The People Make the Places

Episode 27 takes us to  Alaska in 2006 and then to Victoria and Vancouver,  British Columbia for a Sendero WayFun adventure in 2007.   It features stories from Mike May, Ginger Kutsch and others from the group of 20 intrepid blind travelers exploring Victoria and Vancouver British Columbia using their accessible GPS technology and sense of adventure. The People Make the Places is Available on all platforms including the Victor Stream and Amazon Alexa. The People Make the Places podcast shares the complexity of traveling, especially as a blind person, something from which everyone can benefit. Here are some links with more content about Mike May and friends. http://crashingthrough.com/the-people-make-the-places-mike-may-and-friends/ For additional stories about blind travel and the opportunity for related grants, check out, https://www.blindtravel.org/

The People Make the Places, Mike May and Friends. Episode 26, October , 2026. Italy and the No Barriers summits over 30 years. This episode includes various trips to Italy from the 90s to Sicily this year. Erik Weihenmayer talks about the No Barriers summits including in Italy. Featured voices include Erik, Mike May, Gena, Damiano, Bob,  Ken, Barbara and music by Sara Beck. The People Make the Places podcast shares the complexity of traveling, especially as a blind person, something from which everyone can benefit. Here are some links with more content about Mike May and friends. http://crashingthrough.com/the-people-make-the-places-mike-may-and-friends/ For additional stories about blind travel and the opportunity for related grants, check out, https://www.blindtravel.org/

The People Make the Places, Mike May and Friends. Season 3, Episode 25, September, 2026. Presidential inaugurations and Olympics. This episode tells the stories of my four White House visits and participation in seven Olympics over 26 years in Europe, Canada and the US. Featured voices include me, President Reagan, President Obama, Ron Salviolo Sara Beck, Beyonce, and Gena Harper. There were many others behind the scenes who made these happen including Kareem Dale, President Obama's head of disability affairs. The People Make the Places podcast shares the complexity of traveling, especially as a blind person, something from which everyone can benefit. Here are some links with more content about Mike May and friends. http://crashingthrough.com/the-people-make-the-places-mike-may-and-friends/ For additional stories about blind travel and the opportunity for related grants, check out, https://www.blindtravel.org/

Show Notes for Episode 24, August, 2026 Mexico 2006-2026 These are stories from the Sendero Blog plus new content from Gena and Santiago about our home in Bucerias Mexico. It is many people from past trips I think of when reflecting on these stories plus our new neighbors who have been so welcoming. It is always fun to see how our blindness fits into the navigation and logistics of life and travel. The People Make the Places podcast shares the complexity of traveling, especially as a blind person, something from which everyone can benefit. Here are some links with more content about Mike May and friends. http://crashingthrough.com/the-people-make-the-places-mike-may-and-friends/ For additional stories about blind travel and the opportunity for related grants, check out, https://www.blindtravel.org/

Episode Notes Notes go here

Show Notes for Episode 22, Maine, June 2026 These are the Sendero WayFun 2005 stories written by five students followed by their audio reflections 21 years later as grown-ups with successful careers. Hear from Stacy Cervenka, Adam Rodenbeck, Denna Lampert, Brian Quintana,  and Jamie Dean, about their adventures using GPS while hiking the streets and pathways of Portland and Bar Harbor Maine. They all ended up with very successful careers along with several others from that group. The People Make the Places podcast shares the complexity of traveling, especially as a blind person, something from which everyone can benefit. Here are some links with more content about Mike May and friends. http://crashingthrough.com/the-people-make-the-places-mike-may-and-friends/ For additional stories about blind travel and the opportunity for related grants, check out, https://www.blindtravel.org/

Show Notes for Episode 21, May 2026 This episode draws from Mike May’s posts in the Sendero blog about New Zealand and Australia and the origins of accessible GPS. There are featured recordings of Jonathan Mosen and Stevie Wonder. Both Mike and Jonathan pay tribute to one of the founders of access technology, Russell Smith. There are snippets of audio from Mike with a friend in Australia in 1985. This episode expands the concept of “The People Make the Places” to “The people who make the technology.” The People Make the Places podcast shares the complexity of traveling, especially as a blind person, something from which everyone can benefit. Here are some links with more content about Mike May and friends. http://crashingthrough.com/the-people-make-the-places-mike-may-and-friends/ For additional stories about blind travel and the opportunity for related grants, check out, https://www.blindtravel.org/

Episode 20 covers multiple trips to Costa Rica over 22 years, from the city, to the beach, to the rain forest, and the people who made the country special, from the beach to the rain forest, traveling with family and friends. The People Make the Places podcast shares the complexity of traveling, especially as a blind person, something from which everyone can benefit. Here are some links with more content about Mike May and friends. http://crashingthrough.com/the-people-make-the-places-mike-may-and-friends/ For additional stories about blind travel and the opportunity for related grants, check out, https://www.blindtravel.org/

In Episode 19 of the People Make the Places, Mike May and Friends, we hear stories of the Consumer Electronics Show since 1984 beginning with the revolutionary Laser Turntable from Finial Technology and the people who make CES memorable to me like my late son, Carson May, friend since high school, Rob Reis and Stevie Wonder. These stories are interspersed with 2026 product interviews by my wife, Gena Harper.   The People Make the Places podcast shares the complexity of traveling, especially as a blind person, something from which everyone can benefit. Here are some links with more content about Mike May and friends. http://crashingthrough.com/the-people-make-the-places-mike-may-and-friends/ For additional stories about blind travel and the opportunity for related grants, check out, https://www.blindtravel.org/

Episode 18 is a compilation of the presentations from blind travelers and industry professionals at the November 2025 Blind Travel Summit in Austin Texas. There are 40 voices telling travel stories and sharing travel tips and tricks. The cover photo is of ax throwing, a fun demonstration of unique travel activities, with or without sight.   The People Make the Places podcast shares the complexity of traveling, especially as a blind person, something from which everyone can benefit. Here are some links with more content about Mike May and friends. http://crashingthrough.com/the-people-make-the-places-mike-may-and-friends/ For additional stories about blind travel and the opportunity for related grants, check out, https://www.blindtravel.org/