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 reaching nearly 8.000 feet.
 
From November to April, the weather is ideal for visitors to hike in several regions of the park. In this episode, we discuss some of our favorite trails in the desert, mountains, and along the Rio Grande River.
 
Another unique feature of this park is that it shares a border with Mexico. And unlike in the past, you can now cross the Rio Grande River during scheduled times and visit a charming Mexican village a short hike away. If you’re planning an early November visit, check out the Terlingua Chili Cookoff in the small town by the same name, just a few miles to the west of the park.
 
A link to one of the places we discussed in this episode:
·     Terlingua Chili Cookoff information
 
The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.
 
And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.
 
Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.
 
Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.
 
To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.
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#147: The Best of Big Bend National Park

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.

Personal Journals

Society & Culture

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Science

Nature

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 adventure options.
 
Using the town of Hood River, Oregon, as our home base, we recently visited the gorge in search of waterfalls. (The area has nearly 100.) And being that it was spring when we were there, the waterfalls did not disappoint -- especially the famous Multnomah Falls – the most-visited single natural attraction in the Pacific Northwest.
 
In this episode, we talk about several of the best waterfalls in the area, a couple of breathtaking trails to hike close to Hood River, a state park you won’t want to miss, and some of the restaurants and breweries we visited. We also share a little history of the area.
 
A few links we mentioned in this episode:
·     KURU Footwear’s website https://www.kurufootwear.com/
·     A link to KURU’s RIDGE Motion shoes
·     Link to our Patreon account
 
The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.
 
And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.
 
Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.
 
Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.
 
To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.
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#158: Three Perfect Days in the Columbia River Gorge

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, give a brief history of the creation of the NPS, and interview our special guest, Jacob Wolfley, who recently spent a summer as an intern park range at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota.
 
Jacob will enlighten us on what it takes to score a job or internship at a national park, what it’s like working as a ranger, and his ambitions for a possible career with the NPS.
 
So, tune in and get ready to learn about the NPS and all the exciting activities coming up in National Park Week.
 
Here are a couple of links related to the topics we discussed in this episode:
·     Find out more information about National Park Week here
·     Here is a link to the National Park Service’s jobs site
·     Check out our interview guest, Jacob Wolfley, on Instagram
 
The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.
 
And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.
 
Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.
 
Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.
 
To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#157: Celebrating 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 topics:
·     An overview of some of the closures within the national parks this year,
·     Suggestions for hikes in Guadalupe Mountains National Park,
·     Tips for avoiding altitude sickness when traveling to high-elevation parks,
·     Common mistakes people make when planning a trip to the national parks,
·     Relationship advice for couples who are together 24/7,
·     And more!
 
The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.
 
And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.
 
Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.
 
Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.
 
To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#156: Mailbag: Visiting Guadalupe Mountains National Park and More!

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 parks are at the top of our “most spectacular” list. Each has its unique history and landscape, yet they’re all great places to witness once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounters. The other thing they have in common is that they all have mountainous regions. Given their elevations, winter weather can sneak up on you anytime during the year, which makes carefully choosing your dates to visit even more important than with many other destinations.
 
With the current popularity of the national parks, especially these three, embarking on a road trip to see them requires advanced planning. We suggest a year or more before your desired travel date. However, you can do it, and we’ll share all the tips and tricks we know to help you.
 
The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.
 
And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.
 
Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.
 
Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.
 
To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#155: Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Parks 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 topics:
·     News about a faster way to enter Rocky Mountain National Park this summer,
·     Update about cabin demolitions within Olympic National Park,
·     Travel advice for a listener wanting to visit the Pacific Northwest this fall to see the mountain larches change colors,
·     Tips for visiting Virgin Islands National Park,
·     Our thoughts about a couple of our favorite “hard-to-get-to” national parks,
·     The ranger-led tours in Mesa Verde National Park ranked from easiest to most difficult,
·     National Parks that are good for kids,
·     And more!
 
Click this link for more about us: https://linktr.ee/mattandkaren

The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.
 
And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.
 
Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.
 
Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.
 
To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.
 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#147: The Best of Big Bend National Park

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