Two high-achieving twenty-somethings quit their dream jobs, strapped everything they owned to two bikes, and pedaled into the kind of freedom most of us only fantasize about during a bad Monday meeting. Lauren Geoghegan and Jay Austen weren’t reckless thrill seekers. They were planners, idealists, the type who believed the world was mostly kind. So when their round-the-world cycling trip carried them into the mountains of Tajikistan and straight into the path of an ISIS attack, their story became more than a headline. It became a brutal collision between world views.

I highly recommend William Elliott Hazelgrove’s book Evil on the Roof of the World: A Cycling Trip that Ended in Terror if you want to go even deeper into this story. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Evil-Roof-World-Cycling-Terror/dp/B0F78H5VST

Follow for episode photos and more at:
📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcitypod
🌎 Website: www.darkcitypodcast.com
✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com

📚 Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45026752
https://www.npr.org/2018/07/31/634373403/d-c-couple-killed-in-tajikistan-attack-were-biking-around-the-world-together
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/21/the-weekly/isis-bike-attack-tajikistan.html
https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/biking/tajikistan-bike-murders-jay-austin-lauren-geoghegan/
https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/american-cyclists-killed-isis-tajikistan/?scope=anon
https://www.simplycycling.org/

🎵 All music in this episode is sourced from Pixabay, with tracks including:
Mountain Wind by Siarhei Korbut
Peace of Mind – Calm Ambient Music by Clavier-Music
Bossa Nova Instrumental 01 by alanajordan
Ambient Background by playstarz_music
Seaside in Sorrow – Sad and Touching Soft Piano by HarumachiMusic
Desert Winds Meditation by NaturesEye
Midnight Whispers Creepy Dark Horror Background by TrenoX8
Piano Cinematic by The_Mountain
Inspirational Documentary Cinematic Piano by NotAIGenerated

Have ideas or suggestion? We would love to hear from you! Send us a text via this link.

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)

Montauk, NY | The premise for Stranger Things didn’t come from nowhere. We’re headed to Montauk, New York, where a real Cold War base, abandoned bunkers, and stubborn paper trails collide with a conspiracy theory that helped inspire Netflix’s biggest monster story. You’ll hear from Montauk native and author Brian Minnick, who explored Camp Hero as a kid, got chased by “security” years after the base supposedly closed, and found enough oddities to make one question what was actually sealed up and what kept running.

I highly recommend Brian Minnick’s book Montauk is Strange. You can find it here:
https://www.amazon.com/Montauk-Strange-Archives-Exploring-Project-ebook/dp/B0CYMCYPZ1

You can follow Brian and see exclusive videos of his underground explorations at https://www.instagram.com/montauk_is_strange/.

Follow for episode photos and more at:
📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcitypod
✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com

🐇 Sources:
https://facesoflongisland.newsday.com/montauk-lighthouse-keeper-tells-tall-tales-of-history-a-ghost-and-the-next-200-years/
https://montauklibrary.org/throwback-thursday-montauks-air-force-station/
https://nypost.com/article/camp-hero-montauk-project-conspiracy/
https://parks.ny.gov/visit/state-parks/camp-hero-state-park
https://play.history.com/specials/the-dark-files-3/full-special.
https://strangerthings.fandom.com/wiki/Hawkins_National_Laboratory
https://www.britannica.com/topic/MK-ULTRA
https://www.businessinsider.com/camp-hero-montauk-air-force-base-inspired-stranger-things-photos-2023-8
https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96-00789R002800180001-2.pdf
https://www.history.com/articles/cia-esp-espionage-soviet-union-cold-war
https://www.history.com/articles/what-was-operation-paperclip
https://www.history.com/mkultra-operation-midnight-climax-cia-lsd-experiments
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/duffer-brothers-talk-stranger-things-916180/
https://www.masterclass.com/classes/the-duffer-brothers-teach-developing-an-original-tv-series
https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/the-dark-files-film-explores-montauk-s-mysterious-camp-hero-state-park-on-history-channel-v57264
https://www.npr.org/2014/02/15/275877755/the-secret-operation-to-bring-nazi-scientists-to-america
https://www.npr.org/2019/09/09/758989641/the-cias-secret-quest-for-mind-control-torture-lsd-and-a-poisoner-in-chief
https://www.phillyvoice.com/holmesburg-prison-inmate-experiments-apology-northeast-philadelphia-albert-kligma/
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-montauk-monster/
https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/stranger-things-duffers-lawsuit-montauk-project
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/09/16/fact-check-nazi-scientists-brought-u-s-operation-paperclip/5690870002/
Newsday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBu4YlJENOc
MONTAUK: You're Not Going to Like This. The InBetween. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5ODjWTL8q0&t=2s
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-mercury-1960-radar-tower/187508067
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-montauk-camp-hero-opens/187510174/

🎵 Music from Pixabay:
Ambient - Dark - V1 by SenorMusica81
Stranger Things by Music_Unlimited
Cloudscape by Aonescape
Secret Enfoui
Cinematic Tension Soundscape by Lilliben
Mystical Emotions - Atmospheric Cinematic by Dvir Silverstone
Dark Story Inve

Have ideas or suggestion? We would love to hear from you! Send us a text via this link.

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)

Santa Claus, AZ | In the 1930s, a holiday fantasy rose from the Arizona desert, promising Christmas every day of the year. This is the story of what happens when we try to make permanent what is seasonal by design.

Follow for episode photos and more at:
📷 Instagram: instagram.com/darkcitypod
🪡 Threads: threads.net/@darkcitypod
👤 Facebook: facebook.com/darkcitypod
✉️ Email: info@darkcitypodcast.com

🔎 Sources:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/santa-claus-arizona
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-history/2024/12/18/santa-claus-az-history/76763717007/
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-history/2022/12/07/where-christmas-was-celebrated-year-round-santa-claus-arizona/69706879007/
https://roadtrippers.com/magazine/once-festive-town-santa-claus-arizona/
https://www.arizonahighways.com/article/santa-claus-arizona
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-arizona-republic-santa-claus-inn-own/187254288/
The Plain Dealer. (October 11, 1970). Santa claus arizona. Newspapers.com. Retrieved December 21, 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealer-santa-claus-arizona/187254432/
Arizona Daily Star. (December 25, 1976). Santa Claus for Sale. Newspapers.com. Retrieved December 21, 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-daily-star-santa-claus-for-sale/187254477/
Nevada State Journal. (December 25, 1976). Need a Gift - Santa Claus. Newspapers.com. Retrieved December 21, 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/nevada-state-journal-need-a-gift-santa/187254503/
Pasadena Star-News. (April 13, 1931). Ninon Santa Claus. Newspapers.com. Retrieved December 22, 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/pasadena-star-news-ninon-santa-claus/187300212/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nepE18QbGj8. Santa Claus | The Christmas-Themed Desert Ghost Town
Obscurist Tourist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p67KJT_9l_E . Santa Claus, Arizona | Cronkite News
https://www.nps.gov/articles/route-66-overview.htm

🎵 All music in this episode is sourced from Pixabay, with tracks including:
Jingle Bells Back to Sleep by Laurent Buczek
Quirky Children Music by Tunetank
Christmas Holiday (Christmas Jazz) by Tunetank
Dark Christmas (Short) by Siarhei Korbut
God Rest, Ye Merry Meta by Alexander Nakarada

Have ideas or suggestion? We would love to hear from you! Send us a text via this link.

👏 Special thanks to our talented partners:
Paolo Sbrighi for Musical Composition (instagram.com/paulosbrighi/)
Mario Cintra for Logo Design (instagram.com/alacarala/)