By Armchair Productions
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The podcast currently has 118 episodes available.
Here’s to those who Wisconsin … that’s what they say in this part of the world. Because
traveling here is not so much about exploring a place as discovering a mindset.
In this two-part documentary series, recorded on location, we’ll be searching for that Wisconsin
state of mind. Today we’ll be looking for it through the lens of its music, architecture, theater -
and motorbikes. It’s a story about how art can connect us more deeply with the land, and how
the land inspires it.
Wisconsin is renowned as being home to some of the friendliest and most welcoming people
you’ll ever meet. During our weeklong road trip recording this podcast, we found that and lots
more from Native American drums and motorcycle rides, to pizza farms and a praying mantis
who just won’t get off the stage.
We hope you enjoy our journey, and if it inspires you to take one of your own – you can. All our
on-location documentaries are designed to be trips that you can repeat exactly as we did it – or
just pick the stuff you love. Go to travelwisconsin.com to find out more.
Thank you to our guests:
This episode was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry.
Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com. Aaron Millar, wrote and presented the
episode, and produced it with Jason Paton. Brian Thacker led our pre-production. Ally Nisbet
did the field recording. And Charles Tyrie did the audio production and sound design.
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“The best way to travel? Dare to be lonely, lost, and bored.” – Rolf Potts, author of Vagabonding
Today’s special episode is in honor of World Travel Day, which was set up by the United Nations over 50 years ago and is celebrated today, on September 27th, every year.
Here’s what they have to say about it …
Tourism as an instrument for peace
Tourism, often highlighted for its role in economic development, also plays a significant role in fostering peace. On a global level, where nations are interconnected and interdependent, Tourism, an industry made by people and for people, emerges as a compelling and dynamic force to defy stereotypes and challenge prejudices.
This sector can be perceived as the epitome of intercultural dialogue; it allows meeting the "other", learning about different cultures, hearing foreign languages, tasting exotic flavours, bonding with other human beings, and building tolerance. In essence, it is a mind-broadening educational and spiritual experience.
Our guest today is author Rolf Potts, whose book Vagabonding was one of the pioneering publications of independent travel and has become a legend on the backpacking, van life and digital nomadism scenes. He has inspired countless travelers to forgo expensive, overly planned travel in favor of affordable, spontaneous exploration. Plus, he has some incredible stories he’s collected over the years.
Highlights include:
CONNECT WITH ROLF
Follow Rolf on Instagram @rolfpotts, or visit his website at rolfpotts.com to find his books, articles, blog, videos, writing courses, and more. You can also find his newest book, The Vagabond’s Way: 366 Meditations on Wanderlust, Discover, and the Art of Travel at your local bookstore or online. There are so many interesting stories and reflections in there that we didn’t have time to cover, so we highly recommend you pick up a copy for yourself!
CONNECT WITH US
Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast
Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast
Following the show will bring good travel karma! If you like this episode, please support us by subscribing to the show. Don’t miss finding out where our next adventure will take you.
Armchair Explorer is produced by Armchair Productions. Aaron Millar presented the show and wrote it along with Jenny Allison. Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Our theme music is by the artist Sweet Chap.
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In the heart of the California’s Sonoran Desert the city of Palm Spring’s emerges like a green oasis surrounded by a sea of red. It’s known for food, art, glamour, glitz but head outside the city boundaries to Greater Palm Springs and there’s plenty of adventure too.
Today we’re going to be exploring the region’s wild side - and we’re not talking about lavish pool parties (more of that later in the series). We’re going horseback riding through canyons beside palm-fringed creeks, snowshoeing through pine forests on the top of soaring peaks; we’ll be taking an off-road jeep in search of the San Andreas Fault and rappel off 100-foot boulders in the desert dreamscapes of Joshua Tree National Park.
Recorded on location in immersive surround sound, this episode is designed to give you a glimpse of what it feels like to be there for real.
Thank you to everyone who featured in this episode:
- Wilderness Park Aid Christopher Gabriel Zazueta from San Jacinto State Park
- Morgan Levine from Reed Jeep Tours
- Tuesday from Smoke Tree Stables
- And our fearless rappelling guide Jaden Wyszpolski from Stone Adventures
PLAN YOUR GREATER PALM SPRINGS TRIP
Our On Location episodes are designed so that you can experience everything you hear. Check out the links above, or find out more at VisitGreaterPalmSprings.com
FOLLOW ARMCHAIR EXPLORER
Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast
Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast
You Tube: @armchairexplorer
Newsletter: armchair-explorer.com
Follow us on your favorite podcast platform to never miss an episode. Review us and you will be blessed with good travel karma.
CREDITS
This series was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Brian Thacker wrote and hosted the series. Jason Paton did the field recording and produced the show, along with Aaron Millar. And Charles Tyrie helped with audio editing. Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Bluegrass will lift you up and sweep you along like the fast-flowing waters of the Tennessee River...it's foot stomping, hand clapping, blazingly fast songs hotter than a match."
In this episode, dive into the world of Tennessee bluegrass and learn why this is a genre of music that can only be truly experienced live. Join host Aaron Millar as he sits down in a 100-year-old country store for a one-of-a-kind show; dives into the history of legends like Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs; and meets some of the contemporary artists who are creating a new generation of bluegrass sound.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Produced in a documentary style, the Tennessee Music Pathways series takes listeners on a more than 1,000-mile road trip, from Bristol and the birth of country music to Memphis and the start of rock n’ roll. Along the way, listeners will hear bluegrass played fast as lightning and traditional Appalachian music performed live in the Great Smoky Mountains. Follow along as host Aaron Millar shops in Elvis’ favorite clothing store, bangs drums in the studio that made Uptown Funk, learns to play the spoons and drinks whiskey in a distillery housed in a more than 100-year-old former prison.
WANT MORE TENNESSEE MUSIC?
Tennessee Music Pathways is a guide that connects visitors to the rich musical heritage of our state. Visitors can curate their own path based on interests using an interactive guide at TNmusicpathways.com. Follow the conversation on social using or searching hashtag #tnmusicpathways.
TNvacation.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Thank you to our guests and musicians:
Evie Andrus evieandrusmusic.com
Alex Leach thealexleachband.com
Fast Track Band fasttrackband.com
Jimmy Bilbry, Sutton Ole Time Music Hour granvilletn.com
Wayne Bledsoe realknoxvillemusic.com
Michael McCall, countrymusichalloffame.org
Visit Knoxville visitknoxville.com
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. Want travel tips and advice? Questions about this episode? Message me! Sign up for the monthly newsletter at armchair-explorer.comProduced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry www.armchair-productions.com
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Follow world-renowned explorer Ed Stafford on the expedition that made his name: walking the entire length of the Amazon River, on foot. People thought that it was impossible, that he would die trying; and they were nearly right. He was attacked by a tribe of angry machete wielding indigenous peoples, he faced Narco drug traffickers and giant anacondas. But gradually, step by step, over the course of two and half years, through some of the toughest and deadliest terrain on the planet, he proved them all wrong.
Ed crossed the entire continent from the Peruvian Andes, and the furthest known source of the Amazon, to Brazil, where the river flows into the Atlantic Ocean, more than 4,000-miles away. He is the first person in history to do it, and holds a Guinness World Record for the achievement. This is one of the boldest expeditions ever attempted, and one of the greatest adventure tales ever told. Are you ready to head into the jungle? Let’s go.
Highlights include:
· Hear how Ed survived being surrounded by an angry tribe of indigenous peoples intent on hacking him to pieces
· Find out how he crossed the infamous Red Zone, a lawless area of the jungle controlled by drug-traffickers
· Climb with him to the 18,000-foot summit of Nevado Mismi, in the Peruvian Andes, the furthest known source of the Amazon
· Meet the Ashaninka, the largest indigenous tribe in the Amazon Basin, and hear how Ed ended up befriending two tribal chiefs and walking with them for more than 6 weeks.
· Discover what it takes to complete such a long and grueling expedition – 860 days walking through some of the toughest jungle terrain on the planet
· Hear his personal story of transformation. How he began the journey as a ‘volatile young man’ wanting to prove how tough he was, but how the jungle humbled him, and made him connect with a deeper, and more authentic of himself.
· See this amazing forest through new eyes. The Amazon is nearly 20 times the size of Great Britain, home to some 400 billion trees, and 10% of the world’s species. For Ed, it began as a dangerous place, something to be conquered, but it ended up becoming home, a place to be marveled at, and protected
· Hear what adventure means to Ed, how it is the ‘crucible in which you find yourself’, and how you too can use adventure and exploration to connect more deeply with who you really are
Also, find out about Ed’s new series – Ed Stafford: First Man Out. Available in America and elsewhere too https://www.discoveryuk.com
Find out about Ed's new bushcraft academy at: www.bushcraft.academy
For more background information on this episode, photos, links to his books and shows, and more, please visit https://www.armchair-explorer.com/post/walking-the-amazon-with-explorer-ed-stafford
The Armchair Explorer: the world's greatest adventurers tell their best story from the road. Each episode is cut documentary style with music and cinematic effects to create an immersive storytelling experience. http://www.armchair-explorer.com
Host/Producer Aaron Millar is an award-winning travel writer (Nat Geo, The Times etc.) Instagram/Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast.
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“Nobody's down here except for us ghost people and the hotel staff. And some of the hotel staff in the past wouldn't come down here by themselves. Things happen in here. Things have happened to me.”
– Kate, Ghost Tour Guide at the Bullock Hotel, Deadwood
Tales of the Wild West and lawless frontiers are ingrained in American culture - and in Deadwood, the discovery of riches in the southern Black Hills in 1874 kicked off one of the largest gold rushes in America. Not long after, Deadwood became a rough-and-ready boomtown that steadily lured bands of outlaws, gamblers, and gunslingers.
Join us as we mosey down Deadwood’s streets in search of famed tales and legendary residents from this wild frontier. We begin our adventure in Saloon No 10, where we join a local gunslinger (or an actor who plays a gunslinger - in daily gunfights in the streets of Deadwood) for a game of poker at the table where Wild Bill Hickok was shot dead.
We then head down into the dark basement bar of the Bullock Hotel chasing ghosts and getting well and truly spooked.
Lastly, we end up, as many locals have ended up, at Moriah Cemetery. There we make the pilgrimage to Wild Bill’s grave where visitors have left flowers, bullets, and small bottles of Jack Daniels.
Through it all, we discover that Deadwood is truly alive. Well, besides the ghosts. It’s a place where the wild west spirit lives on. You can feel it – and the former coarse and cavorting town is now a lot less rough, but just as much fun.
- Brian Thacker, presenter
Thank you to everyone who featured on this show:
- Andy Mosher, Deadwood Alive
- Kate McGraw, Bullock Hotel Ghost tours
We’d like to thank our gunslinging Andy Mosher and our ghostly guide Kate McGraw who gave us their time and stories.
Recorded on-location, this audio adventure is designed to do more than just let you hear what it’s like to be there; it’s designed to let you feel what it’s like for real.
Find out more at www.travelsouthdakota.com where you'll find lots of inspiration, ideas and everything else you need to know to plan your great South Dakota adventure.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. Want travel tips and advice? Questions about this episode? Message me! Sign up for the monthly newsletter at armchair-explorer.com
Produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry www.armchair-productions.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Imagine a road trip up the southern Californian coast stopping off at cool little beach towns along the way. But instead of doing it in a car, on the highway, getting stuck in traffic, with nothing to do or see … you surf it instead.
The Pacific Surfliner train travels 351 miles from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, through Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and more … and for much of that journey you are literally hugging the coast so closely you can almost smell the ocean.
In today’s episode, recorded on location, host Aaron Millar, and producers Jason Paton and Ally Nisbet, head out on a long weekend ‘track trip’ down the So-Cal coast.
“This is one of my favorite trips of the year so far. A lot of the episodes we make are about proper adventures, and deep stories about culture and history. This was just pure fun. I love southern California, and hope this episode captures that spirit and special vibe of the west coast. Kerouac had it wrong, the open tack beats the open road any day for me … especially when there’s surfing at the end of the line.” - Aaron
Highlights include:
· Kayaking with sea lions in Santa Barbara
· Spotting dolphins in Channel Islands National Park, off the coast of Ventura
· Catching waves with pro-surfer John Daniels in Oceanside
· Riding one of the most beautiful stretches of the Pacific Surfliner: gorgeous headlands, mist covered mountains, and ocean waves crashing on the shore
Thanks to Pacific Surfliner for helping to make this trip possible. If you like what you hear and fancy taking the scenic route yourself, you can book your tickets at pacificsurfliner.com. Students under 25 get a 15% discount
Thanks also to santabarbaraca.com, visitventuraca.com, visitoceanside.org, Andre from Cal Coast Adventures, all the crew at Island Packers, Jim Kempton from the California Surf Museum, and John Daniels from Learn to Rip Surf Lessons
Follow the show on Instagram @armchairexplorerpodcast
This episode was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Brian Thacker did our pre-production, Jason Paton and Ally Nisbet did the field recording and audio production, Aaron Millar wrote and presented it.
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Maiku. Yá'át'ééh. And hello!
You can't really know a place without hearing from the people who have always been there. Utah is the sacred and ancestral home of eight different tribal nations, including the Paiute, Navajo (Diné), Shoshone, Goshute, and more. And today, we're learning as much about their histories and cultures as we can.
Join us as we listen to Southern Paiute music under the stars, see a traditional Diné fireside dance, sample fry bread with a unique twist, step inside a traditional hogan in Monument Valley, and learn about what being Native American means in 2024.
Thank you to everyone who featured in this episode:
-Daniel Bullets of the Southern Paiute Tribe
-The Adventure Tour Company of Kanab
-Louis Williams of Ancient Wayves Tours in Bears Ears National Monument
-Harold Simpson and Cody of Simpson's Trailhandler Tours, as well as Marilyn, all of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
-David Libbert of Black Sheep Cafe in Provo
-Larry Holliday of Goulding's Lodge
PLAN YOUR UTAH TRIP
If you want to learn more about experiencing the sights and attractions featured in this episode, go to VisitUtah.com or follow along on social media @VisitUtah. International listeners can also book this itinerary directly as a package, with lots of other bonus experiences too -- just visit AmericanSky.co.uk/Utah-Holidays or learn more about all the incredible destinations around the state at VisitTheUSA.com or on social media @VisitTheUSA.
SOCIAL
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. Want travel tips and advice? Questions about this episode? Message me! Sign up for the monthly newsletter at armchair-explorer.com.
CREDITS
This show was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Brian Thacker managed pre-production. Jenny Allison was the in-field producer and wrote the episode. Jason Paton did the recording, mix and sound design. Aaron Millar hosted and served as executive producer.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Follow world-record breaking explorer George Bullard on a world-first kayak from
Greenland to Scotland across one of the most dangerous stretches of water on the planet.
No one thought they could do it. Most people assumed they would die trying – and they
nearly did, more than once. But, despite the odds, over six weeks, George and his
expedition partner Ollie Hicks, crossed 1,200-miles of open ocean from the edge of the
Greenland Ice Cap to Iceland, then on to the Faroe Islands, and from there to the north
Scottish shore. Paddling through the night, sleeping out in the sinister dark of the polar
ocean, battling storms, exhaustion and raging seas – this is the story of the most dangerous
kayak expedition ever undertaken.
But it’s more than that too. Three hundred years ago a mysterious figure in a strange
shaped canoe washed up on the coast of Aberdeen, in northeast Scotland. He was alive,
barely. No one knew who he was, where he came from, what language he spoke, and he
died a few days later before anyone could find out. Since then, the myth of the ‘Finmen’ has
continued to grow. The historical records describe his clothing as similar to what we now
know as hailing from Inuit culture. But it seemed impossible. Did a Greenlandic fisherman
cross the North Atlantic Ocean, 300 years ago, on nothing more than a seal-skin canoe? By
undertaking this journey, George and Ollie set out to unearth the truth behind the mystery.
If they could do it, perhaps the myth was true. Get ready for the Voyage of the Finmen.
Highlights include:
the North Atlantic between Iceland and Scotland, known as the ‘Devil’s Dancefloor’
because of the size of the waves and storms
around the crocodile teeth of the rugged fjords and soaring cliffs of North Icelandic
coastline, camping out on wild beaches along the way
miles off the Scottish coast
one of the UK’s most sought-after motivational speakers and will fire you up to embark on your next adventure wherever that may be.
Who’s the Guest?
George Bullard is a world record-breaking explorer, endurance athlete and motivational
speaker. He is on a mission to rewild humans. He believes that through the outdoors we can
change lives. To date he has covered more than 2,000 miles on foot in the polar regions
(including the longest unsupported polar journey in history, at just age 19) and completed
countless extraordinary expeditions around the world. George is passionate about
encouraging others to climb their own Everest physically, mentally and emotionally. Follow
him on Instagram and Facebook @georgebullardexplorer. Book him for motivational talks at
www.georgebullard.co.uk
Looking for inspiration for your next trip? George’s adventure travel company
www.igoadventures.com curates one-of-a-kind adventures with purpose, for those looking
for exceptional in nature. They are affordable, amazing and hand-crafted by one of the
world’s greatest adventurers.
Thank you to Juggernaut Wines for sponsoring this episode. This is the adventurer’s wine of
choice, harnessing the power of nature to infuse every drop with the gritty spirit of the wild
Californian coast. Follow them on Instagram @juggernautwines www.juggernautwines.com
The Armchair Explorer podcast is produced and hosted by award-winning travel writer
Aaron Millar. Follow the show on Instagram & Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast.
www.armchair-explorer.com
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In Antarctica, time is measured in ice. Entire worlds form and dissolve in the marbled blue sheets and shimmering peaks, which rise and return from glacial seas. Half of the year is soaked in eternal sunlight; the other, cloaked in perpetual darkness. And throughout this
cycle of melting and freezing, sunsets and vibrant auroras, there is a group of people who are living and working in an unassuming group of buildings on Ross Island.
Matty Jordan is one of those people. He has been to and from Antarctica eight times, and
he's amassed hundreds of days working on this quiet, contemplative continent. And in a place that has drawn some of the world's most fearless adventurers, he's discovered not just what it means to live in the planet's last truly wild place, but how that wilderness has changed
him as a person.
CONNECT
Follow Matty and his many adventures on his website, mattykjordan.com, where you can also find the free ebook he wrote about living and working in Antarctica. You can find him on social media @mattykjordan and listen to his podcast, The Everything Antarctica Podcast, wherever
you stream this one.
SOCIAL
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. Want travel tips and
advice? Questions about this episode? Message me! Sign up for the monthly newsletter at armchair-explorer.com.
CREDITS
This episode was produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com. Jenny Allison did the guest booking and wrote this episode, along with host
and producer Aaron Millar. Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Theme music written by the artist Sweet Chap (on IG @the_sweet_chap).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The podcast currently has 118 episodes available.
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