Parks & Travel

Celebrate Parks & Recreation Month and National Forest Week with this episode of Big Blend Radio that was recorded onsite with Steve & Karen Wilson, owners and innkeepers of the The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast in the heart of the Montford Historic District in Asheville, North Carolina.

Hear about author Wilma Dykeman and Jean Webb who worked to protect and preserve the French Broad and Swannenoa Rivers and the Asheville parks connected with the rivers on a 17-mile green path. Learn how Edith Vanderbilt honored her late husband's wishes of selling an 86,000-acre tract of the Biltmore Estate to create Pisgah National Forest, one of the first national forests east of the Mississippi River. And, find out about the Daughters of the American Revolution who planted 50,000 Spruce Trees to create the Jubilee Memorial Forest within the Pisgah National Forest on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

RESOURCE LINKS:

This episode is featured on the following Big Blend Radio channels: Adventures in Asheville; Parks & Travel; Nature Connection; Women Making History; Big Daily Blend. Check out all of Big Blend Radio's Channels here: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork 

Celebrate National Parks & Recreation Month and National Picnic Month with this episode of Big Blend Radio's HEART HEALTHY LIVING WITH DR JACKIE Podcast that's all about how to have a fun and heart-healthy summer! 

Dr. Jacqueline Eubany is a board-certified cardiologist and electrophysiologist, and author of the best-selling book, "Women and Heart Disease: The Real Story." More: https://womenandheartdiseasebook.com/  

New episodes of "Heart Healthy Living with Dr. Jackie" air every 2nd Wednesday at 12pm PST. Follow the Podcast: https://hearthealthyliving-drjackie.podbean.com/ 

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel Show" with the International Food Wine & Travel Association features Ange Chew, Executive Director of Discover Surrey. Hear about Surrey''s vast natural beauty, global dining, affordable accommodations and rich, vibrant culture. 

A vibrant mosaic awaits in Surrey, the second largest city in British Columbia by population, next to Vancouver.  t’s a diverse, complex and authentic region that’s experiencing change at a rapid pace, but taking it all in stride. Plan your visit to Surrey, B.C, here: https://discoversurreybc.com/ 

Learn more about the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association at https://www.ifwtwa.org/ 

Photos courtesy of Discover Surrey BC.

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Toast to The Arts & Parks" Show features Arizona writer Leah Newsom, the National Parks Arts Foundation's summer 2024 artist-in-residence at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

Leah Newsom was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and holds an MFA in creative writing from Arizona State University, where she now teaches creative writing. Her work has previously appeared/is forthcoming in "Conjunctions," "Ninth Letter," "Juked," "Passages North," and more. Her work has been supported by the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing and the National Parks Arts Foundation. More at: http://www.leahnewsom.com/ 

Learn more about the National Parks Arts Foundation's unique artist residency programs in parks across the country at https://www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/ 

Celebrate Parks & Recreation Month in Tulare County! From park adventures to community events, it's all about summer fun on this episode of Big Blend Radio's "California Sequoia Country" Podcast.  

Located in Central California, Tulare County is home to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Giant Sequoia National Monument and Sequoia National Forest, and charming art and agricultural communities including Visalia, Tulare, Exeter, Dinuba, Porterville, Three Rivers, Lindsay, and Woodlake.  

Featured guests from the Sequoia Tourism Council include Sintia Kawasaki-Yee - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Suzanne Bianco - Visit Visalia,  and Alida Verduzco Silva - Tulare County Resource Management Agency.

 Plan your visit with these websites mentioned in the podcast:

It's all about beautiful Slovenia on this episode of Big Blend Radio's WANDER THE WORLD WITH SHARON podcast with Sharon K. Kurtz. Located in Central Europe, Slovenia offers breathtaking natural landscapes, a rich history, and a solid commitment to eco-friendly practices. 

Over half of Slovenia's terrain is covered in pristine forests, making it a leader in forest conservation and green initiatives. This compact country boasts numerous protected areas, including the majestic Triglav National Park. Read Sharon's article about her experiences here: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/discovering-green-slovenia/ 

Big Blend Radio's "Wander the World with Sharon" Podcast features award-winning travel writer and photographer Sharon K. Kurtz. New episodes air every first Wednesday at 12pm CST at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzIUCV2e7qm1ALXeV1vR6H10EtkPvgDW5 

Sharon Kurtz is an accomplished travel writer and award-winning photographer based in Austin, Texas, dedicated to exploring the world and sharing her adventures through compelling storytelling. Her travels have taken her to more than 50 countries on six continents—her carry-on is always packed, ready for the next adventure. Enjoy Sharon’s writing at https://sharonkkurtz.com/ or follow her on https://www.instagram.com/shar_kurtz/ 

In honor of Great Outdoors Month, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Show features legal and environmental historian, author, and attorney Lowell E. Baier. Hear about his latest book, "Earth’s Emergency Room: Saving Species as the Planet and Politics Get Hotter." 

"Earth's Emergency Room" is a celebration of 50 years of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). In the book, Baier provides an insightful and entertaining history of the ESA’s dramatic highs and lows. He profiles his work with the ESA from its inception to the present, and with the key figures who shaped its history, from field biologists to Presidents of the United States. Baier ultimately calls on all Americans to embrace a spirit of bipartisanship and conservation to strengthen the law that has been the Earth’s emergency room for half a century. More at https://lowellebaier.com/ and https://esaat50.com/ 

You can also listen to his earlier Big Blend Radio interview about the history and importance of the Endangered Species Act as well as his two related books The Codex of the "Endangered Species Act: Volume 1, The First Fifty Years", and "Endangered Species Act: Volume 2, The NextFifty Years." Listen: https://youtu.be/HPo-Mfb5i3c?feature=shared 

Big Blend Radio's "Nature Connection" Podcast airs every 4th Friday in collaboration with Margot Carrera, a fine art nature photographer who is passionate about the environment. More: http://margotcarrera.etsy.com/ 

Celebrate Great Outdoors Month and National Rivers Month with this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Historic Jefferson Highway" Show that focuses on Itasca State Park in Minnesota and the Empress Boat Club in Iowa Falls.

FEATURED GUESTS:

The Jefferson Highway Association originally founded the Jefferson Highway in 1915. This international highway is also known as "The Pines to the Palms Highway," that runs from Winnipeg, Canada to New Orleans, Louisiana. This Big Blend Radio "Historic Jefferson Highway" Podcast airs every 4th Thursday at 6pm CST. Follow the show here: https://jefferson-highway.podbean.com/ 

Featured photo of Mississippi Headwaters with People, Copyright (2024), State of Minnesota, Department of Natural Resources. Reprinted with Permission courtesy of MN DNR. Photo of Empress Boat, courtesy Empress Boat Club.

In celebration of Great Outdoors Month and Oceans Month, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Global Adventures with Debbie Stone" Podcast, is all about the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina.

The Outer Banks is a chain of barrier islands along the coastline of North Carolina. It boasts 100-plus miles of wide-open shoreline, charming villages and towns, and plenty of historical attractions. From the history of flight to lighthouses, wild horses, beaches, shopping and dining, there’s something for everyone. Check out Debbie's article and video feature, here: https://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/lots-to-love-about-the-outer-banks/ 

In honor of Great Outdoors Month and National Rivers Month, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Parks & Travel" Show features award-winning author Kevin Fedarko who discusses his new book, "A WALK IN THE PARK: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon."  It shares the odyssey Kevin his best friend and photographer Pete McBride undertook to transect the entire length of the Grand Canyon, a feat billed by the handful of experts who have managed to complete it as “the toughest hike in the world.” 

A WALK IN THE PARK is an ode to such vanishing places, and a deeply moving plea for the preservation of America’s greatest national treasure.  More: https://www.kevinfedarko.com/ 

Follow Big Blend Radio's PARKS & TRAVEL Podcast on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/5tkdvm5a