I Went To Eastern Kentucky (America's Poorest Region)

I'm about to drive solo through America's

poorest region, southeastern Kentucky,

to see the homes, the bars, and the routines that shape everyday life here.

Ain't nothing out here.

But I have to be careful that I don't end up down the wrong road.

We're going to keep moving before I get shot at.

I have no plan,

no script, and no idea who or what is waiting around each bend.

Your best bet is to carry a pistol with you.

My mission is to meet people living off the grid, hear their stories,

>> I've had over 100 surgeries.

and show a side of rural America

most of us will never see.

I'm entering a place called the Whitley

City, which is apparently the biggest town in the county, and there's like nothing here.

This is the only stoplight.

I don't know if people are going to want to talk to me or

not, or if they're going to be like, "What the hell are you doing here?"

McCreary County is consistently

ranked among the poorest

in the country in terms of median income.

It is said that the poverty rate is over 40%

out here, which is pretty stark.

This county doesn't have a hospital.

It doesn't even have a local newspaper.

But there's a ton of mom-and-pop stores.

It's a lot more nerve-racking

to do this than it looks, because people are very standoffish.

I have a Texas license plate in this rental car, and

when you roll up with any license plate that doesn't say Kentucky,

people kind of look at you like, "What are you doing here?"

You're kind of guilty until proven innocent.

Not everybody is open and friendly, but the people that are

are incredible, and that's what makes America a great country.

All right, here we go.

Leaving the town into the countryside.

Kentucky's story goes way back.

First settled on Cherokee land, then built on coal,

bourbon, bluegrass music, and of course, fried chicken.

It's the only way that you're going to get chicken that is finger-licking good.

>> But these days, the coal mines are closing,

jobs are disappearing, and entire communities

are struggling to get by.

This part of the country was one of the richest,

had the highest-paying jobs,

a lot of people living here, a lot of activity,

and now it's just literally a ghost town.

So far, I'm striking out on things to do people to meet, but there's

one thing Kentucky's famous for all over the world.

The birthplace of KFC.

This is where Colonel Sanders

first started cooking his world-famous

chicken, all the way back in the 1930s,

about a hundred years ago.

But his chicken became so good that travelers

would literally detour all the way out here in the middle of nowhere just to taste it.

At one point, Colonel was selling gas on the side of the road, which

looked and felt just like this.

This was Colonel Sanders' actual house.

You see him here in the window.

That is so freaking cool.

I have a theory

that nobody has seen more of the world than Colonel Sanders.

There are like 30 or 40,000

KFC chains around the world, and his face is everywhere.

We're going to go ahead and sit and check it out.

But first, there's a dude playing a flute,

which I'm going to go say hi.

I don't know what's going on with him. How you doing? Hi.

I'm My name is Drew.

Nice to meet you. Yeah.

Your music is great.

You just playing for fun, or Yeah, I'm trying to make a few tips.

The old SSI check didn't

make it till the first.

I'll give you a little tip.

I've traveled all over the world, like many, many countries, and I see KFC everywhere.

More than >> This is where it all started.

Now, he was an interesting fella.

He actually shot a guy.

>> He was He was a cantankerous.

If you talk to some of the locals here, that some of their family worked for him.

He was a pistol.

He shot a guy? Yeah.

I'm just trying to learn about the life here. That's it.

Like, what Is it happy? Is it sad? It's a mixture. Yeah.

I mean, there's there's people here that have tons of money

and have a big, happy life or whatever,

and there's people here that don't have hardly anything.

I I'm just average.

I'm just trying to get by.

After meeting my first friendly local,

I'm ready to try the original KFC.

The chicken is crispy,

juicy, and way better than any fast food I've ever tasted.

It tastes so much better here. All right, Colonel. I'm film.

Now that I'm well fed, I drive around trying to talk to people,

but not everyone reciprocates.

Are you from around here? Yeah.

Is it a nice place? Yeah. Cool. All right, man. Bye.

Have a good day. Thank you.

I'm just driving around to try to meet some people and see what's going on.

Well, the best restaurant around here they got like right down here.

They got Dairy Queen, Ingles.

They got like Cherry Cokes,

kind of old fashioned.

Are the people around here nice?

Now that I've seen how difficult it is to make friends here, I'm even

more nervous to drive around these back roads alone.

But just as I'm starting to lose hope, I spot some hitchhikers

on the side of the road. How you doing? What's going on? Nothing much.

Just walking through the house. Okay, cool.

Are you guys from around here? Yeah.

I just came here to try to meet some interesting people, but there's not

a lot going on out here.

Oh, if you go on down, there's a McDonald's on your right.

And then you go on up, and on your left there's a Arby's

and a That's Arby's and then Pizza Hut.

So McDonald's, Arby's, and Pizza Hut. >> That's it. Welcome to Pineville.

All right, can you give us a ride about a half a mile,

maybe a mile, give or take? Sure. What's your name? I'm driving. That's my name.

>> Hey, how you doing?

Are people like very stand-offish?

Like if you don't know them, they're not trying to make new friends?

>> Well, let me tell you, they're kind of like they Yeah, they bring a

gun in your face. Yeah. Yeah.

Well, you're giving me a ride.

They won't People do

not give a ride to, man.

I was told not to do what I just did, but you guys did

seem pretty harmless, so >> Well, I appreciate that.

There's a lot of people that like to say what they want to say,

but we are really good-hearted people. Yeah.

We're right up here on the right.

>> Is this considered a holler?

Yes, this is a holler.

You can get you from city here.

I was told that you roll into a holler and people don't know you,

they might take out a shotgun.

Anytime you come down in here, man, your best bet is to carry a pistol with you.

Do you mind if I see your house?

No, come on, man.

Just just for like 10 minutes.

Oh, My name is Drew.

My name is Drew.

Nice to meet you.

How are you doing?

No, I'm from I'm from Arizona,

but my car's in Texas. How are you? Good.

How are you doing?

Nice to meet you, Petey. Hello. Hello. How are you? Fine.

>> Nice to meet you.

I got my hands full right now. >> No problem. Take care.

Where we live, country folk.

This is cool, man.

This is the woman of my life.

She takes care of me.

She just gave us a ride home. >> How are you doing? He's from Arizona.

>> You don't have to stand up.

You don't have to stand up.

Nice to meet you. You, too.

That woman gets around better than me and better than you. I believe that.

So, did you grow up in this house?

No, I didn't grow up in this house.

So, I grew up on down the road.

So, you know all these houses like they're family?

No, not all these people.

This this is They're This is the This is family. Yeah, man.

I'm from the black top, all that area.

>> And she owns this place.

Are they friendly, these people?

Yeah, except them idiots up there in the Trouble making God. Really? that's not good.

>> You know, just mean, like rude.

So, what what's the life like here? Is it enjoyable? Yes.

It is if you like being in the mountains and stuff.

But if you don't have a job or anything, it's a lot of people

But I think the unemployment rate's like 40%. >> Yeah.

Well, I guess that's why a lot of people get in trouble. Yeah, of course. Yeah.

>> This is the worst state for uh I think What does it say?

Like uh the methamphetamine Yeah.

That's the most populated Really?

>> It's took everybody I know.

I mean, I used to I was on drugs.

I'm a recovering addict.

I used to be on drugs.

Now Now it was like that 3 years.

I've been out a year now.

You were locked up for drugs? Yeah.

For possession of drugs, yeah.

It's good that you're you're sober and better.

>> I'm just trying to find out It's nowhere else to No jobs around here, hardly, you know.

How'd you You meet?

He just pulled up here with one of his

He just rolled up like I did?

Yeah, and I don't

he just turned in the driveway.

I pulled up and I said

and these were my exact words. Damn your bird.

So, you know the rumor of Kentucky is like incest? >> Yes, well. Is it true? That's very true.

More more in Harlan.

For real, where I where

a lot of my family's from.

I won't lie, but I'm not like that.

Well, I used to live in Irvine.

Have you ever heard of this?

It's that called blue people.

There's a girl I used to go to high school with.

She dated a guy

that knew one of these guys.

Said he didn't act normal or anything.

He was just blue

as he could be, like Smurf blue. Wait, seriously?

Yeah, and I was like you know, and you know, and I've seen him

for myself and he would he don't want to talk to women.

He just talked to guys.

Do you think if I if I went he would talk to me?

Would you go by yourself or you?

I I would go with someone that knows them.

I wouldn't I don't know him

>> know him, but I

I'd rather pair with you.

You go with me? Yeah.

Cuz you're like a you're a local.

I would go with you.

>> No, I'm just crazy.

Yeah, he's just got me in situations.

I promise you that.

It seems to be pretty safe here though.

Even if people have guns like they're

people just mind their own business, right?

For the most part. Until they don't.

Yeah, I tell her I said, "Yeah, here we go."

When I pulled up?

Yeah, I was just tightening my fist. >> Oh, really?

What did you think could have happened?

I don't know what had to

freaking beat somebody up today.

>> I wasn't scared a bit.

I could wait to see what was up.

So, people don't do that around here? No. Really?

No, not not especially if somebody was around here. No Sure.

You don't do drugs. No.

Did you just give anybody a ride?

No, I tried to judge people if I can feel that they're friendly

and kind-hearted and I felt that with you, which is why I gave you a ride.

If I felt like tension, I would just driven away.

I won't just get in no car with anybody else.

So, that's why I'm saying but I can tell he was you know Yeah. >> Nice to meet you.

Thank you for letting me come in your

All right, you guys be well. Yeah, thank you. You all too.

Hey, nice to meet you.

Thanks for Thanks for letting me in your

All right, see you.

That was a little

scary to pick him up.

Like when I was driving with him, I was like, "Shit, dude.

If this guy pulls out a gun, I am screwed."

But, he didn't and he was cool.

First, I will go to Harlan to check it out, the old coal mining

town, and then we'll continue the journey northbound.

Bro, these little hollers are crazy.

Yeah, we're going to skip this one.

We're going to keep moving before I get shot at.

That guy was not kidding.

Like people here will shoot at you if they don't know you.

I'm now entering Harlan,

which is the heart

of the coal mining industry from the past.

And you can even see it with the brick buildings.

You see the railroad tracks cutting through

This place reminds me exactly

of Bluefield, West Virginia, which is not that far away from here.

And look at this building right here.

It looks like it hasn't been used in like 80 years.

Can I ask you guys some questions? Yeah.

What's happening over here?

Like I've never been here before.

Is there something I should see?

You got a four-wheel drive?

I think it's a It's a rental car.

I think it's a four-wheel

I ain't nothing out here. Really? It messed up. Really?

>> Coal mining shut down. All shut down. Really?

You have cool eyes, man.

You must have get that your whole life, your eyes.

I Every woman would want me.

>> What are you guys doing?

Just hanging >> Yeah, that's all we do.

Do you guys mind?

I'll give you guys

20 bucks each if you just want to take me for like 30 minutes. I got you. Come in. What's your name? Boy. Drew. Boy. Drew. Oh, good.

So, this is this was all coal mine.

Like all these buildings were used in for coal industry.

Like the brick buildings. Yeah.

All this was a booming town.

We had everything here.

But now there's nothing. No. No.

So, are people depressed? Are they happy? No way. They're not happy.

So, why don't you leave?

Why don't you go somewhere else?

I I ain't got that much money.

I don't have a side.

How old are you?

I'll be 63 in in this month.

What did you do for work before?

I done construction work, coal work. I done everything. Everything.

You think you can fix anything?

No, I can't see no more what I can't get my hands in.

So, I hear that drugs is a big problem around here. Oh, God. Yeah.

We had a over the

cross the highway, you walk across the railroad tracks,

homeless people sell over there and do dope and everything.

There's a stereotype about Kentucky.

And the stereotype is that everyone

has sex with their like family members, like incest. Is it true? Yeah.

So, it's normal that like

a brother and a sister would have a baby?

No, cousin and then Cousin? Cousin cousin. Back and forth. Cousin cousin. That's interesting.

Where's the center of town? It's up here? Right here.

You You're almost in town.

It's a small town? Yeah.

And what makes you happy in life? Drinking. That's it?

Only drinking makes you happy? Yep. Nothing else? Nothing else. Family?

Well, my family done moved out of here.

I don't see them much No, more. What about friends?

Do your make you Sometimes.

Are your neighbors friendly? Huh?

Why is there a police car in your house?

That ain't police car.

Whose car is that? Huh?

That's a police car. It a police.

My police live over there.

My house might die out.

I live over I literally can't understand a word this guy says.

Wait, so that's not There's a police car there, too.

You're surrounded by police.

No, that's our police.

So, do you know all your neighbors here? >> Yeah, yeah. Are they friendly? Yeah, Yeah, yeah.

I I think people in Appalachia are really kind.

They're really friendly people,

for the most part. Right? Yep.

Wait, this is your street? Yeah, right here.

Can I see inside your house for 2 minutes? Yeah.

We don't have lights up.

You're a very kind gentleman.

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the rural house tour in Kentucky. I don't shave. What?

Wait, is your dog friendly? Yeah.

It's a little dog. You get. Come on. OH.

I GOT I I got a lot.

Yeah, I have it.

I hate taking baths.

I can't get my knees moving. Mhm. Nice house.

came with >> What kind of kitchen I got? What? Everywhere. That's all right.

I got food everywhere. Pretty nice.

Let's go walk around.

So, what what what is the biggest problems in society

here, aside from Nobody can find jobs?

>> You have work at McDonald's

or something like that way.

Do you think most people are just barely scraping by? Yeah.

What's the average like monthly

income Well, my SSI

and social security and and

check is about $1,000 and some dollars.

Can't live on that.

How much is your house worth?

Well, I paid $350

$300 and my landlord is so nice.

He told me it was $400.

You pay $400 a month for the house.

That's a pretty good price. That way.

You think it's expensive?

You on SSI, you can't afford it. That's true. That's true.

Show me where you hang out.

You You up here by the wall. What else? That it? That's it? Really? Right there. All right.

You park it here and you walk. All right.

Roy and I are taking on the streets of Harlan.

I feel like you know everyone here. You know everyone? No.

You You have way because he think you up.

Do you think this is like a great place to live? Yeah. Why is that?

Cuz it uh You you don't see nobody

out hardly and you sit down and

eat out and everything you want to.

You wave at everyone? Yeah.

Here old built building right here.

We got a whole tail and everything.

You can feel that it was once really popular here. Yeah.

>> It's built for a lot of people.

All these buildings are empty.

See this one here closed.

Yeah, he he been too. >> Fire closed.

What do you think about cities like Los Angeles and New York?

What do you think about those places?

they ain't keep it.

Keep I ain't going down there. Why not?

I ain't going to get mugged and killed.

What if I told you that they're pretty safe? No, I ain't. You wouldn't go? Nope. How are you?

Trying to pick up some ladies? Yeah, not really.

Yeah, you are Roy.

A lot of Civil War history here.

Yeah, they were too.

>> And and World War.

This says in honor of the Harlan

country coal miners who sacrificed

their lives while supporting a family and

If you could have anything

in the world that you don't have, what do you want to have? I >> a ball. A boy? A ball.

A ball or a boy? That ain't nothing.

What you doing in there?

How you guys doing?

Is this the only bar in town?

Nope, you got that one too.

Oh, he told >> Yeah, and the brewery right here.

You got the portal. Okay. Cool.

Then you going to have the Mexican restaurant.

Restaurant-wise, that's going to be about the only three and then you got a

couple liquor Not not a whole lot going on out here.

No, well that's all Southeast

Kentucky, you know, coal businesses.

Coal went down, so >> 100 years ago,

this place was packed with people, right? >> Yeah, yeah.

Well, you know, you got a YouTube channel? >> No, yeah. I'm just documenting.

I travel around the country and I just like to meet in like I'm from Arizona.

Some people, man, they

look at Harlan, Shelby, Kentucky and dumb hillbilly.

And then whatever, right? Educated snack.

In my opinion, what I'd like to see, like the federal government or something

do, I would like for them to come in and build an army base or Yeah.

some factories or give our area some tax breaks

that a big factory

and stuff like that could come in with it. Right.

And that way we have jobs

in the area and everybody

Yeah, there's no jobs for them.

There's like no jobs here.

McDonald's, I mean, that's like

those are not really biggest Well, I would say your two biggest employers

in the county of Harlan

is going to be and the hospital. Walmart? >> Yeah, or school.

Yeah, I lived here my entire life. >> Really?

And I was in a house fire

today makes six years ago.

They had to take the remains of my son to the morgue.

Well, well outside the school for like 11 days.

Made it look better, I swear, buddy.

He used to be ugly. >> Holy man.

I lost my little boy and girl getting ready to turn four years old. So they're twins. You lost them?

And my wife, she went back in the house after I came out the

second time and she was 90% burnt.

My son, he had to let her go two days later, so

You're the only one that survived?

>> I was the only one that survived.

It was a house fire? Yeah.

It was a house fire due to a propane heater.

The morning after Easter, April 22nd, 2019.

Just like a regular morning

and my little boy, he

uh came to the bedroom door after we'd had our shower and everything.

I he came to the bedroom door and screamed, "Dad! Dad!"

He got the last day out.

So I opened the door

and there was already smoke and I said, "Lord, help me.

What do I do?"

And then she said, "Go. Check. Go. Check. Go."

So I just went through

feeling the fire and smoke.

I ran out of there.

I finally found the door

and they said, "Uh the neighbors

uh witness said as I came out the first time

that I was already

burnt naked, my head was on

I got me three gulps of air, went back in, and I closed the door.

And That's the last time you saw your family?

Uh it's the last time I saw all of my family. Wow.

That time I laid down in the dining room.

And next thing I know, I was on the first step on the front

steps coming It's the porch.

Did you have like a surgery or procedure done?

Were you >> Uh I've had over 100 surgeries.

And your >> Burnt right through the sole of my shoe.

I was burnt all the way to the Wow. bones.

They uh did many skin grafts.

Um first they used it >> You look great.

For having 100 surgeries,

you're doing good, man.

Oh, I >> You're hanging in there.

Like you're a miracle.

I wouldn't I wouldn't have even know like if I just passed by, I wouldn't even know.

And they expected me to stay in the hospital for 2 and 1/2 years.

And I walked out of the hospital 5 days less than 3 months doing

the floss dance like the nurses did.

How has it changed you as a person?

You can let things that come at you in life either mold you to

be good or you can let them mold you to be bad.

And for a long time, I was bitter toward God.

Like, "Why would you let such

me live and not them?"

I wish my wife could experience

just half the man that I am now. >> Aw.

And I find enjoyment

out of trying uplift

people and encourage people who's lost hope and it seem to not find a way.

I try to help them.

How many How many kids did you have?

Uh I had Alex and Olivia.

And then my older son, Aussie.

He was at school at the time.

It was a Monday morning after Easter.

And thank God he was there.

But he hadn't turned 17 yet.

And he had to let Mama go 2 days later, and it mentally affected him.

Listening to this man talk about losing his family in the house fire is

devastating and I really admire his resilience.

It makes me realize that everyone out here is struggling in their own ways

and the poverty and isolation

makes things even tougher.

I want to hear more about his story so we all head to the nearest bar. Uh cheers bro.

You grew up here?

I grew up here.

What was it like here in your

in your >> Growing up was better than

my kid growing up here.

There's nothing for the children to do now.

>> That's why the kids leave. Right.

Or they're on drugs. >> Right. Right. It's sad.

They can always find

some holler that somebody's doing drugs in

>> if they go seeking it.

Do you think in the future there will be better days for Harlan County

or do you think

all the the good days are gone?

The good days are gone unless

the young generation steps up and they take it into their own hands.

If we had more to do in Harlan, half the kids my age wouldn't

be on dope the way they are. Right.

Everyone's on drugs here. Not everyone, sorry.

>> I'm 23 and I've had six of my friends I don't know.

I look at it differently cuz my dad overdosed and passed away.

August will make 5 years.

Is it tempting that it's here or do you just try to turn a

blind eye to it? It's everywhere.

It is but I try to stay away from it. >> Good. Nice meeting you.

Well, that was an interesting experience.

It's cool just to hang out in these bars and just

get a taste of local life.

I mean these guys just hang out. They're friendly.

They care about family,

relationships and it's very much of a

people-to-people culture which is dying in this world.

Everyone's on social media all day they're on their phone.

Here people just hang out and talk,

shoot the in real life.

This is a pretty cool place and I can imagine how if you're from

here, it really feels like home and it just pulls you back to stay here.

I mean home is wherever your family is.

I'm driving on Highway 421

deep deep deeper into Eastern Kentucky.

I actually had a flight out of Lexington,

Kentucky tonight, but I just canceled it and moved it to tomorrow

because I want to

enjoy the journey and see what else I can find up here.

As the locals told me in Harlan,

this road is very narrow and windy and it goes all the way up

into the hollers and that's exactly where we're heading.

I really hope I don't get a flat tire because there's no phone signal.

So, I'll have to just rely on kindness of locals if that does happen.

We are twisting and turning through Eastern Kentucky right now

and it is a blast.

I'm rolling up to

a place off the side of the road that I looks interesting. How you doing? What's going on?

Uh my GPS isn't working.

Is Lexington this way? Yeah.

I just keep going down up the road.

All right, go till you get into Hayden. Yeah.

Go through one red light,

turn right when you go across the hill,

turn right, it'll take you into London. Okay, thank you.

Uh you take care, all right? All the best.

Yes, yes, 421 you hit the

I will do that. Take care.

I'm not sure if you guys could hear

that guy speak, but I

could not understand a word he said. Friendly guy, though.

I've literally seen these Dollar General stores everywhere.

I've never been in one, so I'm going to go check out what a

grocery store looks like

middle of nowhere, Kentucky.

Ah, it's like a

grocery store and supermarket

and Walgreens, but really cheap.

It's really dark and depressing in here, to be honest.

But I guess if you live around here, this is the place where you shop.

Nothing very exciting, so

we're continuing on the journey.

I'm running out of time before we need to be in Lexington

and I know there's more to experience

here, but I just don't know where to look.

In a parking lot, I flagged down a guy in his 20s and asked

him about the nearby hollers.

He agrees to give me a tour in his red pickup truck and I

feel both nervous and excited about where this ride might take me.

Let me go put my

wheel in my truck

and we'll go drive around. What's up?

It's a big boy truck. All right, bro.

Give me the tour for half hour.

All right, what's your name?

My name is Andrew Jones. Andrew Jones.

My name is Drew and everybody thinks I'm Andrew, but it's actually just Drew.

That's what everybody calls me is Drew. >> Really? Yeah.

And does it bother you?

No, not a bit.

You've not really got a whole lot this way, but I will take you

and go show you a holler.

If you just stay on the main freeways,

you don't really get the culture here.

They want privacy, you know?

That that's the thing about this county. Everybody loves everybody.

Nobody really bothers anybody.

Everybody just kind of sticks to their selves for the most part.

>> And everyone has a gun on them, right?

For the most part, yeah.

Like in high school,

the really the only thing we done was party. Like house parties? >> Not not anymore.

No, not house parties. Field parties.

Drive out into a field,

get a big bonfire

going and get up.

That that's the gist of it.

How do you stay busy?

I guess you work.

But like >> Is that's the answer? Work. Yeah. Work.

Cuz if you didn't work,

you would just fall into the drug trap of everybody Not necessarily.

My My parents, they were

really strung out my whole life.

And you didn't And you didn't fall into that circle.

I've been around it my whole life.

Like the second day home from the hospital, I was with my grandparents.

>> Okay, so your grandparents raised you.

Pretty much Yeah, for the most part they've raised me.

And when I was

like four, my parents got arrested. Oh for what? Drugs. Trafficking and producing.

What kind of drugs? Meth mostly.

Over here was my grandma's

sister's house before they moved

And up there was,

I believe, her aunt and uncle.

You got some generational history here.

That is the house my grandmother grew up

What do you think about like LA?

I would like to go once,

just to see what it's like. >> crime around here?

Like breaking into houses?

Like Not a whole lot. >> lot.

And it's mostly the crackheads that do it.

A lot of them though

or there's there's still as nice as they would come.

I know several crackheads

they're they would give you the shirt off their back.

They just went down the wrong path. Is it fentanyl?

Mostly meth around here, >> Fentanyl kills you. It does.

>> You're dead if you try that stuff like a

>> it is starting fentanyl is starting to get incorporated

in the drugs around here.

That is >> Go over there.

He's a local around here. He's crazy.

He's a trip, dude. I'm Drew. I'm Drew. How you doing? I'm doing good.

He said uh he quit it he quit working. >> Oh. Down there.

I hunt that old guy up.

And then he gives me $10. A $100 day.

Danny was getting $100

a day and he only paying him $10. >> Thanks for translating. You're welcome.

Do you like it here? Is it fun? Uh that fun.

>> Have you ever traveled around America?

Do you have Do you want to? No.

See, I told you, bro.

No one wants to.

I don't tell you.

Most people don't want to.

Is this your dog? No, he hungry.

Somebody Somebody didn't feed that dog. He walked off. He's hungry.

Somebody didn't feed that dog. He walked off.

I love that you're translating for me, bro.

What's the best and the worst part about living good people.

Okay, and what's the worst part? I don't know.

They got a lot of drugs around here, haven't I? >> good, buddy. Drugs.

I didn't get a word of that.

All people want to do is take advantage of him.

Dude, that's People just roll around in those cars? It's legal. It's cool.

You can just ride around in side-by-sides, four-wheelers, whatever.

Jeff, what makes you happy?

Everything makes you happy. That's good.

He's a happy guy.

He's just a happy guy. Nice meeting you. Take care. See you, Jeff. I will. See you later.

Yeah, Bobby's at home.

Have a good day.

>> Wow, that was awesome.

Are there a lot of people like that here, or he's just one of a kind?

Pretty much one of a kind.

>> There will never be another Jeff.

>> He's definitely high on drugs. No. >> Definitely not.

No, he doesn't do anything.

He's >> high on Dude, he like looks like he's high.

I don't know if he has autism

or Asperger's or what.

Some kind of mental illness.

>> Yeah, he's got some kind of mental disorder. Okay.

And his mom His mom did him really bad

in life throughout his whole life.

His mom and sister

is From what I've heard, they did. Like abuse?

I don't know for sure, but I would assume so.

He gets a check for his disability.

Either his sister or his mom,

or maybe both of them at different times.

Like they would always take that check when he Aw, dude, that's so sad, man. Aw, that's terrible.

I totally thought he was on drugs, but now I understand that he had a mental disorder. Yeah.

No, he hates drug addicts. He hates them.

Cuz he needs to walk home?

Someone will grab him?

>> He He He will always get a ride.

Wait, so that Everybody knows him.

He's just like the town

>> So that dude just wanders around, and wherever he goes, he just makes friends? Pretty much.

>> Do you not think that's like bizarre? That's totally normal.

>> I'm sure from your perspective it's insane,

but like, you know, I grew up around it.

He pretty much just

He walks the roads

between San Gab >> Also, so you can never find where he is.

Like, he doesn't Does he Does he have a phone? No.

He doesn't have No phone. No.

I I swear he can teleport.

Like, you can see him in San Gab,

and he will beat you to McKee somehow.

So, he doesn't work.

He just wanders around and >> He wanders around and asks for $5. Yeah, $5.

Oh, I should have given him money. I feel bad. Don't feel bad.

I got a story on that.

Like, y'all know Jeff had came up and asked him for $5

to a Mountain Dew and a candy bar.

He loves Mountain Dew and a candy bar.

And he watched Jeff go to the counter at the store we was just

at, Whistle Stop, and pay with a $100 bill. What? Yeah.

He's >> He's a trip, man.

Dude, this guy just slinging something.

>> He's He's out here

He's the most mysterious guy.

He's hustling for a dollar.

That looks like a mom-and-pop

shop next to this next to this cracked-out building.

This is one of

the better places to eat in this county. Hell yeah, man.

And it is cheap.

Dude, look at this What is this building?

Hold on a second. What is this? I'm not sure.

All right, what are we getting?

We're loading up on food right now, bro.

We're getting ice cream,

but we're getting real food before the ice cream.

If you get a peanut butter milkshake.

If you like peanut butter >> peanut butter. Peanut butter milkshake.

>> I'm getting a peanut butter milkshake.

If you tell me it's good, I'm getting it. You order here?

You order right here. Hello. How you doing?

Can I get a a cheeseburger?

And uh what did you say you wanted? A bacon cheeseburger. Bacon cheeseburger.

And I've been told that this is the best peanut butter

shake in in Kentucky. Yep. Is that true? Mhm.

All right, I'm going to have a peanut butter shake. >> Large or small? Two smalls.

How do I pay you?

I can't I can't see anything. Here you go.

I feel like I'm in jail right now.

Has anyone else ever said that?

Like the the county jailhouse.

>> You you can't get the feel for the world just staying in a place

like this your whole life.

Other people don't think like that.

Like if you ask around, they'll probably be like, "Nah, I don't want to go anywhere.

I want to just stay here."

It's like my grandpa. Yeah.

He doesn't care if he ever leaves.

>> I feel like most people are like that here, but you're different. Yeah.

Most of your >> older population is like that.

They don't want to leave. How you doing?

No, I'm just documenting local life.

Have a nice day.

This is the classic

mom-and-pop shop It's the only one It's one of the only ones in the county. Crazy.

How long has this been around? Since '54. '54? 1965.

It opened in the '50s. '54. '56.

Wait, this It was in the same location? Same >> dirt. Oh, wow.

Was it run by your parents?

It was my grandparents. That's pretty cool. Very cool. There you go. Got it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Time to feast. Feast for sure.

This burger was like $3 or something.

That looks really really good.

That is way better than I thought it was going to be.

It's like a serious for $3.

I mean, it's like It's like a serious homemade burger.

So, this is like the place to hang out, like one of the places

to eat if you want to go out. Pretty much.

If you want something quick and cheap,

this is where you come.

Does everybody drive drunk here?

A lot of people do.

How do you suck this? Too big. >> to suck.

You got to Suck.

You got to >> going to eat it like it's a spoon. You're better off.

You were I'm kidding, man. That is delicious.

Holy How good is that? 1 to 10. All right.

>> I came to Kentucky and I tried crack, which is basically this peanut butter shake. That's enough. That's enough.

After burgers with Andrew, I leave Eastern Kentucky with a clearer sense of what

life here is really like.

The struggles are obvious,

poverty, isolation, and addiction.

But so are the small joys,

like sharing a meal with a stranger.

In the end, driving through the hollers in Appalachia

has given me a glimpse into a side of America that's been forgotten,

but still deserves to be seen.