PODCAST · society
Backyard Road Trips
by Zack Lamothe and Jim Wheeler
Once an avid traveler, writer Zack Lamothe's faraway travel dreams were put on hold as he became a father in 2015. Since then, he's focused on traveling in his own backyard. First a website, and now a podcast where cohosts and New Englanders, Zack and Jim Wheeler talk hiking trails, family-friendly activities, places they enjoy, craft beer and whatever else they desire to. (Along with plenty of harebrained banter).Read more at www.backyardroadtrips.com
Episodes
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Season 7, Episode 9- Summer Travels
Jim and Zack are joined by Fast Adam Coletti and Zack's son, Danny, to talk about their summer travels. With visits to many destinations, including the Lizzie Borden House, Quebec's Eastern Townships, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Maine, and Herkimer, New York. Come along for the ride as they...
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Season 7, Episode 8: Backyard Road "Travel Tips"
After years of travel stories and mishaps, Zack and Jim share their personal travel tips. Hear how Jim avoids getting stuck in traffic, how he deals with poor cell service while traveling, and his preference for renting a car. Special guests Danny Lamothe and Ken Lamothe join the conversation.
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Season 7, Episode 7: A Backyard Road Trips Retrospective
Special HOST Ian Cheney interviews typical co-hosts, Zack and Jim, about the origins of Backyard Road Trips: The Podcast. The duo is approaching their 100th episode (as this is the 95th), so they reminisce about the show's journey. Ian helps them reflect on the different stages of this show and…
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Season 7, Episode 6: Fran Kefalas and Regan Miner from The Last Green Valley
Please welcome Fran Kefalas and Regan Miner to the show! Fran is the executive director of The Last Green Valley, and Regan is the Development Director. TLGV is a national heritage corridor located in northeastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts. The duo speaks to us about the latest...
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Season 7, Episode 5- Chatting with Lana Wilhelm
For National Stroke Awareness Month, we shine a spotlight on Lana Wilhelm—a nurse, author, caregiver, and advocate. After her husband suffered a sudden, major stroke, Lana's life shifted from medical professional to full-time caregiver, a role she found arduous and lonely. Lana, founder of the...
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Season 7, Episode 4: Cade Martin
Jim and Zack chat with photographer Cade Martin. From photographing Mother Theresa and Johnny Cash to assignments all over the world, Cade's story is an interesting one for sure. Cade delves into one project that has been especially important to him. The Wheelchair Mafia, a group of 44 dogs that...
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Season 7, Episode 3: Prison Stories
Jim and Zack sit down with Jim's sister, Kiki, about her career as a corrections officer. From the day to day to the extreme, we take a peek into life behind bars. Also joining the conversation is Kiki's daughter, Kitta.
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Season 7, Episode 2: Sam Adams Utopias!
Avid travelers, Zack and Jim, didn't go very far for this Backyard Road Trip. They only traveled to the fridge. What they imbibed, though, was something magical, the 2025 Samuel Adams Utopias. Listen as the two crack open this mythical beer.
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Season 7, Episode 1 - The Airing of Grievances
For our first episode of the New Year, we are airing our Festivus grievances, just a little late. Jim and Zack welcome back Jim's sister, Kiki, and niece, Kitta, to the show. All while noshing on Jim's homemade spicy chocolates, the crew narrows down their biggest pet peeves, bracket style. Slow...
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Season 6, Episode 16- Festival of Lites (Lighter Beer Taste Test)
Jim's sister Kiki has a problem. She's a long time Michelob Ultra drinker but after years of listening to the Backyard Road Trips podcast, she's ready to dip her toe into the world of craft beer. Jim and Zack have been tasked with finding the perfect gateway beer. Jim has devised a plan- a blind...
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Season 6, Episode 15- Chatting with Melissa Rodway
Zack and Jim are excited to welcome Melissa Rodway to the show. Melissa is an adventurer, writer, podcaster and owner of FLY Travel Media. Melissa shares with us some of her favorite (and least favorite) travels around the world, how she fits travel into her schedule, and her favorite backyard…
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Season 6, Episode 14- Hot Ones- Hot Peppers and Hot Topics!
After a year of growing a variety of hot peppers, it's harvest time! Jim shares his peppers with Zack and guests including his wife, Katie Wheeler and good friend Tim Lawless. The four share nibbles of hot peppers that become increasingly hotter on the Scoville scale, all while broaching hot...
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Season 6, Episode 13- Zero ABV Taste Test
Zack and Jim are back with guest, Tim Lawless. Initially the conversation begins with their favorite fall beers, with references to past pumpkin beer taste tests (see earlier seasons). Eventually, it descends into the world of non-alcoholic beer. Why would it be appealing? Do any of the NA beers...
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Season 6, Episode 12- Boos and Brews with Tim Lawless
Jim, Zack, and special guest, Tim Lawless join us for a session of Brews and Boos. Jim, homebrewer extraordinaire, let's sample four of his newest beers: a spicy pumpkin ale, a holiday ale, a black IPA, and a smoked stout. In addition, the trio shares with us their favorite scary stories,...
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Season 6, Episode 11- Chatting with Angela Andrieux
Jim and Zack welcome photographer, Angela Andrieux, to the show! Angela shares with us her passion for photography, how she initially got into taking pictures and her favorite backyard road trips. She also tells us all about Mylio, the photo archival company where she works.
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Season 6, Episode 10 - Red & White @ Silver
Jim, Zack and special guest Ian Cheney welcome you to a very special episode. In this episode, they preview their new podcast, which launches in September, called "Red & White @ Silver". The trio are graduates of the Norwich (CT) Free Academy, Class of 2001. After Ian was a guest on Backyard Road...
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Season 6, Episode 9 - Catching Up with Ian Cheney
Jim and Zack welcome Ian Cheney back onto Backyard Road Trips. Ian has been on here to tell us about his book, as a guest for a historical discussion, and to share information about our other podcast project, Red and White at Silver. This time, though, he's sharing his own travel tidbits and…
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Season 6, Episode 8- Chatting with Laura Giles
Jim and Zack welcome Laura Giles onto the show. Laura is a guide who leads groups in a variety of tours; spiritual retreats, sacred travel and nature-based excursions, among others. She chats with the duo all about what she does and her inspiration. For more information, check out Laura's website...
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Season 6, Episode 7- Chatting with Joanna Kalafatis
Jim and Zack welcome travel writer, actress, and photographer Joanna Kalafatis to the show! In addition to acting in shows, Maestro in Blue and Love Rat, Joanna runs the website, www.losethemap.com. Not only does she write on her own blog, but she has also authored the Moon Travel Guide: Best of...
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Season 6, Episode 6- Chatting with Alexandra Lauren, the Bucket List Mermaid
Jim and Zack welcome Alexandra Lauren, also known as the Bucket List Mermaid to Backyard Road Trips! Alexandra lives in an RV and is constantly traveling. A native-Coloradoan, she has traveled to over 45 countries! She shares with us her adventures as a mermaid, yes a literal mermaid. She also...
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Season 6, Episode 5- Connor Gaudet of the Mattapoisett Museum
Jim and Zack welcome the curator of the Mattapoisett Museum, Connor Gaudet, onto the show. Connor walks us through the museum's fine collection, including a model of the ship, the Wanderer. He shares with us this backstory of his career in museum work, from Manhattan to Mattapoisett as well as…
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Season 6, Episode 4- A Guys' Weekend in Portland, Maine with Dan and Dave
Jim and Zack have two special guests on air today: Dave Lehan and Dan Carlon. Each year, Dave and Dan join Zack and two others for a guys weekend in Portland, Maine. They discuss their favorite Portland activities- which mainly consist of breweries. They detail the route they take, from Maine…
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Season 6, Episode 3- Talkin' Springtime with Danny, Dave and Jackie
Now that spring is here once again, it's time to talk about rebirth, renewal, and re-energizing our travel plans. A few special guests join Jim and Zack- Jackie, Zack's wife and Danny, Zack's oldest son, as well as our buddy, Dave Lehan. Danny shares about his recent trip to Philadelphia…
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Season 6, Episode 2- Jackie's Favorite Travels
Zack and Jim welcome a very special guest, Jaclyn Lamothe, who is also Zack's wife. We're getting back to our roots here on Backyard Road Trips as we grill Jackie about her all-time favorite travel destinations. The places discussed include Quebec City, the Jungfrau mountain peak, Innsbruck and…
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Season 6, Episode 1- Quirky Holiday Traditions Update and Beating the Winter Blues
Do remember back to the first season of the BYRT podcast? Way back in 2020 when Jim and Zack discussed their quirky holiday traditions? Of course you remember since you're a BYRT podcast completist. Just to jog your memory, the duo rapped about all the quirky weird stuff that they do to celebrate...
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Season 5, Episode 15- Chatting with Valentinos Filippou
Zack, Jim and Drew chat with a very special guest, Valentinos Filippou. Valentinos is from the island country of Cypress and shares with us how to get to the heart of the country. He works to promote Cypress tourism. More than that Valentinos is also the founder of The Online Greek Tutor, an…
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Season 5, Episode 14- Travel Mishaps
You actually made it onto the airplane—and then one of the kids threw up! This show is all about travel mishaps—those times when something goes awry. It's not serious stuff, just mishaps, like when Zack's son fell down a few stairs in the Seattle airport, not the whole way. Jim and Zack are…
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Season 5, Episode 13- Climbing Mount Katahdin with Tim Lawless
Special guest, Tim Lawless and BYRT co-host, Jim share all about their recent trip hiking Mount Katahdin, Maine's highest point. They detail their journey, from the drive to camping to packing. Zack interviews these two about their life-changing hike. For a photo journey of the Katahdin trip…
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Season 5, Episode 12- New England Craft Beer and Hiking
Jim and Zack reflect on a season of hiking, detailing their western Connecticut journey from this past summer. They also reflect on a season of drinking craft beer, including some of the least impressive beers that they've had. Jim previews his life-changing hike to the top of Maine's Mt.…
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Season 5, Episode 11 - Malt Liquor Taste Test
Time to get out your brown paper bags because we're having a malt liquor taste test. With three varieties to sample, Jim and Zack take a sip of three 40's. Find the winner between Colt 45, Steel Reserve and St. Ide's. Any guesses?
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Season 5, Episode 10- Autumn Playlists
Jim and Zack discuss their quintessential autumn playlists. From songs about the season to songs that just scream "fall", these selections conjure up memories of crunching leaves with a slight chill in the air. These tracks will take you from the warmth of September to the spookiness of Halloween...
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Season 5, Episode 9- Talking Company Culture with Chris Dyer
Zack and Jim are glad to welcome acclaimed keynote speaker and author, Chris Dyer, onto the podcast. He delves into the dynamics of remote work and the importance of cultivating a strong company culture. Chris shares his company's transition to a fully remote model in 2009 due to the recession,...
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Season 5, Episode 8- Royal Summer Travel Rumble!
The whole crew is here on this one- Zack, Jim, Andy, Andrew and Danny, all discussing their recent travels. Jim's hiking trips, Zack's family vacations, Andy's trip to see the eclipse totality and Andrew's Vermont vacation. Looking for north east travel ideas? Give a listen!
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Season 5, Episode 7- The Good Ol' Days
It's time to reflect on the past with Zack, Jim, Andy, Andrew, Danny and Jackie. The gang's all here for this one! No, not the dinosaur past but the recent past and how things have changed. Seat belt laws, smoking sections, sunscreen, drinking water, and 4H Camp stories. Listen up, you've Dirked!
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Season 5, Episode 6 - Is soda STILL a dirty word?
The boys are back drinking.... soda. Do you remember Season 2, when we investigated if soda is a dirty word? Three years later we're digging up this topic once again. Instead of sticking to the big soda guys (Coca Cola, I'm looking at you) we're drinking periphery soda brands- Fresca, Moxie…
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Season 5, Episode 5- It's Spring! (with guest Andy Heist)
Ah! The flowers are in bloom and it must be spring. For our spring episode, we're lucky to have Andy Heist with us in studio. After begging him for many years to come on Backyard Road Trips, he finally graced us with his presence. In addition to Andy, Zack's son Danny, his wife Jackie and his…
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Season 5, Episode 4- Philadelphia Phun
Zack and Jim have one thing to talk about, and that is Philadelphia. Zack recently got back from an outing to the City of Brotherly Love and shares with us the whole itinerary. From breweries to historic places, museums to Philly food, they talk about the best that the city has to offer. Along…
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Season 5, Episode 3- Chatting with Ken Lamothe
Today we sit down with Ken Lamothe, Radio DJ/C-movie actor/slow pitch softball legend and Zack's dad to talk about his very favorite backyard road trips. The conversation touches on all of the most important topics; craft beer, vacations, ear piercings and backyard floods. Jim, Zack and Ken all...
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Season 5, Episode 2- The Great American Milk Substitute Challenge
Jim and Zack bring in some hired help for this taste test; Danny and Ken- with three generations of Lamothes in all. They sit around and drink... milk substitutes. Tell the cows to stay in the barn because they sample Oat, Almond, and Soy. Which fake milk do you think came out on top?
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Season 5, Episode 1- New York (City) State of Mind
Leading off for Season 5 is a special two part combined episode, a before and after guide to New York City. In the first half of the episode Jim asks Zack about his upcoming overnight to New York City. For the first time and after much pleading by his oldest for years, Zack is bringing the family...
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Season 4, Episode 16- Welcome Back, Ian Cheney!
Author and educator, Ian Cheney joins Zack and Jim to showcase their new podcast project, Red and White at Silver. As graduates of the Norwich Free Academy (CT) Class of 2001, the three are in the midst of recording this new podcast. As a preview, Ian, Zack and Jim describe what the new podcast…
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Season 4, Episode 15- Oktoberfest Beer Taste Test!
Annually Jim and Zack taste fall beers for this podcast. It dawned on them that they have never held an actual Oktoberfest-only beer taste test. Atoning for their past sins, this was remedied with a taste test with everything under the Oktoberfest umbrella. These include the namesake Oktoberfest...
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Season 4, Episode 14- What Makes a Backyard Road Trip Enjoyable?
Our friend Tim posed an episode idea for us, "What makes a backyard road trip enjoyable?" Zack misinterpreted and he really wanted us to discuss actual backyards. Anyhoo, Zack and Jim discuss what makes a backyard road trip enjoyable. The duo come to an agreement about some risk vs reward…
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Season 4, Episode 13 "Pro"-necticut
Wipe away your negative "conn"otations of Connecticut, we're talking about all the positives of this small state. We've changed the name of the Nutmeg State and changed it to "Pronecticut" (get it, like the opposite of Con-necticut is Pro-necticut?). Redwoods, land locked sand dunes, and tobacco...
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Season 4, Episode 12- Travel Talk: Seattle, Tasting Water and Discussing Music
Zack, Jim and special guest, Danny, talk all about a recent trip to Seattle. They discuss which places that should be on your travel bucket list. Danny gives a kid perspective of the Seattle trip including plane travel, the Space Needle and going to a Seattle Mariners game. They also discuss...
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Season 4, Episode 11- Prince Edward Island, Maine, Vermont and Saratoga Springs
We're talking summer travel, in particular trips to Prince Edward Island, the Portland area in Maine, Vermont and Saratoga Springs. Katie Wheeler, Jim's wife, joins us to discuss her recent visit to PEI seeking out all things Anne of Green Gables. Zack shares with the group his visits to Portland...
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Season 4, Episode 10- Lawnmower Beer Taste Test
Let's rev up that Husqvarna because it's time for a blind taste test of lawnmower beers. So what beers exactly? Not cheap a la Natural Light but certainly not craft. Jim and Zack try to find the best value beer. Jackie helps the boys by masterminding the operation aka pouring the beers in…
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Season 4, Episode 9- Lighthouses and Summertime Travel
Jim and Zack catch up on their recent travels. Zack recently wrote a few articles about lighthouses on the Backyard Road Trips website. The pair discuss the lighthouse road trips- favorite lighthouses, and how the the articles were researched and written. As an aside, they also talk about Jim's...
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Season 4, Episode 8- "Barbarossa" Coletti is back again
Adam "Barbarossa" Coletti is back for round two! Adam, or for this episode "Barbarossa" digs deep into his life as a biker and shares stories of his time on two wheels. He tells us about entry into his motorcycle club, club rituals, and how to get patched. Zack and Jim bring the heat as they…
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Season 4, Episode 7- A Warm Welcome to the Good Reverend, "Fast" Adam Coletti
We warmly welcome the good reverend, "Fast" Adam Coletti. This is the interview you've all been waiting for and we've waited four years to get him on. This is part one of a two episode interview with Adam. Zack and Adam have been friends for roughly 40 years and Jim and Adam for a good 25. Adam...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Once an avid traveler, writer Zack Lamothe's faraway travel dreams were put on hold as he became a father in 2015. Since then, he's focused on traveling in his own backyard. First a website, and now a podcast where cohosts and New Englanders, Zack and Jim Wheeler talk hiking trails, family-friendly activities, places they enjoy, craft beer and whatever else they desire to. (Along with plenty of harebrained banter).Read more at www.backyardroadtrips.com
HOSTED BY
Zack Lamothe and Jim Wheeler
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Backyard Road Trips have?
Backyard Road Trips currently has 96 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Backyard Road Trips about?
Once an avid traveler, writer Zack Lamothe's faraway travel dreams were put on hold as he became a father in 2015. Since then, he's focused on traveling in his own backyard. First a website, and now a podcast where cohosts and New Englanders, Zack and Jim Wheeler talk hiking trails, family-friendly...
How often does Backyard Road Trips release new episodes?
Backyard Road Trips has 96 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Backyard Road Trips?
You can listen to Backyard Road Trips on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Backyard Road Trips?
Backyard Road Trips is created and hosted by Zack Lamothe and Jim Wheeler.
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