Discover the Real Route 66: A Murderous Zookeeper, a Secret Stairwell, and Feral Donkeys Galore

Discover the Real Route 66: A Murderous Zookeeper, a Secret Stairwell, and Feral Donkeys Galore

Pack the car! Route 66 turns 100 this year, and the Mother Road is still one weird and wild ride. We’re hitting the highway from the California border to the New Mexico high desert, where we’ll encounter the feral donkeys who rule the streets of a gold rush boomtown, visit an abandoned zoo with a body count, and climb a 2,000-year-old pueblo with a hidden staircase that outsmarted the Spanish conquistadors. Along the way, journalist and adventurer Will Grant introduces us to the people who populate this legendary road: a Hualapai elder who remembers the highway’s golden age, the determined shopkeeper who fought to preserve her town’s iconic neon glow, and a young Diné man who grew up at his family’s trading post. Together, they share what the centenarian route means to the communities that depend on it—and tap into the powerful hold it still has on the nation’s imagination. Whether you long for an epic Western roadtrip or you’re just here for the vintage kitsch, this episode will have you reaching for the keys. Where Route 66 takes us: * Oatman, Arizona: Stop to cuddle the adorable baby burrows in this old mining town. * Kingman, Arizona: Home to the Arizona Route 66 Museum, where Model T’s roll in from Chicago and tourists arrive from around the globe. * Peach Springs, Arizona: The heart of the Hualapai Nation, where the tribal market is the unofficial town square. * Williams, Arizona: Vintage neon signs dot one of the most authentic main streets on the route. * Two Guns, Arizona: An abandoned zoo where the murderous owner was mauled by his own mountain lions. * Winslow, Arizona: The sandstone canyon where Easy Rider and The Grapes of Wrath were filmed, plus a classic Diné trading post. * Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico: Dubbed Sky City, this mesa-top village is the oldest continuously inhabited community in the U.S. Guest: Will Grant Born and raised in Colorado, Will Grant brings a cowboy-philosopher’s eye to the landscapes, characters, and histories that make the West unlike anywhere else on earth. After college, he worked as a cowboy and a horse trainer in Colorado, Wyoming, and Texas, where he apprenticed under the legendary horseman Jack Brainard. In 2008, he pivoted to a career in journalism, but he continues to seek out ways to combine horses and storytelling. His 2023 book, The Last Ride of the Pony Express, recounts his 2,000-mile journey along the famed mail route with his horses Chicken Fry and Badger. Other adventures include a 600-mile horse race across Mongolia, an expedition to find gold in Arizona, and two trips to Kyrgyzstan to play kok boru, the most dangerous horseback game on the planet.  For Via, Will traded his saddle for a steering wheel to investigate some of the most storied—and strangest—stretches of Route 66. His writing has also appeared in Outside magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, the Wall Street Journal, and regional publications throughout the West. Will currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his partner, Claire Antoszewski, and two dogs, three chickens, and five horses. Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group [https://mwg.aaa.com/].

Best of Season 2: Ghosts, UFOs, and Rodeos

Missed a stop? We’ve got you. This season’s recap rewinds our best moments. Join hosts Mitti and Michelle as they recall tales of haunted nights aboard the Queen Mary, close encounters near Area 51, a record-breaking birder who can hoot like an owl, the rhinestone sparkle of Portland’s 8 Seconds Rodeo, and the cuddly joys of goat yoga. Along the way, they share listener shout-outs, unexpected lessons, and a few dream guests they’re already plotting for season three. (Kendrick Lamar, call us.) Best-of hits:  * Spooky stays debate: Michelle vows never to sleep in a former hospital; Mitti would (barely) choose staying in an ex-morgue over risking Scary Mary’s chilling grip in Skagway, Alaska. * Alien encounters: From the UFO episode, Laura Krantz’s creepy run-in at Area 51’s gate and the mysterious Black Mailbox letters. * Chef Preeti Mistry’s real talk: Rethinking food as personal storytelling; plus a dash of spicy Top Chef tea. * Bird-nerd joy: Noah Strycker’s pitch-perfect pygmy-owl call and beginner-friendly ID tips. * Black rodeo boom: Ivan McClellan’s Eight Seconds—packed arenas and high-style Western flair. Mitti’s already planning her outfit for the next one. * Cheese Trail nibbles: Goat cuddles, Cougar Gold in a can, and Monterey Jack’s unscrupulous origin story. * Upcoming travels: Michelle’s saying yes to oddball stops (barefoot hike near Flagstaff, Arizona) and plotting a trip to Belize or Portugal; Mitti’s off to Jordan and a Rocky Mountaineer rail trip. * Listener love: Michelle’s dad’s texts, DMs from fans, and special mailbag moments. Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group [https://mwg.aaa.com/].

Haunted Hotels You Can Visit — and the Ghosts Who Never Checked Out

We visit haunted hotels you can actually book—from the Stanley Hotel (inspiration for The Shining) to Glacier National Park's Belton Chalet—with the hosts of National Park After Dark. Our guests, Danielle LaRock and Cassie Yahnian, share chilling tales of historic lodging near our country’s most majestic parks. Join us (if you dare) to meet the West’s creepiest overnight guests, including Scary Mary and her terrifying grip as well as a helpful suitcase-packing specter.  Danielle and Cassie also provide practical advice for ghost-curious travelers, explain why the pleasures of staying in these classic sites can offset their supernatural challenges, and why you might not want to sleep—or even shower!—alone in some of them. Whether you’re plotting your next national park road trip or just love a spooky story, this episode is for you. Spine-tingling highlights: * The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado: Find out why the Stanley’s vibes feel “spooky but wholesome”—and what really happened in room 217. * Golden North Hotel, Skagway, Alaska: Gold Rush–era landmark where “Scary Mary” still stares out the window. * Red Onion Saloon, Skagway, Alaska: Former brothel where a “doll & tube” system signaled which workers were available. * Belton Chalet, West Glacier, Montana: Meet giggling child ghosts and the lodge’s resident spectral prankster, “Belton Bob.” * Granite Park Chalet, Glacier NP, Montana: Backcountry stone chalet tied to the 1967 “Night of the Grizzlies” and the 2003 Trapper Fire. * Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs, Arkansas: Former hospital now frequently cited as one of America’s most haunted hotels. * Plus, listeners’ paranormal encounters at Fort Bragg’s Gray Whale Inn, aboard the Queen Mary, and at a casino in Nevada. * And tips on how to visit haunted places with respect (say hello, set boundaries, and don’t agitate). Guests With campfire-storytelling flair, Danielle LaRock and Cassie Yahnian share meticulously researched survival tales, morbid histories, and paranormal lore meant to inspire—not discourage—exploration. The best-friends-turned-cohosts of the popular podcast National Park After Dark [https://www.npadpodcast.com/] believe that learning the history of a place—no matter how gruesome—will deepen your experience there. The pair first met while working at an animal hospital, bonded on long hikes, and now road-test historic lodges, haunted hotspots, and national park legends. To help their listeners put the show’s motto, “enjoy the view, but watch your back,” into practice, the two also organize wilderness first aid courses and international group adventures.  Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group [https://mwg.aaa.com/].

Adventures with the World’s Best Birder: In Your Backyard and Beyond

Noah Strycker is the Indiana Jones of birding, willing to brave jungle heat and Arctic cold just to spot that rare bunting, owl, or hawk. In 2015, in a quest that spanned 41 countries and all seven continents, he set a world record by finding more than 6,000 different kinds of birds—more than half the bird species on Earth—in a single year. But, as Noah explains in this episode, searching out our feathered friends doesn’t necessarily require epic treks across the globe. Sometimes birding is as simple as keeping your eye on a backyard feeder or taking a mindful walk in the woods. It can also be a great part of any road trip in the West, from the canyons of Arizona to the Bering Strait. Noah regales aspiring birders Mitti and Michelle with tales of his own greatest birding adventures and offers tips for anyone who wants to embark on one of their own. Destinations we visit: * Madera Canyon, Arizona * Point Reyes, California * Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, California * Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon * Nome, Alaska * St. Lawrence Island, Alaska * Colombia * Guyana  Birds we observe: * American robin * Bald eagle * Barred owl * Choco toucan * Great horned owl * Harpy eagle * Northern pygmy owl * Ptarmigan * Puffin * Red-tailed hawk * Ringed kingfisher * Sandhill crane * Snow goose * White-throated sparrow * Yellow warbler Guest: Noah Strycker is a writer and photographer based in Eugene, Oregon. He has written several bestselling books, including Birding Without Borders: An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World and The Thing With Feathers: The Surprising Lives of Birds and What They Reveal About Being Human. He is also the associate editor of Birding magazine. He’s been called a “Travel Pioneer” by the BBC and “Birdman of Razzmatazz” by Newsweek. Noah has an especially soft spot for penguins, which he's observed and researched on nearly 50 expeditions to Antarctica. Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group [https://mwg.aaa.com/].

Dive Into Hawaii Surf Culture: Catch a Wave Where Legends Roamed

Drop in to the world of Hawaiian surf culture—its deep roots in island history, why it’s the perfect place for beginners to learn, and how women are reclaiming their places on the waves. Tourists visiting Hawaii from the mainland might look out from the beach at the surfers riding the waves, and think it’s all just part of the tropical scenery. But to native-born Hawaiians, those surfers signify a whole lot more. They’re living links to the history of the islands. They’re echoes of an era when Hawaiian royalty had their own private breaks off the same beach. They remind them of when Duke Kahanamoku rode a single wave for more than a mile on Oahu's south shore. And even of a time when Hawaiians first arrived in the islands after sailing from Tahiti. That’s how deep its roots are. Join us as we explore those roots with Mindy Pennybacker, author of Surfing Sisterhood Hawaii: Wahine Reclaiming the Waves. We talk about the history and culture of surfing in Hawaii, but also her own evolution from bookworm to seasoned surfer, the best places for beginners to learn, and why she thinks surfing in California is inferior. (The short version: Cold water, kelp, and great white sharks.) Guest: Fourth-generation Hawaiian Mindy Pennybacker is a distinguished journalist, author, and lifelong surfer. A former surfing columnist for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, she has also contributed to The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Pennybacker is the author of Surfing Sisterhood Hawaii: Wahine Reclaiming the Waves and Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices. She holds degrees from Stanford University and UC Davis School of Law and attended the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. As a youngster, she was the only girl in the competitive Tonggs Surf Gang. Mindy lives in Honolulu. Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group [https://mwg.aaa.com/].