Mike Wolfe and Leticia Cline are Reviving the Soul of Small Town America
Words by Ashley Locke
Mike Wolfe and Leticia Cline have a way of making you feel like you’re standing on the edge of discovery. First separately—and then together—they’ve carved out a life steeped in curiosity, stitched together by winding backroads and stories whispered by forgotten places. Their shared love for small-town America is more than nostalgia—it’s finding meaning in the overlooked, the unpolished, and the resilient. Through their travels and work, they’ve built something rare: a present life that honors the past while inspiring others to slow down and truly see the world around them.
For Mike, the open road has always been an invitation to uncover what’s been left behind. From dilapidated barns to rusted roadside signs, he’s spent decades searching for treasures that tell stories of who we are and where we’ve been. “These places are still holding onto the American Dream,” he says. “I look for the places that are abandoned, that might have a few older people left who want to share their stories with me. I want the authenticity of discovering something instead of just going to a flea market and looking around.”
But it’s not just the objects he finds; it’s the people and places behind them that pull at his heart. “Some of the most interesting people, the most honest and the most passionate people, the most eccentric creatives, you are going to find on the back roads.”
Leticia’s connection to small-town America is rooted in the same love for their stories. Growing up in Cave City, Kentucky, she lived at the crossroads of travelers and locals. The roadside attractions her family ran introduced her to people from all walks of life and instilled a deep appreciation for preserving culture. “Coming from a small town,” she says. “Even when I was a kid—I didn’t know why it needed to be saved, I just knew that it did. I could identify with the sense of pride that people have in a small town, the sense of togetherness. My drive was to tell about them and preserve them, because if I didn’t, then what the hell was I traveling for?”
Their individual journeys might have been enough on their own, but together, they’ve created a partnership that’s even greater. “We bonded over talking about love of small towns and travel, even before we traveled together,” says Leticia.
“We understood the loss of these places—and we had been figuring out a way that we could make a difference separately, but now we’re a team together,” says Mike.
Her meticulous research and insatiable curiosity lead her to call city halls and tourism bureaus, strike up conversations in diners, and dig into archives, while Mike’s keen eye and emotional connection to history uncover the beauty in the forgotten. Their trips come together from a shared belief: that these small towns and their stories matter.
“In a lot of these towns you’re hanging on by a thread—mentally, emotionally, financially—beacuse it’s hard,” Leticia says. “Connectivity is a scarcity, and we all just want to connect in some way. When I listen to people’s stories, it gives them confidence in what they’re doing. There’s nothing easy about middle-of-nowhere living, but that doesn’t mean it’s not save-able.” Whether it’s an abandoned motor court on Route 66 or a diner filled with faded photographs, they see potential where others see decay.
On one of their trips, a seven-hour drive to Mississippi became a fifteen-hour odyssey as Leticia’s curiosity took them off the beaten path. Every detour was a discovery. “I’ve never taken someone else’s trip,” Leticia says. “And I’m okay with not sticking to a plan. You might go to a place, then find a story that’s way more interesting.”
For Mike, these trips together are a reminder of what he’s always known but sometimes needs to see anew. “She inspires me with her passion,” he says. “When she threw herself into her community, it was a full-time job, and she wasn’t letting up on the gas.”
Their lives are a lesson in slowing down—a call to savor the journey, not just the destination. In a world that moves too fast, Mike and Leticia remind us to take a breath, to look closer, to listen. “There’s no such thing as nowhere,” Mike says. “If we all travel to these places that we read about, that we hear about, if we give some of these smaller communities a chance—chances are that you’re going to fall in love with America again.”
But it’s more than just travel. It’s about connection. Small towns are seeing a renaissance, thanks to people craving community and the chance to live with intention. The local communities are embracing it too. Everyone is welcome. And everyone feels welcome. “I am southern by choice, not by birth,” Mike says.
Their legacy is to leave the door open for people to rediscover the allure of places often overlooked. It’s a reminder that history lives not just in museums but in the cracks of a weathered storefront, the twang of a local band playing on a porch, or the stories shared over a beer at a corner bar.
“I just want people to fall in love with their back yards again,” Leticia says. “Travel doesn’t have to be so intimidating, nor does it have to be expensive. You don’t have to take these crazy journeys to discover amazing things. It’s really within a 50 to 75 mile radius—a day’s trip. It’s how we grow culturally. I just want to inspire people to take mini trips, because those little trips turn into bigger trips—it sparks curiosity and good things happen from it.”
Their adventures are a map of miles traveled, lives touched, towns uplifted, and moments shared. Proof that even in the quietest corners, there’s something extraordinary waiting to be found—and that the journey to discover it is the greatest treasure of all.
Stop Here
Tarpon Springs, Florida
In this tiny little Gulf Coast town, you’ll find the sponge docks and the largest Greek population in America. – Leticia
Columbia, Tennessee
There’s a bicycle shop, a bookstore, an Irish pub, a health food store, a sporting goods store, a record shop, a home decor store, a children’s museum—all of this is circling the courthouse. – Mike
The Adirondacks
The towns are just amazing—full of old summer camps that have turned into lodging facilities and bars. There’s a resilience to everything there. – Leticia
Natchez, Mississippi
This is a southern town that’s remained untouched. You can walk through neighborhoods with large oaks and Spanish moss and see properties that you could only dream of. – Mike
