ARKANSAS
Step Back in Time in this Mountain Hot Spring Haven
As we walked down the business-lined street, I felt like I’d stepped into one of my dad’s stories about Gatlinburg when he was a kid—but I wasn’t in Gatlinburg. The…
All Stories
Every dispatch from the back roads, latest first.
OKLAHOMA
These 10 Cheap Oklahoma Restaurants Have Locals Coming Back For Seconds
I’ve learned something about cheap eats: the less a restaurant worries about its parking lot, the better the food usually is. Some of my favorite meals have come from strip…
TENNESSEE
This Tiny Memphis Museum Is Like a Time Machine to the Birth of Rock and Roll
We stood in the small room, gathered between pianos, guitars, and a single bass violin. It was as hot as a Memphis summer day, and the acoustic tiles — more…
NEW JERSEY
Three Offbeat “Only in New Jersey” Museums You Should Check Out
New Jersey has always been a state of passionate people. Thomas Edison. Bruce Springsteen. Meryl Streep. Derek Jeter... Just to get started! Different fields. Different talents. One common trait: an…
NEW JERSEY
Five Bites that Tell the Story of the People who Brought Them to New Jersey
New Jersey's diversity is well documented in census reports and demographics. But a more interesting measure might be what's on the plate. For generations, immigrants have arrived in the Garden…
OKLAHOMA
This Norman Mexican Restaurant Has Been Perfecting the Same Recipes for Over 40 Years — and Lines Form Before It Opens
The test I use for any Mexican restaurant is simple: how does the salsa taste before I've ordered anything? If it's thin, acidic, and clearly from a jar, I adjust…
OKLAHOMA
This Oklahoma Farm Dinner Has People Booking a Year in Advance for One Magical Night
Over the years, I’ve learned to be wary of dinner reservations that demand more planning than my last vacation. If people are willing to wait months and still show up…
OKLAHOMA
This Southern Oklahoma Pie Stand Has Been Perfecting the Same Recipe Since the 1800s
Here's a rule my grandmother strictly abides by about judging pie crusts: if you can't see the layers when you tear it open, it isn't worth eating. She made fried…
OKLAHOMA
This Western Oklahoma History Stop Turns a Highway Into a Time Machine
I’ve never driven all of Route 66, but I’ve been in love with it for as long as I can remember. That feeling isn’t really about the pavement itself —…
OKLAHOMA
I Found The Best Burgers Ever In This Tiny Oklahoma City Diner
I have a rule about people who say they've found the best burger in whatever city. I don't believe them. Not because I'm cynical — though I am, a little…
OKLAHOMA
This Iconic Oklahoma Route 66 Diner Has Been Feeding Travelers the Same Way Since 1927
My grandparents used to talk about diners the way other people talk about churches. Sacred, they'd say. The kind of place that holds a community together whether anyone admits it…
OKLAHOMA
This Historic Oklahoma City Steakhouse Has Been Serving the Same Perfect Steak Since 1910
I've eaten at steakhouses across the country — the kind with white tablecloths and wine lists the size of encyclopedias, and the kind with paper napkins and waitresses who've been…