What's the real story of West Virginia?

Why is the state often ignored, stereotyped and forgotten?

In what world do these questions explain the flurry of West Virginia Mothman sightings of the 1960's?

We answer all this and more as we hike mountain trails and visit the small town of Point Pleasant, a location infamous for its association with the Mothman.

Safe travels!

Works Cited:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4242460?searchText=the+battle+of+point+pleasant&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dthe%2Bbattle%2Bof%2Bpoint%2Bpleasant%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A37008b1977b34b4942bbe80356d2cc59&seq=3

https://www.jstor.org/stable/27649920?read-now=1&seq=14#page_scan_tab_contents\

https://www.jstor.org/stable/43198067?read-now=1&seq=10#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26233743?read-now=1&seq=24#page_scan_tab_contents

https://wvpublic.org/mothman-legacy-has-ties-to-ancient-folklore/

https://folklife.si.edu/magazine/mothman-point-pleasant-west-virginia

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/history-west-virginia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-VU_Yqadus

https://virginiahistory.org/learn/why-there-west-virginia

https://wvminewars.org/news/battleofmatewantrial

https://www.history.com/articles/west-virginia

https://www.britannica.com/place/Point-Pleasant-West-Virginia

https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.battleofpointple00poff/?sp=11&st=image

https://www.appalachianforestnha.org/america250-in-the-appalachian-forest-stories/9xb7pdcqj9jg88wmg1rhbouepzp5ep

https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/west-virginia

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/

Today Noodles and I camp in the Haze of the Blue Ridge Mountains to answer the following questions:

What are the blue ridge mountains?

Why are they worth exploring?

Why has this section of the country long been steeped in mystery, supernatural stories and the occasional strain of true crime.

We also answer listener questions including:

• What place would you not revisit?
• What’s a funny story from the road?
• What makes van life worth it?
• Do you have a favorite Noodles story?

Recommendations:

The absolute best brewery tour of Asheville NC (trust me):

https://www.beercitybrewerytoursavl.com/

My personal favorite brewery in Asheville:

https://cellarestbeer.com/

Great civil war site in Chattanooga, TN:

https://www.lookoutmountain.com/

Top 5 places to catch a sunset:

https://www.southeasttennessee.com/hiking-to-lookout-mountains-sunset-rock/

Follow our insta for more recommendations - backroad_odyssey

Works Cited:

https://www.britannica.com/place/Appalachian-National-Scenic-Trail

https://static.pbslearningmedia.org/media/media_files/0d83ef92-65ad-4b54-bd77-2dd1b4b886c2/239b6682-7944-4df8-bc28-548eda4d33eb.pdf

https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/geography-environment/blue-ridge-mountains/

https://blueridgetales.com/tales-of-the-moon-eyed-people/

https://www.nps.gov/blri/learn/nature/mountains.htm

https://hendersonvillebest.com/have-you-ever-wondered-how-the-blue-ridge-mountains-got-their-name/

https://blueridgetales.com/

https://friendsofblueridge.org/our-mountains/mountains-history/

https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/omni-grove-park-inn/ghost-stories.php

https://www.exploreasheville.com/article/top-10-haunted-spots-asheville

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/

Why should we care about Ernest Hemingway's time in Key West?

What did this great American novelist REALLY do and accomplish during his brief residency on the island from 1931 to 1939?

My dog and I spend a week on the island to answer these - and more - questions ...

Works Cited:

Great, concise book about Hemingway's time in Key West:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/104236.Hemingway_s_Key_West

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/guide-hemingways-paris-180950079/

https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/hemingway/pauline-pfeiffer#:~:text=Pauline%20Pfeiffer%20was%20a%20journalist,family%20was%20wealthy%20and%20Catholic.

https://www.hemingwayhome.com/his-life

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-21/ernest-hemingway-is-born

https://www.ernesthemingwaycollection.com/about-hemingway/ernest-hemingway-in-paris

https://sloppyjoes.com/history/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hemingway-s-last-penny

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=223742

https://www.hemingwayhome.com/our-cats

https://fla-keys.com/keysvoices/hemingway-days-celebrates-legendary-writers-key-west-life/

https://medium.com/@mentalgarden/ernest-hemingways-peculiar-writing-routine-unlock-your-real-potential-624f92c8758e

https://www.clappisonvet.com/resources/blog/september-2017/the-many-cats-of-ernest-hemingway

https://www.themarkerkeywest.com/blog/discovering-the-legacy-of-hemingways-six-toed-cats-in-key-west/

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/

A singular stretch of untamed wilderness lines Calirfonia's Northern Coast.

A landscape so rugged and dramatic that the state's infamous 'route one' avoids it's sheer cliffs and crashing waves.

My dog Noodles and I spend three days along this coast - while there we hear a love story.

-

We answer listener questions at the end, which include:

• How do you know where you're going next?
• Does your van get messy?
• Was there anything that surprised you in researching Plymouth Rock?
• What cryptid are you most scared of?

Recommendations:

Black Sands Beach near Shelter Cove:

https://sheltercovecalifornia.com/the-lost-coast-trail

Beer and Food:

https://www.gyppo.com/

Backpacking for the brave - make sure you reserve in advance:

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/lost-coast-trail-mattole-to-black-sands-beach

Works Cited:

https://www.savetheredwoods.org/project/lost-coast-redwoods/

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28172

https://www.aspireadventurerunning.com/the-lost-coast-the-ancestral-lands-of-the-sinkyone-people/

https://sheltercovecalifornia.com/the-lost-coast-trail

https://michaelbass.media/THE-LOST-COAST

https://www.visitredwoods.com/listing/shelter-cove-on-the-lost-coast/138/

https://www.visitcalifornia.com/experience/lost-coast/

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/

What’s the real story and legacy of Plymouth Rock?

Did the so-called “Pilgrims” REALLY step upon that particular rock that fateful Autumn of 1620?

Why and how did Plymouth Rock become the defining “Founding of America" Myth?

My dog Noodles and I visit the rock in Plymouth Massachusetts to find out!

Works Cited:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1wxsdq.7?searchText=plymouth+rock&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dplymouth%2Brock%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A613af71a7850d2e61fbd659b9b9eb5f9&seq=6

https://www.jstor.org/stable/41779364?read-now=1&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

They Knew They Were Pilgrims, Plymouth Colony and the Contest for American Liberty by John G Turner

https://www.history.com/articles/the-real-story-behind-plymouth-rock

https://www.studentsofhistory.com/comparing-jamestown-plymouth-colonies

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Plymouth-Rock-United-States-history

https://www.history.com/articles/william-bradford

https://www.history.com/articles/king-james-bible-most-popular

https://www.history.com/articles/mayflower-compact

https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/lawes-divine-morall-and-martiall/

https://www.neh.gov/blog/plymouth-colony-and-beginnings-liberty-america-qa-neh-public-scholar-john-turner

https://plimoth.org/for-students/homework-help/mayflower-and-mayflower-compact

https://www.gilderlehrman.org/sites/default/files/inline-pdfs/The%20Mayflower%20Compact.pdf

https://www.potawatomi.org/blog/2020/11/25/the-true-dark-history-of-thanksgiving/

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/

Who is The Skunk Ape?

Noodles and I take the van to visit Skunk Ape Headquarters deep in the Florida Everglades in search of answers.

We’ll also be answering listener question at the end, which include:

• What do you listen to while driving?
• Do you ever take showers in your van?
• How long does it take you to visit a location?
• How do you avoid conversation bias on the show?

Brief Works Cited:

https://www.skunkape.info/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/trail-floridas-bigfoot-skunk-ape-180949981/

https://keysweekly.com/42/keys-history-stories-of-southernmost-skunk-ape/

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/

The sparse fields of North Dakota hold a secret …

Mysterious scrape metal statues populate the wind-swept landscape.

The reason behind their labored construction and the harrowing story of the man who built them - that’s a story worth telling.

This is the fable of the Enchanted Highway…

Works Cited:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos/meet-the-man-who-built-north-dakota-s-enchanted-highway

https://www.ndtourism.com/regent/attractions-entertainment/family-fun/enchanted-highway

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=the+enchanted+highway.com&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/enchanted-highway

https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2155

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/

How much do we REALLY know about eclipses?

My answer one year ago would have been - not much.

-

To amend this, my dog and I witness a total solar eclipse and - nearly a year later - a lunar eclipse in Southern Florida.

We use each experience to explore the profound cultural, historical and scientific significance of eclipses.

Sit back, relax and join our venture into cosmic happenings well beyond the walls of our small van ...

Listener questions at the end of the episode include:

• If you found a large diamond in Arkansas - what would you do with the money?

• Did it take you a long time to understand your van’s electric system?

• Will your show be coming to YouTube?

• Can we get an updated Audiobook recommendation episode?

• How long in general does it take you to research an episode?

Works Cited:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/178278?read-now=1&seq=3#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4130201?read-now=1&seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.history.com/articles/solar-lunar-eclipses

https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEhistory/LEhistory.html

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/eclipse-maps-halley-18th-century-astronomy

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johannes-Kepler

https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEcat5/SE1601-1700.html

https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/history/

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20231012-how-solar-eclipses-have-shaped-history

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-ancient-civilizations-reacted-to-eclipses-180983894/

https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/geometry/

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/resources/teachable-moment/the-science-of-solar-eclipses-and-how-to-watch-with-nasa/

https://www.planetary.org/worlds/pale-blue-dot

https://www.astronomy.com/science/a-history-of-solar-eclipses/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTxz_d2q7Js

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idlq8zCrUkY

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/