It started as an outlet from a stressful job in child protective services. As a fan of folklore and with a camera in hand, he trekked to strange places such as deserted amusement parks, forsaken mansions, and weird roadside attractions. No place was too obscure or out of the way. A southern transplant, Jacob was initially drawn to bits of southern nostalgia and roadside oddities. His low-key enthusiasm and homespun commentary captured quite an audience. While it was not an easy or quick journey to create a successful online series, he persevered and is now producing full time and starring in his YouTube travel show The Carpetbagger.

I was really enchanted with the unique culture down here. I just kind of became obsessed with seeking it out, documenting it.

As his audience has grown, so has his travel itinerary. The Carpetbagger covers the entire country now, reporting on fascinating roadside attractions as well as hunting for places you’ve never heard of and sites you drive past. His destinations all have one thing in common, an interesting story behind them, imagined or real. Hear how the Carpetbagger turned his passion for the forgotten and outlandish into a YouTube sensation.

He adds, “Sometimes it’s off the wall, like a civil war bullet that shot through a soldier and impregnated a woman, but it’s really interesting to hear these strange stories and get local legends. I feel like I’m the luckiest person in the world. I love doing it.”