John Roderick is the creator of the band The Long Winters and a prolific podcast host and guest. He grew up in Alaska and sits down to explain every aspect of the state. He is not a man of few words. In our nearly 90 minutes of talking, we cover when to visit, what to do, and where to go, what the culture is like and why it's worth trekking to the most remote places. Don't miss John's tips on how to select and broker a deal with a bush pilot. Also we talk about bears.

Most of the links in this episode are to Google Maps and because Alaska is such a huge, varied place, it makes a lot of sense to click and open them up to know what parts of the region we're talking about at each moment.

Links:

• John Roderick
• @johnroderick on Twitter
• @johnroderick on Instagram
• John Roderick (musician) - Wikipedia
• The Long Winters
• Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann — Podcast #1
• 5by5 | Road Work with Dan Benjamin and John Roderick — Podcast #2
• Friendly Fire | Maximum Fun — Podcast #3
• Omnibus — Podcast #4
• Portugal. The Man
• UBI (Universal Basic Income) - Wikipedia
• Alaska Permanent Fund - Wikipedia
• Alaska - Google Maps
• Anchorage, AK - Google Maps
• Juneau, AK - Google Maps
• Prudhoe Bay, AK - Google Maps
• Merrill Field Airport - Google Maps — (seriously, there is a hobbyist airport smack dab inside the north end of the city)
• Alyeska, AK - Google Maps
• Kenai River - Google Maps
• Kodiak Island - Google Maps
• Katmai National Park and Preserve - Google Maps
• Denali National Park and Preserve - Google Maps
• Glacier View, AK - Google Maps
• Knik Glacier - Google Maps
• Portage Glacier - Google Maps
• Homer, AK - Google Maps
• Talkeetna, AK - Google Maps
• Talkeetna Bluegrass Festival — (unfortunately the festival closed in 2011)
• Valdez, AK - Google Maps
• Chicken, AK - Google Maps
• McCarthy, AK - Google Maps
• Dillingham, AK - Google Maps
• King Salmon, AK - Google Maps
• Bethel, AK - Google Maps
• Nome, AK - Google Maps
• Kotzebue, AK - Google Maps
• Circle Hot Springs, AK - Google Maps
• Alaska native cultures - Wikipedia
• Anchorage Fur Rendezvous Winter Festival
• Iditarod - Last Great Race on Earth®
• Podcast Hosting and Analytics - Fireside