roadtrip – Topical Fruit

“Survivor” Is Letting You Find an Immunity Idol… Even If You Live in Nebraska

Have you ever wanted to be on Survivor but immediately remembered you enjoy food, mattresses, and not having enemies?

Good news: Survivor is about to give fans a much gentler way to play along… and the biggest danger appears to be walking around your state looking confused while staring at your phone.

In January, Survivor is launching a nationwide contest called the Survivor 50 Challenge, and it is basically a real-life scavenger hunt with way less betrayal. The show is hiding “Immunity Idols” in all 50 states and daring fans to find them using clues posted online.

The “50” in the name pulls double duty. There are 50 states involved, and the challenge is celebrating Survivor’s upcoming 50th season, which premieres February 25th. The whole thing kicks off January 31st, when the clues start dropping online, and it runs all the way up to the season premiere.

Here’s how it works. Each state will have a hidden Immunity Idol somewhere within its borders. Survivor will release clues to help people track them down. You do not have to be the first person to find it, which is huge for anyone who does not sprint well or has a job. Anyone who finds their state’s Idol and takes a photo with it as proof gets entered into a drawing for that state’s prize.

In other words, this is Survivor with no tribal council. Just vibes and maybe a road trip.

There will be 51 total prizes. One winner will be selected for each state, plus one additional winner from a separate “virtual contest.” Details on the virtual part are still pretty light, but it sounds like some kind of online scavenger hunt situation for people who would rather not leave the couch.

Each state winner gets a free trip to Los Angeles for a Survivor-related event. The grand prize has not been announced yet, but given the timing, it probably ties into the upcoming season in some way. Worst case scenario, you get a free trip to L.A. and a great story about the time you hunted for a tiny statue like a reality TV goblin.

If you want in, Survivor has a hype video out and more details at Survivor50Challenge.com, including the official rules. You can also sign up with your email to get updates when clues drop.

If you have ever dreamed of Survivor glory, this might be your moment. Similar searching. Same idols. Way fewer breakdowns.

Cat Clings to Car for 100 Miles, Becomes Furry Road Warrior

A Pennsylvania family recently learned that curiosity could actually kill a cat.

Because somewhere between packing snacks and loading up the van for a road trip, their cat Ray Ray decided to tag along. And not in the passenger seat.

About 100 miles into the trip, they pulled over for gas. Everything seemed normal until someone looked up. There was Ray Ray… clinging to the roof of the van. Not inside. Not in the back. Literally hanging onto the fabric of a soft cargo carrier, like some kind of feline action hero in a Mission: Impawsible sequel. (Sorry, that came to mind and I couldn’t not include it.)

The van had been flying down the highway at 70 miles per hour for nearly two hours, and somehow this furry daredevil held on tight the whole time.

When they spotted him, the family freaked out (understandably), but Ray Ray? Completely calm. Just blinking like, “What took you guys so long to notice?”

After a quick rescue, they realized he was totally fine… no injuries, no panic, just a little windblown.

So instead of heading home, they made him part of the vacation. Ray Ray went on to “run” a marathon in New Hampshire (spectator status only), take a road trip to New York, and even “see” Hamilton on Broadway.

The family hit a pet store for supplies… food, a litter box, and one of those clear bubble cat backpacks… then documented the whole wild journey online. Their followers couldn’t get enough of Ray Ray’s unbothered, whisker-in-the-wind attitude.

Sure, they had to sneak him into an Airbnb that technically didn’t allow pets, but at that point, what were they going to do… tell the world’s most determined cat he couldn’t come in?

From roof-riding stowaway to full-blown travel influencer, Ray Ray proved one thing: curiosity doesn’t always kill the cat. Sometimes, it gets him front-row seats to Hamilton.

Here’s the cat-mom Mara Denardo explaining this chaos.

Which States Are the Best and Worst for Summer Road Trips?

If you’re mapping out the ultimate American road trip this summer, here’s a hot tip: maybe don’t start in Delaware. Or end in Delaware. Or drive through it unless your GPS absolutely insists.

WalletHub just released its annual list of the Best and Worst States for Summer Road Trips, and Delaware came in dead last. Yes, last. Fifty out of fifty.

The ranking looked at 32 factors, including cost, safety, and how many things there are to actually do.

National parks, beaches, amusement parks, lakes, scenic drives… basically all the reasons you’d leave your house in the first place. And apparently, Delaware offers… not a lot of that.

On the flip side, Minnesota took the top spot, which is a win for lakes, mosquitoes, and people who say “ope” unironically.

Here’s the Top 10:

1. Minnesota
2. New York
3. Ohio
4. Utah
5. Louisiana
6. Florida
7. Idaho
8. Texas
9. North Carolina
10. Pennsylvania

And now, the Bottom 10, aka the states where your road trip dreams might go to die:

50. Delaware
49. Connecticut
48. Rhode Island
47. Vermont
46. Montana
45. Hawaii
44. California (amazing things to do, disgusting gas prices)
43. New Mexico
42. Arkansas
41. Maryland

Some bonus tidbits: Louisiana is the cheapest state for a road trip. Idaho is the safest. California has the most to do, but good luck affording any of it unless you’re road-tripping in a Prius and living on protein bars.

And if you’re looking to not get rear-ended, steer clear of New Mexico, South Carolina, and Tennessee… they are the least-safe states to road trip through.

And why is Delaware last? Well, it’s small, and it’s quiet. So unless you’re really into scenic bank headquarters and toll booths, maybe keep driving.