June 4, 2024 • 19 mins
We travel through America's heartland, as Jessica Laughlin, creator of The 50 States Bucket List, shares her pen and ink explorations of fascinating locales. A sampling: tales of land grabs and resilience in Oklahoma, surprises of Arizona, the architectural splendors of Indiana, and the cinematic landscapes of Utah's national parks. Places and experiences that define the American spirit.
Uncover the whimsy of Nebraska's Car Henge, and marvel at Nevada's scenic mountain and desert. Learn about the monumental Crazy Horse project in South Dakota and the prehistoric wonders there, while Florida's historic St. Augustine and driveable Daytona Beach offer a taste of the Sunshine State's eclectic charm. Kentucky has the Derby. New Mexico, the desert. And we end with a special memory, as always.
Whether you're hitting the road or simply indulging your curiosity, our journey across many of the 50 states promises inspiration and revelations.
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Jessica Laughlin is an artist, graphic designer, photographer -- and illustrator and author of The 50 States Bucket List: The Ultimate Journal for a Journey Across America. She enjoys road trips, exploring the country, and creating art.
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Podcast host Lea Lane has traveled to over 100 countries, and has written nine books, including the award-winning Places I Remember (Kirkus Reviews star rating, and 'one of the top 100 Indie books of the year'). She has contributed to many guidebooks and has written thousands of travel articles.
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Our award-winning travel podcast, Places I Remember with Lea Lane, has dropped over 100 travel episodes! New podcast episodes drop on the first Tuesday of the month, on Apple, Spotify, and wherever you listen.
Travel vlogs of featured podcasts-- with video and graphics -- now drop on YouTube on the 15th of every month! Please subscribe, like, and comment.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lea Lane (00:04):
Each of the 50 states of the United States offers
unique delights for travelers.
In this episode, we'll behighlighting some of them with
Jessica Laughlin, author andillustrator of the 50 States
Bucket List, The UltimateJournal for a Journey Across
America.
Welcome, Jessica, to Places IRemember.
Jessica Laughlin (00:22):
Good morning, Lea.
Thanks for having me on.
Lea Lane (00:24):
A delight.
So tell us, how did your bookoriginate?
Jessica Laughlin (00:29):
Well, you know , it's actually i been a process
.
That's been several years ago.
I started illustrating the mapsof the United States and it
started with one.
It led to another.
I've actually always been a penand ink artist, so it kind of
came naturally to me.
But once I started doing one,it just all of a sudden I was
(00:50):
drawing my way across thecountry and in the meantime,
while doing that, I actuallylearned a lot about each state
in the process.
I love to travel, I love roadtrips, so it was a really fun
project for me.
And then I of course ended upwith this book deal.
And so here we have the bookthat is a collection of all of
(01:16):
the state maps interestinghistorical places, culture and
landmarks as well.
Lea Lane (01:23):
It's a lot of fun and you can tell there's love in
there.
You can feel it in theillustrations.
Your book is set up in ajournal form with charming
graphics.
What are some of the featuresof the organization?
Jessica Laughlin (01:35):
Well, it's actually organized by region, so
by region you can easily go toeach state and see the states
that are in there, some unusualthings to see in each state,
along with some of the moreiconic landmarks as well.
So it is a book that is easy tonavigate through.
(01:56):
It reads somewhat like a roadtrip, I would say.
You just go from region toregion across the United States
and it's also easy to come backto and pinpoint okay, I'm going
here, what are some of the greatplaces to see, what are some of
the unusual things?
Lea Lane (02:13):
Absolutely.
I think it whets your appetiteto go and then, once you go, it
gives you little ideas of whatto see when you're there.
And there are, as I said, lotsof fun.
I think between us we've beento all of the states, so let's
discuss some surprising bucketlist.
Excuse me, we'll say that againSome surprising bucket list
attractions, the landmarks, thescenery and the cultural
references, and includeattractions in some states that
(02:35):
maybe travelers wouldn'totherwise visit.
I'll begin.
Let's start with Oklahoma.
Begin, let's start withOklahoma.
It's called the Sooner State.
That's the nickname for it.
Jessica Laughlin (02:55):
It was established in 1907.
Why was it called the SoonerState?
Well, it was actually calledthe Sooner State because during
that time there was a land graband people were coming to
Oklahoma taking land before itbecame available to purchase.
So that is why the statereceived that nickname, which is
a strange nickname, and I don'tthink a lot of people exactly
(03:16):
know why why Sooner but that iswhy they were called the Sooners
.
Lea Lane (03:19):
Yeah, and I think in 1830, the Indian Removal Act
granted the government authorityto remove the indigenous
peoples, and the Trail of Tearsrefers to the long and brutal
journey they made, that theNative Americans made.
Thousands did not survive.
That's a part of the history ofOklahoma and there's a lot of
evidence of that when you travelthere.
(03:40):
The National Cowboy and WesternHeritage Museum is there.
It has nearly 30,000 artifacts,paintings, sculptures and
photographs.
That's a lot of fun to visit.
The historical accounts ofcattlemen, rodeos and Native
Americans.
It gives the complexity of howthe West was forged.
And then there's the Dust Bowl,when in the 1930s many people
(04:04):
from Oklahoma and other parts ofthe area had to leave because
of tremendous damage there andthey headed west to California.
And there's a lot of documentsthere of photographer Dorothea
Lange and the Woody GuthrieCenter in Tulsa, which features
a rare collection of hisbelongings.
Anything about that you'd liketo say?
Jessica Laughlin (04:29):
Well, you know , it was such a strange natural
occurrence to have happened withthe Dust Bowl and how it also
coincided with the GreatDepression as well.
So that time period was aninteresting time period in that
it spawned a huge migration toCalifornia and to the West as
(04:49):
well, and of course, you hadsongwriter like Woody Guthrie,
you know, and I think that thatwould be an interesting place
for people to visit as well,absolutely.
Lea Lane (05:00):
It's not on everybody's yeah.
Jessica Laughlin (05:03):
And you know.
And then also Dorothea Langeand those beautiful photos that
she took.
They were beautiful, but theywere so captivating because of
the feeling behind them, and Ithink that that's the sort of
thing too that when you traveland when you are visiting these
sites, you know to also havethat historical, a brief
historical connection with whatyou're seeing.
(05:25):
It makes it more interesting aswell.
Lea Lane (05:27):
Anywhere in the world, it's always good to know about
the place you're going.
It gives depth to the travelsand adds to the fun as well.
Okay, Jessica, how aboutArizona?
Let's talk a little bit about.
Jessica Laughlin (05:39):
Oh, I love Arizona.
Arizona is one of my favoritestates.
I've been there a lot because Ihave lived, obviously, in
Henderson and Las Vegas, so it'svery easy to get to Arizona and
I love visiting Arizona.
As far as some of the bestplaces that I've been in the
(06:00):
state, I would, of course, haveto say number one, of course,
the Grand Canyon.
It's just remarkable andactually there's a town called
Williams that is near the GrandCanyon.
It's called the Gateway to theGrand Canyon and you can hop on
(06:21):
a train from Williams and godirectly into the Grand Canyon
and they have cowboys on thetrain I've been on that train,
have you?
Lea Lane (06:25):
Oh good, I've been on that train, have you?
It's a very surprising thing.
You sit there and there's ahold up that the people come on
board and they rob you.
Quote unquote you don't expectit.
It's great fun.
Jessica Laughlin (06:39):
I know it's such a surprise and sorry for
anybody who we've ruined thesurprise for, but it is so much
fun on that train and I lovethat whole Western theme and how
much fun that is and it makesgoing to the Grand Canyon,
because otherwise when you aredriving there from the major
turnoffs on the highway it is,you know, about an hour into the
(06:59):
park, you know.
So making that trip by train isa lot more fun.
That's interesting that youwent on it as well, did you say
Williams?
Lea Lane (07:07):
Yeah, excuse me, Did you stay in Williams?
No, I didn't stay in Williams,we just went in.
I've been there several times,but that one was a special press
trip where they took us anddidn't tell us about the
surprise, so that's why I'mstill remembering it.
I would also say there's asurprise there.
At Lake Havasu there's an 1830sLondon Bridge which was
(07:29):
purchased in 1968, shipped brickby brick from England to the
United States, and it wasrebuilt on Lake Havasu, on the
Colorado River.
Again, something you don'texpect.
Jessica Laughlin (07:40):
I know completely and you don't expect
something like that.
Now, that's the thing aboutArizona is there's a lot of
unexpected places and it's sucha state that has so much to
offer.
You do have Lake Havasu and allof that down at the lake, but
you also have and that's afascinating, definitely a really
fascinating part about LakeHavasu and I can't imagine
(08:03):
bringing that brick by brickover rebuilding that bridge.
But yeah, if you want to seethe London Bridge, there you go.
Lea Lane (08:10):
Okay, so I'm going to now talk about Indiana.
There's going to be a pauseright here because I have to
find it Now.
When we talk about these, if Isay something, try to say you
know, let's not say it twice,because I see you're doing that
a little bit.
So if I say something and yousee something else, we'll edit.
(08:32):
Don't worry, we're doing fine.
I just can't find Indiana.
Greg, this is going to be oneof the weirdest.
Okay, I just found it.
Okay Now, indiana is called theHoosier State.
It's located in the center ofAmerica's heartland.
Do we know why it's called theHoosier State?
Jessica Laughlin (08:50):
Well, there's really no definitive answer as
to why it's called the HoosierState.
Of course you have Hoosier asthe legend of Indiana and it's
always kind of been there, butthere's not really a whole
definition of it as well.
But the film Hoosiers that wasa big that also, you know,
(09:15):
furthered the nickname there.
We'll have to Google that one.
Yeah, you know what I've lookedand there's different theories
about it and everything.
Lea Lane (09:21):
But yeah, I just always wondered about that one,
but I'm still trying to find out.
I know that it's the racingcapital of the world, the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Actually, I've been on that, Ithink.
I don't know if everyone can doit, but as a journalist I was
able to go around it in a car.
I don't know if that'savailable again as a thing to do
, but when you're there you lookup and you see there's room to
(09:43):
seat over 250,000 people in thestands and you really get to
feel what it's like to be downthere.
I know they have a tremendousnumber of race cars there, even
if you don't go on the track,and lots of interesting things.
The thing I like about Indianathe most was the architecture of
all things.
I know there are towns alongthe Ohio River where
(10:04):
shipbuilding was the industryand there's some beautiful old
historic districts.
Tell us a little about that.
Jessica Laughlin (10:10):
That's interesting that you bring up
New Albany and that area,because my family, my
grandparents, were from thatarea and so I have a deeper
connection there to that part ofIndiana.
It's a beautiful location onthe river Paddle boats are still
going on the river.
I think that's part of thecharm along New Albany and in
(10:32):
Madison area that area is abeautiful national historic
landmark district and it doesencompass 133 blocks of history.
Lea Lane (10:41):
It's a town called Columbus that has modern
architecture.
Some of the greatest architectsin the world came to Columbus.
It's not that far fromIndianapolis, maybe an hour away
and that's exceptional if youenjoy architecture.
It's one of the great cities ofthe country for modern
architecture, so that's asurprise Utah.
Tell us what you feel aboutthat state.
Jessica Laughlin (11:03):
Also been to Utah many times and you do have
the mighty five national parksthere, and so you have that
beauty.
Especially the southern portionof Utah has Zion National Park.
You've got Canyonlands, youhave Moab, so you have a lot,
and the north is beautiful aswell, you know.
Of course you get a little bitmore pine trees and things
(11:25):
towards Salt Lake City whenyou're down in the southern
region.
You have some amazing sandstonerock.
That's what makes that regionreally spectacular.
I've been to Zion You're downin this canyon with a river
flowing through and it's justspectacular.
So for some things I didn't dothere that I would say would be
(11:47):
bucket list items as well wouldbe the Narrows, or Angels
Landing for those who aren'tafraid of heights.
Yeah, the Narrows and all ofthat.
Lea Lane (11:57):
And, I think, Bryce Canyon, of course, with the
hoodoos.
They're rock formations ofreally unusual shape.
They were created from erosionand they're amazing.
So everyone loves Bryce to seethe hoodoos.
The whole area is gorgeous.
There are five national parks.
They're called the Mighty FiveCanyonlands, Arches, Bryce,
Capitol, Reef and Zion.
(12:18):
It's one of the greatest placesin America for scenic beauty,
without question Nebraska.
It's called the CornhuskerState.
There's lots of corn there.
It's the great plains.
Jessica Laughlin (12:28):
We know we're about that nickname, yeah that
one I know.
Lea Lane (12:31):
Omaha, of course, is known for its steak.
It's called the steak capitalof the world.
You can walk along the streetafter having a good steak meal
to the corner of 16th and Dodge.
You'll find a collection ofstriking statues of Nebraska's
pioneer days.
But there's something that I'vealways wanted to see.
I have never seen it.
It's called Carhenge.
Jessica Laughlin (12:51):
Tell me about it, it was constructed in the
80s and he began using the carslike a Stonehenge, and how he
did this.
It was definitely a labor oflove to have those cars upright
and he painted them gray.
So it's one of those unusualroadside attractions that I
(13:14):
think when you're driving acrossthe country you might want to
stop off at a few of theseinteresting places that
otherwise you might overlook, oryou might see it in the
distance and say what is that?
Lea Lane (13:25):
Absolutely.
Nebraska is one of those places.
Jessica Laughlin (13:27):
Interesting thing to see along the long
stretch of flat land.
Lea Lane (13:31):
How about Nevada?
That's your home.
Jessica Laughlin (13:33):
Yes, well, it's very different in the
southern region versus thenorthern region.
You get into the Sierras up inthe north and down here.
Of course it's desert Inbetween.
You really don't have too much,except for some very small
towns which, if you're everdriving through Nevada, you
happen to go from Las Vegas toReno.
There are some interestingtowns along the way, such as
(13:56):
Tonopah, which has a rich mininghistory.
There's ghost towns.
There's ghost towns.
They're interesting Just to bein ghost towns Very interesting.
Yeah, I love that kind of stuff.
I find it really interesting.
As far as the northern area,one of my favorites is Zephyr
Cove.
I've always loved Lake Tahoe.
Crystal blue water, surroundedby pine trees.
You have cabins and boats justright out there on the lake, the
(14:19):
beautiful shores of Lake Tahoe.
Everybody should take a trip upthere, absolutely.
Lea Lane (14:24):
South Dakota.
Now, that's a state you don'thear about all the time.
You do hear about MountRushmore, of course, but there's
also another statue.
Tell us about that, one that'sstill being built, the largest
sculpture in the world.
Jessica Laughlin (14:37):
A crazy horse and you can walk along, you can
see it and you can visit themonument.
It's not yet complete.
It's been years in the making.
They started it shortly afterMount Rushmore, but it's going
to be the tallest monument inthe world.
Lea Lane (14:52):
There's also prehistoric South Dakota and if
you go into the museums you'llsee the original fossils.
If you go along the road,you'll see cement dinosaurs
around, which is lots of fun forfamilies as you drive along.
Jessica Laughlin (15:03):
It is, and I was actually very surprised
about that.
Fossils and museums there forkids love that.
Lea Lane (15:11):
Tell us about your favorite thing in Florida.
Jessica Laughlin (15:13):
Well, I have an aunt who lives in Orlando, so
I've had the opportunity tovisit Florida a few times.
I thought that St Augustine wasvery interesting historical,
beautiful architecture.
I thought that was a really funplace as well as also with all
the history.
So also Daytona Beach is reallyfun.
(15:34):
You can drive on the beach.
Lea Lane (15:36):
Yeah, you can drive on the racing.
I remember when I was incollege you could drive right on
the hardpack sands and thewater's right there, and there
you are going fast along thebeach.
It's lots of fun and StAugustine is considered the
oldest city in America.
It has a lot of characterdifferent from much of the rest
of Florida, which is brand new.
(15:56):
Let's go on to another statethat interests me and not always
on everyone's list Kentucky.
It's sort of one of thosein-between states.
Here it is.
It's called the bluegrass statebecause the grass is actually a
little bit tinted blue becauseof the limestone and the horses
love to chew on that.
It's a culture, it's part ofthe ecosystem.
(16:16):
Of course bluegrass musicoriginated in these hills as
well.
The Kentucky Derby, of course,is something on everyone's
bucket list.
If you like horses and history,you've got the Run for the
Roses in May.
Churchill Downs is the mostacclaimed racetrack in America.
If you like to wear elaboratehats and toast with mint juleps
and sing my old Kentucky home,it's great Americana and the
(16:40):
Belle of Louisville.
It's the longest operatingsteamboat in America and it
still is paddling along theresince 1914.
Tell us about moonbows.
What is a moonbow?
You can find one in Kentucky,in the Cumberland Falls, and one
in Yosemite.
What is it?
Jessica Laughlin (16:56):
It's an interesting thing that happens.
It's the way that the lightreflects off of the mist and the
water.
So you have a waterfall andyou've got the mist, and at
night and so there's certainconditions it can create what
they call a moonbow.
So it's a rainbow essentiallyat night.
Lea Lane (17:13):
I've never seen it, but I've heard of it.
There's a falls in SouthAmerica, iguazu, that has lots
of moon bows, and I've beenthere but I never got to see it
at night.
It's one of those bucket listthings, like the Northern Lights
, that I still like it is.
Jessica Laughlin (17:25):
You have to be there at the right time to see
something like that.
Lea Lane (17:28):
How about New Mexico?
What do you like there?
That's maybe a little bitdifferent there.
Jessica Laughlin (17:36):
That's maybe a little bit different.
We went there two years ago andit was my first time to visit
Santa Fe and I just, Iabsolutely loved it.
Not only the art, but theculture, the food.
It's such a fun place to visit.
It's also historical and theplaza has, you know, rich
history, with trading and, alongthe Santa Fe Trail, the native
cultures and all of the culturescombining.
(17:56):
We went to Santerio de Chamayo,which is about 45 minutes north
of Santa Fe along the high roadto Taos.
It's a Catholic chapel, but italso has holy dirt and it was
built in the 1800s in Chamayo.
It's a very interesting,authentic town.
(18:18):
This is its centerpiece.
It's a beautiful church thatyou're right along a creek that
flows right through, so it's avery spiritual place.
It's a place that many come tofrom all over the world, from
different faiths, and for itsholy dirt.
There is a hole in the ground,one of the side chapels there.
(18:39):
That is supposedly where thesite of the original cross had
been, and Catholic mysticisminto that as well.
But there's native significancetoo.
When you walk in there you havecrutches that are lining the
walls from people who have saidthat they've been cured from
putting a little of this holydirt onto their skin and it's a
(19:00):
very powerful place to visit.
Lea Lane (19:02):
We focused on it in episode 11.
I would also say that Route 66,the mother road of America that
goes through there is awonderful relic in a way,
because segments of the originalroad have nostalgic neon signs
and you have interesting oldmotels and restaurants.
It's a lot of fun.
So there's lots to see and doin New Mexico.
(19:23):
The idea is to go and to try tonot only see the great things,
like the Grand Canyon, but thefun things, like you mentioned,
with the train.
There's so much to enjoy If youdo a little research ahead.
Your book is one of the ways todo it and you get more out of
your trips that way.
Now, the name of the podcast isPlaces I Remember.
So, jessica, would you pleaseshare with us a special memory
(19:46):
of your travels in one of thestates?
Jessica Laughlin (19:48):
Last year in September when we went, we took
a trip up to Yellowstone and itwas my first time in Wyoming.
We stayed in West Yellowstone,which was a great place, a great
landing place to get in and outof the park easily, and we were
there for about five days.
It was spectacular for me to beable to finally see it, because
I had always heard about it,and we took a road trip so that
(20:11):
we would be able to stop alongthe way and see everything.
Lea Lane (20:14):
What was surprising there to you?
Jessica Laughlin (20:16):
The geysers, the buffaloes.
I just loved it all.
I loved seeing the buffaloescrossing the street and we were
perched up on the hill or in theHayden Valley.
You're looking out towards justthis beautiful yellow valley
with buffaloes roaming freelyand the beautiful waterfalls and
Artist Point and the GrandCanyon of the Yellowstone.
Lea Lane (20:38):
A lot of people don't realize there's a magnificent
canyon.
Jessica Laughlin (20:41):
Yeah, really, when you're standing above it
you can see why they call itArtist Point, because it looks
like a painting.
And we also went up to theGallatin Canyon, which was a
little north of West Yellowstone.
We drove up and that's inMontana and that's actually
where A River Runs Through.
It was filmed.
That's one of my favoritemovies.
(21:02):
You're driving along and you'reseeing river and fly fishermen
on each side of the road in thiscanyon with rushing waters and
a beautiful part of the country.
If you're up that way andyou're viewing Yellowstone and
you're viewing Yellowstone andyou're there for a few days,
make sure to also take a trip upand see the Gallatin Canyon too
.
Lea Lane (21:22):
Again a surprise, because you don't expect it so
much, but it's, as you say, veryspecial.
Well, all 50 states offerspecial things to see and do.
Wherever you travel.
The key is to find attractionsthat are local, different and
unexpected, and you can findthese in Jessica Laughlin's book
the 50 States Bucket List theUltimate Journal for a Journey
(21:43):
Across America.
Thanks so much, jessica, forsharing.
Jessica Laughlin (21:45):
Thank you so much.
It's been great to be here.
Thank you, Lea.
Each of the 50 states of the United States offers
unique delights for travelers.
In this episode, we'll behighlighting some of them with
Jessica Laughlin, author andillustrator of the 50 States
Bucket List, The UltimateJournal for a Journey Across
America.
Welcome, Jessica, to Places IRemember.
Jessica Laughlin (00:22):
Good morning, Lea.
Thanks for having me on.
Lea Lane (00:24):
A delight.
So tell us, how did your bookoriginate?
Jessica Laughlin (00:29):
Well, you know , it's actually i been a process
.
That's been several years ago.
I started illustrating the mapsof the United States and it
started with one.
It led to another.
I've actually always been a penand ink artist, so it kind of
came naturally to me.
But once I started doing one,it just all of a sudden I was
(00:50):
drawing my way across thecountry and in the meantime,
while doing that, I actuallylearned a lot about each state
in the process.
I love to travel, I love roadtrips, so it was a really fun
project for me.
And then I of course ended upwith this book deal.
And so here we have the bookthat is a collection of all of
(01:16):
the state maps interestinghistorical places, culture and
landmarks as well.
Lea Lane (01:23):
It's a lot of fun and you can tell there's love in
there.
You can feel it in theillustrations.
Your book is set up in ajournal form with charming
graphics.
What are some of the featuresof the organization?
Jessica Laughlin (01:35):
Well, it's actually organized by region, so
by region you can easily go toeach state and see the states
that are in there, some unusualthings to see in each state,
along with some of the moreiconic landmarks as well.
So it is a book that is easy tonavigate through.
(01:56):
It reads somewhat like a roadtrip, I would say.
You just go from region toregion across the United States
and it's also easy to come backto and pinpoint okay, I'm going
here, what are some of the greatplaces to see, what are some of
the unusual things?
Lea Lane (02:13):
Absolutely.
I think it whets your appetiteto go and then, once you go, it
gives you little ideas of whatto see when you're there.
And there are, as I said, lotsof fun.
I think between us we've beento all of the states, so let's
discuss some surprising bucketlist.
Excuse me, we'll say that againSome surprising bucket list
attractions, the landmarks, thescenery and the cultural
references, and includeattractions in some states that
(02:35):
maybe travelers wouldn'totherwise visit.
I'll begin.
Let's start with Oklahoma.
Begin, let's start withOklahoma.
It's called the Sooner State.
That's the nickname for it.
Jessica Laughlin (02:55):
It was established in 1907.
Why was it called the SoonerState?
Well, it was actually calledthe Sooner State because during
that time there was a land graband people were coming to
Oklahoma taking land before itbecame available to purchase.
So that is why the statereceived that nickname, which is
a strange nickname, and I don'tthink a lot of people exactly
(03:16):
know why why Sooner but that iswhy they were called the Sooners
.
Lea Lane (03:19):
Yeah, and I think in 1830, the Indian Removal Act
granted the government authorityto remove the indigenous
peoples, and the Trail of Tearsrefers to the long and brutal
journey they made, that theNative Americans made.
Thousands did not survive.
That's a part of the history ofOklahoma and there's a lot of
evidence of that when you travelthere.
(03:40):
The National Cowboy and WesternHeritage Museum is there.
It has nearly 30,000 artifacts,paintings, sculptures and
photographs.
That's a lot of fun to visit.
The historical accounts ofcattlemen, rodeos and Native
Americans.
It gives the complexity of howthe West was forged.
And then there's the Dust Bowl,when in the 1930s many people
(04:04):
from Oklahoma and other parts ofthe area had to leave because
of tremendous damage there andthey headed west to California.
And there's a lot of documentsthere of photographer Dorothea
Lange and the Woody GuthrieCenter in Tulsa, which features
a rare collection of hisbelongings.
Anything about that you'd liketo say?
Jessica Laughlin (04:29):
Well, you know , it was such a strange natural
occurrence to have happened withthe Dust Bowl and how it also
coincided with the GreatDepression as well.
So that time period was aninteresting time period in that
it spawned a huge migration toCalifornia and to the West as
(04:49):
well, and of course, you hadsongwriter like Woody Guthrie,
you know, and I think that thatwould be an interesting place
for people to visit as well,absolutely.
Lea Lane (05:00):
It's not on everybody's yeah.
Jessica Laughlin (05:03):
And you know.
And then also Dorothea Langeand those beautiful photos that
she took.
They were beautiful, but theywere so captivating because of
the feeling behind them, and Ithink that that's the sort of
thing too that when you traveland when you are visiting these
sites, you know to also havethat historical, a brief
historical connection with whatyou're seeing.
(05:25):
It makes it more interesting aswell.
Lea Lane (05:27):
Anywhere in the world, it's always good to know about
the place you're going.
It gives depth to the travelsand adds to the fun as well.
Okay, Jessica, how aboutArizona?
Let's talk a little bit about.
Jessica Laughlin (05:39):
Oh, I love Arizona.
Arizona is one of my favoritestates.
I've been there a lot because Ihave lived, obviously, in
Henderson and Las Vegas, so it'svery easy to get to Arizona and
I love visiting Arizona.
As far as some of the bestplaces that I've been in the
(06:00):
state, I would, of course, haveto say number one, of course,
the Grand Canyon.
It's just remarkable andactually there's a town called
Williams that is near the GrandCanyon.
It's called the Gateway to theGrand Canyon and you can hop on
(06:21):
a train from Williams and godirectly into the Grand Canyon
and they have cowboys on thetrain I've been on that train,
have you?
Lea Lane (06:25):
Oh good, I've been on that train, have you?
It's a very surprising thing.
You sit there and there's ahold up that the people come on
board and they rob you.
Quote unquote you don't expectit.
It's great fun.
Jessica Laughlin (06:39):
I know it's such a surprise and sorry for
anybody who we've ruined thesurprise for, but it is so much
fun on that train and I lovethat whole Western theme and how
much fun that is and it makesgoing to the Grand Canyon,
because otherwise when you aredriving there from the major
turnoffs on the highway it is,you know, about an hour into the
(06:59):
park, you know.
So making that trip by train isa lot more fun.
That's interesting that youwent on it as well, did you say
Williams?
Lea Lane (07:07):
Yeah, excuse me, Did you stay in Williams?
No, I didn't stay in Williams,we just went in.
I've been there several times,but that one was a special press
trip where they took us anddidn't tell us about the
surprise, so that's why I'mstill remembering it.
I would also say there's asurprise there.
At Lake Havasu there's an 1830sLondon Bridge which was
(07:29):
purchased in 1968, shipped brickby brick from England to the
United States, and it wasrebuilt on Lake Havasu, on the
Colorado River.
Again, something you don'texpect.
Jessica Laughlin (07:40):
I know completely and you don't expect
something like that.
Now, that's the thing aboutArizona is there's a lot of
unexpected places and it's sucha state that has so much to
offer.
You do have Lake Havasu and allof that down at the lake, but
you also have and that's afascinating, definitely a really
fascinating part about LakeHavasu and I can't imagine
(08:03):
bringing that brick by brickover rebuilding that bridge.
But yeah, if you want to seethe London Bridge, there you go.
Lea Lane (08:10):
Okay, so I'm going to now talk about Indiana.
There's going to be a pauseright here because I have to
find it Now.
When we talk about these, if Isay something, try to say you
know, let's not say it twice,because I see you're doing that
a little bit.
So if I say something and yousee something else, we'll edit.
(08:32):
Don't worry, we're doing fine.
I just can't find Indiana.
Greg, this is going to be oneof the weirdest.
Okay, I just found it.
Okay Now, indiana is called theHoosier State.
It's located in the center ofAmerica's heartland.
Do we know why it's called theHoosier State?
Jessica Laughlin (08:50):
Well, there's really no definitive answer as
to why it's called the HoosierState.
Of course you have Hoosier asthe legend of Indiana and it's
always kind of been there, butthere's not really a whole
definition of it as well.
But the film Hoosiers that wasa big that also, you know,
(09:15):
furthered the nickname there.
We'll have to Google that one.
Yeah, you know what I've lookedand there's different theories
about it and everything.
Lea Lane (09:21):
But yeah, I just always wondered about that one,
but I'm still trying to find out.
I know that it's the racingcapital of the world, the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Actually, I've been on that, Ithink.
I don't know if everyone can doit, but as a journalist I was
able to go around it in a car.
I don't know if that'savailable again as a thing to do
, but when you're there you lookup and you see there's room to
(09:43):
seat over 250,000 people in thestands and you really get to
feel what it's like to be downthere.
I know they have a tremendousnumber of race cars there, even
if you don't go on the track,and lots of interesting things.
The thing I like about Indianathe most was the architecture of
all things.
I know there are towns alongthe Ohio River where
(10:04):
shipbuilding was the industryand there's some beautiful old
historic districts.
Tell us a little about that.
Jessica Laughlin (10:10):
That's interesting that you bring up
New Albany and that area,because my family, my
grandparents, were from thatarea and so I have a deeper
connection there to that part ofIndiana.
It's a beautiful location onthe river Paddle boats are still
going on the river.
I think that's part of thecharm along New Albany and in
(10:32):
Madison area that area is abeautiful national historic
landmark district and it doesencompass 133 blocks of history.
Lea Lane (10:41):
It's a town called Columbus that has modern
architecture.
Some of the greatest architectsin the world came to Columbus.
It's not that far fromIndianapolis, maybe an hour away
and that's exceptional if youenjoy architecture.
It's one of the great cities ofthe country for modern
architecture, so that's asurprise Utah.
Tell us what you feel aboutthat state.
Jessica Laughlin (11:03):
Also been to Utah many times and you do have
the mighty five national parksthere, and so you have that
beauty.
Especially the southern portionof Utah has Zion National Park.
You've got Canyonlands, youhave Moab, so you have a lot,
and the north is beautiful aswell, you know.
Of course you get a little bitmore pine trees and things
(11:25):
towards Salt Lake City whenyou're down in the southern
region.
You have some amazing sandstonerock.
That's what makes that regionreally spectacular.
I've been to Zion You're downin this canyon with a river
flowing through and it's justspectacular.
So for some things I didn't dothere that I would say would be
(11:47):
bucket list items as well wouldbe the Narrows, or Angels
Landing for those who aren'tafraid of heights.
Yeah, the Narrows and all ofthat.
Lea Lane (11:57):
And, I think, Bryce Canyon, of course, with the
hoodoos.
They're rock formations ofreally unusual shape.
They were created from erosionand they're amazing.
So everyone loves Bryce to seethe hoodoos.
The whole area is gorgeous.
There are five national parks.
They're called the Mighty FiveCanyonlands, Arches, Bryce,
Capitol, Reef and Zion.
(12:18):
It's one of the greatest placesin America for scenic beauty,
without question Nebraska.
It's called the CornhuskerState.
There's lots of corn there.
It's the great plains.
Jessica Laughlin (12:28):
We know we're about that nickname, yeah that
one I know.
Lea Lane (12:31):
Omaha, of course, is known for its steak.
It's called the steak capitalof the world.
You can walk along the streetafter having a good steak meal
to the corner of 16th and Dodge.
You'll find a collection ofstriking statues of Nebraska's
pioneer days.
But there's something that I'vealways wanted to see.
I have never seen it.
It's called Carhenge.
Jessica Laughlin (12:51):
Tell me about it, it was constructed in the
80s and he began using the carslike a Stonehenge, and how he
did this.
It was definitely a labor oflove to have those cars upright
and he painted them gray.
So it's one of those unusualroadside attractions that I
(13:14):
think when you're driving acrossthe country you might want to
stop off at a few of theseinteresting places that
otherwise you might overlook, oryou might see it in the
distance and say what is that?
Lea Lane (13:25):
Absolutely.
Nebraska is one of those places.
Jessica Laughlin (13:27):
Interesting thing to see along the long
stretch of flat land.
Lea Lane (13:31):
How about Nevada?
That's your home.
Jessica Laughlin (13:33):
Yes, well, it's very different in the
southern region versus thenorthern region.
You get into the Sierras up inthe north and down here.
Of course it's desert Inbetween.
You really don't have too much,except for some very small
towns which, if you're everdriving through Nevada, you
happen to go from Las Vegas toReno.
There are some interestingtowns along the way, such as
(13:56):
Tonopah, which has a rich mininghistory.
There's ghost towns.
There's ghost towns.
They're interesting Just to bein ghost towns Very interesting.
Yeah, I love that kind of stuff.
I find it really interesting.
As far as the northern area,one of my favorites is Zephyr
Cove.
I've always loved Lake Tahoe.
Crystal blue water, surroundedby pine trees.
You have cabins and boats justright out there on the lake, the
(14:19):
beautiful shores of Lake Tahoe.
Everybody should take a trip upthere, absolutely.
Lea Lane (14:24):
South Dakota.
Now, that's a state you don'thear about all the time.
You do hear about MountRushmore, of course, but there's
also another statue.
Tell us about that, one that'sstill being built, the largest
sculpture in the world.
Jessica Laughlin (14:37):
A crazy horse and you can walk along, you can
see it and you can visit themonument.
It's not yet complete.
It's been years in the making.
They started it shortly afterMount Rushmore, but it's going
to be the tallest monument inthe world.
Lea Lane (14:52):
There's also prehistoric South Dakota and if
you go into the museums you'llsee the original fossils.
If you go along the road,you'll see cement dinosaurs
around, which is lots of fun forfamilies as you drive along.
Jessica Laughlin (15:03):
It is, and I was actually very surprised
about that.
Fossils and museums there forkids love that.
Lea Lane (15:11):
Tell us about your favorite thing in Florida.
Jessica Laughlin (15:13):
Well, I have an aunt who lives in Orlando, so
I've had the opportunity tovisit Florida a few times.
I thought that St Augustine wasvery interesting historical,
beautiful architecture.
I thought that was a really funplace as well as also with all
the history.
So also Daytona Beach is reallyfun.
(15:34):
You can drive on the beach.
Lea Lane (15:36):
Yeah, you can drive on the racing.
I remember when I was incollege you could drive right on
the hardpack sands and thewater's right there, and there
you are going fast along thebeach.
It's lots of fun and StAugustine is considered the
oldest city in America.
It has a lot of characterdifferent from much of the rest
of Florida, which is brand new.
(15:56):
Let's go on to another statethat interests me and not always
on everyone's list Kentucky.
It's sort of one of thosein-between states.
Here it is.
It's called the bluegrass statebecause the grass is actually a
little bit tinted blue becauseof the limestone and the horses
love to chew on that.
It's a culture, it's part ofthe ecosystem.
(16:16):
Of course bluegrass musicoriginated in these hills as
well.
The Kentucky Derby, of course,is something on everyone's
bucket list.
If you like horses and history,you've got the Run for the
Roses in May.
Churchill Downs is the mostacclaimed racetrack in America.
If you like to wear elaboratehats and toast with mint juleps
and sing my old Kentucky home,it's great Americana and the
(16:40):
Belle of Louisville.
It's the longest operatingsteamboat in America and it
still is paddling along theresince 1914.
Tell us about moonbows.
What is a moonbow?
You can find one in Kentucky,in the Cumberland Falls, and one
in Yosemite.
What is it?
Jessica Laughlin (16:56):
It's an interesting thing that happens.
It's the way that the lightreflects off of the mist and the
water.
So you have a waterfall andyou've got the mist, and at
night and so there's certainconditions it can create what
they call a moonbow.
So it's a rainbow essentiallyat night.
Lea Lane (17:13):
I've never seen it, but I've heard of it.
There's a falls in SouthAmerica, iguazu, that has lots
of moon bows, and I've beenthere but I never got to see it
at night.
It's one of those bucket listthings, like the Northern Lights
, that I still like it is.
Jessica Laughlin (17:25):
You have to be there at the right time to see
something like that.
Lea Lane (17:28):
How about New Mexico?
What do you like there?
That's maybe a little bitdifferent there.
Jessica Laughlin (17:36):
That's maybe a little bit different.
We went there two years ago andit was my first time to visit
Santa Fe and I just, Iabsolutely loved it.
Not only the art, but theculture, the food.
It's such a fun place to visit.
It's also historical and theplaza has, you know, rich
history, with trading and, alongthe Santa Fe Trail, the native
cultures and all of the culturescombining.
(17:56):
We went to Santerio de Chamayo,which is about 45 minutes north
of Santa Fe along the high roadto Taos.
It's a Catholic chapel, but italso has holy dirt and it was
built in the 1800s in Chamayo.
It's a very interesting,authentic town.
(18:18):
This is its centerpiece.
It's a beautiful church thatyou're right along a creek that
flows right through, so it's avery spiritual place.
It's a place that many come tofrom all over the world, from
different faiths, and for itsholy dirt.
There is a hole in the ground,one of the side chapels there.
(18:39):
That is supposedly where thesite of the original cross had
been, and Catholic mysticisminto that as well.
But there's native significancetoo.
When you walk in there you havecrutches that are lining the
walls from people who have saidthat they've been cured from
putting a little of this holydirt onto their skin and it's a
(19:00):
very powerful place to visit.
Lea Lane (19:02):
We focused on it in episode 11.
I would also say that Route 66,the mother road of America that
goes through there is awonderful relic in a way,
because segments of the originalroad have nostalgic neon signs
and you have interesting oldmotels and restaurants.
It's a lot of fun.
So there's lots to see and doin New Mexico.
(19:23):
The idea is to go and to try tonot only see the great things,
like the Grand Canyon, but thefun things, like you mentioned,
with the train.
There's so much to enjoy If youdo a little research ahead.
Your book is one of the ways todo it and you get more out of
your trips that way.
Now, the name of the podcast isPlaces I Remember.
So, jessica, would you pleaseshare with us a special memory
(19:46):
of your travels in one of thestates?
Jessica Laughlin (19:48):
Last year in September when we went, we took
a trip up to Yellowstone and itwas my first time in Wyoming.
We stayed in West Yellowstone,which was a great place, a great
landing place to get in and outof the park easily, and we were
there for about five days.
It was spectacular for me to beable to finally see it, because
I had always heard about it,and we took a road trip so that
(20:11):
we would be able to stop alongthe way and see everything.
Lea Lane (20:14):
What was surprising there to you?
Jessica Laughlin (20:16):
The geysers, the buffaloes.
I just loved it all.
I loved seeing the buffaloescrossing the street and we were
perched up on the hill or in theHayden Valley.
You're looking out towards justthis beautiful yellow valley
with buffaloes roaming freelyand the beautiful waterfalls and
Artist Point and the GrandCanyon of the Yellowstone.
Lea Lane (20:38):
A lot of people don't realize there's a magnificent
canyon.
Jessica Laughlin (20:41):
Yeah, really, when you're standing above it
you can see why they call itArtist Point, because it looks
like a painting.
And we also went up to theGallatin Canyon, which was a
little north of West Yellowstone.
We drove up and that's inMontana and that's actually
where A River Runs Through.
It was filmed.
That's one of my favoritemovies.
(21:02):
You're driving along and you'reseeing river and fly fishermen
on each side of the road in thiscanyon with rushing waters and
a beautiful part of the country.
If you're up that way andyou're viewing Yellowstone and
you're viewing Yellowstone andyou're there for a few days,
make sure to also take a trip upand see the Gallatin Canyon too
.
Lea Lane (21:22):
Again a surprise, because you don't expect it so
much, but it's, as you say, veryspecial.
Well, all 50 states offerspecial things to see and do.
Wherever you travel.
The key is to find attractionsthat are local, different and
unexpected, and you can findthese in Jessica Laughlin's book
the 50 States Bucket List theUltimate Journal for a Journey
(21:43):
Across America.
Thanks so much, jessica, forsharing.
Jessica Laughlin (21:45):
Thank you so much.
It's been great to be here.
Thank you, Lea.
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