1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,600 Speaker 1: Guess what, mango, what's that? Well, I'm not sure if 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:04,920 Speaker 1: you've ever been to the Secret Museum in New York City, 3 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: there's a secret museum. Yeah, it's hidden in this elevator shaft, 4 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: and it's pretty incredible. Each shelf has considered its own 5 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: wing of the museum and they have all sorts of 6 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 1: weird things in there, from vintage magazines to a gallery 7 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,240 Speaker 1: of weird toothpaste from around the world, to the shoe 8 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: that was supposedly thrown at George Bush at that Iraqi presscout. 9 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: It's so strange, and it's all hiding in this tiny, 10 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: hidden museum that commuters just walked past all the time. 11 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:32,159 Speaker 1: It's strange how many like little museums and galleries there 12 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 1: are hiding all around us. Like I feel like I 13 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: only learned about this micro toy museum in my neighborhood 14 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: when it showed up on my son's Pokemon Go So 15 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: that thing did prove useful for very The crazy thing 16 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: is they're actually more museums in the country than Starbucks 17 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: and McDonald's combined. Like, according to the Washington Post, they're 18 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: over thirty five thousand museums in this country and they 19 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: cover every conceivable topic, from a forest fire museum in 20 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 1: Idaho to a museum of maritime pets and a Naples 21 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: Maritime Pets. I really want that museum to just be 22 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: a giant gallery of parrots owned by famous bucking Pretty 23 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: sure that's what it is. We have to check it out, 24 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: but doesn't it feel like a waste? I mean, if 25 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: there are that many museums hiding all around us, shouldn't 26 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: we be taking advantage of them? So that's what we're 27 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: gonna do in this episode. We're creating a weird summer 28 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: travel guide filled with obscure places that deserve way more attention. 29 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:45,479 Speaker 1: What do you say we dive in? Y Hey, their 30 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: podcast listeners, Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson 31 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: and as always I'm joined by my good friend mangesh 32 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: Hot Ticketer, and today we're talking about finding ways to 33 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: fit in a little weirdness into your summer. So, as 34 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: you know Mango, a few weeks ago, while we were 35 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: recording a few episodes, my wife and kids we're doing 36 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: their annual trip with three or four other moms and 37 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: a herd of kids the Great Smoky Mountains. They go 38 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: in the camp there for three nights in Elkmont, Tennessee. 39 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: And it's not just for the camping. It's because there's 40 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: a species of firefly that light up in synchrony. That's right, 41 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: synchronized fireflies, and it only happens for about two weeks 42 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: in June. Just two weeks, like that's such a short 43 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: window it is, but it sounds magnificent and it's one 44 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: of the only places in the world where you can 45 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 1: see them. There have been some others found in the 46 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 1: swamps of South Carolina and some other areas of the Appalachians, 47 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: but this has become such a big deal in the 48 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: Smokies that the camp sites at Elkmont booked up a 49 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: year and advance. But during the second week in June 50 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: you can take a trolley up to the area and 51 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: see the fireflies, even if you're not a camper. That's 52 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 1: something I definitely want to see. Well, that's what got 53 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,360 Speaker 1: me thinking summer may have already started, but it's not 54 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: too late to find lots of other unique and weird 55 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 1: things to see and do around the country before the 56 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: season ends. Definitely not and to help us find some 57 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: of the most interesting off the beaten path places and 58 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: events around the country. We turned to our ends at 59 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: one of our favorite websites, Atlas Obscura. Now, if you 60 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: don't know Atlas Obscura, you've got to check it out. 61 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: And in a bit we'll be joined by Dylan Thuriss, 62 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: one of the founders, to hear about some of his 63 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: favorite spots. And I'm sure you've got a ridiculous quiz 64 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 1: ready for two lucky people. Of course, who are we 65 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 1: gonna have on the line today. Well, we've got a 66 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: travel team, so we've got to travel agents from Virginia 67 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 1: and they'll be joining us to play weird world laws. Okay, well, 68 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 1: let's get started. So we know it can sometimes be 69 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,799 Speaker 1: tough to schedule around exact dates that we'll still get 70 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: to a few awesome festivals later on in the episode, 71 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: but let's start with some places you can go to 72 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: pretty much any week. And because we love museums that 73 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: are focused on very specific things, I think we should 74 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: kick this off with a few of those. I see 75 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: you've made a big list here, Mango. Yeah, I've got 76 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: this list of a hundred thirty one must see museums 77 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: around the country right now. Well, that's great, but I'm 78 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: not sure we have time for a hundred and thirty 79 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: one places, and in fact, you're moving from Brooklyn to 80 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: Atlanta this summer, barely even getting a summer. So why 81 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: don't you say, why don't we pick eight and we'll 82 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: talk about those. I'm gonna cut my list off right here, 83 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: and let's begin right here on the East Coast and 84 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: start with the museum dedicated to one of my favorite instruments, 85 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: the kazoo. I'm talking about the Kazoo Museum at the 86 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: Kazoobi Kazoo Factory in Baufort, South Carolina. Did you know 87 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:21,159 Speaker 1: the kazoo is actually one of the only homegrown instruments 88 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:23,040 Speaker 1: in the US. All Right, Well, while I can't say 89 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:25,840 Speaker 1: I'm an expert on weird instrument history, I actually do 90 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: know this one because of its origin. So a few 91 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 1: episodes ago, you got to share lots of fun facts 92 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: about your home state of Delaware. So I feel like 93 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: it's my turn to recognize some of the very important 94 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: facts about my home state of Alabama. I don't know 95 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: if you've noticed, but we come from some pretty influential 96 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: states here, Mary. But I know this one because the 97 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:46,840 Speaker 1: kazoo was invented by an Alabama vest and clockmaker. Thaddius 98 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:50,040 Speaker 1: von Klegg almost two hundred years ago. That's right. And 99 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: do you think we're going to be the first podcast 100 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 1: to mention a clockmaker from Alabama? Probably? So? But did 101 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: you know that the kazoo is also known as the 102 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: down South summer? Good God, no, I didn't. Now I 103 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: feel bad for running away from that man who asked 104 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: if I wanted to check out his down South submarine. 105 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: This sounds like a really fun museum. By the way, 106 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: did you know the kazoo is sometimes called the most 107 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: democratic of all instruments because they're cheap and approachable and 108 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:21,159 Speaker 1: basically anyone can just pick one up and play it immediately. 109 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,159 Speaker 1: There's this avant garde piece from the nineteen seventies called 110 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,600 Speaker 1: With a Hundred Kazoos, and audience members are given kazoos 111 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: to accompany a little orchestra of real musicians, and they 112 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,280 Speaker 1: don't sound bad because kazoos are that easy. All right, 113 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:36,039 Speaker 1: But let's move on. Where do we go from Beauford, 114 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:39,039 Speaker 1: South Carolina. Let's head one state up to North Carolina 115 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: to a museum. I have to admit I didn't even 116 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,040 Speaker 1: know existed when we went to college in the state. 117 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: It's the Museum of the Alphabet in Waxhaw, North Carolina. 118 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 1: And what happens at the Museum of the Alphabet, Well, 119 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: it started out as a project intended to translate the 120 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: Bible into as many languages as possible, But even if 121 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: that's not your interest, it's a pretty fascinating project. It's 122 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: really a celebration of the history of the written language. 123 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 1: Their twelve galleries dedicated to individual languages or families, languages 124 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 1: from Greek to Hebrew to African languages. But I think 125 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: what's most interesting about it is the focus on minority 126 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: languages that are only spoken by a small number of people, 127 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: and they might be going extinct if they're not preserved. 128 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: I remember seeing a fact somewhere that of the seven 129 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,159 Speaker 1: thousand languages in the world, about a third of those 130 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: lack a written alphabet. So all of those would definitely 131 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:26,599 Speaker 1: be at risk of being lost completely if people stopped 132 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: speaking them. Yeah, my family actually speaks a tiny dialect 133 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 1: of a language called Cockney, which doesn't have its own script, 134 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: and it was great growing up because it's basically like 135 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:37,160 Speaker 1: a secret language that I had just with my parents. 136 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,039 Speaker 1: There are so few speakers, but it's really not that 137 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 1: useful if you're trying to get around India. But it's 138 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 1: fascinating that the Museum of the Alphabet is really trying 139 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,160 Speaker 1: to preserve languages, and one of the ones they focused 140 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: on is that of the Gala communities of South Carolina, Georgia, 141 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: and Florida. It's a creole language of some of the 142 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,720 Speaker 1: African American populations in the coastal region, and it was 143 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:58,719 Speaker 1: developed out of several West African languages in the sixteenth 144 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 1: and seventeen centuries as a way for slaves of different 145 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 1: backgrounds to communicate with one another. It's so interesting. I 146 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: definitely want to check this place out. Well. While you're there, 147 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: you can also see how your name would look and 148 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: cling on, so that's pretty cool too. Actually, that reminds 149 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 1: me of the time you and I went to speak 150 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: to the employees at Google and Mountain View, California. Remember 151 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: this trip definitely. Because we'd heard they were so smart, 152 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: we decided to put them to the test and had 153 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:25,160 Speaker 1: a few language experts create the world's geekiest crossword puzzle. 154 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: So every answer was in a constructed language like cling 155 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:31,679 Speaker 1: on and Elvish and Esperanto, and we told them whoever 156 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 1: completed it would get a free T shirt. Not only 157 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: did we run out of T shirts because so many 158 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: of them completed it, but they were correcting our grammatical 159 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 1: mistakes and these constructed languages, so I guess they are. Yeah, 160 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 1: it's okay. So another fascinating spot. Where two next? Well, 161 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,120 Speaker 1: there are two other spots in the South before we 162 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: head up to the northeast. The first is right here 163 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 1: in Georgia, in Statesboro at the Georgia Southern Campus. It's 164 00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: the U S National Tick Collection and it's the largest 165 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: election of its kind in the world. Wow. This definitely 166 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: seems fitting for this time of year when we're all 167 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: searching for ticks after we go for a hike, and 168 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: especially that one that makes people vegetarian because it gives 169 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: you an intolerance to eating meat. How weird is that? 170 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: I know, it's like the meat lobby's nightmare, But how 171 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: big could this tick collection be? Or there really that 172 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 1: many kinds of ticks out there? I was so surprised. 173 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: They have over a million specimen and there are eight 174 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: hundred sixty species of these bloodsuckers collected from all seven continents. 175 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: I just opened the website here and I see that 176 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: They're open just a couple of days a week for 177 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: a couple hours each, so you definitely need to plan 178 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:36,680 Speaker 1: in advance. And this collection is actually owned by the 179 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: Smithsonian Institution. That's pretty cool. And my other spot in 180 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:44,679 Speaker 1: the South is in Scottsboro, Alabama. Yes, another Alabama fact. 181 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 1: And I know this one, so please let me talk 182 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: about it. I mean, you owe me after all the 183 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: Delaware facts and the tax savings issue. Okay, the floor 184 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: is yours. So this is the Unclaimed Baggage Center in 185 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: North Alabama. And it's not technically a museum, but it 186 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,559 Speaker 1: might as well be. It's where every piece of lost 187 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: luggage from around the country goes. It's a forty thousand 188 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:06,079 Speaker 1: square foot facility and they take all the best stuff 189 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 1: from the lost luggage they acquire from the airlines and 190 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:10,599 Speaker 1: put it on sale there. How weird is that? Is 191 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 1: so weird? And it's been around since the seventies. I 192 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 1: think it was an insurance salesman who decided to buy 193 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: on claim luggage from a bus station first, and then 194 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,319 Speaker 1: he'd set up shops somewhere and sell all this stuff. 195 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:24,200 Speaker 1: This was all before you expanded into the airline world. 196 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: And there are literally millions of items passing through there 197 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: every year. Have you actually ever bought anything from there? Where? 198 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 1: Do you think I got this awesome American flag cowboy hats? Anyway, 199 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: it's definitely worth a visit, if only just to see 200 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: the weirdness of all the stuff people have lost. Well, 201 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:40,080 Speaker 1: the unusual thing to me, too, is that it isn't 202 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 1: just a pile of junk like from what I've read. 203 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: It's actually kind of a nice shopping experience. Yeah, they've 204 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:47,080 Speaker 1: got a guest services desk with a concierge who can 205 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 1: help you find some great dining options in the city. 206 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 1: They'll provide you with personal shoppers. They even have someone 207 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: take care of your pet while you rummage. It's a 208 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 1: full service thrift shop. But thanks for letting me talk 209 00:09:57,480 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 1: about it. I think it's what that's four places now 210 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: where two necks. Well, I figured I knowed you. But 211 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,840 Speaker 1: we've done a little music, some language, some bugs, and 212 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: I think we deserve a break. So we're gonna head 213 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 1: up north where we can kick back, hand our kids 214 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:12,839 Speaker 1: some quarters and then ignore them for a while. Will 215 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 1: be bask in the warm globe screen. Nice. Actually, these 216 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: are two different places, but they're very much related. The 217 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,959 Speaker 1: first is a dream spot for retro arcade nerds. It's 218 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:26,440 Speaker 1: called the American Classic Arcade Museum in Laconia, New Hampshire, 219 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:29,680 Speaker 1: and according to Guinness, it's the largest arcade in the world. Wow. 220 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:31,599 Speaker 1: So it's a museum, but you can also play the 221 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: games they have. Definitely there are hundreds, and the focus 222 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: is on many of the classic coin operated games that 223 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: were so popular before there was a significant shift in 224 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 1: the eighties and early nineties to the more violent stuff. Okay, 225 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:44,120 Speaker 1: now I'm looking at their website and I see they 226 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:47,319 Speaker 1: not only have the Kiss that's the band pinball machine, 227 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:51,440 Speaker 1: but also the Harlem Globe Trotters machine. And I see 228 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:54,199 Speaker 1: we missed something called bro Fest. I feel like I'm 229 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: okay with that, though I might prefer to visit when 230 00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: it's not bro Fest whatever that is. Yeah, I'm pretty 231 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 1: sure Profest is like a big networking event for professionals 232 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 1: from all over the Glober of course. But speaking of 233 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: pinball machines, that's the perfect segue into the other half 234 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: of this thing we're pretending is one visit, and that's 235 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 1: the Pinball Hall of Fame and Museum in Hopewell Township, Pennsylvania. 236 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: They have four hundred vintage games and pinball machines, with 237 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 1: over twelve hundred more in storage. Actually love the history 238 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 1: of pinball. It's so weird. So did you know that 239 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: after pinball was invented in the nineteen thirties, Mayor LaGuardia 240 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: You know, the one that New York's least successible airport 241 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: by public transit is named after. Anyway, he had more 242 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 1: than two thousand pinball machines confiscated in the early nineteen 243 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 1: forties because they were considered gambling machines. Yeah. This this 244 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 1: classic photo of him holding a sledgehammer winding back, getting 245 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:45,079 Speaker 1: ready to go after one. It's a tough guy to 246 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:47,560 Speaker 1: destroy a penball machine. But yeah, I really do want 247 00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:50,079 Speaker 1: to see this place. So Pennsylvania. All right, Well, before 248 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: we head to our next destination, what do you say 249 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: we take a little detour and talk to one of 250 00:11:53,880 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 1: our favorite adventure lovers. Dylan Thoris is our old friend 251 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: and co founder of Atlas Obscura, a definitive guide to 252 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 1: the world's most wondrous and curious places. In addition to 253 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 1: cataloging the world's wonders and web and book form, Atlas 254 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 1: has also hosted incredible events where you can meet wolves 255 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 1: at bars, explore subterranean graveyards, learned lock picking from expert locksmiths, 256 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:23,599 Speaker 1: and even hawaduet with a given. It's truly one of 257 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:25,640 Speaker 1: our favorite sites to get lost in. And we're so 258 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 1: excited to have him here today. Welcome Dylan. Hey, thanks 259 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 1: for having me one, and I guess it's so exciting 260 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 1: to be here. All right, all right, So Dylan, tell 261 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: us a little bit about how you found it. Alice Obscura. Yeah, 262 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:38,920 Speaker 1: so I met Josh, my co founder, way back in 263 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: my two thousand and seven and uh, I was about 264 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: to go on a big trip moving to Hungry to 265 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:49,959 Speaker 1: Budapest for a year, and we we're done through the 266 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: previous projects about ideas of wonder and discovery, and we 267 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: started talking about travel and the kind of place that 268 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:58,959 Speaker 1: we like to find and how difficult it could be 269 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 1: actually to find these sort of tiny museums or you know, uh, 270 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 1: collections of mummies or or the sort of stuff that 271 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: really like stuck with you when you when you traveled someplace. 272 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 1: So basically it came out of a desire to create 273 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 1: a database of that kind of stuff for ourselves as 274 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: travelers and we thought, you know, I bet you there's 275 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,520 Speaker 1: tons of people out there who know that's some incredible 276 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 1: place that they grew up next to or they happened 277 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: upon on a trip, and we should make a kind 278 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:30,119 Speaker 1: of a place where people can put those incredible locations. 279 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 1: And so that's how it started. And living in Eastern Europe, 280 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:35,559 Speaker 1: I traveled around and started finding in some of these 281 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 1: things myself, and then into nine we launched Alice Obscia 282 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: and it's always been a kind of open platform where 283 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 1: people can submit a place. And so yeah, to this day, 284 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 1: people still send stuff in this list totally mind boggling 285 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: that you've never heard of. So how do you make 286 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 1: time in your life to explore with a diddy job 287 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 1: and all this other stuff? Yeah, I mean, I think 288 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 1: one of the thesis statements of Alice Obscara is that 289 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 1: you can find incredible wonders, you know, around the corner 290 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 1: from you, that you don't have to travel around the world. 291 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: And so a lot of times it's just trying to 292 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:11,840 Speaker 1: be really curious about what is already around you. It's 293 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: sort of if you see something unusual that you drive by, 294 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 1: it's like taking the time to stop and knock on 295 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: the door or see if you can get in somehow. Um. 296 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:24,359 Speaker 1: You know, I recently moved and so I've been exploring 297 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 1: this area around where I live, and I found out 298 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 1: that there's a you know, maybe a minute from me, 299 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: there's a gigantic, huge mind that is open to the 300 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: public that you can just kind of walk into and 301 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: they host like concerts there. Sometimes it's really incredible and 302 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: it's it's always surprising. What's you know, just uh right 303 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 1: around the corner from you. Wow, that's pretty cool. We're 304 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,320 Speaker 1: talking in this episode about several of the odd ball 305 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:54,560 Speaker 1: museums around the country, and you know, man guests came 306 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: up with a pretty awesome list of this And do 307 00:14:57,400 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: you have any favorite museums around the country you would 308 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 1: se just for our our listeners to to check out 309 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: this summer. Yeah, sure, I mean, if we're going to 310 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: sort of keep it specifically unusual museums. Um, there's a 311 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: few really good ones obviously. Uh, this is a really 312 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: well known one. But the Muter Museum or Mutter Museum 313 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: in Philadelphia is America's greatest medical museum, and it is 314 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: just an incredible collection of skulls and wax faces with 315 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 1: the horrible skin diseases. It's not you know, it's not 316 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 1: for the weak of stomach if you have if you're 317 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: not comfortable with that kind of stuff, it's probably like 318 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: you might wanna take it so low. But it really 319 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,160 Speaker 1: is an unbelievable museum. And it's really an example of 320 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 1: a kind of museum that was more prevalent than sort 321 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 1: of mentally eighteen hundreds and still exists all over Europe. 322 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: They just aren't very many of them there in the US. 323 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: And them is an incredible museum. Um, it's questionable if 324 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 1: you can call on a museum exactly. But but one 325 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:05,760 Speaker 1: of the places that started me on this whole journey 326 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: this path is a place in Wisconsin called the House 327 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 1: on the Rock. Uh. And the House on the Rock 328 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 1: is kind of a like a legendary tourists stop. It's 329 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:18,280 Speaker 1: it's tucked back in the woods of Wisconsin. If you 330 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 1: weren't kind of told about it or hadn't heard of it, 331 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: you wouldn't have any reason you wouldn't kind of sort 332 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 1: of stumble across it. But what it is is it 333 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: started out as a one man's kind of architectural project. 334 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: This sort of at least a myth is that it 335 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: was a screw you to Frankloyd Right that this guy 336 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 1: went to work for Frank wood Right and he told 337 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 1: him I wouldn't hire you to build a Chicken Cooper 338 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: and she's great, and the guy said, I'm going to 339 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 1: go build the greatest Frank Lloyd Right house ever. So 340 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: it's this weird off brand Frankloyd Right house. And whether 341 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: whether myth is true or not, I mean it's almost 342 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 1: certainly not, but it works and you definitely, it definitely 343 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 1: is a very sort of Frank Lloyd Wrong vibe as 344 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: you as you go through. Over time, this house sort 345 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 1: of started acquiring other collections and other museums and they 346 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:09,679 Speaker 1: attached this enormous set of warehouses sort of buried in 347 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: the forest, and you really can't tell how big the 348 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:14,399 Speaker 1: place is. You start going through it, and it takes 349 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:18,159 Speaker 1: like five hours to go through. And inside of this 350 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:23,159 Speaker 1: house is a whale sculpture of a whale fighting a 351 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,479 Speaker 1: squid that is the size of the Statue of Liberty. 352 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 1: It's like my house. The world largest carousel is in 353 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: the house with the world's most diverse collection of carousel animals. Uh. 354 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:36,160 Speaker 1: The house is actually it's a it's a big set 355 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 1: piece in Neo Demon's book American Gods, and he has 356 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:42,119 Speaker 1: said on the record that he had to tone down 357 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:45,159 Speaker 1: the craziness of the House on the Rock because no 358 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 1: one would believe, even though it's a book of fantastical picture, 359 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:51,359 Speaker 1: that the actual house is too much, too intent. So 360 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 1: that I went to the place and I was like twelve, 361 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:55,240 Speaker 1: on a road trip with my parents, and it kind 362 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:59,440 Speaker 1: of set me on this path in a way. And 363 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:01,200 Speaker 1: there's another big day coming up, and I've seen you 364 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:03,959 Speaker 1: guys are promoting it on the website as well. On 365 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 1: August twenty one is the complete solar eclipse. So tell 366 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 1: us a little bit about how you guys are celebrating 367 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:12,120 Speaker 1: this and where you will be on that day. Yeah, 368 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:16,760 Speaker 1: I am so so freaking excited about this. So you know, 369 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:19,880 Speaker 1: August August one is going to be like this once 370 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 1: in a lifetime celestial experience, total solar eclipse cutting across 371 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: almost the entire uh United States. And you know, short 372 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:31,199 Speaker 1: of traveling all over the world, there are these eclipse 373 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: chasers who basically go all around the world seeking kind 374 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,400 Speaker 1: of the next grade eclipse. For most people in the US, 375 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:39,720 Speaker 1: this will be their best chance to see a total 376 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: solar eclipse and at least for you know, forty some years. 377 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:46,560 Speaker 1: So we are having a big three day party out 378 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:50,399 Speaker 1: in kind of rural Oregon, in an area that's, uh 379 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 1: weather wise, is thought to have one of the best 380 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 1: chances of getting a totally clear view of the eclipse. 381 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 1: And we've got Science Friday from NPR coming out. We've 382 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: got a ton of musicians and performers. We have the 383 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:07,959 Speaker 1: Sun Raw Orchestra performing sort of themed uh themed celestial 384 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:11,680 Speaker 1: act and it's just going to be a celebration of 385 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:15,080 Speaker 1: kind of the science, the wonder and the beauty of 386 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:19,199 Speaker 1: this this natural event that's awesome. Me and me and 387 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:23,119 Speaker 1: the fam will will be out there. Yeah, it'll be good. Well, 388 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: that's gonna be great. We're gonna be watching it from 389 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,680 Speaker 1: from Nashville, which is I know, in the band that's 390 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:30,680 Speaker 1: supposed to see it, so so not quite as remote 391 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,159 Speaker 1: as you will be. But I've already purchased my solar 392 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 1: eclipse viewing glasses. Excited for that, but almost as exciting 393 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: as this is the quiz that we're about to take. 394 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: So ango, what what game is still employing today? This 395 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 1: is a game called trucking in puns and It's based 396 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 1: on Atlas Obscure, as incredible catalog of crowdsourced penny titled 397 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:54,919 Speaker 1: food trucks trucking in puns. I like it. So basically, 398 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 1: we're going to take an incredible food truck name and 399 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:00,359 Speaker 1: give you a clue and you have to tell us 400 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 1: it's punny name. So don't worry. This will be fun 401 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:05,200 Speaker 1: and uh, we hope you're ready to play. You're ready, Dylan, 402 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 1: I think, so prepare for disaster. All right, We've just 403 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,120 Speaker 1: got a few questions here. Okay, here we go. This 404 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 1: food truck combines a Vietnamese soup with the number of 405 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 1: tires it has. It's in Washington, d C. Okay, here 406 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 1: we go. Question number two. This food truck combines a 407 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:30,520 Speaker 1: cure song about days in the week with a breakfast 408 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:34,160 Speaker 1: dish that comes sunny side up. We're over easy. God, 409 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:43,720 Speaker 1: that's hard. Oh man. Uh the first words of nicely done. 410 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:48,400 Speaker 1: So this is a real food truck Friday egg, I'm 411 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 1: in love. Good job. Wow. Okay, next question, This food 412 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 1: truck name combines a French loaf of bread and something 413 00:20:57,359 --> 00:21:00,119 Speaker 1: Tony Soprano might tell you after he does you a 414 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,200 Speaker 1: small favor. Oh, I actually I remember this one is 415 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:08,640 Speaker 1: one of my favorites. Butget about it all right. Two more, 416 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:12,200 Speaker 1: here we go. This food truck celebrates pork while naming 417 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:17,920 Speaker 1: itself for Tupac's rival from Clinton Hill, notorious p I G. 418 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:23,200 Speaker 1: It's gotta be okay. Last one here a famous Rolling 419 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 1: Stone song which shows compassion for Satan, combined with a 420 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:30,639 Speaker 1: place you might get a cold cut sandwich like Cats 421 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 1: Is in New York City. I really want this to 422 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:40,679 Speaker 1: be about Satan, but I think it's not. Uh is 423 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:48,000 Speaker 1: it um? Sympathy for the Delhi? Five for five? Five 424 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: for five? So what is Dylan one today? Well? That 425 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 1: earns him an official certificate of admiration from us here 426 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:57,360 Speaker 1: at Part Time Genius. Thanks so much for joining us, Dylan, congratulations. 427 00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: That's my actual only skill is But we hope all 428 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 1: of our listeners will check out Alice Obscure if you 429 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:09,440 Speaker 1: have not already. Dylan, thanks so much for joining us today. 430 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:26,120 Speaker 1: Thank you, thanks for having me. Welcome back to Part 431 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: Time Genius. So Mango has been taking us on a 432 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:30,119 Speaker 1: tour of the weird museums to get out of the 433 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,399 Speaker 1: summer heat. Now we hit up the Kazoom Museum in 434 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 1: South Carolina. The Museum of the Alphabet in North Carolina, 435 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: the US National Tick Collection in Georgia, Unclaimed Baggage Center 436 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: in Alabama, the American Classic Arcade Museum in New Hampshire, 437 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 1: and then the Pinball Hall of Fame in Pennsylvania. All right, 438 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:50,119 Speaker 1: we're two next, Mengo. Well, all this touring has probably 439 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:52,080 Speaker 1: made you a little hungry, so let's head over to 440 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,879 Speaker 1: the Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota. By the way, I 441 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:57,879 Speaker 1: had this funny experience in college where I was at 442 00:22:57,880 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 1: a party and chatting with this guy and he said 443 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 1: he was from Austin, and I said, Oh, that's such 444 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:04,879 Speaker 1: a cool town. And he just went off talking about 445 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 1: how great the Spam Museum is, like at length, and 446 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 1: I kept thinking, I mean, there's south By, Southwest city Limits, barbecue, 447 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: so many cool things. Why is he hung up on spam? 448 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 1: And then then I eventually I figured it out. But 449 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:19,840 Speaker 1: all his evangelism did make me want to go. Now, 450 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,320 Speaker 1: have you ever had spam? Ango? No, I have no 451 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 1: interest in trying it, but I like it as a punchline. 452 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: I actually haven't tried it either, but I feel like 453 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:28,800 Speaker 1: we need to change that in the future episode. Maybe 454 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,080 Speaker 1: we'll find a way to incorporate it into a food quote. 455 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: I do think the history of spam is super interesting 456 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 1: because I can't stop pulling up the websites of places 457 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:40,359 Speaker 1: you're mentioning. I see they're celebrating a big birthday this year. 458 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 1: That's right. Spam was first created in n seven at 459 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,840 Speaker 1: the Hormel Foods Corporation plants, so they're turning eighty. And 460 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:49,400 Speaker 1: at the museum you can follow its history and see 461 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 1: tons of memorabilia from World War Two and the role 462 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,399 Speaker 1: it played in the war. I mean, it's such a 463 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:57,119 Speaker 1: massively popular food and several of the island cultures of 464 00:23:57,160 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 1: the Pacific because of the spread. During the war, can 465 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 1: eat was an easy way to give sustenance to soldiers 466 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 1: in far flung regions, and the military really doubled down 467 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 1: on it. I think we shipped over a hundred million 468 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,080 Speaker 1: or possibly even a hundred fifty million pounds of spam 469 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: to soldiers around the world during the war. I know, 470 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: it was so president in the soldiers daily lives they 471 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:19,160 Speaker 1: actually started referring to Uncle Sam as Uncle Spam. Yeah, 472 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:21,679 Speaker 1: there's so many interesting facts about spam, like did you 473 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: know that Hallie Selassie, the Rastafarian messiah and Ethiopian leader, 474 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:27,959 Speaker 1: took a tour of the Spam Museum when he visited 475 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:30,679 Speaker 1: the States. Actually, I know it's not time for the 476 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:32,480 Speaker 1: fact Off yet, but maybe we should have a special 477 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,920 Speaker 1: mini fact Off Spam edition. Oh that's a great idea. Okay, 478 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 1: Can I go first? Definitely? All right? So, there used 479 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:41,760 Speaker 1: to be a mascot named Slamming Spammy. According to the 480 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:45,000 Speaker 1: Daily Meal, he was a machine gun toting, bomb hurling 481 00:24:45,040 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 1: angry face pig introduced by Hormel to help support the 482 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: war effort, and he showed up on everything from clothing 483 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: to bombers. I want that t shirting to the McDonald's 484 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 1: breakfast platter in Hawaii actually includes a slice of spam. Well, 485 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: in Guam they eat an average of six team cans 486 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 1: per year. In South Korea, it's considered a luxury food 487 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: and it's appropriate to give to a host when you 488 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 1: attend their party. So there used to be a kosher 489 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:11,960 Speaker 1: spam distributed by the Israeli Army. It was made of 490 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:14,280 Speaker 1: chicken or beef, but they phased it out in two 491 00:25:14,280 --> 00:25:16,399 Speaker 1: thousand and eight. Okay, Well, if I say you win, 492 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:18,560 Speaker 1: will you agree to go check out this museum with 493 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 1: it totally alright. Next, alright, the next one is one 494 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:25,360 Speaker 1: of the craziest and most interesting places people have never 495 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:28,600 Speaker 1: heard of. And it's in Hutchinson, Kansas. Alright, Kansas, So 496 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:30,640 Speaker 1: what is it. It's a place called Stratica and it's 497 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:33,680 Speaker 1: a huge salt mine where the Kansas Underground Salt Museum lives. 498 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 1: So this mine is insanely big. It has veins that 499 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 1: extend all the way to New Mexico. But there's a 500 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 1: museum down there that's sixty five stories underground, Like that's 501 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:47,440 Speaker 1: basically an underground skyscraper. You can take a tram tour there, 502 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:50,800 Speaker 1: and there's apparently a two million year old salt crystal 503 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:54,719 Speaker 1: that researchers have actually found a living bacterium in. Wow, 504 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:56,880 Speaker 1: that place sounds pretty cool and I'm not even done. 505 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 1: The mine is also a storage location for government records, 506 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 1: so if you want to find master prints of like 507 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 1: Gone with the Wind or The Wizard of Oz, well 508 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:07,880 Speaker 1: this is the place to look. And uh. Also sometimes 509 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 1: they host something called Murder in the Mine at the 510 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 1: dinner theater. They're all right, you're just making you should 511 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,159 Speaker 1: look it up. I mean even on every other website 512 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 1: related to this tour of weird Museum. I am, and 513 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: holy crap, you're not making this up. I've got to 514 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 1: see this place. So it looks like you've got one 515 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:24,720 Speaker 1: more place to take us to before we break for 516 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 1: a quiz, and then I'm going to share a few 517 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,399 Speaker 1: fun festivals everyone should check out this summer. Okay, so 518 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:31,639 Speaker 1: I know we said eight, but let me just say, 519 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:33,960 Speaker 1: if you're already in Kansas, it would be a shame 520 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:36,120 Speaker 1: if you didn't just make a quick trip up one 521 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:39,439 Speaker 1: state to Paul's Valley, Oklahoma. This is the home of 522 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:43,720 Speaker 1: the Toy and Action Figure Museum with over action figures, 523 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:46,160 Speaker 1: and the coolest part of the museum is the diorama 524 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:49,320 Speaker 1: that showcases thousands of different action figures from over the years, 525 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:53,639 Speaker 1: including a Peewee's playhouse. All right, I was going to 526 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 1: call you out on going over your quota, but you 527 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:57,640 Speaker 1: won me over at Peewee. Okay, you're right, it does 528 00:26:57,680 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 1: sound cool. And just one more we're headed out to 529 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:02,000 Speaker 1: call Fornia, but you might as well stop off quickly 530 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 1: at the Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot, Idaho, if only 531 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:08,160 Speaker 1: to see the world's largest potato chip. A pringle, measuring 532 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:12,560 Speaker 1: twenty five inches long. It's been there since. Good lord, 533 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: can you imagine how stale that thing is now? All right, 534 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:17,600 Speaker 1: I know you can't help yourself. And that is another 535 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:20,160 Speaker 1: good edition. They're just too many good places. I think 536 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:22,639 Speaker 1: we should do another episode on museum. So all right, 537 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: So what's your final stop on the museum front. Well, 538 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,120 Speaker 1: this one's gonna come as no surprise to you since 539 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:29,679 Speaker 1: you've known me so long. It's the Burlingame Museum of 540 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 1: Pez Memorabilia in Burlingame, California. I should have known you'd 541 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 1: end your list with this, all right, so tell me 542 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: about it. They have all fifty plus characters ever produced 543 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 1: and the largest PEZ dispenser in the world, which looks 544 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:44,679 Speaker 1: like a snowman. And by the way, I know a 545 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:46,439 Speaker 1: lot of people know that Pez was started as an 546 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:49,080 Speaker 1: adult candy is a way to help smokers avoid smoking, 547 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:52,080 Speaker 1: which is why the original dispensers look like lighters. But 548 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:54,679 Speaker 1: my favorite thing about Pez is that it used to 549 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 1: come in so many weird flavors like this is so 550 00:27:57,600 --> 00:27:59,960 Speaker 1: much earlier than this kick cat trend where they kick 551 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: cats come in like soy sauce and baked potato flavor. 552 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 1: Or whatever. But early on PEZ came in coffee, eucalyptus, 553 00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 1: and even chlorophyll, Like, I want to try those. I 554 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:11,560 Speaker 1: really hope they sell them in the museum lobby. For 555 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:14,359 Speaker 1: some reason, that PEZ fact about its origins, I forget it, 556 00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:15,880 Speaker 1: and then every time I hear it, I'm like, oh, 557 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 1: that's so interesting. It used to help people quit smoking. 558 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:21,639 Speaker 1: So all right, well, that's a terrific list of museums. 559 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 1: Congratulations for managing to actually fit in eleven museums on 560 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:27,399 Speaker 1: your list of eight. So while I take a minute 561 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:29,440 Speaker 1: to process that math, let's take a break broke with 562 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 1: so mego, who do we have on the line today? 563 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 1: So we've got two wonderful travel agents on the line. 564 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 1: We've got Susan Whitson from King and Whitson Travel in Washington, Virginia, 565 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:52,320 Speaker 1: and Martha Rhodes from Travel with Martha and Richmond, Virginia. 566 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 1: All right, well, let's welcome them both. Now, Susan, I 567 00:28:54,800 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: understand that you actually, before your career as a travel agent, 568 00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 1: worked at the White House. Is this true? It? I 569 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:03,240 Speaker 1: was Laura Bush's press secretary for a couple of years 570 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:07,480 Speaker 1: in the second administration before I went home and had 571 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 1: some children and decided to embark on a career and 572 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:15,360 Speaker 1: travel an interesting gig. Yeah. No, it was a wonderful experience, 573 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: wonderful career, And I think part of the reason why 574 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 1: I went into the travel business was simply because I 575 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:23,760 Speaker 1: went through I had these amazing experiences traveling around the 576 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: world with the President. I tried to recreate a lot 577 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:29,920 Speaker 1: of those for my clients. The only thing I cannot 578 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:33,120 Speaker 1: do is I cannot get air Force one. I think 579 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:36,120 Speaker 1: I could do everything else than get Airport one. Well, 580 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 1: this call is over, you know. That's that's what we 581 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:43,360 Speaker 1: were getting. Uh. And Martha, speaking of interesting experiences, I 582 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:46,479 Speaker 1: heard you had an interesting experience recently trying to uh 583 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:48,719 Speaker 1: to go through security at the airport and you were 584 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 1: pulled aside. Huh. Yeah, Well, I think I would offer 585 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 1: your listeners what I call a newly acquired travel tip 586 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:59,240 Speaker 1: in the category of learned this the hard way. Um. Yeah. 587 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: I tested Paul to the for explosives at T s 588 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 1: A this week, and um I was quite uh concerned 589 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:08,400 Speaker 1: about what that could possibly be. And after my first 590 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:12,640 Speaker 1: pat down, the agents gloves tested positive for explosives, and 591 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 1: I got very concerned that maybe I wasn't going to 592 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 1: be allowed on my flight, and UM a second pat 593 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 1: down and the gloves were clear. And it took me 594 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,080 Speaker 1: a little while, but I realized that it was probably 595 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:25,479 Speaker 1: the body powder that I put on before I went 596 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:30,800 Speaker 1: to the airport, and UM, consulting with my engineering son, 597 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:34,000 Speaker 1: I'll learned that body powder has magnesium carbonate, which is 598 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 1: also used to make gunpowder and flash powder and rocket fuel. 599 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:39,640 Speaker 1: So that's something for people to know, is to skip 600 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:42,040 Speaker 1: the body powder until you get to the other side 601 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:46,280 Speaker 1: of security. Well, I'm glad, You'm glad you made it through. So, 602 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:50,280 Speaker 1: speaking of advice that you have to give your clients, 603 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:52,920 Speaker 1: that's actually related to today's quiz. What quiz are you 604 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 1: playing with these guys today, Mango, We're gonna play a 605 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 1: game called Weird World Laws. Okay, weird World Laws. So 606 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:01,160 Speaker 1: what's going to happen is we're going to give you 607 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: a law from a certain place around the world, and 608 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:05,600 Speaker 1: all you guys have to do is tell us whether 609 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 1: that is true or faults. We're gonna let you guys 610 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 1: work together on this one. There five questions you guys 611 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:14,959 Speaker 1: ready to go? Sure, all right, here we go. Question 612 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: number one or statement number one feeding the pigeons in 613 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:23,040 Speaker 1: Venice is against the law, true or faults. But so Susan, 614 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:26,880 Speaker 1: I think that's probably true. I think it's probably true too, 615 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 1: but I know people do it anyway. It is true, 616 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:34,520 Speaker 1: and mangoe give us the explanation for that one. Yeah, 617 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 1: Venice has a pigeon problem and all those birds cause 618 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 1: extra work for the clean up crew who have to 619 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:41,920 Speaker 1: polish the town statues. And uh, in fact, you can 620 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:44,320 Speaker 1: get a hefty fine if you feed the pigeons. Wow, 621 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:49,440 Speaker 1: it's good advice there. Don't feed the pigeons. Number two. 622 00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 1: In Luxembourg, it's illegal to put holy water in a 623 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 1: water balloon. True or faults. I would say true. Who 624 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 1: has access to holy water and water balloons? I mean, 625 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:03,800 Speaker 1: you know, you could just go in and you can 626 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:05,360 Speaker 1: get like a little cut up and get it out 627 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:08,120 Speaker 1: of a little fun if you wanted to in there, 628 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:10,520 Speaker 1: if you really wanted to, so, I would say that 629 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 1: would be pretty bad. But some mischievous child could do that. 630 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:17,200 Speaker 1: I'm gonna say that's false because that just seems like 631 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: not even a law you would need. Yeah, you're right, 632 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:26,520 Speaker 1: it's false. That's one of those you want to I 633 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:31,160 Speaker 1: wanted to put that in our travel tip. Work alright. 634 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:35,880 Speaker 1: Question number three. In Barbados, wearing camouflage shorts is a 635 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:40,240 Speaker 1: crime unless you're in the Barbados military. True or false? 636 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:43,760 Speaker 1: You know they have that they Martha, they have that 637 00:32:43,880 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 1: rule in Africa. They have that law in Africa. I 638 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 1: know no wash is loud enow. Yeah, when you go 639 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 1: in Safari. Yeah, I don't. I don't know about Barbadoes. 640 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:57,640 Speaker 1: Why would you be wearing camo and Barbados? Anyway, let 641 00:32:57,640 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 1: you go with my crew. I'm gonna go with true. 642 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:02,280 Speaker 1: I'll go true to you. Guys. Are right, it's true, 643 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 1: and the reason is because the rule came out in 644 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:08,520 Speaker 1: the eighties when gang members impersonated the military and robbed 645 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: some banks and since then lusted on the books. Wow, 646 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:15,000 Speaker 1: well done, these guys are what three for three? Well, 647 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:18,800 Speaker 1: Martha is I miss one? I'll give Martha. You guys 648 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:21,000 Speaker 1: are a team. You stick together. Okay, here we go. 649 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 1: Question number question number four, Travel Asian code. That's right, 650 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:31,560 Speaker 1: that's right, that's right, travel stick together, buddy system here. Okay. 651 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 1: It's illegal to reincarnate in China without government permission. It's 652 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:39,880 Speaker 1: illegal to reincarnate in China without government permission. True or faults? 653 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:45,280 Speaker 1: Is it reincarnate not reproduced? Right? That is good. I 654 00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:50,720 Speaker 1: think that's faults. I don't know, Martha, I think I 655 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:53,640 Speaker 1: think that's fault. What do you think, Martha? Okay, they 656 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:56,880 Speaker 1: went with faults? What this one is actually true? Wow? 657 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:00,320 Speaker 1: Let's hear the explanation. Yeah, the law was an acted 658 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: partially to prevent the Dalai Lama from reincarnating in Tibet. 659 00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:06,160 Speaker 1: But if you want to be born there in your 660 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:07,960 Speaker 1: next life, you actually have to seek the blessing of 661 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:11,400 Speaker 1: the Chinese government. It's interesting stuff. So remind your clients. 662 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:18,800 Speaker 1: Remind your clients need to reincarnate, and little known facts 663 00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:22,440 Speaker 1: about your upcoming trip to China. All right, last question. 664 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:24,560 Speaker 1: These guys are three for four. Let's see if they 665 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 1: can get the last one. Number five. Is it's illegal 666 00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:30,280 Speaker 1: for foreigners to handle or pet a pure bred French 667 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:34,520 Speaker 1: poodle in the Maldives. Poodle mixes, however, are fair game? 668 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:39,239 Speaker 1: True or false? I have no idea on that one. 669 00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:46,640 Speaker 1: I think we got to go with true one. Okay, Okay, Yeah, 670 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:48,520 Speaker 1: then goes kind of a trickster when he comes up 671 00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:51,200 Speaker 1: with these, Uh, what's the answer to it's actually false? 672 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:59,920 Speaker 1: Anyone can touch a French. But I think I think 673 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:03,080 Speaker 1: in our official rule book of travel agent quizzes, what 674 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:05,600 Speaker 1: did they have to score to win the big prize? 675 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:07,359 Speaker 1: Three out of five? And what did they get? So 676 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:10,520 Speaker 1: Martha and Susan combined for an astounding three or five, 677 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:13,520 Speaker 1: which wins them a certificate to their moms or boss 678 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:17,000 Speaker 1: singing their praises from us and where It's gonna send 679 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,479 Speaker 1: you a pickle luggage tag as well the classiest pickle 680 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:23,919 Speaker 1: luggage tags on Etsy. Wow. Congratulations guys. Thank you guys 681 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:25,319 Speaker 1: so much for joining us today and I hope you 682 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:44,080 Speaker 1: have a great next trip. Thank you. Welcome back to 683 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:46,720 Speaker 1: part time Genius Mango. I think you've given our listeners 684 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:48,960 Speaker 1: some great museums to visit when they want to escape 685 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,160 Speaker 1: the heat this summer. But I don't think summer can 686 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:53,759 Speaker 1: really be complete without visiting at least one or two 687 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:56,480 Speaker 1: weird festivals. So with that in mind, I want to 688 00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:59,520 Speaker 1: quickly share a few must attend events for the remaining months, 689 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 1: and I'm must attack. Okay, let's hear them all right, listeners, 690 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:05,359 Speaker 1: you're gonna have to move quickly to make this first. 691 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:07,600 Speaker 1: When it's down in New Orleans, it's the sand Firm 692 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:10,040 Speaker 1: and Bull Run and the festival takes place from July 693 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:12,520 Speaker 1: seven to nine. Now, I know you've all heard of 694 00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:15,160 Speaker 1: the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, and that's pretty 695 00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:18,840 Speaker 1: much exactly what this is. But instead of bulls, participants 696 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:21,000 Speaker 1: are being run down and beaten with foam bats by 697 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:24,800 Speaker 1: the big Easy roller girls. Last year, the run attracted 698 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:28,640 Speaker 1: fourteen thousand participants. I can't believe people actually come for that. 699 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:31,520 Speaker 1: It's amazing, it's a big deal. Well what else you have? 700 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:33,520 Speaker 1: All right? Then you'll have a couple of weeks to 701 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:37,879 Speaker 1: recover for two very different festivals on back to back nights, 702 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:40,640 Speaker 1: but it's really worth it to make it to both. First, 703 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:44,520 Speaker 1: you have the Great Texas Mosquito Festival Include Texas, and 704 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:47,279 Speaker 1: this is where you'll see the mosquito calling contest and 705 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 1: Willie man Chew, which is the twenty six ft tall 706 00:36:50,239 --> 00:36:54,000 Speaker 1: mosquito mascot wearing a cowboy hat and boot. I have 707 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:56,040 Speaker 1: a little skeptical of taking your trip just to hang 708 00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 1: out with a giant mosquito. I think you're forgetting it 709 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:02,080 Speaker 1: wears a hat and you can't miss that, Okay, And 710 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:04,560 Speaker 1: there's a second festival right there on that second night. No, 711 00:37:04,840 --> 00:37:06,799 Speaker 1: not right there. You'll need to catch a flight from 712 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:09,320 Speaker 1: nearby Houston up to Detroit and then make the easy 713 00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:11,640 Speaker 1: one and a half hour drive up to Yale, Michigan 714 00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:15,400 Speaker 1: for the annual Bologney Fest. I mean, you don't want 715 00:37:15,440 --> 00:37:17,560 Speaker 1: to find out who's crowned this year's King and Queen 716 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 1: of Bolognay on Twitter, right, you want to be there. 717 00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:23,040 Speaker 1: Plus you can enjoy the Bologny Derby and the Outhouse 718 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:26,000 Speaker 1: races races. I guess this is because of where you 719 00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:28,000 Speaker 1: need to run after eating a bunch of ballooney. I 720 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:31,000 Speaker 1: get the impression that is the case, but I'm pretty 721 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:33,080 Speaker 1: sure I've told you before why I can't stand the 722 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:35,920 Speaker 1: smell of bologne even to this day. Why is that again, Well, 723 00:37:35,960 --> 00:37:38,360 Speaker 1: because I grew up across the street from Triplet boys 724 00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:41,040 Speaker 1: who were younger brothers than my friend Mike. Well, their 725 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:43,319 Speaker 1: mom would return home from the grocery store and she 726 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:46,720 Speaker 1: would always buy them packs of Bologny. The bologny would 727 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:49,000 Speaker 1: never make it to the refrigerator. It would just hit 728 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:51,200 Speaker 1: the kitchen table and the boys would tear into it 729 00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:53,960 Speaker 1: like a pack of wild dog. I can still hear 730 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:56,640 Speaker 1: it now. It's so gross. Well, it seems like the 731 00:37:56,719 --> 00:37:58,840 Speaker 1: right thing to do to attend to Bullooney Festival is 732 00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:01,520 Speaker 1: a tribute to them. Where to next? All right, well, 733 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:03,840 Speaker 1: I've got two other stops, the first of which is 734 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:06,400 Speaker 1: perhaps the only thing more gross to me than bologna. 735 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:11,040 Speaker 1: It's the Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw in Prairie do Sac, Wisconsin. 736 00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:14,040 Speaker 1: This happens to be in very early September. And in 737 00:38:14,040 --> 00:38:16,080 Speaker 1: case you didn't know, a cow chip is a piece 738 00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:19,080 Speaker 1: of hardened cow dung. So the whole idea behind the 739 00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:21,839 Speaker 1: throwing contest is to see how far you can throw, 740 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:25,080 Speaker 1: or rather fleeing like a discus, these cow chips. And 741 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:28,880 Speaker 1: apparently the record is two hundred and forty eight feet. 742 00:38:29,560 --> 00:38:31,520 Speaker 1: But the best part about the whole thing might be 743 00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:34,720 Speaker 1: the rules, as the homepage of the event's website says 744 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:38,080 Speaker 1: no gloves, but licking your hands is allowed to get 745 00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:41,759 Speaker 1: a better grip. So discussing, well, it's clearly not that 746 00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:45,359 Speaker 1: disgusting because forty people show up every year to check 747 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:47,960 Speaker 1: it out. There's even a corporate division, Mango. So I'm 748 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:49,879 Speaker 1: thinking maybe we should get the House Stuff Works Gang 749 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:53,000 Speaker 1: to sign up for this. How State couche Throws work? 750 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:56,279 Speaker 1: I I like that. Alright, And here's another thing I 751 00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:58,399 Speaker 1: know that they're all excited about. And then we talked 752 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:01,080 Speaker 1: about earlier with Dylan, and this is the solar eclipse 753 00:39:01,080 --> 00:39:04,120 Speaker 1: happening on August one. It's the first one in the 754 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:07,719 Speaker 1: United States in our lifetime and won't happen again for decades. 755 00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:10,920 Speaker 1: As I mentioned earlier, we've ordered our solar eclipse glasses 756 00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:13,520 Speaker 1: and I can't wait to see it. Anyone in the 757 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:16,520 Speaker 1: band that runs diagonally across the country from Salem, Oregon 758 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:19,239 Speaker 1: to Charleston, South Carolina will be able to see it 759 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:22,120 Speaker 1: in totality, but even those who aren't will at least 760 00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:24,440 Speaker 1: be able to see a partial eclipse. Yeah, there's a 761 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:26,720 Speaker 1: terrific episode of Every Little Thing, one of our favorite 762 00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:29,400 Speaker 1: new podcasts, that covers this event and the super weird 763 00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:32,719 Speaker 1: and fun world of eclipse chasers. It's pretty great. Well, 764 00:39:32,719 --> 00:39:34,799 Speaker 1: speaking of pretty great, you know what time it is? 765 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:37,520 Speaker 1: Time for the part time Genius fact Off. This is 766 00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:38,960 Speaker 1: the part of the show where we share some of 767 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:41,200 Speaker 1: the incredible facts we found in our research but didn't 768 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:54,279 Speaker 1: get a chance to share yet. M alright, man goo, 769 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:56,080 Speaker 1: you want to kick it off? Sure? Do you know 770 00:39:56,120 --> 00:39:59,160 Speaker 1: that every year about half a penny from each American taxpayer. 771 00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:01,600 Speaker 1: It goes to something called all the International Boundary Commission, 772 00:40:01,719 --> 00:40:03,840 Speaker 1: whose job it is to keep a clean border between 773 00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:06,520 Speaker 1: the US and Canada. This area is known as the 774 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:10,560 Speaker 1: Slash Slash and it's a twenty ft wide zone that 775 00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:13,239 Speaker 1: goes the distance of the border. Definitely a destination for 776 00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:17,240 Speaker 1: geography nerds and slash. That's that's pretty cool. I've actually 777 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:19,600 Speaker 1: never heard of that. I can't imagine how many hours 778 00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:23,160 Speaker 1: are spent keeping that area cut. It's so weird. Speaking 779 00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:25,359 Speaker 1: of weird, if there's one thing that was reinforced as 780 00:40:25,360 --> 00:40:28,360 Speaker 1: we were looking into places to visit, it's that Florida 781 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:31,480 Speaker 1: is weird but also pretty awesome. So did you know 782 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:34,640 Speaker 1: that Florida is home to the world's first underwater hotel. 783 00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:38,960 Speaker 1: It's the Jewels Undersea Lodge and Key Largo Undersea Park. Now, 784 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:41,359 Speaker 1: you do have to be scuba certified, but if you are, 785 00:40:41,760 --> 00:40:44,160 Speaker 1: you can watch the fish swim around outside your bedroom. 786 00:40:44,280 --> 00:40:46,799 Speaker 1: You'll have access to a full kitchen. There's even a 787 00:40:46,840 --> 00:40:49,719 Speaker 1: lounge with books and movies to enjoy, all while being 788 00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:52,879 Speaker 1: twenty one ft under the surface. That's pretty cool. So 789 00:40:53,160 --> 00:40:55,200 Speaker 1: if you're looking for a place to take a nice 790 00:40:55,200 --> 00:40:58,200 Speaker 1: long stroll. Why not head to Weldon Spring, Missouri, where 791 00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:00,440 Speaker 1: you can walk on the Nuclear Waste Adventure your trail. 792 00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:03,480 Speaker 1: This park sits on the land of what used to 793 00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:06,320 Speaker 1: be the largest explosive factory in the country and a 794 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:09,680 Speaker 1: uranium factory during the Cold War. Yeah, the U. S 795 00:41:09,719 --> 00:41:11,759 Speaker 1: Department of Energy decided to throw a whole bunch of 796 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:13,680 Speaker 1: rocks on it in the eighties. And now you can 797 00:41:13,719 --> 00:41:16,440 Speaker 1: take that walk knowing you're strolling on top of asbestos 798 00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:22,560 Speaker 1: and mercury, uranium TNT all sorts of fun things. Crazy alright, 799 00:41:22,560 --> 00:41:25,239 Speaker 1: But like I was saying, Florida is weird. It's not 800 00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:27,799 Speaker 1: only home to the first underwater hotel, but there's also 801 00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:30,800 Speaker 1: an underwater cemetery just a few miles off the coast 802 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:33,920 Speaker 1: of Miami. It used to be called the Atlantis Memorial Reef, 803 00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:36,080 Speaker 1: which I think sounds cool, but it's now called the 804 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:39,160 Speaker 1: Neptune Memorial Reef. But if you visit, you'd see these 805 00:41:39,239 --> 00:41:42,839 Speaker 1: huge columns with lions guarding the entrance. Now inside you'd 806 00:41:42,880 --> 00:41:45,960 Speaker 1: find stone roads and other evidence of this lost city. 807 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:49,120 Speaker 1: And when someone passes away and is cremated, their remains 808 00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:52,200 Speaker 1: are then put into concrete memorials inside the city where 809 00:41:52,239 --> 00:41:55,880 Speaker 1: divers can visit all of this forty ft below the surface. 810 00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:59,440 Speaker 1: That's crazy and also a lot of Florida. Yes it is. Okay, 811 00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:02,040 Speaker 1: So this he just talked about death, I'll talk about 812 00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:05,400 Speaker 1: a pretty huge existence of life known as the humongous 813 00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:08,520 Speaker 1: fungus and Grant Oregon is this huge network fungus that 814 00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:11,840 Speaker 1: scientists think maybe both the largest and oldest life forms 815 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:15,600 Speaker 1: still found on Earth. It spreads acres and it's been 816 00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:19,120 Speaker 1: growing for two hundred years. And while it has a 817 00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:22,120 Speaker 1: sweet name, the honey mushroom, the main way scientists know 818 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:24,719 Speaker 1: how widespread it is is to see how many of 819 00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:27,680 Speaker 1: the trees above ground are dying, because it's a parasite 820 00:42:27,719 --> 00:42:29,920 Speaker 1: that takes over the root systems of these trees above 821 00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:32,680 Speaker 1: and eventually kills No. No, I'm so sorry. I was 822 00:42:32,719 --> 00:42:34,399 Speaker 1: trying to make this about life. Yeah, that one took 823 00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:38,920 Speaker 1: a surprising turn. Alright, So back to Florida. You know 824 00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:41,080 Speaker 1: one thing I wish I could still experience there is 825 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:44,200 Speaker 1: the sound of the singing runway at the abandoned Disney 826 00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:47,040 Speaker 1: World Airport in Orlando. It was only used for a 827 00:42:47,120 --> 00:42:49,480 Speaker 1: year or two before they decided not to allow flights 828 00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:52,520 Speaker 1: to come directly into the Magic Kingdom. But even better 829 00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:54,719 Speaker 1: than the convenience to Disney was the fact that the 830 00:42:54,800 --> 00:42:57,200 Speaker 1: grooves and the runway, you know, the ones that are 831 00:42:57,239 --> 00:42:59,359 Speaker 1: kind of like the ones that run along the interstate there, 832 00:42:59,719 --> 00:43:02,359 Speaker 1: they've decided to make them play when you wish upon 833 00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:05,439 Speaker 1: a star when driven over at forty five miles an hour. 834 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:07,759 Speaker 1: It's such a fun surprise for pasting. Oh I love that, 835 00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:10,400 Speaker 1: And after the emotional roller coaster we experienced in this 836 00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:11,920 Speaker 1: fact off, I think I have to give it to 837 00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:14,120 Speaker 1: you for ending on a happy note, so you win 838 00:43:14,200 --> 00:43:17,120 Speaker 1: this week's edition. Thanks Mago. That's it for today's Part 839 00:43:17,120 --> 00:43:19,480 Speaker 1: Time Genius. Happy travels out there, and thanks so much 840 00:43:19,520 --> 00:43:38,360 Speaker 1: for listening. Thanks again for listening. Part Time Genius is 841 00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:40,640 Speaker 1: a production of how stuff works and wouldn't be possible 842 00:43:40,640 --> 00:43:43,279 Speaker 1: without several brilliant people who do the important things we 843 00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:46,719 Speaker 1: couldn't even begin to understand. Christa McNeil does the ending thing. 844 00:43:46,960 --> 00:43:48,919 Speaker 1: Noel Brown made the theme song and does the mixy 845 00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:52,440 Speaker 1: mixy sound thing. Jerry Roland does the exact producer thing. 846 00:43:52,640 --> 00:43:55,040 Speaker 1: Gabe Losier is our lead researcher, with support from the 847 00:43:55,080 --> 00:43:58,480 Speaker 1: Research Army, including Austin Thompson, Land Brown and Lucas Adams 848 00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:00,400 Speaker 1: and Eve. Jeff Cook gets the show to your ears. 849 00:44:00,480 --> 00:44:02,440 Speaker 1: Good job, Eves. If you like what you heard, we 850 00:44:02,480 --> 00:44:04,600 Speaker 1: hope you'll subscribe, And if you really really like what 851 00:44:04,640 --> 00:44:06,719 Speaker 1: you've heard, maybe you could leave a good review for us. 852 00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:09,040 Speaker 1: Do we do we forget Jason? Jason who