a tourism draw while offering $1,000 in cash prizes to participants. We discover what makes this event special through our experiences finding creative and high-quality geocach...

Send us Fan Mail We explore the hidden treasures of Michigan through Craig's recent two-and-a-half-week journey across 72 of the state's 83 counties, revealing why the often-forgotten Upper Peninsula might be America's best-kept travel secret. • Traversing Michigan's varied landscape from farmlands to freshwater beaches • Discovering the Upper Peninsula's unique character...

Send us Fan Mail Wisconsin Dells represents the ultimate tourist destination in the heartland of America, complete with water parks, unique geological formations, and quirky attractions. We dive into this nostalgic vacation spot that transforms an entire town into an amusement park experience with activities for all ages. • Noah's Ark Water Park features over 50 water slides including innovat...

Send us Fan Mail Venture into the world of location-based gaming as we explore how Munzee transforms ordinary travel into extraordinary adventures. Join hosts Joshua and Craig as they welcome Rob, President of Munzee, for an insider's look at this 14-year-old global phenomenon that serves as the perfect companion for curious travelers. Discover why Munzee has been called "the love child...

Send us Fan Mail We reveal our top 10 rest areas across the United States, from basic facilities to spectacular view points to full-on tourist complexes that have become destinations in their own right. • Rest areas provide safety, convenience, and often unexpected attractions for travelers • Clean bathrooms remain a top priority, with Buc-ee's setting the gold standard • Many stops feature h...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when 5,000+ geocachers descend upon Morgantown, West Virginia? Pure magic, unexpected friendships, and countless stories worth telling. Join us as we pull back the curtain on our Geo Woodstock 21 adventure – from the spectacular highs of performing our live podcast to a standing-room-only crowd to the technical woes that left our recording unusable (again). Before rea...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered what happens when two location-based gaming enthusiasts walk into a town called Uranus? This episode takes you on a journey to one of Route 66's most memorable roadside attractions—Uranus, Missouri—a place built entirely on juvenile humor and unexpected charm. Discover the fascinating backstory of how this quirky destination came to be when businessman Louis Kee...

Send us Fan Mail Jeff Wagg returns to the podcast with a special travel challenge as he explores three supposedly "boring" American towns and reveals the fascinating stories, attractions, and historical significance hidden within each location. • Bagley, Minnesota (pop. 1,305) offers beautiful Lake Lomond with its haunting loon population, the legend of "Green Jenny," and Minne...