Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
After nearly two years, we return to the mountains of Appalachia to reconnect with Don, one of Roca’s most beloved characters. Along the way, we met others with their own lessons to share, taking us deeper into one of the region’s most notorious hollers, a place that may look familiar to anyone who remembers the movie Deliverance.
Substack Exclusive: rocanews.substack.com/p/appalachias-surviving-hillbillies
About Roca: RocaNews is an independent media company started by 3 friends in 2020. Our mission is to cover the news without bias or fear. We deliver daily news to 2M+ people via the products below.
Want more of Roca’s on-the-ground content? Check out the Roca Mag – our weekly digital magazine full of original reporting from around the country: rocanews.substack.com/subscribe
Our Products:
► Instagram: instagram.com/ridethenews
► App: apps.apple.com/us/app/rocanews-unbiased-fun-news/id1630180690
► Substack: rocanews.substack.com
► Facebook: facebook.com/RideTheNews
► X: https://x.com/ridethenews
Our Series:
► The South: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeAGR_Bf_D0R5OH3S3pOqMjOTuoyfqJO&si=gNefb5fKwfePMlSZ
► Pakistan: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeAGR_Bf_D3Dc07Xay6AUtGomrzxE2pZ
► East Coast: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeAGR_Bf_D0kfAVY9wv-ko6eN7TWR-WA
► Appalachia: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeAGR_Bf_D1NPe26BHDdE_6X1pk6UysX&si=3eXpFF7-t_C3S2hi
► Rust Belt: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeAGR_Bf_D2Di5bzXIMrM6Ef_IIiRNYU&si=Q5ewau_4vb0tGkMC
► The Southwest youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeAGR_Bf_D2p0GvEpSo5HoiDdm9tOhR-&si=6O7usDcjlNY6j5if
► The UK youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeAGR_Bf_D3f3SHy6GGx1ZsLl3qbHBmC&si=f3toQ8ta5E6qA03u
Want to help us report?
► Sign up here: https://shorturl.at/xPrUx
0:00 Intro
1:35 “This is God’s country”
3:07 Retired Pastor
3:46 Journey to Don
4:25 Back in Don’s World
8:57 1965 Dodge
10:06 Don Gives Us a Tour
12:47 “It’s solitude”
14:33 “A ring of truce”
16:19 1941 Cadillac
17:06 “Want to see something real cool?”
17:56 Country Resourcefulness
19:47 Journey to Deliverance Holler
20:18 Meet Randy
21:12 Outro
Episode 176
Subs: 1.09 million subscribers
#georgia #appalachia #mountainmen
After nearly two years, we return to the mountains of Appalachia to reconnect with Don, one of Roca’s most beloved characters. Along the way, we met others with their own lessons to share, taking us deeper into one of the region’s most notorious hollers, a place that may look familiar to anyone who remembers the movie Deliverance.
Substack Exclusive: rocanews.substack.com/p/appalachias-surviving-hillbillies
About Roca: RocaNews is an independent media company started by 3 friends in 2020. Our mission is to cover the news without bias or fear. We deliver daily news to 2M+ people via the products below.
Want more of Roca’s on-the-ground content? Check out the Roca Mag – our weekly digital magazine full of original reporting from around the country: rocanews.substack.com/subscribe
Our Products:
► Instagram: instagram.com/ridethenews
► App: apps.apple.com/us/app/rocanews-unbiased-fun-news/id1630180690
► Substack: rocanews.substack.com
► Facebook: facebook.com/RideTheNews
► X: https://x.com/ridethenews
Our Series:
► The South: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeAGR_Bf_D0R5OH3S3pOqMjOTuoyfqJO&si=gNefb5fKwfePMlSZ
► Pakistan: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeAGR_Bf_D3Dc07Xay6AUtGomrzxE2pZ
► East Coast: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeAGR_Bf_D0kfAVY9wv-ko6eN7TWR-WA
► Appalachia: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeAGR_Bf_D1NPe26BHDdE_6X1pk6UysX&si=3eXpFF7-t_C3S2hi
► Rust Belt: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeAGR_Bf_D2Di5bzXIMrM6Ef_IIiRNYU&si=Q5ewau_4vb0tGkMC
► The Southwest youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeAGR_Bf_D2p0GvEpSo5HoiDdm9tOhR-&si=6O7usDcjlNY6j5if
► The UK youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPeAGR_Bf_D3f3SHy6GGx1ZsLl3qbHBmC&si=f3toQ8ta5E6qA03u
Want to help us report?
► Sign up here: https://shorturl.at/xPrUx
0:00 Intro
1:35 “This is God’s country”
3:07 Retired Pastor
3:46 Journey to Don
4:25 Back in Don’s World
8:57 1965 Dodge
10:06 Don Gives Us a Tour
12:47 “It’s solitude”
14:33 “A ring of truce”
16:19 1941 Cadillac
17:06 “Want to see something real cool?”
17:56 Country Resourcefulness
19:47 Journey to Deliverance Holler
20:18 Meet Randy
21:12 Outro
Episode 176
Subs: 1.09 million subscribers
#georgia #appalachia #mountainmen
