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Visit these 5 destinations that inspired America's favorite songs, books and movies

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Visit these 5 destinations that inspired America's favorite songs, books and movies

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Travel stirs the soul and motivates the muse of even the most inartful explorers. 

“People don’t take trips . . . trips take people,” proclaimed author John Steinbeck, who famously captured rough times on the road from the Oklahoma Dust Bowl to golden California in his 1939 novel “The Grapes of Wrath.”

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New lavish landscapes, first-time flavors and curious cultures inspire an itch among wide-eyed wanderers to capture the joy of new discoveries in photos, journals, social media posts and even the time-honored art of penning postcards.

FROM ALABAMA TO TEXAS, US TRAVEL SPOTS TO SOAK UP AMERICAN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

For the most gifted and most inspired travelers, new discoveries inspire words, books, songs, images and art that plant themselves in popular culture. 

Here’s a look at five landmarks of American travel inspirational enough to shape the national culture. 

1. California – Big Sur

Big Sur boasts some of the most specular and isolated coastal scenery in California along State Route 1, also called Big Sur Coast Highway. (Associated Press)

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Big Sur reminds visitors that California, the most populous state in the union, still boasts awe-inspiring natural beauty. 

State Route 1 hangs precariously between the Santa Lucia Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, offering dramatic and sometimes nerve-wracking vistas of land, sea and towering redwood forests. 

“Jack Kerouac . . . helped popularize the rugged coastal scenery with the 1962 novel “Big Sur.”

Jack Kerouac, already famous for “On the Road,” helped popularize the rugged coastal scenery with the 1962 novel “Big Sur.”

The Beach Boys, Alanis Morissette and Johnny Rivers have all performed songs with “Big Sur” in the title, while several movies have been filmed there. Famed novelist Henry Miller lived for many years in Big Sur, where the Henry Miller Memorial Library still celebrates his legacy. 

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Millions drive the 70-mile stretch of road through Big Sur each year, but it remains remarkably isolated, with few permanent residents or roadside amenities. Landslides frequently make Big Sur inaccessible by auto, including here in 2024. 

2. Florida – Key West

Ernest Hemingway home Key West

A man and woman with rented bicycles outside Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The Florida Keys begin just south of Miami and extend more than 100 miles west into the Gulf of Mexico. 

The spectacular archipelago of coral islands offers one of the most stunning drives in the nation, with the feeling of skimming across the ocean as autos leap from one island to the next. 

The road ends in Key West, an adult paradise of boozy singalong bars, seafood shacks and leisurely nightlife. The most popular activity in Key West is watching the sun set gloriously each night from Mallory Square. 

FLORIDA’S FORGOTTEN THEME PARK FROM 1938 WELCOMES TOURISTS DESPITE POPULAR COMPETITION

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Key West has probably inspired more books, songs and hangovers per square mile than any city in America. 

Musician Jimmy Buffett turned this real-life “Margaritaville” into an entire sub-genre of tiki-cocktail flavored, sun-soaked pop tunes. Kenny Chesney and Bob Dylan, among many others, sing rapturously of Key West.

Ernest Hemingway lived in Key West when he wrote many of his famous novels, including “A Farewell to Arms,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “Death in the Afternoon.” His Key West home is one of America’s most popular literary landmarks.

3. Georgia – Savannah Historic District

"Jingle Bells" landmark sign in Savannah, Georgia

Savannah, Georgia, landmark sign notes that the city was the home of “Jingle Bells” composer James L. Pierpont. It does not state that the song was written in Savannah, recognizing the mystery of the song’s origin. (Courtesy Visit Savannah)

The 18th-century south thrives today amid the verdant squares of Savannah. 

Visitors love the slow-paced city, nearly 300 years old, for the colonial cobblestones of River Street; delicious restaurants highlighting the best of southern fare, such as Paula Deen’s flagship eatery The Lady and Sons and its historic layout of leafy downtown squares.

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AUTUMN IN NEW ENGLAND SIX STATES PACK BIG COLOR, MAJOR HISTORY, IN SMALL AREA

Savannah had newfound popularity following its haunting, captivating portrayal in the 1994 bestselling book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” 

That same year, Savannah set the stage for one of biggest movie hits of all time. War hero and tech tycoon “Forrest Gump” narrated his amazing tale while waiting for a bus in Chippewa Square.

Savannah also claims to have inspired one of the most popular tunes in world history. James Lord Pierpoint, a Savannah church musician, wrote “Jingle Bells” in the 1850s.

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4. New Jersey – Asbury Park Boardwalk

Madam Marie Asbury Park in New Jersey

Fortune teller Madam Marie is among the local oddities that give the Asbury Park boardwalk its festive vibe. (Kerry J. Byrne/Fox News Digital)

New Jersey’s boardwalks fuel a festive American carnival-like culture up and down the Garden State coast. The boardwalk in the juke-joint town of Asbury Park may be the most iconic — offering scenic ocean vistas, easy access to New York City and notable contributions to American pop culture. 

Bruce Springsteen burst onto the American cultural scene with his debut album, “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.,” helping to fuel the city’s rep as a rock music haven.

Today’s attractions include the Silverball Retro Arcade, the Stephen Crane House, which was the home of the author of the famed Civil War novel “The Red Badge of Courage,” and celebrated music venue The Stone Pony.

“Did you hear the cops finally busted Madam Marie / for telling fortunes better than they do / For me this boardwalk life is through,” Springsteen croons to Sandy in his 1973 hit “4th of July, Asbury Park.” 

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Yet fortune-teller Madam Marie’s stall remains and New Jersey’s boardwalk scene still thrives. 

5. Ohio – Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Black and white photo of Elvis Presley swinging his hips on television

Elvis Presley, rock & roll star of the 1950s, performs on stage. (Getty Images)

The American-born art form of rock ‘n’ roll fused artistic and cultural influences in the years after World War II. It would light the fire of global pop music in the 1950s.

The best performers of the genre are immortalized within the I.M. Pei-designed museum in Cleveland. 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, MARCH 21, 1952, FIRST ROCK CONCERT HELD IN CLEVELAND, ENDS IN CHAOS, CONFLICT

The Rock Hall was sited on the banks of Lake Erie in deference to Cleveland’s role in shaping the future of pop culture. 

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Cleveland, among other contributions, was the home of celebrated DJ Alan Freed. An enthusiastic promoter of the new genre, he is credited with coining the globally known term “rock ‘n’ roll” itself. 

Hemingway, Big Sur, Springsteen split

Ernest Hemingway lookalike contest, Key West, Fla.; Big Sur, Calif.; and Bruce Springsteen. 

Freed also hosted the Moondog Coronation Ball in 1952, widely proclaimed the first rock concert.

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle

The Rock Hall now wraps its arms around many other genres, including rappers (Grandmaster Flash), country stars (Bob Wills), soul crooners (Al Green) and pre-rock-era icons (Louis Armstrong), among others. 

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Fani Willis' reputation 'damaged' after disqualification from Trump case: Georgia reporter

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Fani Willis' reputation 'damaged' after disqualification from Trump case: Georgia reporter

Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Greg Bluestein told MSNBC on Thursday that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s reputation was “damaged” after a court disqualified her and her office from prosecuting President-elect Donald Trump in the election interference case against him.

“Her reputation is damaged, right? This was an unforced error as we said earlier, and, you know, this was all of her own doing, and now it unravels or might unravel one of the signature cases, not just of her career, but in Georgia. It leaves her damaged and it will be interesting to see what case she tries to make when she is expected to appeal this to the Georgia Supreme Court,” Bluestein told MSNBC’s Ana Caberra when asked about what was next for Willis.

The Georgia Court of Appeals on Thursday disqualified Willis and her team from prosecuting Trump and co-defendants in her election interference case. The court did not toss the indictment but declared that Willis and her team now have “no authority to proceed.” 

Bluestein noted that Willis had just won re-election in Georgia and that it wasn’t a surprise because Fulton County is a Democratic stronghold.

Reporter tells MSNBC Fani Willis’ reputation is damaged after she was disqualified from prosecuting the case against Trump. (Screenshot/MSNBC)

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 FANI WILLIS FACES NOTHING BUT SETBACKS IN CASE AGAINST TRUMP, THE LATEST PENDING WITH SUPREME COURT

“After carefully considering the trial court’s findings in its order, we conclude that it erred by failing to disqualify DA Willis and her office,” the filing states. “The remedy crafted by the trial court to prevent an ongoing appearance of impropriety did nothing to address the appearance of impropriety that existed at times when DA Willis was exercising her broad pretrial discretion about who to prosecute and what charges to bring.” 

Bluestein said, “It is expected to be appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court, but this is a really decisive order against Fani Willis being able to continue this case.”

Willis, who was spearheading the sweeping prosection case against Trump, came under fire after she was accused in February of having an “improper” affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she had hired to help prosecute the case.

Wade was ultimately forced to step down from the prosecution team.

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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is seen in Atlanta.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is seen in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer/Getty) (Alyssa Pointer)

JUDGE RULES FANI WILLIS MUST STEP ASIDE FROM TRUMP CASE OR FIRE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR NATHAN WADE

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Trump said the “whole case has been a disgrace to justice.” 

Trump additionally said that the case “should not be allowed to go any further.” 

Catherine Christian, a former assistant Manhattan district attorney, also weighed in on the disqualification on MSNBC.

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“But usually appellate courts defer to the lower court, the trial judge, who fashioned a remedy. He said Nathan Wade, the man she was having an affair with, had to leave so the office could stay, and this court has said, nope. This court said that Judge MacAfee did not really appreciate that her decision-making wasn’t just the indictment. It was who to charge, how to charge it, and that’s at the time when this alleged romantic relationship was going on, and they said that also was one of the reasons why they think it’s more than an appearance of impropriety. It’s a conflict of interest, and not just her, the entire office is disqualified,” Christian said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Fani Willis’ office for comment.

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Navy wife goes viral for surprising husband with hunting trip after his 3-year deployment

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Navy wife goes viral for surprising husband with hunting trip after his 3-year deployment

A Navy aviator was in for a surprise after returning home ahead of Christmas from his third deployment in three years.

Patrick Brennan of western Kentucky has been stationed in Japan since the spring of 2022, serving as a weapon systems officer in an F/A-18 fighter aircraft.

His wife, Cecilia Brennan, told Fox News Digital that her husband often shares with her how he misses his friends and hobbies, specifically hunting.

FLORIDA ARTIST’S PATRIOTIC ANDY WARHOL PIECE FEATURED AT POPULAR EVENT DRAWING THOUSANDS OF VISITORS

Brennan said her husband even mentioned planning a hunting trip sometime next year or in 2026 but that he never expected to take one this year.

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Patrick Brennan was surprised with a hunting trip with his friends after returning home from being stationed in Japan. (Cecilia Brennan)

“I was catching up with his best friends and keeping them in the loop. They told me they were going on their yearly duck hunting trip to Fowl Plains Outfitter. They were thinking about driving from their home in Virginia to Kansas, and I asked if they would want to stop by in Kentucky,” Brennan said.

Fowl Plains Outfitters is located in Great Bend, Kansas, offering duck and goose hunts.

“Turns out, the same time they would be driving through Kentucky happened to be the same time my husband would be back from deployment. I asked if they could make room for one more. It was God’s perfect timing,” Brennan said.

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She packed all of his clothes and hunting gear and “gifted” his belongings to him for Christmas.

Kentucky couple Patrick Brennan Navy soldier goes viral

Cecilia Brennan told her husband his friends were just stopping by before surprising him with a hunting trip. (Cecilia Brennan)

In a video posted to her Instagram, which reached 1.5 million views, Brennan captured the moment she tricked Patrick and told him his friends were stopping at their home to “drop something off.”

The serviceman’s friends are seen entering the house decked out in their hunting gear.

After catching up with the men, Cecilia Brennan takes out her husband’s suitcase to reveal that he is also going on the trip.

“Having his best friends knock on the door was a surprise enough, but to actually be going with him, he was in shock. I still can’t believe we pulled it off,” she said.

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Patrick embarked on a five-day trip with his best friends for duck hunting.

Kentucky couple Patrick Brennan Navy soldier goes viral

‘After all he has sacrificed, he more than deserves a chance to relax and recharge before he dives head-first into family life,’ said Cecilia. (Cecilia Brennan)

Cecilia and Patrick Brennan have a 6-month-old daughter, and Cecila said that for the majority of the year, she and her husband had been apart due to his service to America.

“After all he has sacrificed, he more than deserves a chance to relax and recharge before he dives head-first into family life,” she said.

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She added that she is her husband’s biggest fan, and that includes supporting his hobbies.

“Nothing brings me more joy than knowing he’s happy. And now, we will be having duck for Christmas.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Fowl Plains Outfitters for comment.

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Watchdog seeks to halt 11th-hour Biden DOJ effort to ‘handcuff’ Kentucky police over Breonna Taylor incident

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Watchdog seeks to halt 11th-hour Biden DOJ effort to ‘handcuff’ Kentucky police over Breonna Taylor incident

EXCLUSIVE: A conservative legal watchdog is expected to file a brief with a Kentucky court to urge a judge against blessing a consent decree forged by Attorney General Merrick Garland and the city of Louisville and Jefferson County, Ky., that would reform police practices after the controversial 2020 death of Breonna Taylor.

The Oversight Project is placing its amicus brief on the docket of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on Friday morning as a judge prepares a schedule to rule on activating the agreement.

Oversight Project Executive Director Mike Howell said the consent decree includes a “laundry list of BLM-type standards that have been argued for over the years since George Floyd[‘s death in 2020]” and the riots that followed.

“Louisville would be a sanctuary city for gangbangers,” Howell warned, adding he hopes Friday’s addition to the docket gives the court pause before agreeing to any accelerated timeline for approval.

PROPOSED CHICAGO POLICE RESOURCE CUTS COULD LAND CITY IN COURT UNDER CONSENT DECREE, OFFICIALS WARN

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Taylor was killed in a hail of police gunfire after Louisville officers sought to serve a drug warrant at her boyfriend Kenneth Walker’s house, when her beau fired a “warning shot” through the door and struck Officer Jonathan Mattingly in the leg.

A hail of return fire followed, fatally wounding Taylor, and five officers were later involved in legal cases where one was found guilty of deprivation of rights under the color of law for reportedly firing blindly through a window amid the chaos.

Walker later alleged he mistook the police for intruders and did not hear them announce themselves. Louisville wound up paying Taylor’s family $12 million in a wrongful death settlement.

Last week, Garland announced the consent decree with Louisville, saying it will bring about needed systemic reforms to policing to prevent a repeat of what happened to Taylor.

Howell said, however, that the decree will only hamstring the police department and also defy the will of Kentucky voters who elected new Republicans on the Louisville council on the issue of law and order.

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“[The decree] basically limits the ability for officers to react quickly and in a strong way. It’s very heavy on the de-escalation techniques, particularly as it relates to this category of people who they call ‘behaviorally impaired’ or something to that effect,” Howell said.

BIDEN ADMIN HIT WITH FOIA SEEKING 25TH AMENDMENT-RELATED COMMS

Howell said there is concern over the spiking teenage murder rate – violence committed by suspects aged 11-17 – and that the decree wrongly imposes new standards for dealing with youth offenders as well as stop-and-frisk restrictions.

One of the most glaring issues with the agreement is the fact Louisville councilmen, Kentucky lawmakers and the general public will all be prevented from making further adjustments to policing policies for five years, if the judge signs the decree.

In a consent decree system, an official monitor appointed by the judge, and not the relevant legislature, is the arbiter of policies that fall under said agreement unless both parties that forged it agree to change them.

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Howell said, in that regard, the Biden Justice Department and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, a Democrat, appear to be rushing through the legal process to head off the likelihood a Trump Justice Department will balk at the agreement.

“The most basic responsibility of government is to keep our people safe while protecting constitutional rights and treating everyone fairly,” Greenberg said in a statement about the decree. “As mayor, I promised to uphold that responsibility, and I have.”

“The Department of Justice saw the action we’ve already taken and our commitment to aggressively implement police reform. As a result of these improvements, we have a consent decree unlike any other city in America.”

Greenberg said any decree must build on reforms made in recent years, cannot “handcuff police as they work to prevent crime” and also be financially responsible and have a clear sunset date.

“I felt comfortable signing this because our officers will have clear guidance and goals to meet, the DOJ can’t move the goalposts, and our officers can focus on good police work, not paperwork,” added Louisville Police Chief Paul Humphrey.

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The Oversight Project’s amicus brief is backed by law enforcement advocacy leaders like Jason Johnson, president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund.

Johnson, whose group promotes constitutional policing and studies similar consent decrees, told Fox News Digital it’s clear the Biden DOJ realizes such an agreement would be “D.O.A.” when President-elect Donald Trump assumes the Oval Office. 

“Most of these police consent decrees are more of an activist wish list than effective means to remedy constitutional violations by police agencies. The Justice Department is trying to impose burdensome rules that far exceed their authority under law,” Johnson said.

He suggested that technical assistance letters, which aim to encourage reforms without imposing a judicial arbiter, are generally preferred in most cases.

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“But, the activist lawyers in the Biden administration prefer to use a sledgehammer instead of a scalpel. This approach has proven counterproductive time and again — hurting public safety, police morale, and police-community relations more than it helps.”

Meanwhile, Howell said he hopes the Kentucky judge will see that Greenberg and Garland are trying to “turn him into a legislature” when it comes to law enforcement practices.

Under the consent decree system, the policy changes will be untouchable by a more hawkish Trump DOJ for up to five years, rendering the new administration’s predicted actions in the law enforcement realm moot in Louisville.

Criminals will likely endorse the decree, he said, as they will use the encyclopedia of new policing standards to their benefit.

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