In 1987, when Andy Jagolinzer and his then girlfriend, now wife, Jennifer were traveling across the country, he no more than 18, she 17, they visited the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. They pondered the world and it’s largeness. Jennifer snapped a photo of Andy standing near the edge with his arms up as if to say “Look how big this is, and yet it’s tiny in this big world”. On returning home to suburban Boston, MA after stopping at every roadside attraction they could find, Jen spotted in a bookstore what Andy would call his “road bible” from that moment on. Never to travel outside his own town without it, he visited every stop that the book suggested. That book was “New Roadside America: The Modern Traveler's Guide to the Wild and Wonderful World of America’s Tourist Attractions” by Doug Kirby, Mike Wilkins, and Ken Smith.

Andy found himself mostly attracted to the big things that people had made as advertisements or art. Finding these attractions became “his thing”. His passion for seeking these big marvels was fueled not only by the stuff itself, but also to the journeys he was making off the beaten path to towns and neighborhoods he normally would never see. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the people, the food, all both good and bad, was really what hunting for Big Stuff was all about. The pictures are great for all to see and the memories are his to share with friends, family, and viewers within this series of podcasts.

Fast forward to the days of the internet and cell phones capable of taking a decent picture and Andy found himself having amassed a large collection of Big Stuff photos. He started to travel the United States as often as he could to capture the best of Big Stuff, mostly appearing in each photo for perspective. His friends asking him to publish a coffee table book, he dismissed the idea, stating that “The Big Stuff is great, but nobody wants a book with pictures of me in it.” Finally, after stockpiling over 800 Big Stuff photos and approached by friend and former colleague Jen Carter, he agreed that it was time for something bigger. Thus BIG STUFF PODCAST was born, targeting the owners, artists, and fans of particular Big Stuffs to find out the stories behind the Bigness.

Andy and Jen both hope you enjoy this journey with them and wish you happy Big Stuff hunting, using them as a destination to see this wonderful world.