YOUR Favorite Roadside and Roadtrip Attractions
Stacking Adventures: Every Traveler Has a Story
Release Date: 07/22/2025
Stacking Adventures: Every Traveler Has a Story
Want to know how to travel smarter? Ask people who obsess over every dollar and still manage to see the world. Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy just got back from FinCon in Portland, where they collected travel wisdom from some of the sharpest money minds and most experienced travelers they know. These aren't Instagram travel influencers with brand deals—these are people who've figured out how to maximize every trip, extract value from corporate travel, and turn credit card points into actual adventures. From Lacey Langford's wallet-friendly strategies to Steve Stewart's genius networking...
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Here's what most music lovers get wrong about road trips: they hit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and call it done, missing dozens of museums where music history is still alive, personal, and unexpected. Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy sit down with Josephine Matyas and Craig Jones, co-authors of The Music Lovers' Guide to North America, who've spent decades visiting music museums across the continent—from world-famous institutions to tiny storefronts kept alive by passionate locals. They've got the insider stories about what makes each one special, which ones are worth the detour, and...
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Ready to turn your everyday spending into first-class experiences? In this episode of Stacking Adventures, Crystal Hammond, Joe Saul-Sehy, and Cindy Zuniga-Sanchez dig into the art (and a little science) of mastering travel points. Whether you’re a seasoned jet-setter or just starting to explore the rewards world, this episode will help you stack your points like a pro—and actually use them for those dream vacations. From strategic credit card pairing to maximizing transfer bonuses, the trio dives into how to make every dollar work double-time. You’ll learn how to build flexible reward...
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Ever wondered if ghost tours are actually fun, or just touristy gimmicks that sound better on Instagram than in real life? Crystal Hammond just got back from a ghost tour through Alexandria, Virginia with , and she's got answers. Spoiler: this one's worth the price of admission—especially if you like your history served with a side of haunted pub crawl. From the allegedly haunted Gatsby Hotel to the centuries-old Carlisle House, Crystal walks you through cobblestone streets, colonial architecture, and the kind of local stories that make you wonder if that cold breeze was just October air......
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What if the trip you've been dreaming about doesn't have to wait until retirement—or cost a fortune? Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy sit down with road-trippers Miranda and Jason, who just wrapped a 26-day adventure from Idaho to Oregon. Hot springs. Star-filled skies. A night in a giant flowerpot Airbnb (yes, really). And the best part? They didn't come home broke. Miranda and Jason break down exactly how they made it work: credit card points, camping hacks, and the art of saying "yes" to spontaneity without blowing the budget. Because here's the thing—adventure doesn't require endless...
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Imagine if you went to a place where people knew how to save money AND also to have fun? How about if those same people LOVED dishing out advice? Crystal and Joe attended FinCon, a financial media creator's conference in Portland, Oregon, and Crystal shoved her microphone in the faces of some of the TOP money people at the event. Luckily, they all loved it AND shared some incredible gems. From reward stacking to where to stay in the hotel, and from visas to food, we cover everything so that you're ready for your next adventure. Find our Gear of the Day at stackingadventures.com/GOTD Join the...
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Ever dream of packing five countries and a lifetime of memories into less than a month? Buckle up, Adventurer — this episode of Stacking Adventures takes you along for a whirlwind 26-day journey across Europe and beyond. Hosts Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy sit down with globetrotter Jon to unpack the highs, lows, and priceless lessons from his epic family sabbatical — a trip that covered Germany, England, France, Iceland, and Turkey in one unforgettable run. From castles and cathedrals to kebabs and cold plunges, we explore how John made the most of every stop — and how he paid for...
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What happens when you mix rolling vineyards, crashing waves, and a lake so blue it looks Photoshopped? You get Joe Saul-Sehy and Crystal Hammond’s four-day adventure across Oregon. From sipping Pinot in the Willamette Valley to standing awestruck on the rim of Crater Lake, this whirlwind journey proves you don’t need months off to pack in once-in-a-lifetime moments. Along the way, Joe and Crystal share the highs, lows, and a few surprises—like where to find coastal gems that aren’t overrun with tourists, why Bend might be Oregon’s best-kept secret, and which travel snacks pass...
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Why settle for one vacation story when you can get a whole passport’s worth in a single episode? Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy are joined by fellow wanderlusters from the Stacking Adventures community to swap tales that stretch from Main Street U.S.A. to the shores of Zakynthos. Think budget-friendly Disney hacks, Parisian magic, Chicago deep-dish memories, and the kind of Greek beach you only find when you take a wrong turn and just keep driving. In true Adventurer fashion, these stories aren’t just about where we went—they’re about what we learned along the way. Whether...
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What happens when you spend a year crisscrossing the globe (and occasionally your own backyard) with a microphone, an eye for hidden gems, and a love of a good travel story? You get twelve months of unforgettable moments, unexpected lessons, and more “Gear of the Day” picks than we can count. In this milestone episode of Stacking Adventures, hosts Crystal Hammond and Joe Saul-Sehy celebrate our first birthday in style—revisiting epic destinations, listener favorites, and the travel themes that defined our debut year. From the romantic charm of Italy and the windswept coasts of...
info_outlineReady to take the scenic route? In this episode of Stacking Adventures, hosts Joe Saul-Sehy and Crystal Hammond fire up the engine of nostalgia and hit the metaphorical road to celebrate America’s quirkiest, kitschiest, and most unforgettable roadside attractions.
Whether it's a giant ball of twine, a hidden sea beneath Tennessee, or that magical place you stumbled upon because someone in the car had to stop for a soda, this episode is a love letter to those wonderfully weird detours that turn a road trip into a full-blown adventure.
In This Episode, You’ll Discover:
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Crystal’s Childhood Throwbacks: Hear about Robot World, water parks, and the family fun that turned Wisconsin Dells into the Disney World of the Midwest.
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Joe’s Deep Dive into the Earth: He recounts his visit to The Lost Sea, a wild underground lake you can boat across—because Tennessee doesn’t do boring.
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Listener Favorites: From Arkansas’ Monster Mart to Michigan’s Mystery Spot, Adventurers share their own must-see roadside wonders. Big shoutout to the community for their top-tier taste in roadside oddities!
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Is Buc-ee’s a National Treasure?: We make the case for the beaver-branded stop that’s part rest area, part theme park, and 100% essential for any road trip snack run.
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Gear of the Day: Travel might get weird, but today's gear of the day shouldn't. What is it? Crystal will guess...and so will you!
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Frugal Fun Along the Way: Budget-friendly stops, photo-worthy moments, and creative roadside memories that cost next to nothing but feel like a million bucks.
Why This Episode Is a Must-Listen
Whether you're planning your next great escape or just need a reason to crack open your dusty atlas, this episode reminds us that the journey is the destination. It’s a celebration of campy, curious, unforgettable Americana—from googly-eyed statues to underground boat rides and roadside beef jerky you maybe shouldn’t trust (but do anyway).
So buckle up, Adventurer. It’s time to rediscover the joy of pulling over on purpose.