Travel Podcasts, Discovered
In Dear Bob and Sue, authors Matt and Karen Smith share stories of their travels to all of the U.S. National Park as well as other spectacular public lands. From adventures gone awry to memorable moments and Q&As from readers, get to know the couple behind the books and get inspired to go on some adventures of your own.
60 most recent episodes displayed below
Visit website →#175: Great Pizza Places Near National Parks
After over fifteen years of traveling to the U.S. national parks and other public lands, we’ve learned there are a few key pieces of information you need to make a road trip a success. And at the top o
Across our U.S. public lands are more than 130 national monuments, each protecting a unique natural or cultural treasure. In this episode, we’re diving into ten that feel a lot like visiting a national park, but without the crowds.
We share a mix of
We recently returned to Pinnacles National Park, a place we hadn’t visited since our first trip in 2013. Situated about 75 minutes south of Monterey, California, Pinnacles is known for its dramatic volcanic rock formations, remnants of a once 8,000-f
Having visited all 63 U.S. national parks, we felt it was time to broaden our scope and explore one of the most popular and biologically diverse national parks outside the United States: Galápagos National Park. Located hundreds of miles west of main
#171: An Epic Road Trip Along California’s Highway 395
The 150-mile stretch of Highway 395 from Bridgeport to Lone Pine takes travelers through a landscape of wide valleys, alpine lakes, volcanic wonders, and Old West history. Running along the east
Nestled below the granite cliffs of Yosemite Valley is a village bustling with visitors year-round. For over a century, Curry Village has welcomed guests who want to stay in this magnificent valley yet are looking for an affordable option to the othe
This episode is sponsored by GO RVING™
Nothing says “All American Road Trip” more than loading up an RV, hitting the road, and having an adventure. And that’s exactly what we did recently with the help from our friends at GO RVING™
In the spring of
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.
In this episode, we cover these t
Visitors flock to Sedona, Arizona, for a multitude of reasons: the red rock landscape, the concentration of incredible hiking trails, the culinary scene, and the focus on spiritual wellness. In this episode, we'll share some of our favorite experienc
National parks, forests, and other federal lands are not the only incredible outdoor destinations in America. Wherever we travel, we make a point to check out the state parks along the way, and we’re constantly amazed at the ones we find.
In episode
There’s a reason to visit Olympic National Park any time of year. While summer is best, each season offers visitors a chance to enjoy this incredibly diverse natural resource. Regardless of how often we visit Olympic we always leave wanting to go bac
Are you looking for a break from the cold, gray days of winter? We have a perfect solution: a road trip loop through the American Southwest that will take you to four national parks with some bonus stops along the way.
We start and end the road trip
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.
In this episode, we cover these t
Glacier National Park is considered the “crown of the continent” because of its pristine beauty, rugged wilderness, and magnificent wildlife. While the park is open all year, summer is the primetime for visitors. However, the window to visit while th
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.
In this episode, we cover these
What’s on your bucket list? It’s a topic everyone is talking about these days, and we have a few suggestions for anyone who loves our national parks and public lands.
Back in the day, our list was simple; visit all the U.S. national parks. But once
Join us as we take you on an epic road trip to all four of Colorado’s national parks!
These four parks are incredibly diverse, and this trip will have you driving through alpine forests in the Rocky Mountains, hiking up the tallest sand dunes in No
Carved by the once-wild Columbia River, the Columbia River Gorge is a dramatic canyon that snakes through the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest on its way to the Pacific Ocean. It's an area of stunning natural beauty with endless outdoor adventu
Each year, the National Park Service celebrates National Park Week in April. And this year, they’ve planned events from April 20th through April 28th.
In this episode, we highlight some of the activities that will happen during National Park Week,
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.
In this episode, we cover these
One of the most frequent questions we get from travelers is how to plan a visit to Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton NPs in a single road trip. In this episode, we cover all the details you’ll need to do just that.
Without a doubt, these three
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.
In this episode, we cover these
Long before the National Park Service was founded, the U.S. Army was put in charge of protecting America’s national parks. One of the groups that played a crucial role in fulfilling this invaluable service to our country was the Buffalo Soldiers: Afr
Dry Tortugas National Park is in a category of its own: pre-civil war fort, 70 miles out to sea with nothing else around it, incredible history, beautiful tropical keys with campsites, and right in the path of the most powerful hurricanes on the plan
This episode is a companion to our previous release, #150: Exploring Joshua Tree National Park. So many travelers to this magical part of Southern California spend time in both Joshua Tree NP and Palm Springs that these back-to-back episodes would be
Welcome to our journey through the awe-inspiring landscapes of America's national parks! Today is part one of a two-part series about Southern California's desert playground, where we explore the magical and rugged terrain of Joshua Tree National Par
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.
In this episode, we cover these
Who knows better what could go wrong while hiking in a national park than the people whose job it is to rescue hikers? That’s why we connected with a national park ranger to hear first-hand tips about hiking safety. In this episode, we interview Sara
A national park that started out as a state park more than 90 years ago, Big Bend is often
called Texas’ gift to the nation. With over 1,200 square miles of pristine land, this park has a wide range of ecosystems, from sprawling deserts to mountains
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.
In this episode, we cover these
For many visitors, hiking is their go-to activity in the national parks; it is for us. But there are so many other activities the parks have to offer. In this episode, we talk about a dozen or more things you can do in the parks that are unique and a
As the temperatures drop up north, it’s time to start thinking about warm-weather escapes. In today’s episode, we have the perfect destination for you: Saguaro National Park and a whole bunch of other incredible public lands in Southern Arizona.
Jo
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.
In this episode, we cover these
Southern Utah is home to five must-see national parks, but if you’re traveling to this part of the American Southwest, you won’t want to miss the other incredible things to see and do.
In this episode, we take you to 20 of our favorite places we’ve d
Find a comfortable seat and sit back as we take you with us on our boat tour to Rainbow Bridge National Monument, located just steps away from Lake Powell in a remote corner of southern Utah. On a recent road trip earlier this month, we were lucky en
Listeners frequently ask us to create episodes about road trip itineraries, and in this episode, we outline a stunning 8-day driving loop through public lands in northern California and southern Oregon. On this journey, you’ll visit three national pa
It’s that time of year again, so get ready to be scared out of your wits! Just kidding, but we do have a fun lineup of stories in this episode about ghost towns in the national parks. While you can find deserted towns, remnants of bygone boom/bust cy
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.
In this episode, we cover these t
Buckle up, folks, for another road trip loop! In this episode, we’re taking you on an epic trip through the heart of Appalachia to four national parks and a national park service scenic byway.
We’ll travel to national parks in five states: Mammoth Ca
Great Basin National Park, located in eastern Nevada, is a stunning example of the diverse beauty of the American Southwest. In this episode, we talk about why you'll want to put a visit to this park in your wish bucket the next time you plan a trip
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.
In this episode, we cover these
Hugging the eastern border of Alaska, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is a breathtaking example of raw and untamed nature. At a staggering 13.2 million acres, it holds the title of the largest national park in the United States. Its vas
Our country’s national parks protect a huge variety of landscapes, and today, we’re playing in the sand in some of the national parks that feature sand dunes. These unique landforms offer a wide variety of activities, from hiking, saucer-sliding, tra
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these t
Nothing makes you feel like you’re in a national park more than staying in a rustic, historic cabin in the woods. (Or on an ocean bluff or the rim of the Grand Canyon.) In this episode, we describe many of our favorite cabins throughout the NPS syste
Welcome to another episode of our podcast, where we're diving into the heart of America's most iconic national parks and highlighting some easy bucket-list hikes that are both breathtaking and accessible. Whether you're an avid hiker looking for a le
In our Archive Episodes, we focus on a specific destination or topic we’ve covered in a previous episode, re-play that portion of the show, and add our updated comments. Today, we’re re-sharing our best hiking recommendations in Rocky Mountain Nation
In this archive episode we’ve pulled together a couple excerpts from previous shows where we talked about our challenges with bugs while hiking and camping. Today, we’ve added additional information about five products we’ve used in the past on our o
Our Archive Episodes focus on a specific destination or topic we’ve covered in a previous episode. We re-play that portion of the show and add our updated comments. Today, we’re exploring the Pacific Coast beaches of Olympic National Park. Unlike any
In our Archive Episodes, we focus on a specific destination or topic we’ve covered in a previous episode, re-play that portion of the show, and add our updated comments. Today, we take you back to Gateway Arch National Park, one of our newest nationa
In our Archive Episodes, we focus on a specific destination or topic we’ve covered in a previous episode, re-play that portion of the show, and add our updated comments. Today, we take you back to the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park, one o
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these t
A trip to Stehekin, tucked away in a valley in the North Cascades National Park complex, feels like a visit to an island. But instead of being completely surrounded by water, this remote village is hemmed in by spectacular alpine backcountry, making
The Black Hills of South Dakota are home to not one but two of the world’s longest cave systems. Both in the National Park system, Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park are must-see destinations.
Located just 20 minutes away from
State parks are a special kind of public land, beloved by locals but often as spectacular and exciting as their national park cousins. In episode #30, we featured six of our favorites, but our list of fabulous state parks is too long to end there. He
Since its completion in 1936, the Beartooth Highway has thrilled millions of visitors with jaw-dropping views of one of the most beautiful and wild areas in the lower 48 states. It seems fitting that a road built 90 years ago to take travelers to and
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these t
The American Bison symbolizes a bygone era when the Great Plains, with their millions of acres of tallgrass prairie, were undisturbed by railroads, fences, farmland, and towns. While we nearly squandered this extraordinary natural resource into extin
America is home to some of the world's most awe-inspiring landscapes and natural marvels. In this episode, we've chosen twelve stunning destinations that are also relatively easy for most people to experience. While there are many more beautiful sigh
In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these t