Season 6, Episode 1- Quirky Holiday Traditions Update and Beating the Winter Blues
Release Date: 01/31/2025
Season 6, Episode 16- Festival of Lites (Lighter Beer Taste Test)
Backyard Road Trips
Jim's sister Kiki has a problem. She's a long time Michelob Ultra drinker but after years of listening to the Backyard Road Trips podcast, she's ready to dip her toe into the world of craft beer. Jim and Zack have been tasked with finding the perfect gateway beer. Jim has devised a plan- a blind taste test of lighter beers. These are a mix between macro and micro brews, with Mich Ultra being one of them. Jim, Zack and Kiki are joined by Kiki's daughter (and Jim's niece) Kitta. Will she be able to identify the Ultra? Listen up to find out! Prost!
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Season 6, Episode 15- Chatting with Melissa Rodway
Backyard Road Trips
Zack and Jim are excited to welcome Melissa Rodway to the show. Melissa is an adventurer, writer, podcaster and owner of FLY Travel Media. Melissa shares with us some of her favorite (and least favorite) travels around the world, how she fits travel into her schedule, and her favorite backyard road trips. For more information about Melissa, check out , as well as her memoir, .
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Season 6, Episode 14- Hot Ones- Hot Peppers and Hot Topics!
Backyard Road Trips
After a year of growing a variety of hot peppers, it's harvest time! Jim shares his peppers with Zack and guests including his wife, Katie Wheeler and good friend Tim Lawless. The four share nibbles of hot peppers that become increasingly hotter on the Scoville scale, all while broaching hot topics, including dogs in stores and reclinging airplane seats. Listen up!
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Season 6, Episode 13- Zero ABV Taste Test
Backyard Road Trips
Zack and Jim are back with guest, Tim Lawless. Initially the conversation begins with their favorite fall beers, with references to past pumpkin beer taste tests (see earlier seasons). Eventually, it descends into the world of non-alcoholic beer. Why would it be appealing? Do any of the NA beers make the cut? Listen to find out!
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Season 6, Episode 12- Boos and Brews with Tim Lawless
Backyard Road Trips
Jim, Zack, and special guest, Tim Lawless join us for a session of Brews and Boos. Jim, homebrewer extraordinaire, let's sample four of his newest beers: a spicy pumpkin ale, a holiday ale, a black IPA, and a smoked stout. In addition, the trio shares with us their favorite scary stories, especially ones that have happened close to home.
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Season 6, Episode 11- Chatting with Angela Andrieux
Backyard Road Trips
Jim and Zack welcome photographer, Angela Andrieux, to the show! Angela shares with us her passion for photography, how she initially got into taking pictures and her favorite backyard road trips. She also tells us all about Mylio, the photo archival company where she works.
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Season 6, Episode 10 - Red & White @ Silver
Backyard Road Trips
Jim, Zack and special guest Ian Cheney welcome you to a very special episode. In this episode, they preview their new podcast, which launches in September, called "Red & White @ Silver". The trio are graduates of the Norwich (CT) Free Academy, Class of 2001. After Ian was a guest on Backyard Road Trips, he conceived of the idea for this podcast. Ian, Zack and Jim would spend the next two years interviewing more than 40 fellow graduates from NFA's Class of 2001 to find out where life has taken them. Episodes will be airing once a week through June in conjunction with the 25th...
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Season 6, Episode 9 - Catching Up with Ian Cheney
Backyard Road Trips
Jim and Zack welcome Ian Cheney back onto Backyard Road Trips. Ian has been on here to tell us about his book, as a guest for a historical discussion, and to share information about our other podcast project, Red and White at Silver. This time, though, he's sharing his own travel tidbits and more. Jim also talks travel as he clues us in on his recent trips, including a multi-day hike of the Nipmuck Trail in Connecticut, travels to the White Mountains and Universal Studios. Ian shares his recent overnight voyage in his own town, his upcoming Disney World vacation and his ideal trip. Zack shares...
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Season 6, Episode 8- Chatting with Laura Giles
Backyard Road Trips
Jim and Zack welcome Laura Giles onto the show. Laura is a guide who leads groups in a variety of tours; spiritual retreats, sacred travel and nature-based excursions, among others. She chats with the duo all about what she does and her inspiration. For more information, check out Laura's website at www.lauragiles.me
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Season 6, Episode 7- Chatting with Joanna Kalafatis
Backyard Road Trips
Jim and Zack welcome travel writer, actress, and photographer Joanna Kalafatis to the show! In addition to acting in shows, Maestro in Blue and Love Rat, Joanna runs the website, . Not only does she write on her own blog, but she has also authored the as well a . Joanna grew up in Greece and New York City, later living in Los Angeles. She talks about how to balance her multiple careers, cultural misunderstandings, how to recharge while traveling, and her favorite backyard road trips!
info_outlineDo remember back to the first season of the BYRT podcast? Way back in 2020 when Jim and Zack discussed their quirky holiday traditions? Of course you remember since you're a BYRT podcast completist. Just to jog your memory, the duo rapped about all the quirky weird stuff that they do to celebrate the holidays from Thanksgiving through New Year's. Five years later, they see how life changes traditions, or if it does, as they give an update on what they do for the holidays. Additionally, since it's mid-Winter, they chat about how to beat those winter blues.