It happens on every road trip — you're driving from city to city, natural wonder to natural wonder. Every hour is a magical combination of rustic beauty and historic landmarks and fascinating people.

Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more. “Podunk” is the catch-all moniker for any small, unremarkable town of the American hinterlands.

WEBVTT TED SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST. IT IS A LITTLE KNOWN FACT THAT OUR STATE IS HOME TO A LOCATION NATIONALLY KNOWN FOR BEING NOWHERESVILLE. FOR CENTURIES MOST AMERICANS ASSUMED IT WAS AN IMAGINARY ...

Phyliss Donnelly started playing the mandolin five years ago, the year of her first Podunk. She’s returned to the Connecticut bluegrass festival every year since, improving her mandolin-picking along ...