Treasures of our Town

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We build a countdown of ten unforgettable Las Vegas experiences that have nothing to do with gambling, using geocaching and Munzee as our guide. We swap trip-planning tips, price reality checks, and can’t-miss stops like the Sphere, Fremont Street, and the Neon Museum so you can come home with finds instead of losses. 

• Delays and upgrades from home life, including Halloween, travel photos, and a new hoop coop build 
• Pinball Hall of Fame as a budget-friendly arcade mission and rematch venue 
• Seven Magic Mountains as a free desert art stop wi...

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Geocaching sounds like a quirky GPS treasure hunt until you realize it can rewrite your life story. We get personal about the geocaches and geocachers that pulled us into the sunlight, gave us a reason to move, and helped us survive the rough stretches. Craig opens up about PTSD, divorce, and the loneliness of the drive home without the kids, then shares the multi-cache that stopped him in his tracks, dragged him through mud, and ended under a waterfall that felt like therapy. 

We also go to the other end of t...

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Link - https://skydrift.world/

You can love travel and still be stuck at home, stuck at work, or stuck in a waiting room. That’s why we brought on Rob (president of Munzee and part of the Skydrift team) and Scott (the developer behind Skydrift) to talk about a different kind of location-based game: one that’s calm, slow, and surprisingly addictive.

Skydrift Explore the World is a GPS-based idle travel game where you launch hot air balloons from your real location and let them drift across real maps...

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We vent our biggest air travel pet peeves from the gate to baggage claim, then zoom out to remember why flying still feels like a modern miracle. We share the etiquette rules we wish everyone followed, plus the tiny in-flight wins that make the whole trip smoother. 
• gate crowding and lining up before your zone 
• oversized carry-ons and aisle-blocking during boarding 
• middle seat armrest “rights” and seat choice trade-offs 
• seatback grabbing and other personal-space violations 
• window shade control and being mindful of glare 
• chatty seatmates and simple ways to signal “not to...

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The Minnesota State Fair isn’t just a fairground, it’s a full-blown temporary city, and walking through the gates feels like crossing a border. The sounds change first, then the smells hit, then the crowd closes in, and suddenly you’re “traveling” without ever leaving the Twin Cities. We’re joined by our friend Tim, also known as Minnesota Boy, to help us translate the Great Minnesota Get Together for anyone who loves road trips, local culture, and finding hidden gems in plain sight.

We get practical about how to do the Minne...

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Craig’s internet went down, so I grabbed the mic, opened GarageBand, and turned a quiet week into a full-on geocaching travel report. If you’ve ever wondered what makes a mega event feel genuinely worth the drive, West Bend, Wisconsin has an answer: the $1,000 West Bend Cash Bash, a town that embraces geocachers, and a lineup of brand-new hides that are actually creative, polished, and fun to do back-to-back.

I walk through why West Bend has built a reputation as the geocaching capital of the Midwest, from the scale (they adve...

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We head to Wauseon, Ohio for Midwest Geobash with geocacher and longtime podcaster Scott Burks, digging into why this mega feels like geocaching summer camp. Along the way, we get real about event culture, trading, and what makes a small-town weekend turn into a community tradition.
• why Midwest Geobash feels different from most mega events
• camping onsite and how it changes the whole weekend
• GCPC live call-in dynamics and building a listener community
• Area 51 nightlife rules and the late-night social scene
• vendors, food trucks, tournaments, poker run, and the massiv...

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A random “crinkle” sound kicks things off, but the real story quickly turns into a love letter to geocaching travel as we head to Hattiesburg, Mississippi for one of our favorite kinds of adventures: an official GeoTour. We explain what a GeoTour is, why it works so well for road trips, and how it can turn a quick stopover into a full weekend of hidden gems, local history, and surprisingly good sightseeing. 

Craig is joined by Joshua and special guest Jennifer (geocaching name JayBee85), who helps pull him back to Hattiesburg to fi...

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You know that feeling when you’re stuck in your own routine and you’d do almost anything for a clean reset? That’s the heart of this conversation as we get back behind the mic and unpack a six-week trip that included Paris, a wedding in Germany, and a 31-day, nearly 500-mile Camino de Santiago walk across Spain with zero rest days. It’s the kind of journey most of us have heard about in passing, but rarely get the honest, practical details on what it’s actually like day to day. 

We...

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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 worth stopping for once you get there.

We start with Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico, a hot springs town that lit...

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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 Wilson, Kansas with the World’s Largest Czech Egg, a towering, hand-painted tribute to Czech heritage that turns the whole town into a mini...

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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 roadside attraction expert who chases hidden gems, world’s largest things, and small-town oddities for a living. Together we run a bracket seeded with h...

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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 ideally something you can spot or stumble on while cruising—then put it to the test across a spectrum of submissions. Hell, Michigan brings playful immersion with singed postcards, a mini-gol...

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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, proving there’s far more than 365 stories hidden along 2,400 miles of asphalt.

We trade favorites and discover fresh stops that deserve a pin on your map...

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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 built a year-round tradition where hundreds stream through on Groundhog Day weekend to relive the magic.

Lori breaks down the on-screen illusions: why the film’s...

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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 about the gators we didn’t see. A quick prompt led us to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, where the free grounds—lined with gia...

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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 achievements of their podcast. The conversation highlights the importance of community, family, and the joy of discovering hidden treasures across America. In this engaging conversation, Craig and JJ explore a variety of themes related to travel, geocaching, and...

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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 different truth: rural places are growing, evolving, and attracting families who rank quality of life above everything else.

Corey takes us from his broadcas...

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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. Seligman feels like a living postcard, Kingman frames your car under an iconic sign, and Oatman steals the show with wooden storefronts, a daily shootout, and wi...

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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 Dakota.

We walk through the entire creative journey, from the Field of Dreams spark to the choice to keep dialogue sparse and th...

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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 vision of Willard Carpenter to the community’s decades-long fascination with the Gray Lady, this conversation maps where history and haunting intersect.

Erica shares how a disputed inheritance evolved into...

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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 FOMO for wonder as we tell the story of a hospital-door detour that became a permanent exhibit piece, the final geocacher pack-out before the move, and the ongoing hunt for seat #1341—still tucked away...

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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 the new Comic-Con Museum to logging Adventure Labs woven into art, gardens, and a towering zoo statue, the day unfolds with pace and purpose.

The...

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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 impressions, from a plant bingo night in Minnesota to a pig farm brewery connection in Duluth where we tracked our dinner from farm to table. Through these experiences, we illustrate how breweries foster connections between travelers and locals in wa...

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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 layers on a baseball in 1977
• Craig explores the Badlands National Park in South Dakota, comparing its unique landscape to other national parks
• Free camping along the Badlands rim offers spectacular sunrise and sunset views
• Josh disco...

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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 geocaches.

• West Bend Cache Bash features 66 brand-new caches designed specifically for the event
• Josh reaches his 10,000th geocache milestone with a Back to the Future themed multi-cache
• Creative cache designs include a pirate-themed "X marks the spot"...

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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 and wilderness (30% of Michigan's land area)
• Crossing the magnificent 5-mile Mackinac Bridge that connects the two peninsulas
• Finding pristine swimming spots like Perrot Lake with crystal-clear freshwater
• Visiting quirky attractions like the 500-pound "man-killing clam" at Seashell City 
• Exploring Michigan's craft beer scene with cr...

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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 innovative experiences like the Black Anaconda roller coaster water slide
• Wisconsin Duck tours use WWII-era amphibious vehicles to show the beautiful sandstone formations from both land and water
• The natural beauty of the area was first popula...

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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 of geocaching and Pokemon Go" as Rob explains the game's unique blend of physical QR code hunting and virtual creature capturing. Unlike traditional geocaching, Munzee allows players to leave their mark virtually anywhere in...

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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 historical exhibits, museums, and cultural attractions
• Location and scenic views elevate basic rest stops into memorable experiences
• Food options range from vending machines to multiple full-service restaurants
• Truck stops have evolved into complex...

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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 reaching Morgantown, Josh took a soul-stirring detour to Pittsburgh's Mr. Rogers statue where the beloved icon's voice still echoes beneath an arch overlooking the river – a moment he describes as "almost spiritual."

Our Morgantown home...

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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 Keene pivoted from adult entertainment venues to family-friendly (technically) attractions after pushback from the nearby town of St. Roberts. The result? A roadside stop that leans heavily into innuendo while remaining just appropriate enou...

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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 Minnesota's longest-used prison
• Sandwich, New Hampshire (pop. 1,466) served as the filming location for "On Golden Pond" and features incredible fall foliage due to its remarkable biodiversity
• Unity, Oregon (pop. 43) wasn't officially a town until 1972 when ranchers needed a water grant...

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St. Louis deserves far more than just a glance at the Gateway Arch as you drive through. This overlooked Midwestern gem offers some of the most unique attractions in America, as Craig discovered while celebrating his 50th birthday with an adventure-packed itinerary crafted by AI.

The Gateway Arch impresses not just with its towering presence but with fascinating engineering details. Did you know it forms a perfect half-circle, with its 630-foot height matching its width exactly? Or that its innovative elevator system combines traditional lift technology with Ferris wheel mechanics to...

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We explore the charming town of Floresville, Texas, as we attend the 23rd annual Geocaching Texas Challenge and discover what makes small-town America so special through conversations with locals and participation in this unique competitive event.

• Host to the Texas Challenge geocaching mega-event with teams competing for regional pride
• Meeting Mayor Gloria Morales-Cantu who welcomed geocachers to her community of 8,000 residents
• Exploring the stunning town mural depicting local landmarks including the courthouse and famous peanut statue
• Visiting Finders Keepers, a treasure-filled antique store owned by former teachers who transfor...

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Buckle up for our most anticipated episode of the year—the 2025 Roadside Attractions March Madness Championship! With special guest Courtney from The Brewery Adventure podcast completing our judging panel, we're setting out to crown America's ultimate roadside attraction from a bracket of 23 quirky, fascinating, and sometimes bizarre destinations.

The competition features everything from architectural oddities to pop culture landmarks. Marvel at the Paper House in Massachusetts, where everything from walls to furniture is constructed entirely from layered newspapers. Discover the Beer Can House in Houston, a shimmering masterpiece adorned with 50,000 beer ca...

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Join us as we embark on a delightful journey through America’s most unique roadside attractions, culminating in a playful March Madness showdown! Our exploration reveals how these quirky landmarks represent more than mere stops along the way; they capture the spirit of adventure inherent in all road trips. Excitement builds as listeners help us select the best attractions to compete in this year’s tournament.

• Overview of notable roadside attractions discussed
• Personal travel stories connected to various landmarks
• Insights from our community and patron suggestions
• Highlights of fun competit...

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In this episode of Treasures of Our Town, hosts Joshua and Craig explore the unique and charming towns across the USA, focusing on the oldest active geocaches. They share their experiences from the recent BamaRama mega event, discuss the significance of geocaching, and highlight the hidden gems surrounding these historical caches. The conversation is filled with personal anecdotes, travel tips, and insights into the geocaching community. In this conversation, Joshua and Craig explore various geocaching locations across the United States, sharing personal experiences and insights about the unique challenges and rewards of each...

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Ever wondered what makes a town truly unique? Picture yourself in the heart of America’s quirkiest festivals, from the hilariously chaotic Testicle Festival to the high-stakes North American Wife Carrying Championships. As we narrate these tales of eccentricity, we also weave in personal stories, such as Josh's emotional farewell to his loyal Ford Edge after a whopping 273,000 miles and his new adventure-ready Subaru Crosstrex, perfect for Minnesota's unforgiving winters.

Get ready to be part of our geocaching escapades as we traverse the land of winter wonders and upcoming events that pr...