Parks & Travel

Wildlife Safari in Etosha National Park, Namibia

We're going on a wildlife safari through Etosha National Park in Namibia on this episode of Big Blend Radio's JO GOES EVERYWHERE! Podcast with travel writer and photographer Jo Clark. 
Etosha is the largest salt pan in Africa, and is Namibia’s largest wildlife sanctuary that's home to a wide variety of birdlife as well as lions, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, two different zebras, hyenas, springboks, elands, Black and White rhinos, and the elusive leopard. Read Jo's article about her experience here: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/etosha-national-park-safari/ 
Jo Clark is a travel writer and photographer based on South Carolina’s Grand Strand. She has a thirst for knowledge, history, great food, and wine! Her Big Blend Radio podcast "Jo Goes Everywhere!" airs every 2nd Sunday at 7pm EST. Follow the show on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/yfkjm8sd 

Mountaineer Fay Fuller Climbs Mount Rainier

This episode of Big Blend Radio shares the story of Fay Fuller, the first woman to climb Mount Rainier in Washington. She first reached the summit on August 10, 1890, and climbed the mountain again in 1897. Read by Big Blend Radio host Lisa D. Smith, from this story: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/climbing-above-paradise/ 
This episode is featured on Big Blend Radio's "Big Daily Blend," "Women Making History," "Way Back When," and "Parks & Travel" Podcasts. Check out the Big Blend Radio Network of Shows, here: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork 

Travel Writer Barbara Redding Explores Wonderful Wales

From Castles and Roman City Walls to the lively capital city of Cardiff, Snowdonia National Park, and the Wales Coastal Path, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel" Show with IFWTWA travel writer Barbara Redding focuses on what you can experience in Wales. On a recent visit to Wales, Barbara quickly discovered that this small country of 3.2 million people is rich in historic castles and fortresses, natural wonders, crescent beaches, coastal trails, vibrant cities with Michelin-recommended restaurants, and more sheep than Scotland. Read her article abut her experiences, here: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/wales-rich-in-castles-natural-wonders-and-the-lively-capital-of-cardiffLearn more about the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) at https://www.ifwtwa.org/Follow this podcast here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzIUCV2e7qm1chVylr9kzBMftUgBoLS-m 

August Adventures in Asheville, North Carolina

From the Pisgah National Forest and Great Smoky Mountain National Park to Wellness Retreats and Foodie Fun, this episode of Big Blend Radio's 1st Tuesday "Adventures in Asheville" Show celebrates the month of August as American Adventures Month.
Featured Guests are Big Blend Radio regulars Steve & Karen Wilson, owners and innkeepers of The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast, a stunning pink lady in the Montford Historic District. More: https://www.lion-rose.com/ 
Big Blend Radio's "Adventures in Asheville" Show airs every 1st Tuesday. Follow the show on PodBean: https://adventures-asheville.podbean.com/ 

Poet Carissa Garcia and Artist Chelsea Bighorn

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "A Toast to The Arts & Parks" Podcast features National Parks Arts Foundation artists-in-residence Carissa "Lucky" Garcia and Chelsea Bighorn.
Carissa “Lucky” Garcia is an Indigenous/Chicana writer, poet, performing artist, community organizer, anti-oppression educator and Indigenous Justice advocate. Her NPAF residency was in Chaco Culture National Historical Park in Northern New Mexico. Hear her initial interview about her writing and poetry, here: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/poet-carrisa-garcia-goes-to-chaco/
A mixed media artist, Chelsea Bighorn’s work is the result of her combining traditional Native American design with elements from her Irish American heritage. Her NPAF residency was in Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona. Hear her initial interview about her art, here: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/artist-chelsea-bighorn-in-saguaro-national-park/
Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation’s unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

End-of-Summer Family Fun in California's Sequoia Country

Celebrate American Adventures Month in Tulare County, California! From park adventures and downtown public art and walking tours to concerts, fairs and festivals, museums, and where to shop, eat and play, it's all about end-of summer family fun on this episode of Big Blend Radio's "California Sequoia Country" Podcast. 
Located in Central California, Tulare County is home to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Giant Sequoia National Monument and Sequoia National Forest, and charming art and agricultural communities including Visalia, Tulare, Exeter, Dinuba, Porterville, Three Rivers, Lindsay, and Woodlake.  
Featured guests from the Sequoia Tourism Council include Sintia Kawasaki-Yee - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Suzanne Bianco - Visit Visalia,  and Cassidy Collins - Tulare Chamber of Commerce.
 Plan your visit with these websites mentioned in the podcast:- Sequoia Tourism Council: https://www.discoverthesequoias.com/ - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks: https://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm - Visit Visalia - https://www.visitvisalia.com/ - Tulare Chamber of Commerce: http://www.tularechamber.org/ - Big Blend Radio interview with painist Hunter Noack: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/classical-pianist-hunter-noack-in-haleakala-national-park/ 

Park Ranger Insider: Jim and Gayle Sleznick

Celebrate World Ranger Day with this “From the Vault” Big Blend Radio interview with Jim and Gayle Sleznick. We recorded this conversation onsite in late spring 2015, on a visit to San Benito County, Central California, the eastern gateway destination to Pinnacles National Park. It only took a few minutes to find out that they have one incredible life story to tell about living and working in various National Park units. Gayle’s park story begins in Death Valley, where her father worked, and where her mother had to travel out to Riverside, California to give birth to her. Jim’s park story started when he was a teenager, on family vacations in parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone. His park career began with a summer job in Crater Lake, where he met Gayle. They married when he began his full-time park ranger job in Lake Mead. Together for over 55 years, they lived and worked in several parks including the Gila Cliff National Monument, Virgin Islands National Park, Yosemite National Park, Lava Lake Volcano National Park, and beyond. Jim eventually retired from Pinnacles National Park, and they moved about 45 minutes northwest of the park, to the historic village of San Juan Bautista, which is on the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. They helped to create the local Anza Trail, a beautiful hiking trail that overlooks the valley. We recently learned that Jim passed away at the age of 91, on April 21, 2024. May he rest in peace. Our hearts go out to Gayle and his family. He is missed.

Osprey Conservation at Patuxent River Park, Maryland

This shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Show features travel writer and photographer Julie Dee Suman who discusses the Osprey Conservation efforts and recreational, bird watching, and educational opportunities at Patuxent River Park in Maryland. Read her article about the park, here: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/discover-patuxent-river-parks-osprey-population/ 
Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Podcast airs every 4th Friday in collaboration with Margot Carrera, a fine art nature photographer who is passionate about the environment. More: http://margotcarrera.etsy.com/