Vanishing Postcards

Nov 21 2024 50 ep. 27 mins 1.5k
Vanishing Postcards Podcast artwork

Vanishing Postcards is a documentary travelogue that invites listeners on a road trip exploring the hidden dives, traditions, and frequently threatened histories discovered by exiting the interstates. Named one of the Best Podcasts of 2022 by Digital Trends.

  Society & Culture
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Postcard from Springfield, IL - The Cycles of Shea’s

Nov 21 2024 25 mins  
Despite its legend and history, like all roads, Route 66 is transitory and in a constant state of evolution. The small businesses that form its backbone face continuously steep odds and iconic sites aren't immune from decay or closure. This was deeply felt in 2015 when Shea's, a beloved gas station turned museum on the north end of Springfield, was forced to close following the dea

Postcard from Springfield, IL - Decades at The Cozy Dog Drive-In

Nov 14 2024 24 mins  
Officially opened in 1949, Springfield's Cozy Dog Drive-In claims to be the home of the first batter-fried hot dog on a stick, and having born witness to over seventy years of transitions, ranks amongst Route 66's most beloved institutions. Now in its third-generation of family ownership, we'll learn of its history from past and present proprietors Buz and Josh Waldmire. Artist Wil

5. Postcard from Laredo - "Two Cities, One People"

May 11 2023 29 mins  
The US-Mexico border is a constant fixture in today's 24 hour news cycle. But often lost amidst the noise of talking heads and pundits is any discussion of the rich culture and humanity that can be found there, and how turmoil on both sides has altered the region's social dynamics. Forgotten as well is that for decades Mexican borer towns were renowned for elegant, white ta

4. Postcard from South Texas - "Communion through Cabrito"

May 04 2023 23 mins  
The author and folklorist J Frank Dobie once said, "The boundaries of culture and rainfall never follow survey lines." This is certainly true of Dobie's native south Texas, which is a place shaped by both the cultures of Mexico and the American West. In this episode host Evan Stern travels below the Nueces River, to the YY Ranch where he joins the Avila Family as they

3. Postcard from Rockport - "Blessed Egg Rolls by the Bay”

Apr 27 2023 24 mins  
The third most spoken language in Texas behind English and Spanish is Vietnamese. This is especially evident in Houston, a metropolis that's home to more than 120,000 residents of Indo Chinese descent where restaurant menus tout such Texas-Asian dishes as Viet-Cajun crawfish, brisket pho and Vietnamese beef fajitas. Considering that prior to 1975 the city's population claim

2. Postcard from Galveston - "Spaghetti, Sausage and a Slice of Sicily”

Apr 20 2023 24 mins  
Once perhaps the greatest town of significance between New Orleans and San Francisco, Galveston's fortunes shifted following the Great Storm of 1900, and today its population doesn't even rank in the top fifty of Texas cities. But while Austinites are often apt to say that their community is really a small town with growing pains, some Galvestonians might argue that theirs

1. Postcard from Serbin - "Noodles in a New Nation"

Apr 13 2023 23 mins  
The Central Texas hamlet of Serbin sits off a country road, about an hour past Austin. It was last included in the census over twenty years ago when its population numbered a mere thirty-seven. Yet, it remains a place of significance as the sign on the edge of town announces it as the home of the Texas Wends. In this episode, which is the first in a miniseries co-produced with the

Introducing - "Travel Tales by Afar"

Feb 23 2023 29 mins  
As a special bonus, we are honored to share our space and introduce you to Travel Tales by Afar.  On Travel Tales by AFAR, fascinating people share their stories of life-changing travel, from novelist Maggie Shipstead’s chilly Arctic saga to comedian Michelle Buteau’s tale of getting stood up in Paris (really!). In the Travel Tales episode we're sharing today, writer Chris

17. Postcard from Santa Monica - "Passing Time at the Pier's End"

Feb 02 2023 30 mins  
If you're driving East to West, the spiritual end point for Route 66, regardless of the technicalities of history, is The Santa Monica Pier. Considering this, it is no coincidence we're ending this season there where more than snapping a picture, we'll learn of the artist Bob Waldmire from vendor Mannie Mendelsohn, hear the trumpet stylings of Buddy Balou, and take some time to ref

16. Postcard from Bakersfield - "In Search of The Sound"

Jan 19 2023 28 mins  
Between the years of 1930 and 1940, some 3.5 million Americans fled the Great Plains, with the Dust Bowl blowing roughly 440,000 out of Oklahoma alone. For many, the end destination was the promised land of California and Route 66 provided a path of exodus. Some, with cars loaded, followed the road all the way to Los Angeles, but at Barstow many more detoured north to the San Joaqu