Today, we explore one of the most shell-populated shorelines in the world: Sanibel Island.

Cradled along Florida’s Southwest Coast, the island provides conditions perfect for multitudes of perfectly preserved shells to wash gently ashore.

Why? How? And why should you care?

Let’s get into it because more than just diving into the unique nature of Sanibel Island, we’ll uncover the nature, origins, and importance of the shells themselves.

Their story might surprise you.

Works Cited:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40865490?read-now=1&seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2017/february/mollusc-evolution.html

https://environment.yale.edu/news/article/sea-levels-rise-mussels-provide-coastal-ecosystem-protections

https://sanibel-captiva.org/sanibel-island-shelling/

https://www.wanderlustmagazine.com/inspiration/the-worlds-7-best-beaches-for-finding-shells/

https://www.shapeoflife.org/news/featured-creature/2018/02/26/anomalocaris

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDQa0okkpf0

https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/cambrian-arms-race

https://www.iloveshelling.com/blog/seashell-identification/

https://shellmuseum.org/shells-and-science/shells-guide/

https://sanibel-captiva.org/sanibel-island-history-captiva-island-history/

https://sanibelmuseum.org/sanibel-history/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/national-museum-of-natural-history/2022/06/22/the-story-behind-the-seashells-by-the-seashore/

https://www.museumoftheearth.org/marvelous-mollusks#:~:text=Mollusks%20are%20an%20extremely%20diverse,freshwater%20and%20in%20the%20sea.

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/

Welcome to the van!

During any road trip, questions are bound to arise as your surroundings change.

Today we ask:

How and when were speed limits first established?

Why do trucks have to stop at weigh stations?

What is the worst state to start a homestead in (and why)?

And finally, what's the absolute flattest state in the United States?

Let's hit the road!

Works Cited:

https://blog.americansafetycouncil.com/the-history-of-speed-limits-in-america/

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Walter-Arnold-Worlds-First-Speeding-Ticket/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/140314-flattest-states-geography-topography-science

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-2/nixon-signs-national-speed-limit-into-law

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1969-1976/oil-embargo

https://www.nps.gov/home/learn/historyculture/abouthomesteadactlaw.htm

https://redemptionpermaculture.com/7-of-the-worst-states-for-homesteading-and-the-reasons-why/

https://www.freightech.us/post/history-of-trucking-in-america

https://hdfleet.com/facts-every-fleet-should-know-about-truck-weigh-stations/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/50421599/?clipping_id=15388481&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjUwNDIxNTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3NjcxMTgxNzgsImV4cCI6MTc2NzIwNDU3OH0.NlPl0r7aeCgmNjlU7lpVqcBezgwKvQkoQL1i-KOsYD4

https://law-school.open.ac.uk/blog/red-flag-act

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/

Nashville has a Parthenon ... why?

Nestled into Centennial Park in Nashville, Tennessee, lies an exact-size and detail replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

The thrilling story of America's Parthenon might surprise you.

Safe travels!

Works Cited:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/42626877?read-now=1&seq=12#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/42626877?searchText=the+parthenon&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dthe%2Bparthenon%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fspellcheck_basic_search%2Ftest&refreqid=fastly-default%3A9d9ba02e0f9f5e7a7c507ab701fa1ffe&seq=7

https://www.jstor.org/stable/826893?read-now=1&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/501468?read-now=1&seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/parthenon/hurwit.html

https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/british-museum-story/contested-objects-collection/parthenon-sculptures

https://www.history.com/articles/parthenon-acropolis-ancient-greece-engineering

https://library.nashville.gov/blog/2019/10/nashville-athens-southbut-why

https://www.nashvilleparthenon.com/history

https://www.stephdavidbaxter.com/the-nashville-parthenon/

https://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/athena-vs-poseidon-contest-name/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZDnv110iWo&t=498s

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-rise-and-fall-of-worlds-fairs-180979946/

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, Midwestern highways inspire us to ask:

• Why are barns red?
• What defines the boundaries of the Midwest?
• Why are Hay Bales round?
• And finally, most controversially, perhaps, which Midwestern state has the worst drivers?

Let's explore the answers as we hit the road!

Works Cited:

https://blogs.loc.gov/picturethis/2018/05/a-closer-look-why-barns-are-red/

https://dahp.wa.gov/barn-paint-colors

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/why-are-all-swedish-cottages-painted-red-180975914/

https://falurodfarg.com/en/about/the-story-of-the-red-cottage/

https://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/maybe-the-midwest-is-a-state-of-mind/

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/18/us/midwest-states-harris-trump.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kionasmith/2021/03/18/this-is-why-hay-bales-are-round/

https://www.vermeer.com/na/balers/history

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, we walk the oak-lined streets of Savannah, Georgia - often referred to as America’s first truly planned city.

Savannah’s many parks, measured plots of land, and deeply walkable nature aren’t just an exercise in alternative city planning - the real story of Savannah’s creation might surprise you.

The claim we’ll make today is this: Savannah, and Georgia itself to a degree, started as nothing less than a bold experiment challenging the way in which people should live.

Curious? Let’s hit the road!

Works Cited:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40584446?read-now=1&seq=25#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40577982?read-now=1&seq=13#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26413048?read-now=1&seq=41#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/40550186?read-now=1&seq=24#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.jstor.org/stable/26228997?read-now=1&seq=9#page_scan_tab_contents

https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/savannah/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbyuNHCDdNM&t=78s

https://archive.strongtowns.org/journal/2024/3/8/lessons-on-development-patterns-from-americas-oldest-planned-city

https://www.asce.org/about-civil-engineering/history-and-heritage/historic-landmarks/city-plan-of-savannah

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/

Welcome to the van as we dig up travel stories from the DEPTHS of Reddit!

Abby (of Hooks.and.hops) joins us to discuss traveling air fryers, solo expeditions, and obvious vacations with second families.

Buckle up and enjoy this week's laid-back conversation!

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, we explore a region shrouded in mystery …

An isolated land of rugged hills, carved river valleys, and secluded relics of ages past.

The American Midwest.

Specifically, a region untouched by the many terraforming glaciers that flattened much of what we now refer to as the Upper Midwest.

What we find might surprise you...

Recording Locations:

https://www.iowadnr.gov/places-go/state-parks/all-parks/maquoketa-caves-state-park

Potosi, Wisconsin

https://www.potosibrewery.com/

Governor Dodge State Park

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/govdodge

Mines of Spain - Dubuque, Iowa

https://www.minesofspain.org/

Highway 20, East of Dubuque

Works Cited:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/30068294?searchText=glacial%20movement&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dglacial%2Bmovement%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3A7adbd841d5b02ad978f1d3558444b56b

https://www.jstor.org/stable/30054867?searchText=the+driftless+region&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dthe%2Bdriftless%2Bregion%26so%3Drel&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Ada2488f7a1a6ca5cd9e7a59f1218795c&seq=1

https://data.wgnhs.wisc.edu/pubshare/ES057.pdf

https://eaglebluffmn.org/driftless/

https://www.iowadnr.gov/places-go/state-parks/all-parks/maquoketa-caves-state-park

https://scholarworks.uni.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1430&context=jias

https://www.wisconservation.org/the-driftless-region/

https://geology.utah.gov/map-pub/survey-notes/glad-you-asked/ice-ages-what-are-they-and-what-causes-them/

https://www.agatemag.com/2021/02/the-driftless-the-land-and-humans/

https://www.rafamedina.com/research/bryda/

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/

Welcome to our inaugural collection of travel stories from the depths of Reddit, where my dog Noodles and I react to online tales that range from bone-chilling to heartwarming.

After two years on the road, Noodles and I craft informed commentary on Reddit's wildest travel stories; the good, the bad, and the ugly.

https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/13hmnlx/what_i_like_and_dislike_about_the_usa_as_a_tourist/?chainedPosts=t3_y2xroq

https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/117e2cx/whats_your_favourite_crazy_life_experience_travel/

https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/1cyuwuc/travel_mishaps_do_you_have_any_funny_travel/

https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/comments/11hk4m9/tell_me_the_stories_from_your_solo_travel_trip/

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/