Bear King & Bobo Chico Stories for Kids

While on a trip to Northeastern Oregon, during the last week before a new school year, Bobo Chico shares the story of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, the Missoula Floods, and how the first people came to the Pacific Northwest.  Bear King brings them all to the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute. It's a museum and research institute located on the Umatilla Indian Reservation near Pendleton, Oregon, and it's the only Native American museum along the Oregon Trail. There the brothers learn how stories are the way the people learn about their culture from their elders. Back home, Bear King and the boys share an emotional goodbye.  Bear King and Bobo Chico head down their final path together.

Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.

Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.

Are snakes really mean?  The four friends venture to Central Oregon and explore the Newberry Crater National Monument -- the Lava Cast Forest in particular. They bring Robi-the-Robot to assist them, and ‘he’ ends up greatly helping them. A startled snake (‘Rattle’) reacts to Loar and Bobo Chico, warning and then scaring them with its presence. In his haste to escape, Loar falls and badly hurts his ankle.  Robi helps to ‘protect’ them from the misunderstood ‘Rattle’ and then helps his human friends recover. Bobo Chico provides tender, loving care to his young friend as Bear King gently puts Roen to bed.

Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.

Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.

While sailing in Bobo Chico‘s catamaran, Bear King, Loar, and Roen learn that there are rules for boater safety. As they navigate the river they see many kinds of boats: canoes to tugboats, jetboats to jet skis, barges to sailboats, paddle-wheelers to paddleboards. Bear King asks the boys to guess what activity each boat is designed for and its purpose.  Later in the day, they come to the rescue of an elderly couple who are having difficulty navigating their kayak across the rough, choppy water of the river.

Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.

Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.

Through the fun activity of making a temporary playhouse out of cardboard, Loar and Roen are exposed to the wider world of designing and building. Bear King and Bobo Chico ask Wander the Wizard to share with the boys how houses and housing are designed. Inspired by their curiosity, Wander the Wizard reaches out to his friend who is building a tall apartment tower in Portland and asks him for a tour. The boys are delighted to wear safety vests and hard hats and to meet the project’s Safety Officer. He guides the four friends through the building. Loar and Roen ask how they could learn how to become architects, builders, or engineers. They learn about Saturday Academy, and mentoring in high school through the architecture, Engineering, and Construction (ACE) program. When they leave, Roan asks if he can have a safety notice to put on his cardboard structure. Laughter ensues.

Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.

Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.

Bear King is riding his e-bike over the Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People. But when the wind blows his cap off his head, it sails into the Willamette River. “Ah nuts!” he exclaims in disgust. As he stands at the belvedere watching his hat float downriver, Loar & Roen come riding up on their bikes. When he points to his cap floating in the river, Loar yells to Bobo Chico to retrieve it as he sails upriver. They rendezvous at the Zidell Yards- Aquatic Center boat dock. Then ride to the South Waterfront Farmers Market and meet Pedro, owner of Granja de Arañas Labradoras. He invites them to visit his farm near Halsey, Oregon, which they do. There, they learn about all the wonderful produce, crops, and food grown in the Willamette Valley and all across Oregon, and how it feeds locals and folks around the world.  Loar & Roen are confused about hazelnuts vs filberts, which Pedro explains. He then awards Bear King with a new La Casa de Nueces cap!

Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.

Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.

Bear King and Bobo Chico are helping repair the trails near the Tillamook Forest Visitor Center and are looking forward to Loar and Roen’s school field trip there.  Loar and Roen are riding to the center on their school charter bus.  Loar is eager to use his magnifying glass but another boy wants to use it to burn insects.  The boys explore the Center with their class and then meet up with Bear King and Bobo Chico.  Loar and Roen share some of their discoveries in the center. The highlight is climbing the Forest Watch Tower. They all cross the suspension bridge and have their lunch in the meadow on the trail to the Wilson River overlook. Loar’s magnifying glass accidentally starts a small fire and Roen puts it out with his canteen. With the crisis averted, the boys are recognized for their keen interests and quick instincts to protect the forest.

Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.

Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.

While Loar and Roen are enjoying Blackberry Crumble, they learn that earthquakes are predicted for the Pacific Northwest.  To calm Bobo Chico and the boys, Bear King pivots, transforming their fear into a learning opportunity. They take a trip to the Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center to learn about earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, and the history of the Pacific Northwest – all from the perspective of the indigenous people.

Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.

Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.

The nature that was sacrificed by industrial development now needs to be restored to save all living creatures − humans and other species. Bobo Chico and Bear King know this first-hand. They also know that family ties can become strained, need to be nurtured, and at times, restored. Bobo Chico brings his friends back to his ancestorial land, the Columbia Slough. He shares his family history and recommends how they can all help restore the Slough to be a healthy place for otters and others. Bobo Chico also helps Loar restore his relationship with his younger brother Roen. And then they all help save Bear King from a dangerous situation, restoring his safety and health.

Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.

Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.

Bear King and Bobo Chico have picked up Loar and Roen whoare vacationing with their family in Black Butte. Wearing their space explorer costumes and helmets, the boys are eager to see the Dee Wright Observatory. They travel up the Old McKenzie Highway (OR 242) high into the Cascade Mountains and reach the lava rock structure at the McKenzie Summit. Since it’s summer, it doesn’t get dark until later in the evening. While Loar knows quite a bit about stars, Bobo Chico asks Bear King to explain how humans and animals use the stars to navigate and about mythology (which Loar rejects). Bear King explains Greek, Norse, and Native American mythology. In the dark, as they climb back to the FUV, Loar leaves the group rudely and gets lost. Roen is very concerned about his lost brother. But Loar ‘finds his way’ using Polaris, the North Star and finally realizes he needs his family and friends.

Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.

Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.

Loar and Roen come to the Sky Cave to help Bear King understand how to use the self-parking feature on his FUV.  Baer King explains how he dented his vehicle at the grocery store when Bobo Chico confused him…which Bobo Chico claims wasn’t his fault. Roen says he’d like to have a robot help him do his chores, which inspires Bear King to connect with his friend, a robotics engineer. The four friends get a special visit to the lab and learn that the engineer would like to test her prototype, ‘Robi,’ at Bear King’s home. Bobo Chico is suspicious of Robi and is afraid of the test. Hilarity ensues, and Robi saves Bobo Chico from getting hurt.

Thank you for listening! If you like what you heard, please consider subscribing to the podcast series and providing a review. You can follow us on Instagram as @bearkingandbobochico.

Special thanks to our producer, Scott Whitney of PodWorx.