Parks & Travel

This shared episode of Big Blend Radio’s "Toast to The Arts & Parks" Podcast, with the National Parks Arts Foundation, features landscape oil painter Dawn Waters Baker, a “Painter of Spiritual Landscapes,” fresh from her second NPAF artist residency at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. It’s her fourth NPAF residency overall, following Big Bend National Park and Gettysburg National Military Park. Dawn shares what a month on the Big Island gave her: - A caldera that has changed dramatically since her 2020 stay. It’s now steaming, it has sunk lower, and it erupted while she was there. - The resilient, community-minded people of Nāʻālehu. - A night on Mauna Kea under the Milky Way. - Her habit of hiking, sketching and journaling before she ever lifts a brush. We talk about painting mist, veils and glazes so you feel a place instead of seeing every detail. We also cover Nan Shepherd’s idea of going into a mountain, putting the phone down long enough to receive a landscape, and why art matters for preserving what’s at risk. Dawn also tells of fireflies rising over the Gettysburg fields at twilight and the trees that carried her story there, and why Big Bend is the park she cried her way out of. She wraps up with her plans for gold leaf and tree paintings from this residency, and her hope to show the new work at a Fort Worth gallery. LINKS & RESOURCES: - Dawn Waters Baker: https://www.DawnWatersBaker.com  - National Parks Arts Foundation: https://NationalParksArtsFoundation.org  - Browse more episodes: https://arts-parks.podbean.com/

Snow is already falling in places in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, the lights are going up in Visalia, and Exeter is getting ready for Santa. On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "California’s Sequoia Country" Podcast with the Sequoia Tourism Council, producer Lisa D. Smith talks with Holly Streit of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Suzanne Bianco of Visit Visalia, and Shannon Schroth of Experience Exeter.  You’ll hear about: - Winter in the parks: layers, road conditions, tire chains and ranger-led snowshoe programs in Grant Grove and at the Giant Forest Museum - The Pear Lake Winter Hut with Sequoia Parks Conservancy, with reservations expected to open November 12 - Visalia’s 80th Candy Cane Lane Parade on November 30 and the holiday market at Kaweah Oaks Preserve, December 4-6 - Exeter’s Christmas Thursdays (December 3, 10 and 17), Santa at the farmers market November 18, and chamber gift certificates - The North Pole Market at the International Agri-Center in Tulare on December 12 - Sequoia Parks Conservancy’s 25% off shop sale through December 31, the Christmas Bird Count on December 19, and the Trek to the Nation’s Christmas Tree on December 13 - Cozy holiday weekends: cocoa, cookies, soup, gingerbread houses and a good book LINKS & TRAVEL RESOURCES: - Explore the region: https://www.discoverthesequoias.com  - Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks: https://www.nps.gov/seki  - Visit Visalia: https://www.visitvisalia.com  - Visalia Holiday Guide: https://www.visitvisalia.com/articles/visalia-holiday-guide  - Visalia Winter Weekend Getaway: https://www.visitvisalia.com/articles/visalia-winter-weekend-getaway  - Experience Exeter, Exeter Chamber of Commerce: https://exeterchamber.com  - Sequoia Parks Conservancy (shop sale 25% off through Dec 31): https://www.sequoiaparksconservancy.org  

The Congo Basin absorbs more carbon than any other tropical forest on Earth, yet it receives just 11 percent of international tropical forest funding. Professor Lee White, Special Envoy to the Science Panel for the Congo Basin, joins Lisa D. Smith on this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Podcast just after New York Climate Week, where he launched a new brief on funding tropical forests. Hear why the Congo Basin and the Amazon are the two chambers of the Earth’s green heart, how trees keep cities cooler and kids healthier, why science funding matters, and how modern farming can protect the forest. Also what happens when ecosystems fall out of balance, and what each of us can do. LINKS & RESOURCES: - Science Panel for the Congo Basin: https://www.spcongobasin.org - Scaling Tropical Forest Finance brief (SDSN):  https://www.unsdsn.org/resources/scaling-tropical-forest-finance-perspectives-from-the-amazon-basin-the-congo-basin-and-borneo/}  ABOUT OUR GUEST Professor Lee White CBE is Special Envoy to the Science Panel for the Congo Basin and an Honorary Professor at the University of Stirling. A joint British-Gabonese national, he has spent four decades working in tropical Africa. His roles include senior positions with the Wildlife Conservation Society, ten years directing Gabon’s National Parks Agency, and more than four years as Gabon’s minister of forests, environment and climate. Visit us for more episodes in the Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com 

On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Lost Angel Travel Adventures" Podcast, travel writer and author Linda Ballou takes us to Moab, Utah, the red-rock gateway to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. She shares how a chance meeting in an airport led to her first kayak trip down Labyrinth Canyon on the Green River, and how much Moab has changed in the twenty years since her first visit. Along the way, Linda explores Highway 128 along the Colorado River and the film museum at Red Cliffs Lodge. They talk about Thelma & Louise, John Ford, and the outlaws and moonshiners who once hid in Labyrinth Canyon. Then it’s on to the wonders of Arches, from Park Avenue to the Courthouse and the Three Gossips. Hear about Edward Abbey's book "Desert Solitaire," his fight to stop the damming of Glen Canyon, and the toll of the uranium mining days. Then, a reflection on what a river can teach us about going with the flow. Linda offers options for every visitor, from half-day river trips to Jeep and photography tours, and a gentle reminder to tread lightly on the fragile desert. MORE ON MOAB: - Episode page with Linda’s Moab guide & article excerpt: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/moab-utah-rivers-red-rock-abbey-country  - Linda’s full Moab guide on NABBW: https://nabbw.com/expert-columns/searching-for-new-adventures-in-southeast-utah-linda-ballou-recommends-moab-as-your-perfect-springboard/  - Moab Visitor Center: https://www.moabtourismcenter.com/  Linda Ballou: https://www.LindaBallouAuthor.com  FOLLOW LINDA: - Lost Angel Adventures: https://www.LostAngelAdventures.com  - Linda Ballou Author Site: https://www.lindaballouauthor.com/  - Podcast: https://lost-angel-travel-adventures.podbean.com  - Digital Podcast Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/podcast-retrospective/ 

Celebrate America 250 in upstate South Carolina! On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Jo Goes Everywhere" Podcast, travel writer Jo Clark takes us to Ninety Six National Historic Site, a backcountry crossroads where 12 roads met and later the site of the longest land siege of the American Revolution, from May 22 to June 18, 1781. This park also turned 50 this year. Jo walks us through the Star Fort and Kosciuszko’s brick-lined mine tunnel. She also tells the tale of the engineer who got shot in the butt, poses for a selfie with the big replica gun, and explains why the kids’ tunnel is such a hit. She shares what it’s like to hear reenactments and cannon fire (earplugs recommended!) and why Lake Greenwood State Park is worth adding to your trip. Then it’s time to eat and stay. Jo takes us to Break on the Lake and Indigenous Underground, where Chef Erica “Trudy” McCier serves soul rolls and Black Eye Pea Gumbo. She also stops at Main Street Coffee Co., The Rough House and 96 Pecan Company (don’t miss the Lemon Crunch!), and spends the night at The Veranda on Main. At the end, Jo toasts with her Spooktacular Halloween Cocktail. RESOURCE LINKS: - Read Jo’s full article, with all the details, tips and links to every stop: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/ninety-six-national-historic-site  - Get Jo’s Spooktacular Halloween Cocktail recipe: https://recipestravelculture.com/spooktacular-halloween-cocktail/  Follow More of Jo: -  https://www.haveglasswilltravel.com/  - https://recipestravelculture.com/  - Jo Goes Everywhere! Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/jo-goes-everywhere-podcast  - Jo Goes Everywhere! Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/jo-goes-everywhere-magazine 

What happens when a comedian walks into a volcano? In this return visit on this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Toast to the Arts & Parks" Show with the National Parks Arts Foundation (NPAF), Lisa D. Smith catches up with stand-up comedian Ben Miller, the scientist-turned-comedian who became the first stand-up comedian ever selected as an NPAF artist in residence, at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park in February 2023. That month on the Big Island, spent learning from volcanologists, entomologists, archeologists, and local Hawaiians, became "Volcano," a science comedy hour that has toured 70+ cities internationally and is now available to watch on YouTube. It was filmed at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the first stand-up comedy special ever taped at a science museum, and it carries what may be the longest bibliography in comedy history: 281 sources. In this conversation, Ben talks about taking "Volcano" from the Edinburgh Fringe to Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and New Zealand. He describes writing an hour of jokes in a single month, performing in national parks and even a cave, and why he cites his sources on stage. He also explains how he writes jokes that are funny without being cruel, including how he approached Mount St. Helens, and shares what's next: a new hour of science jokes and a tour for next year. Along the way, the conversation wanders through ʻōhelo berry pies, a 3 a.m. croissant disaster, silkworms and monarch way stations, lava crickets and invasive earthworms, Pompeii's ancient bread, and the persistent myth that a volcano gave us Frankenstein. It's also a reminder of why arts in parks matter: more storytelling means more preservation, conservation, and interpretation. MORE: - Watch Ben Miller's Volcano comedy special: https://youtu.be/RfpFj34QQ3U?si=RvCtnd43tLufDdo6  - Ben Miller Comedy: https://www.BenMillerComedy.com  - Ben's first Big Blend interview from his residency:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78wzGPHZ_m0  - National Parks Arts Foundation: https://www.NationalParksArtsFoundation.org 

It's October in California's Sequoia Country, and there's a lot going on. On this shared "California Sequoia Country" episode with the Sequoia Tourism Council, Big Blend Radio host Lisa D. Smith is joined by Holly Streit of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and Suzanne Bianco of Visit Visalia to kick off fall. The episode starts with an anniversary: on October 1st, 1890, General Grant National Park was established to protect the General Grant Tree, the second largest tree in the world and the nation's only dedicated living shrine to service members. Holly explains how that four-acre park became part of Kings Canyon, what's closing for the season at Cedar Grove and Mineral King, and how the park's December wreath ceremony at the nation's Christmas tree works. It's also bear season, so Holly shares what to do if you see one, including keeping 50 yards back and storing food and scented items properly, and why fallen sequoias and dead trees matter to the forest. Plus, October 27th is a fee-free day for Teddy Roosevelt's birthday. Then Suzanne walks through October in Visalia and Tulare County: the Tulare Crush Party on October 9th, the Exeter Fall Festival on October 10th and the downtown Scarecrow Contest, Visalia Pride, Books & Brews and the Taste The Arts street festival on the weekend of October 17th, and the Sequoia Symphony playing Pirates of the Caribbean at the Fox Theater. You'll also hear about Cosmic Creeps at the Planetarium on October 23rd, the city's Halloween house map, mini pumpkindishes at the Vintage Press, a few ghost stories, and a visit to the Tulare County Museum for Global Diversity Awareness Month. Plan your visit and get more information: - Discover the Sequoias: https://www.discoverthesequoias.com  - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks: https://www.nps.gov/seki  - Visit Visalia: https://www.visitvisalia.com  - New Sequoia Tourism Council episodes air every first Thursday: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/california-s-sequoia-country-podcast 

On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "English Connection" Podcast, Glynn Burrows takes us for a wander through England's forests — ancient and modern, native and man-made — and what a single tree can teach us about history, health, and home. From Sherwood's legendary (and ailing) Major Oak to Thetford's man-made pine forest, from tree-ring dendrochronology to the real origin of the word "underdog," this one covers a lot of ground. Along the way: tree equity and environmental justice in American cities, why a felled tree feels like a genuine loss, cemetery bird-watching, England's Heritage Open Days, and a closing reading of Joyce Kilmer's "Trees." Read the companion article, "England's Ancient Trees: A Personal Tour of Britain's Forests," and check out Glynn's Digital Magazine at the links below. And what a great episode with today (Sept. 26) being National Public Lands Day, Johnny Appleseed Day, and Lumberjack Day! Resource Links: - Article: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/englands-ancient-trees - Check out Glynn's "English Connection" Podcast & Magazine on his website https://www.englishconnection.uk/ - Glynn's new English Connection Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61594366433338 

On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Lost Angel Travel Adventures" Podcast, travel writer Linda Ballou shares her latest adventure: six days rafting 89 miles of the Green River through Desolation Canyon, one of the largest roadless wildernesses left in the American Southwest.  Traveling with OARS Whitewater Rafting, Linda and a group of fellow outdoor enthusiasts — many of them retirees in their sixties, seventies, and eighties — floated past towering sandstone cliffs, ancient Fremont and Ute rock art, and the site where Butch Cassidy once hid stolen cattle. Linda talks about the rhythm of "river time" — no cell service, no politics, just canyon wrens at dawn and guitar music at camp — and how the trip challenged her physically more than she expected as she continues to rebuild her strength. She also shares the history of John Wesley Powell's 1869 expedition, which gave the canyon its name, and reflects on what six days unplugged in the wilderness taught her about pacing herself and accepting help from others. Whether you're planning your own rafting trip or just want an armchair escape to redrock country, this episode captures the scenery, the characters, and the quiet magic of one of Utah's most remote stretches of river. PLAY YOUR ADVENTURE: 📖 Read the full article on Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/deep-dive-into-desolation-canyon-in-southwest-utah   📝 Read more on NABBW: https://nabbw.com/expert-columns/travel/linda-ballou-rafts-desolation-canyon-utah-or-the-green-river-affair/   🚣 Raft With OARS: https://www.oars.com/adventures/green-river-rafting-through-desolation-canyon/   🌍CHECK OUT LINDA'S BOOKS & TRAVELS: - https://www.LindaBallouAuthor.com - https://www.LostAngelAdventures.com  🎙️ Subscribe to Lost Angel Travel Adventures Podcast: https://lost-angel-travel-adventures.podbean.com   📖 Explore the Lost Angel Travel Adventures Digital Podcast Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/podcast-retrospective/ 

Travel writer and advisor Lisa Evans, host of Big Blend Radio's "Journey Jukebox" Podcast takes us to Yellowstone National Park — America's very first national park, marking 110 years of the National Park Service this year.  This episode picks up right where her Cody, Wyoming visit left off: after basing herself in Cody, Lisa spent a day and a half looping through Yellowstone by chartered bus, and brings back a full rundown — bison herds thick enough to stop traffic for fifty cars, a moose sighting straight out of Lamar Valley, a surprise cinnamon bear, and the bighorn sheep on the way out of the park. From there we walk through the icons — Old Faithful (which kept everyone waiting an extra thirty minutes), the otherworldly colors of Grand Prismatic Spring and the Midway Geyser Basin, the bubbling mud volcanoes, and dinner at the historic Lake Yellowstone Hotel with a general manager who's spent 40 years working his way up through the park's lodging operation. We also get honest about the less charming side of visiting a place like Yellowstone: tourists stepping over barriers at Mammoth Hot Springs, walking up to bison for a closer photo, and — in one widely reported case — Pierce Brosnan's own $1,500 fine for wandering off a boardwalk into a restricted thermal area. With national parks already stretched thin on funding and staffing, we talk about why this isn't just about rule-following — it's about keeping the wildlife wild and the parks safe for everyone who visits them. Along the way, Lisa also looks ahead to her next stops — Clarksville, TN, and a trip up to Anacortes, WA — and shares more of the multi-generational travel trends she's seeing on the road. 🗺️ Plan your own trip: Full Yellowstone travel guide, park links, and resources: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/yellowstone-still-wild-at-110  - Missed her last stop? Catch Lisa's Cody, Wyoming episode & article: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/cody-wyoming-western-culture  🎵 Journey Jukebox Music Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7humUf03LIW04t8LiJSSN9?si=71c11c52c77c4596  🎧 More about the Journey Jukebox Podcast: - New episodes air every 3rd Tuesday at 6pm CST: https://journeyjukebox.podbean.com/  - Podcast Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/JOURNEY-JUKEBOX---2026/#p=1  Follow Lisa Evans:  - https://substack.com/@allabouttravelwithlisa   - https://writerlisa.com/