The Great American Road Trip vs. The Great American Affordability Crisis

We're kicking things off in the Dumpster Fire Corner, where the GOP has apparently decided the best way to distract from a failed Iran war, a military running low on weapons, the Epstein files, and an affordability crisis nobody in Congress seems to be fixing is to dust off Anthony Fauci and blame him for the pandemic. Again. But for our main discussion, we're bidding adieu to summer with a nostalgic chat about summer travel, childhood vacations, and affordability. New data says a majority of Americans are scaling back this summer, with cost — gas, groceries, hotels, all of it — driving people toward day trips or just staying home altogether. But weirdly, road trips themselves are booming, with Hertz reporting a huge chunk of Americans planning to hit the road this year, many of them chasing America's 250th anniversary with Route 66, Boston, and Freedom Trail itineraries. Recs this week include a case for solo travel, the Travle.earth app and Raddle Quest for your next trip planning obsession, and a gentle nudge to protect your mental health by muting triggering keywords on social media. And in this week's installment of After Dark... Pam digs into some serious lore that has us on the edge of our seats. The tea is piping hot! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices