Bizarre Travel Tales podcast

Longtime travel journalist Spud Hilton focuses on stories about the wild and weird side of the planet and the people who roam around it.

Very strange sister cities! Is Shakespeare's theater a faux Globe? 08/19/2021

Very strange sister cities! Is Shakespeare's theater a faux Globe? In this episode: Three towns with really unfortunate names find there's strength in pairing up as city siblings. Considering how many "authentic" recreations of the Globe Theater there are, how come no one knows what the original looked like? /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/20200085

Portland's famously unknown statue! Fixing ATMs in Antarctica! 08/10/2021

Portland's famously unknown statue! Fixing ATMs in Antarctica! In this episode: Statue in Portland should be called "Attack of the 50-foot Woman's Lawyers"! If it's hard to believe there are ATMs in Antarctica, imagine being the guy who has to fix them! Italian guy misplaces his car during Oktoberfest — for more than a month! /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/20095457

Soviet spaceships in Kansas! Teddy bear trauma! Stuck on It's a Small World! 07/21/2021

Soviet spaceships in Kansas! Teddy bear trauma! Stuck on It's a Small World! In this episode: Cold War space-race history finds a home in the Heartland at Cosmosphere museum in Kansas! EasyJet calls 6-year-old girl's stuffed bear "excess baggage." A Disneyland guest sues after being stuck on the "It's a Small World" ride — and wins! /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/19884710

How to Quaff like an Egyptian! Hummable highway history! 07/09/2021

How to Quaff like an Egyptian! Hummable highway history! In this episode: Actor make highway history! Archaeologists in Egypt find a brewery that predates Stonehenge! Air New Zealand gets 'brand ambassadors' to use their heads! /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/19763783

Griswold's Truckster still truckin'! The 1,800-mile detour! 06/14/2021

Griswold's Truckster still truckin'! The 1,800-mile detour! In this episode: Buyer pays $100,000 for a replica of most unfortunate station wagon in road-trip history. Thanks to GPS, a Belgian woman driving to the Brussels airport to pick up a friend ends up in Croatia. /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/19468874

Grounded: What's a road-trip song — and what's not 06/09/2021

Grounded: What's a road-trip song — and what's not Whether it’s “I’ve Been Everywhere” or “Route 66,” road-trip anthems are a vital part of travel culture. But there's a big difference between “road-trip songs” and “songs that are fun to play on a road-trip.” Spud Hilton talks about the difference and why it matters. /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/19418543

King of the DMZ! Florence museum gets Galileo's digits! 06/02/2021

King of the DMZ! Florence museum gets Galileo's digits! In this episode: The ruins of a Korean king's castle still reside in the world's most dangerous eco-park! Geography trivia from South (and North) of the Border! A relic of one of science's saints finds a home in Florence. /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/19328291

TSA scans carry-on corpse! Stripping down in a National Park! 05/27/2021

TSA scans carry-on corpse! Stripping down in a National Park! In this episode: The TSA scans a carry-on corpse that gives new meaning to the term “dead-heading!” Secret Garden State: The mystery behind New Jersey’s only nude beach! /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/19209665

Harry Potter and the Stranger's Tomb! Sniffing out the Skunk Ape! 05/23/2021

Harry Potter and the Stranger's Tomb! Sniffing out the Skunk Ape! In this episode: Fan's of JK Rowling's books seek out selfies in grave situations! A Florida man continues his 30-year quest for Bigfoot’s cousin. /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/19209095

Summits and equations! Stranded on United! Museum of instant noodles! 05/20/2021

Summits and equations! Stranded on United! Museum of instant noodles! In this episode: Why Everest isn't really the tallest; the reason United Airlines has a PR department; and a museum dedicated to the inventor of Top Ramen. /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/19068578

Stuck in a toilet at 200mph! UFO no-fly zone! Samosas in space! 05/17/2021

Stuck in a toilet at 200mph! UFO no-fly zone! Samosas in space! In this episode: Why France’s high-speed rail system needs a bigger plunger; why a European village calls UFOs illegal aliens; and why a British restaurant owner thinks his take-out food should be taken waaay out. /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/19054766

Caribbean igloos! Musical road-trips! A tiny skyscraper! 05/13/2021

Caribbean igloos! Musical road-trips! A tiny skyscraper! In this episode of Bizarre Travel Tales: Eskimo homes in the Caribbean; why the greatest American road trip song isn't American; a skyscraper proves not everything is bigger in Texas. /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/19054184

Chest size matters! Pamplona bull's revenge! Cannabis carry-on! 05/10/2021

Chest size matters! Pamplona bull's revenge! Cannabis carry-on! In this episode: Exploring chest size in the furniture capital of the world! Running of the bulls author should have read his own book! What happens when Japanese airport security stashes pot in your luggage? /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/19048673

Grounded: Is a language barrier always a barrier? 03/31/2021

Grounded: Is a language barrier always a barrier? We rely so much on spoken and written language, especially on the road, but is it possible that focusing too much on it prevents us from communicating other ways? Travel journalist Spud Hilton explores the topic in this episode of Grounded! /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/18556040

Nora Dunn on using a tramp stamp as a passport 12/18/2019

Nora Dunn on using a tramp stamp as a passport Longtime travel blogger and train fanatic Nora Dunn talks about what happens when Eastern medicine goes south, emptying vomit buckets in Peru, the downside to skydiving naked, and why zip-off convertible pants are a sign of the apocalypse. (Episode contains adult language and content.) /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/12448643

Flying with Afrika America is never a drag 11/05/2019

Flying with Afrika America is never a drag Drag performer Afrika America brings fun and fabulousness to everything she does — including her day job as a flight attendant. She chats about tragically oblivious passengers, why Chicago is great for cutting loose (Boystown!), being a glutton in New Orleans, and discovering there are African American people in Salt Lake City. (Episode contains adult language and content.) /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/11921798

Nomadic life makes Matt Kepnes a hostel witness 09/24/2019

Nomadic life makes Matt Kepnes a hostel witness Longtime blogger, entreprenuer and author Matt Kepnes talks about what life on the road for a decade is really like, missing a flight because of a hangover, why Paris is great for the deadly sin of gluttony, and a failed attempt to sleep through an orgy in Prague. (Episode contains adult language and content.) /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/11376620

Pam Mandel and Seattle's secret piles of pot 08/28/2019

Pam Mandel and Seattle's secret piles of pot Veteran blogger and outspoken travel advocate Pam Mandel (@NerdsEyeView) chats about people-watching in Waikiki, why road trips are the best travel (hint: stopping for pie), telling truth to tourism outlets, and lusting after Cambodian monks. /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/11031704

Gary Arndt and sleeping naked at Disney World 08/13/2019

Gary Arndt and sleeping naked at Disney World One of the world's most popular travel gurus talks about where to get pork ribs in Tel Aviv, the art of "paleo showering," his Catholic-suffering approach to air travel, the origin or the "pornstache" and why he would prefer snakes over infants on an airplane. (Episode contains adult language and content.) /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/10876759

Rich Grant and cannabis vaping at funerals 07/30/2019

Rich Grant and cannabis vaping at funerals Veteran travel writer and blogger Rich Grant talks about drinking scotch from Coke cups, why the ruins at Pompeii need a bar, supplying strippers with convention swag, and why Disney's Star Wars land is better than the Pyramids of Egypt. /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/10712687

Joel Riddell and nude beaches in Hvar 07/12/2019

Joel Riddell and nude beaches in Hvar San Francisco radio and TV travel guru Joel Riddell talks about stripping down on the Croatia coast, hunky generals, forbidden love (of Disneyland), kilos of caviar and leaving a butt print at the birthplace of Christ. Yeah, really. /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/10498523

Chris McGinnis and "Hokey pokey" on airplanes 07/01/2019

Chris McGinnis and "Hokey pokey" on airplanes Air travel expert Chris McGinnis talks about shower sex in airport lounges, why hot tubs are "DNA cocktails," mistaking Portuguese sausage as a "marital aid" and why you should never drink coffee on an airplane. Seriously. /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/10364849

"Danger" Jill K. Robinson and boozy travel 06/14/2019

"Danger" Jill K. Robinson and boozy travel Veteran travel writer and expert Jill K. Robinson shares tales about torture on a Mexican tequila tour, her favorite New Orleans bars and why she's "not a Strip girl" -- in Las Vegas. /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/10154240

Fly Brother Ernest White II and travel hook-ups 05/29/2019

Fly Brother Ernest White II and travel hook-ups Travel expert, writer and host Ernest White II, known as Fly Brother, talks about experiences -- some nice, some naughty -- in Havana, Sao Paulo, Paris and the Republic of Georgia. Topics cover drinking, great food, one-night stands, nightlife and LGBTQ relationships. /episode/index/show/deathbyjetlag/id/9971294

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