Doug Proctor grew up just outside Cincinnati, Ohio, where his love for rivers was seeded early in life. As a boy he spent years canoeing with his family and through the Boy Scouts on class one rivers across southern Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. At the age of 12 he embarked on his first extended cano…Doug Proctor grew up just outside Cincinnati, Ohio, where his love for rivers was seeded early in life. As a boy he spent years canoeing with his family and through the Boy Scouts on class one rivers across southern Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. At the age of 12 he embarked on his first extended canoe trip—a two-week wilderness journey in Kentucky that helped shape his lifelong passion for river travel and backcountry adventure.
In 1977 Proctor began his professional guiding career, leading whitewater rafting trips commercially on the New Riverand the Gauley River, two of the eastern United States’ premier whitewater destinations. Over the next 35 years he built extensive experience as an outfitter in West Virginia, guiding trips through challenging Class III and Class IV waters and cultivating deep skills in river stewardship, guest experience, and wilderness logistics.
His love of rivers and adventure didn’t stop in Appalachia. His guiding has taken him to Grand Canyon, Alaska, Chile, Costa Rica, Idaho, and numerous rivers in both the eastern and western United States. These experiences helped refine his craft as a guide renowned for both technical competence and a commitment to sharing wild rivers with thoughtful guests.
Today Proctor is co-owner of Selway River Adventures, a wilderness rafting outfitter based in Stanley, Idaho. With his partners he operates under one of the extremely limited commercial permits on the Selway River, a nationally designated Wild and Scenic river flowing through the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Trips are typically five to six days long, weaving technical whitewater with solitude and natural beauty few river runners ever get to experience.
Proctor now lives in Stanley with his wife Cathy and their dogs, drawn to Idaho by the remarkable concentration of great rivers in the region. Guiding river trips for over 40 years, he views sharing his experience with guests and friends as not just a profession but a deep passion—one rooted in the rhythms of wild water and the stories those rivers tell.
Show notes:
00:03:51 - The Selway River: Permit System and Access
00:05:56 - From Boy Scouts to River Guide Entrepreneur
00:07:56 - Class 6 Rafting Company Origin Story
00:09:59 - Selway River: Protected Wilderness and Rafting History
00:12:24 - Early Spring Wildlife and River Adventure
00:15:41 - Protecting Rivers and Wilderness Areas
00:17:56 - Selway River Adventures Trip Overview
00:19:38 - First-Time River Trips Need Only Willingness
00:21:41 - Wildlife Abundance on the Selway River
00:24:23 - Salmon Extinction Crisis and Dam Removal Solutions
00:26:27 - Selway Lodge History and River Adventures
00:28:21 - Epic River Adventures in Alaska and Beyond
00:30:19 - Doug's Eighth Grade Singing Trauma
00:31:53 - Three Pieces of Life Advice and Conservation
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Kentucky native and comedian Katherine Blanford takes us on a hilarious journey across America, sharing how different regions react to humor and why the Pacific Northwest has become her performing paradise. From childhood road trips to Cracker Barrel to navigating regional comedy crowds, Katherine r…Kentucky native and comedian Katherine Blanford takes us on a hilarious journey across America, sharing how different regions react to humor and why the Pacific Northwest has become her performing paradise. From childhood road trips to Cracker Barrel to navigating regional comedy crowds, Katherine reveals the art of connecting with audiences nationwide—plus her brutally honest airport confessions.
From Cracker Barrel to Comedy Clubs
In this episode, you'll discover:
How a Kentucky kid who thought Calgary was "international travel" became a touring comedian
Why the Pacific Northwest produces Katherine's favorite audiences (hint: they're cold, drunk, and unpretentious)
The secret to reading crowds from the arm-crossing Midwest to the hootin'-and-hollererin' South
What makes small towns like Great Falls, Montana, comedy gold
Comedy Across America
[06:15] Growing up in Louisville with dreams of horses and trips to Churchill Downs[15:30] The cultural shift from 31 years in the Southeast to touring nationwide[22:45] Decoding regional audience reactions—from Midwest nodders to Southern hollerers[28:20] Why Pacific Northwest crowds are a comedian's dream[35:10] The legendary Arizona crowd work story and learning to read local "creatures"
A Comedian's Guide to Regional Humor
Katherine Blanford's sharp Southern wit has earned her spots at comedy clubs nationwide, with her latest special "Catholic Cowgirl" showcasing her unique perspective on growing up in Kentucky horse country. Her approach to comedy goes beyond just getting laughs—she studies each town like an anthropologist, understanding what makes different communities tick.
In this episode, you'll hear how Katherine transforms her childhood obsession with horses (she couldn't have one, so she became one) into crowd work gold, and why she had to retire her famous "neigh-off" challenge after Chicago audiences got too competitive.
Resources
Read the transcript of the episode
Catch Katherine live at upcoming shows in Sunnyvale, California, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa
See her at Red Rocks this October with Bert Kreischer
About Travel Tales by Afar
Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week, and our industry-focused podcast, View From Afar.
Travel Tales by Afar is part of Airwave Media's podcast network. Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast.
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Send us Fan Mail Travel Expert Onanta Forbes has returned from her semi world cruise and I have returned from last week's Travel South USA Global Week Conference in Louisville. Kentucky so on this week's podcast we'll get caught up on the latest travel news about traveling to the US. Then we'll chat…Send us Fan Mail Travel Expert Onanta Forbes has returned from her semi world cruise and I have returned from last week's Travel South USA Global Week Conference in Louisville. Kentucky so on this week's podcast we'll get caught up on the latest travel news about traveling to the US. Then we'll chat with travel writer and blogger Linda King about the island of Bora Bora in the South Pacific. She's the founder of the Smart Travelista website Smarttravelista.com and that's where you'll find her...more
Send us Fan Mail Last week we continued our road trip from Louisiana to Louisville, Kentucky. We spent 3 days in Louisville to attend the Travel South USA Global Week Conference. While we were there we got to experience the culture, music and food Louisville has to offer. Plus, sample lots of bourbo…Send us Fan Mail Last week we continued our road trip from Louisiana to Louisville, Kentucky. We spent 3 days in Louisville to attend the Travel South USA Global Week Conference. While we were there we got to experience the culture, music and food Louisville has to offer. Plus, sample lots of bourbon. So in this week's podcast we'll share with you the conversations we had with Travel South USA, Kentucky Tourism, Louisville Tourism and the Waterfront Botanical Gardens. Support the showmore
Have you ever been to Mammoth Cave National Park? It's really not that impressive, is it. Sure, it's more than 425 miles long, but only about 10 miles are open to the public.
Mammoth Cave is indeed a big, dark hole in the ground. And apparently there are a fair number of visitors to the national pa…Have you ever been to Mammoth Cave National Park? It's really not that impressive, is it. Sure, it's more than 425 miles long, but only about 10 miles are open to the public.
Mammoth Cave is indeed a big, dark hole in the ground. And apparently there are a fair number of visitors to the national park in Kentucky who are not impressed with the cave and its underground artworks created by dripstones, stalactites, and stalagmites. In fact, a recent survey ranked Mammoth Cave as the third-most disappointing destination in America.
Really? To get the park's response, we're joined today by Molly Schroer, the park's management analyst. We'll be back in a minute with Molly.more
Let’s go on an adventure! This summer, we took a road trip through some of our favorite parks, plus we added in a few places we had never been to before. And now we want to take you along with us on this epic driving route!
Join us on a 10-day journey through the Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentu…Let’s go on an adventure! This summer, we took a road trip through some of our favorite parks, plus we added in a few places we had never been to before. And now we want to take you along with us on this epic driving route!
Join us on a 10-day journey through the Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky National Parks as we share all of the fun things you can do with your family in this area.
In this episode, we discuss:
Our favorite things to do in Nashville
The best activity to do in Townsend (plus what to beware of!)
Navigating the craziness of Gatlinburg
Highlights of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Everything we loved about Blue Ridge Parkway
Eating our way through Asheville
Why the Biltmore is a must-see
Exciting tours of Mammoth Cave
There you have it—our 10-day summer road trip to some incredible national parks!
We hope you enjoy this journey and that this episode gives you ideas for your own road trip through Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky!
Don’t forget to complete your task for this week! This road trip covered Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Mammoth Cave. Which one is your favorite? Bonus points if you share pictures! Head over to the Dirt in My Shoes Facebook or Instagram page and let us know!
Check out the full show notes here.more
On this episode of "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," the boys luxuriate in Louisville. From exploring hidden walkways to throwing back some bourbon—plus a quick stop to honor The Colonel—Ryan and Kiernan are officially Kentucky converts.
Things we talk about in this week's episode:
21C Museum Hot…On this episode of "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," the boys luxuriate in Louisville. From exploring hidden walkways to throwing back some bourbon—plus a quick stop to honor The Colonel—Ryan and Kiernan are officially Kentucky converts.
Things we talk about in this week's episode:
21C Museum Hotel
https://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/louisville/
The Brown Hotel
https://www.brownhotel.com/
The Hot Brown
https://www.gotolouisville.com/blog/hot-brown/
On this episode of "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," the boys put on their hard hats, light their lanterns, and head underground! Ryan and Kiernan are fresh back from Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky—the largest cave system in the world! They have tales to tell about secret subterranean river…On this episode of "Out of Office: A Travel Podcast," the boys put on their hard hats, light their lanterns, and head underground! Ryan and Kiernan are fresh back from Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky—the largest cave system in the world! They have tales to tell about secret subterranean rivers, folksy rangers, and gypsum flowers that take eons to grow.
