It's the most magical time of the year in Tillamook, Oregon! The biggest, most unifying event on the local calendar is the Tillamook County Fair and the annual four-day extravaganza is an explosion of all the pent up magic in the community.

Katie and Jordan discuss this year's upcoming 100th anniversary of the fair's marquee event the Pig-N-Ford races, three-lap races around a horse racing track with stripped down Model T cars, squealing piglets, and a whole lotta history. And Katie may have been the first woman ever to take the victory lap in the event.

The duo talks about the fair food that will probably make you sick and the fact Katie seems to be craving any combination of hot dog wrapped in carbohydrate.

Jordan wants to know if there is an event for "Best Duck" and Katie talks about her long history with the fair ranging from everything from entering baked goods, sewing projects, and showing cows.

Have a travel story to share? Send a voice memo or write a cute lil' mini-memoir to exploregonianspodcast@gmail.com and remember to follow us on Instagram and-and and if you'd like to show us some love or send a "thank you" if you enjoyed the episode, you can treat us to a coffee! Thanks for listening!

Katie is absolutely "breathless" when she visits the otherworldly Arches National Park, which is described as a "red-rock wonderland."

Both Katie and Jordan bring the same facts about the geologic formations to this podcast, which means they must be true, right?

Arches National Park contains 2,000 natural stone arches and the park has the highest concentration of them in the world. Katie wants to do an arch audit to see how accurate that number is.

Jordan tells Katie the alternative names for the beloved, iconic "Delicate Arch" and also the names of other formations throughout the park, like "Dark Angel", "Three Penguins", and most unfortunately, "The Phallus".

Jordan shares his stupidest travel mishap and Katie says he is "horn happy".

Have a travel story to share? Send a voice memo or write a cute lil' mini-memoir to exploregonianspodcast@gmail.com and remember to follow us on Instagram and-and and if you'd like to show us some love or send a "thank you" if you enjoyed the episode, you can treat us to a coffee! Thanks for listening!

Jordan immediately goes off the rails with "Chronicles of Narnia" references and Katie loves the city's iconic Lithia Park, but Jordan suggests the city of Ashland just raze the downtown to the ground to double the size of the massive park.

Once Jordan finally visits the famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival, he watches the the worst musical of his life, "The Three Musketeers", which takes some interesting creative liberties.

Have a travel story to share? Send a voice memo or write a cute lil' mini-memoir to exploregonianspodcast@gmail.com and remember to follow us on Instagram and-and and if you'd like to show us some love or send a "thank you" if you enjoyed the episode, you can treat us to a coffee! Thanks for listening!

Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti (even though it’s, like, 200 miles away), Katie and Jordan take a very special trip down memory lane this week with guest Jessica, who spent eight weeks in East Africa, primarily in Tanzania, during a study abroad trip in college!

Jessica was on the worst boat ride ever on her way to the paradise that is Zanzibar and bought spices that are probably stale by now. Jordan attempts to impress everyone with his Zanzibar knowledge but is immediately countered by a way better fun fact.

While in Tanzania, Jessica went to school to improve her skills in Swahili and had to teach a lesson on Swahili in Swahili to native Swahili elementary school students. The Swahili teacher was unimpressed.

Jordan reveals Mount Kilimanjaro’s Google score and Jessica brings the gift of guacamole to her host family in Tanzania.

Have a travel story to share? Send a voice memo or write a cute lil' mini-memoir to exploregonianspodcast@gmail.com and remember to follow us on Instagram and-and and if you'd like to show us some love or send a "thank you" if you enjoyed the episode, you can treat us to a coffee! Thanks for listening!

We'll always have Paris!

This week, Katie and Jordan visit the City of Lights and discuss what saved the seemingly doomed Eiffel Tower in 1909, escargot tongs, and melt their brains attempting to pronounce "Louvre".

Katie goes down memory lane when she had to literally crawl up and over a Parisian barrier wall for a flight she didn't actually have and Jordan picks a fight with Paris's coffee game.

Have a travel story to share? Send a voice memo or write a cute lil' mini-memoir to exploregonianspodcast@gmail.com and remember to follow us on Instagram and-and and if you'd like to show us some love or send a "thank you" if you enjoyed the episode, you can treat us to a coffee! Thanks for listening!

Let the Cajun Tots rain!

McMenamins is an iconic Oregon and Washington staple famous for some of the state's first modern brewpubs, historic buildings that have been renovated into funky hotels, and a wild scavenger hunt that awards you while visiting every one of the 50+ locations!

Katie and Jordan have been to every single McMenamins location twice in pursuit of serendipity and the wondrous glamor that comes from becoming a "Cosmic Tripster"!

Jordan fell for Katie during an 80s Night dance event at their Crystal Ballroom, they were marooned in the Old St. Francis School hotel in Bend during a snowstorm, and drank too much in an active construction site for a special event in their newest location.

Have your own story about your experience with McMenamins you'd like to share and be possibly be featured in a future episode of Exploregonians? Voice record or write it out and send it to exploregonianspodcast@gmail.com please and thank you!

Katie and Jordan drove across North America to visit the birthplace of "Anne of Green Gables" and her creator Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Beaches with red cliffs, a free toll bridge that charges when you leave, and a sky-high lobster roll awaited us on this beautiful island, that is the smallest Canadian province and is only larger than one U.S. state: the mighty Rhode Island.

Jordan gives Katie way too many "fun facts" about Prince Edward Island and Katie talks about how much she enjoyed visiting the actual home and property that inspired the "Green Gables".

Have a travel anecdote you'd like to share? Write or record yourself telling a short couple minute story and send them to exploregonianspodcast@gmail.com to be featured on the show!