Before we say farewell to the Golden State, it’s time to dive into some of its wildest news stories. Turns out, California is so bonks that we couldn’t stop at just four headlines this week.
We’re bringing you some lighthearted #CovidProbz, a stolen vehicle with some very precious cargo, and a scam that bamboozled Joe Dirt’s doppelganger. Buckle up for a bumpy ride (in the back of a police cruiser with a killer turkey).
Sorry, folks — we don’t make the news; we just report it.
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip042
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
California really has it all, from mummified baby dragons and Satanic cults to the real-life site of the Windows XP wallpaper. This week, Taylor breaks down the weirdest laws and strangest pit stops in the state — including a store that’s basically Spirit Halloween on steroids.
Then, Shauna introduces us to Jeff, a mysterious Los Angeles man with CIA connections and wayyyy too many guns. We learn about his life, his death, and some of the people who became ensnared in his tangled web throughout the decades.
Content warning: Domestic abuse, death
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip041
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
Awwww shit y’all... Taylor here. I’m writing the description this week, so you know shit is gonna get WEIRD! First, I tell you the tale of a desperate mother, Aeropostale tote bag circa 2008 (allegedly), and richie rich newborns with fancy security bracelets.
Then, Shauna describes a cryptid that just won’t stop wildin’ out with those spindly arms and Slenderman-esque legs. Listen in as she gives us the scoop on Wetzel’s Riverside Monster and a sexy man from the 60s with the nicest face cakes in town.
It’s short and sweet this week — minus the sweet… So, buckle the fook up, cause it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
Content warning: Attempted kidnapping
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip040
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
Hustlers, grab your guns. We’re headed to California, the home of Hollywood, the Redwoods, and marijuana dispensaries with some very creative names. First, Shauna gives us the 411 on California, and we play some games to get us acquainted with the Golden State.
Then we take a hard left turn as Taylor shares the story of the Paradise Camp Fire, the most deadly wildfire in California history. It’s a difficult one to get through, but it’s important — and it shines a light on human bravery and how evil corporations get away with literal murder.
Content warning: Fire, death, mention of animal death
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip039
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
We’re back after an unplanned but much-needed break — and we’re ready to get creepy, y’all. This week, we’re bringing you two minis to wet your whistle before we get back to our regularly scheduled programming.
First, Shauna tells us the story of Bart(leby) Brown, a guy in the early 1900s whose drunken encounter with a mule put him on the water wagon for life. Then, Taylor talks about her favorite topic ever: anthrax! When this insidious bacteria isn’t getting lit in IbiTHa to show Avicii that it’s cool, it’s wreaking havoc and annihilating people’s flesh.
Yeah, maybe don’t listen to this one while you’re eating.
Content warning: Animal death, gore
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip038
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
[Shauna's TikTok LOL SORRY] @brash_candicoot
Nevada is a dangerous place. As much as you might want to, we don’t recommend boning in a hot spring or robbing a grocery store at gunpoint. It’s been done before, and the consequences are not worth it...or are they? Find out in this week’s episode featuring wacky headlines from the great(?) state of Nevada.
We also head to Reno to meet the cutest politician on the planet, and then to Tonopah, a town that just might have more clowns than people.
Sorry, folks — we don’t make the news; we just report it.
Content warning: ~*SeXy StUff*~
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip037
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
Grab your beer bongs and boat shoes because this week we’re talking about hazing crimes. Shauna gives us the rundown on hazing — why it’s dangerous, when it’s illegal, and what it means for college Greek life. Then she tells two tragic stories about times that hazing at UNR went very wrong, in the cases of Albert Santos in 2002 and Ryan Abele in 2016.
But first, Taylor shares some weird Nevada laws and takes us on a tour of some notable pit stops. Your wildest dreams will come true — as long as they include Bonnie and Clyde’s bullet-riddled car, giant ovens, and a coffin-shaped greenhouse.
Content warning: Abuse, murder
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip036
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
This week, Shauna does a deep dive into Nevada’s legal brothels, where you can experience a classic BJ, a shower party, and some serious human rights abuses. It’s definitely worth checking out the episode guide for this one (link below) because we’ve got some dope brothel merch and delightful illustrations of sex acts, and they’re totally SFW (at least if you work at a brothel).
Then, Taylor takes us on a seriously bad trip when she tells the story of TWA Flight 3. Back in 1942, this flight from NYC to California never made it to its destination. Was it a conspiracy, or just a series of mistakes? Either way, we learn one important lesson: Being an entitled Karen really can get you killed.
Content warning: Abuse, death
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip035
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
Utah is rife with weirdos, and we’ve rounded up some headlines to prove it. This week, we hear about some unusual criminals, including a predatory juggalo and an extremely polite bandit.
Looking for something a little more lighthearted? We’ve got you covered with a sexy bomb scare and (sort of) sovereign nation in the Utah desert. And somehow, not a single one of these stories involves Mormonism.
Sorry, folks — we don’t make the news; we just report it.
Content warning: Child sexual abuse, murder
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip033
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
We’re back in Utah this week (with a lil detour to visit a Mormon settlement in Wisconsin). Get ready for some more weird law Mad Lubz, and grab your holy water as Taylor takes us to the mysterious grave of Lilly E. Gray, who is said to have died at the hand of “the Beast 666.” No, seriously — her gravestone actually says that.
Then, Shauna takes us 100 years in the past and tells the story of two young Mormon women who fell in love and started a relationship. Unfortunately, Utah in the 20s was not exactly the most welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ people. On top of that, the relationship quickly turned abusive and obsessive — and eventually deadly.
Content warning: Murder, suicide, intimate partner violence, homophobia, religious cult
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip032
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
When Scott Davion was 15, his mother died, leaving him with no guardian and no place to live. Then one day, he met a family who would change his life — but little did they know, he was hiding something. This week, Taylor tells the story of how one Utah city got a lot more than they bargained for when Scott moved to town.
Then, Shauna takes us to Kay’s Hollow, a spooky site known for demonic dogmen, a haunted cross, and an exceptionally unfortunate episode of Ghost Adventures. (Can someone please tell those guys that berries aren’t evidence of Satan worship?) Join us to get the lowdown on how a polygamist commune turned into a place where goth partygoers and dudes wearing True Religions just casually get possessed.
Content warning: Religious cults, suicide, animal death
---
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip031
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
Above all, Utah is known for two things: nature and Mormons. There’s no shortage of either in this week’s episode. To kick us off, Shauna explores some natural wonders of Utah, explains why the state is practically run by the LDS Church, and shares some TMI about Mormon underwear.
Then, Taylor regales us with the legend of Montezuma’s Cursed Treasure — a stockpile of gold that has supposedly been hidden somewhere in Utah for the past 500 years. Get ready to go treasure hunting with a quirky cast of characters — including a geologist with a treasure map, some $50,000 snails, and a fella named Lon (who is probably a great dude, so we’re sorry for coming up with a conspiracy theory that involves him being a psycho killer).
This is a weird one, but honestly, what else would you expect from us at this point?
Content warning: Slavery
---
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip030
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
If there’s one thing we learned about Idaho this week, it’s that they have a lot of giant packages. Not like that, you sicko. We’re talking about humans being mailed, trash bags full of pot, and beavers in boxes (again, not like that).
Join us as we meet a family with, shall we say, an alternative lifestyle and travel back to the early 1900s for some historical shenanigans. These are truly the wackiest, weirdest, taxidermist headlines from the Gem State.
Sorry, folks — we don’t make the news; we just report it.
Content warning: Animal death
---
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip029
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
We’re back in Idaho this week for another leg of the world’s most fooked up road trip. First up, Taylor whets our whistles with a long pig sandwich and a side of bizarre Idaho laws, followed by a trip to the state’s most morbid pit stops.
Then, Shauna shares the story of the Potato State Pot Bust, a name that she absolutely did not make up. Picture this: a group of 1960s hippie heathens on a mission to get stoned by any means necessary. Throw in some opium, betrayal, and police corruption, and we’ve got ourselves a ~groovy~ case.
Oh, and grab your hatchet — you’re gonna need it where we’re going.
Content warning: Cannibalism
---
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip028
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
College towns in Idaho have issues, y’all. This week, Shauna takes us to Moscow, home to the University of Idaho campus, where a religious cult — um, church — is trying to spread Christianity, bigotry, and (allegedly) COVID.
Then, Taylor takes us all the way across the state to Idaho State University, a school known for its variety of otherworldly residents. Get ready to meet Frank, Alex, and a payroll ghost that has Val from Broad City vibes. Oh, by the way, we’re legally obligated to warn you that these ghost stories may give you b’goosebumps.
Content warning: religious cult, bigotry, mention of child abuse
---
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip027
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
Farts, cowboys, and an erotic eclipse are three staples of Oregon culture. At least, that’s what these bizarre headlines seem to indicate.
This week, we wrap up our tour of Oregon by sharing four real news stories of dumb criminals and Craigslist weirdos. Come for the ill-advised parenting tips; stay for the Great Fart Debacle of 1986.
Sorry, folks — we don’t make the news; we just report it.
---
[Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip025
[Website] badtrippod.com
[Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod
[Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod
---
Logo by Ariel Ferrante