Discover where Odyssey is, based on
where it is not.
Throughout the
years on Adventures in Odyssey, many characters on the show have
given hints as to where the town of Odyssey is located. While the AIO team
has never specifically revealed Odyssey's location on the map, the town's characters
have helped to unveil some clues. This section is devoted to those moments
on the show where Odyssey characters tell us where Odyssey is
not. What follows
are states that have been mentioned on the program by the characters
themselves, along with information and evidences to prove where Odyssey is
not.
The main purpose of Where
Odyssey Is Not is to highlight specific mentions of states,
affirmed by the Odyssey characters throughout the series. Many times on the
show, spoken clues and events may lead listeners to assume that a specific
region is ruled out as a location for Odyssey. We wanted to give exact
proofs that Odyssey is not in some states (i.e. a character literally
mentions a state). Statements said within the series that provide clues and
no 100% facts are revealed below and on appropriate states' pages under The State of Things. It's up to you to decide where Odyssey is located,
based on the clues.
Our records indicate that
38
of the United States of America are ruled out on Adventures in Odyssey
in 159
specific mentions on the show.
This list will continue to grow, so there's more to come!
Periodically, characters on Adventures in
Odyssey mention "the state," but they never say which state that is. The
writers are very clever in keeping the fans guessing. What follows is a
brief overview of "the state" as mentioned throughout the show.
Chris introduces
What Happened to the
Silver Streak? by stating that Whit's End has one of the largest
train sets in the state. Whit also reveals that some of the kids' train
cars will be considered for the state fair.
In
One Bad Apple, Mr.
Whittaker mentions that he will call the state capital the next morning
regarding a pollution concern near Tom Riley's farm.
"The state" is referenced multiple times
in the episode Timmy's
Cabin. Not once is it helpful in determining where Odyssey is. The
only thing we learn in this episode is that "the state" can get really
annoying.
In
Family Values, Mr.
Johnson talks about a resort he wants to take his family to. He simply
says, "It's up state."
Tom for Mayor is good
with teasing avid fans. Again, "the state" is referenced and one can
almost lose count. Re-phrasing's not a problem, either. It's also
considered "our beloved state" by a certain well-known resident genius.
In
The Pact, when
referencing how long it will take to get to a certain camp, Tom Riley says that
it is just across the state line and that it will take up to three hours
to get there. However, he does not mention the name of the state in
which Odyssey is located.
In
Dead Ends, Eugene
wants to know if "the state" gave his foster parents any information
regarding his father, Leonard Meltsner.
Let's "State" the Facts
Although Odyssey's residing state has not been
declared on the show, some valuable clues have been revealed over the years.
Some make you think, while others make you wonder if the writers even know
where Odyssey is.
While presenting a riddle to the kids
at Whit's End, Whit references the cities of Cincinnati, Buffalo,
and Detroit in Promises, Promises, although he doesn't say any states. He
attempts to prove that he is in neither of the cities. It can be
deducted that Cincinnati and Buffalo are closer to Odyssey than
Detroit is.
The town of Odyssey experiences all
four seasons of the year: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Many
episodes indicate this.
The town of Odyssey experiences bad
storms, including occasional tornadoes. The show never indicates that
tornadoes are rare occurrences in Odyssey, though when a tornado
strikes, the town's citizens take extra safety precautions. This could
indicate that Odyssey is located in a state that experiences tornadoes,
but not in excess.
Kids Radio originally began as KYDS
Radio in Kid's Radio.
In reality, only stations west of the Mississippi River have call
letters that begin with K. All stations east of it start with W.
However, later on, the Adventures in Odyssey team decided to
toss "KYDS" as it would be too confusing for radio stations in real
life and transformed KYDS Radio to Kids Radio. Where would that
place Odyssey? Also in Family Vacation, George and Mary Barclay are trying to get their
car to start when the voice on the radio announces the KFOF call
letters of the station.
Terry and George Johnston take a
train ride nonstop from Odyssey to New York in
The Last Great
Adventure of the Summer and arrive in Manhattan within
hours.
In
The Ill-Gotten Deed,
Horace and Grover McAllister race from their homes in Virginia to
somewhere "out west" where they will later found the town of Odyssey.
According to the episode, it takes them weeks (on horseback) to reach
their destination.
In the episode
Lincoln, Jimmy is
asked if he is a Yankee or a Confederate, and he replies that he's
neither; he's from out West.
The town of Odyssey is only a few
miles from the state line. (Not
One of Us)
If traveling by train, it is a day's
journey from Chicago to Odyssey. (Train
Ride)
Whit and Eugene board an Amtrak train in Chicago and head home
to Odyssey. It is brought to their attention that some of the
passengers on another train car (mannequin salesmen) are on
their way to a convention in Cincinnati. According to Amtrak's
website, a trip from Chicago to Cincinnati is approximately 8
1/2 hours in total. If traveling by train, it is a day's
journey from Chicago to Odyssey, as revealed in the episode as well.
Now, where is Odyssey in relation to Cincinnati? It is revealed
that the stop to Odyssey is before Cincinnati.
The episode
Timmy's Cabin reveals
that the legendary Johnny Appleseed supposedly planted the apple orchard
on Tom Riley's farm. Johnny Appleseed's route spanned through the states
of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
Odyssey is located near or around an area
with mountains. In the episode
Flash Flood, Whit,
Eugene, Bernard, and Tom go camping in the mountains near Odyssey. Many
other references to the mountains near Odyssey are dispersed throughout
the show.
In
On Solid Ground, Whit
takes a caller during Kids Radio's "Adventures of the Bible" segment.
When asked what "foundations" are, one caller responds, "Aren't they
those big farms down south?" It can be deduced that Odyssey is in one of
the northern states.
A city named Connellsville is located near
Odyssey, as referenced by countless episodes.
A city named Waynestown is located near
Odyssey, as revealed in And the Glory.
In First-Hand
Experience, Eugene and Bernard begin their roadtrip near a city
called Cleveland. However, there is not enough evidence to prove which
Cleveland the episode refers to. (There are several cities named
Cleveland in the United States.)
Jason Whittaker makes a phone call in
A Name, Not a Number
and mentions that it will take him a couple days to drive from Phoenix
(Arizona) to Odyssey. Now what is Jason's interpretation of the phrase,
a couple?
In
Unto Us a Child Is Born,
Katrina Shanks Meltsner mentions that she will be making the drive to
Chicago to be with her family during their Christmas Day brunch. This
downside is that she has to leave early enough Christmas Day to be there
on time for it. On the other hand, she lives close enough to Chicago
that she can make the trip and be at her destination all on the same
day.
Carl Ross tells Jack Allen the story of
the Underground Railroad and establishes that it takes place in the
"southern United States." Also, the ultimate destination of the
sojourners is in the north. It can be assumed that Odyssey is in one of
the northern states. (The
Underground Railroad)
Erica Clark learns in
Rewards in Full that
it is illegal in their state to ride a bike without a helmet. No wonder
we've seen illustrations of Odyssey kids wearing helmets on older
editions of Adventures in Odyssey cover artwork.
In
New Year's Eve
Live!, Harlow Doyle accidentally gets on a bus headed to
Chicago shortly before midnight. When he asks the bus driver
what time they will arrive, the driver says "around 8:30
tomorrow morning." Therefore, Odyssey has to be located
somewhere that the trip to Chicago takes 8 1/2 hours or slightly
longer by bus.
A woman named Alice refers to the camp
where she met Timmy Riley as being "out west" (Passages:
Fletcher's Rebellion). This indicates that Odyssey is planted within
one of the eastern states.
The Barclay family flies to the New
England states to visit, and ultimately move to, Pokenberry Falls, in
Pokenberry Falls, R.F.D.
Edwin Blackgaard later says that he and Walter Shakespeare will be
touring New England in The Taming of the Two. It can be assumed the Odyssey resides outside
of the cluster of states in New England.
Alex Jefferson claims that he, Mandy
Straussberg, and Cal Jordan will fight them [the Bones of Wrath] "on our
beaches." Cal, taking his comment literally, corrects him and tells him
that Odyssey doesn't have any beaches. (Snow
Day) Thus, Odyssey is landlocked. But does the state have beaches?
Upon arriving home from her road trip with
Joanne Allen, Connie is greeted by a warm embrace from her mother and a
brief reminder that she traveled 1,000 miles to Washington D.C. In other
words, Odyssey is located at least 1,000 miles away from D.C. Either
that, or June Kendall threw a number out there. (Eggshells)
A city named Odenton is located near
Odyssey, as revealed in The Black Veil.
Malcolm Lear states in
The Taming of the Two
that Odyssey is in the "less illness-bound area of the country." Chew up
the meat and spit out the bones on this statement. Last time we checked,
even Whit gets sick and needs Connie to deliver an occasional bowl of
chicken soup (Bad Company).
Whit claims that daisies can be seen
around the entire state in which Odyssey is located. (True
Calling)
In
Odyssey Sings!, a
producer from a national hit television show, America Sings, is
trying to decide where to take the show on tour. He throws a dart and
hits the town of Odyssey on a map, determining where to go next.
However, no clues are provided to indicate where in the country Odyssey
is.
A girl named Lindsay travels 500 miles to
intern at Whit's End in Best of Enemies, but she doesn't say where she is from. However, we
do know that she has taken a bus.
In
A Capsule Comes to Town,
it is explicitly stated that Odyssey is "a small, midwestern town."
State Senator Hoines makes a visit to
Odyssey in License to
Deprive. Unfortunately, he is not a senator in real life or we would
know exactly which state's senator he is... and where Odyssey is, too!
A talking painting of Frederick Douglass
in the Whit's End Gallery tells the story of the Jubilee Singers and
references "the South." It can be deduced that Odyssey is in one of the
northern states. (The
Jubilee Singers)
More clues are revealed throughout our Where Odyssey Is Not section.
Well Stated
We discovered that other mentions of states
have been made throughout the series, but they only give small clues and
don't make it to the pages above. So we thought it would be good to share
some more clues of Odyssey's location.
In the special audio release of
Passages: Darien's Rise,
John Avery Whittaker reads the manuscript titled, "The
Chronicles of the Chosen" about a mysterious world named Marus.
At one point, Anna, one of two main child characters, catches a
first glimpse of a room in Marus: "It reminded her of a room in
her great grandfather's house. He was the governor of a
neighboring state." However, not enough evidence is provided to
tell us where Odyssey is or isn't. Let's call it a good teaser
for avid fans.
Episodes That Take Place Away from
Odyssey
Throughout the series, characters occasionally
travel to far away places. Sometimes they drive to nearby cities, and other
times they fly across the globe. Click here
for a complete listing.
We Need Your Help!
Plainly stated, there's too many episodes to
keep track of. We'd like to be as thorough as possible, but so many goodies
are tucked within the audio series, that we can't keep up! As you listen to
the audio series, keep your ears open for clues about the location of
Odyssey. Find something we don't have. Jot it down. Make a list.
Send it to us. If you're a history
buff, send that knowledge our way. We'd love to add to this section.
Fan Remarks on Where Odyssey
Is Not
This site feature has proven to be one of the
most popular and captivating sections, and many fans have written in to contribute their
thoughts. Click here to read what others think
about the location of Odyssey. Then submit your own!
Thanks to our growing list of
contributors...
Priceless,
Sarah, James Drury, Deborah, another Deborah, Hannah, Allison, Heidi Marie,
Rebekah, Kenan S., David Forry,
Mark, Austin Peachey, Samuel, Bob, Brian B., Caleb, Gabby, Nathanael S.,
Mitchell, Coley, Jon, Joe Coleman, Katy, Agent 31899, IForgotMyUsername,
Dallas R., Sapphire, humdedum, LizzieG, Chandlah, Ingress Neverwhere,
Laurelstar, King
Butter Turtle, ajamj, Joey, Daniel, NQ, Susanna, Rex, Abi, Hannah L. ("Wooton's
Slide"), Darien, Andre', Hannah O., Mariah, Lindsey, EricMyersFan, Jonathan F., Emma
J., Austin B., Jake, Jeremy G., Micah W., Micah, Josiah, Hannah B.,
Angela, Aaron, Tony, Nick, Leanne, Marin, Brittany, CMR, Ryan R., Daniel R.,
Carson, Ricky F., K.R., Sarah, Irwin Springer, Caleb W., Natasha M., Anna
P., Brynna, a person who wishes to remain
anonymous, and "Eugene's Vest" (our AIO F.A.Q section has caused a lot of
teasing from the visitors over the years).
Please
contact us for permission before
using material from this section.
