The Daily is sending reporter Justin Rocket Silverman on a cross-country expedition to find the best, the boldest, and the strangest our nation has to offer. It's a great summer road trip — and you’re invited to ride shotgun. Buckle up, stay safe, and enjoy America!
WHERE'S ROCKET NOW?
Episode 9: Outhouse racing
Des Moines, Iowa
Miles traveled: 2,600
One might think the miracle of indoor plumbing has made the outhouse obsolete. Not so for the competitors at the Iowa State Fair, who have refashioned their commodes into aerodynamic speed machines. Upon the very same Grand Concourse where presidential hopefuls make their primary-race appearances, these fearless outhouse jockeys stage a race that has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with winning a golden toilet seat. It’s a battle of tenacity and toilet paper, strength and slop, fearlessness and a kind of fun that smells worse than any other sport in modern athletics.
> View Episode 1: Hotfooting it
> View Episode 2: Bluegrass Brothers
> View Episode 3: Lobster Fishing
> View Episode 4: Campaign Launcher
> View Episode 5: Ghost hunting at America’s Stonehenge
> View Episode 6: Hunting humans for sport
> View Episode 7: Riding the Rocket in Toronto
> View Episode 8: Alpha mail