Via Podcast

Noah Strycker is the Indiana Jones of birding, willing to brave jungle heat and Arctic cold just to spot that rare bunting, owl, or hawk. In 2015, in a quest that spanned 41 countries and all seven continents, he set a world record by finding more than 6,000 different kinds of birds—more than half the bird species on Earth—in a single year.

But, as Noah explains in this episode, searching out our feathered friends doesn’t necessarily require epic treks across the globe. Sometimes birding is as simple as keeping your eye on a backyard feeder or taking a mindful walk in the woods. It can also be a great part of any road trip in the West, from the canyons of Arizona to the Bering Strait. Noah regales aspiring birders Mitti and Michelle with tales of his own greatest birding adventures and offers tips for anyone who wants to embark on one of their own.

Destinations we visit:

 Birds we observe:

Guest:

Noah Strycker is a writer and photographer based in Eugene, Oregon. He has written several bestselling books, including Birding Without Borders: An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World and The Thing With Feathers: The Surprising Lives of Birds and What They Reveal About Being Human. He is also the associate editor of Birding magazine. He’s been called a “Travel Pioneer” by the BBC and “Birdman of Razzmatazz” by Newsweek. Noah has an especially soft spot for penguins, which he's observed and researched on nearly 50 expeditions to Antarctica.

Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.

Drop in to the world of Hawaiian surf culture—its deep roots in island history, why it’s the perfect place for beginners to learn, and how women are reclaiming their places on the waves.

Tourists visiting Hawaii from the mainland might look out from the beach at the surfers riding the waves, and think it’s all just part of the tropical scenery. But to native-born Hawaiians, those surfers signify a whole lot more. They’re living links to the history of the islands. They’re echoes of an era when Hawaiian royalty had their own private breaks off the same beach. They remind them of when Duke Kahanamoku rode a single wave for more than a mile on Oahu's south shore. And even of a time when Hawaiians first arrived in the islands after sailing from Tahiti. That’s how deep its roots are.

Join us as we explore those roots with Mindy Pennybacker, author of Surfing Sisterhood Hawaii: Wahine Reclaiming the Waves. We talk about the history and culture of surfing in Hawaii, but also her own evolution from bookworm to seasoned surfer, the best places for beginners to learn, and why she thinks surfing in California is inferior. (The short version: Cold water, kelp, and great white sharks.)

Guest:

Fourth-generation Hawaiian Mindy Pennybacker is a distinguished journalist, author, and lifelong surfer. A former surfing columnist for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, she has also contributed to The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Pennybacker is the author of Surfing Sisterhood Hawaii: Wahine Reclaiming the Waves and Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices. She holds degrees from Stanford University and UC Davis School of Law and attended the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. As a youngster, she was the only girl in the competitive Tonggs Surf Gang. Mindy lives in Honolulu.

Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.

Hit the road—and the stacks—with literary powerhouses Tommy Orange (Wandering Stars and Pulitzer Prize finalist There There) and Kaveh Akbar (National Book Award finalist Martyr!). The two best friends pulled over during their joint book tour to share their favorite indie bookshops, rising Western writers, and unconventional creative sanctuaries, including a Los Angeles spa where Kaveh’s imagination flows. 

Part literary love letter, part buddy comedy, this episode is jam-packed with engrossing settings and memorable characters, including Tommy’s unsung (but still heroic) hometown of Oakland, California; Seattle’s charming poetry bookstore, where Kaveh tied the knot; and Jack London’s not-so-friendly ghost. 

Bookstores we’ll browse in this episode:

- Marcus Books, Oakland, California (Tommy’s favorite bookstore in Oakland)

- Open Books, Seattle, Washington (poetry-only bookstore where Kaveh got married)

- Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, Washington (a massive bookstore where Kaveh had a public reading the night before his wedding)

- Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe and Phoenix, Arizona (host Michelle’s favorite local bookstore)

- Powell’s Books, Portland, Oregon

- Sausalito Books by the Bay, Sausalito, California

- Underground Books, Sacramento, California

Books Tommy Orange and Kaveh Akbar recommend:

- The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

- Bad Indians: A Tribal Memoir by Deborah A. Miranda 

- We Survived the Night by Julian Brave NoiseCat

- A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and The Circle by Dave Eggers 

Tommy Orange writes fiction that hits “like a thunderclap.” An enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma, he was born and raised in Oakland, California, and his urban Indigenous identity pulses through his work. His debut novel, There There, became an instant classic for its unflinching, kaleidoscopic portrayal of contemporary American Indian life, earning it a spot as a Pulitzer Prize finalist and winning the American Book Award. His much-anticipated second novel, Wandering Stars, expands the story of There There’s characters and traces the impact of U.S. violence on Native lives across generations. Tommy is known for his lyrical style, sharp cultural insight, and generous heart—on and off the page. He currently lives with his wife and two sons in Oakland, where he’s working on new projects that further challenge and broaden the literary landscape.

Kaveh Akbar is a literary alchemist who conjures poetry that’s equal parts mystic, ecstatic, and searingly honest. Born in Tehran and raised in the American Midwest, he’s the author of two acclaimed poetry collections—Calling a Wolf a Wolf and Pilgrim Bell—and editor of The Penguin Book of Spiritual Verse: 110 Poets on the Divine. Kaveh’s words have lit up the pages of the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Paris Review, and The Best American Poetry. He’s known for asking the big questions—about addiction, grace, and what it means to be fully alive. His debut novel, Martyr!, a finalist for the National Book Award, is a propulsive, wildly original story about art, faith, and the ghosts who follow us. He lives with his spouse in Iowa City, and is the Director of the English and Creative Writing Major at the prestigious University of Iowa.

Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.

Brie for breakfast? Yes, please! Nibble fromage from dawn to dusk on the West Coast’s Cheese Trail. We’ll cuddle baby goats, sample hand-stretched Oaxacan-style cheese, and unwrap Monterey Jack’s unscrupulous origins on the region’s tastiest route. 

Along the “whey,” the trail’s founder, Vivien Straus, will share her family’s deep dairy roots, the joys of cheese-fueled road trips, and why the West Coast churns out the country’s most creative curds. You’ll hear about old-school creameries in Northern California, an innovative “cowcohol” vodka made in Oregon, and Washington’s award-winning canned cheddar. Whether you’re a casual snacker or a hardcore curd nerd, this one’s worth savoring.

A sampling of the cheese spread ahead:

- Marin French Cheese Co., Petaluma, California: The oldest cheese company in the U.S.; famous for “breakfast cheese.”

- Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, Point Reyes Station, California: Makers of the state’s first blue cheese; offers tours, tastings, and spectacular views of Tomales Bay.

- Spenker Family Farm, Lodi, California: Try goat yoga, goat cuddling, and creamy farmstead cheeses here.

- TMK Creamery, Canby, Oregon: Family-run creamery offering cow-milking experiences, baby calf visits, and a vodka made from whey.

- Don Froylan Creamery, Salem, Oregon: Mexican American creamery known for Oaxacan-style string cheese, made fresh on site and braided by hand. 

- Washington State University Creamery, Pullman, Washington: Home of Cougar Gold, a cheddar-style cheese sold in cans and originally shipped to troops during WWII.

Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.

Hold on to your hats! From Beyoncé’s "Cowboy Carter" to rising rodeo stars, Black cowboy culture is having a major moment—and we’re saddling up for a closer look. Along the way, we’ll stop to line dance to Kendrick Lamar at L.A.’s star-studded Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, clown around at the lively Arizona Black Rodeo, and chill out at the Compton Cowboys' ranch.

Our guest, photographer Ivan McClellan, has spent nearly a decade documenting Black Western heritage and heart-pounding rodeo action. In this episode, he shares how a single rodeo changed his life, what spurred him to launch his own Eight Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo in Portland, Oregon, and why there’s no better place to celebrate community, resilience, and unbridled joy than in the arena.

Rodeos and ranches you’ll ride into in this episode:

- Eight Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo, Portland, Oregon 

- Roy Leblanc Okmulgee Invitational Rodeo, Okmulgee, Oklahoma

- Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, cities including Denver, Los Angeles, and Oakland, California

- Arizona Black Rodeo, Scottsdale, Arizona

- Stagecoach Country Music Festival, Indio, California

- Compton Cowboys ranch, Compton, California

- Wickenburg, Arizona, the country’s team roping capital

Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.

Get ready to drool: Dungeness crab rolls, sumac-spiced chicken, coconut bread pudding—and those are just the appetizers. In this episode, Chef Preeti Mistry, host of the James Beard Award–winning podcast Loading Dock Talks, dishes on what makes the San Francisco Bay Area the most exciting, flavor-packed, and deliciously diverse food scene in the country. 

Together, we dig into the Bay’s secret sauce: unparalleled produce, deep immigrant roots, and chefs who blend it all into unforgettable meals. Never one to mince words, Preeti also slices into so-called “California cuisine” and shares their behind-the-scenes take on Top Chef hosts Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio. Come for the food, stay for the juicy stories—just don’t forget to bring your appetite.

Bay Area bites you’ll crave after this episode:

- Truffle garlic noodles at Gigi’s

- Mac 'n' cheese and fried chicken at Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement

- Falafel and the Pali Cali (sumac-braised chicken) at Reem’s California

- Al pastor tacos at Taqueria Cancun

- Porcini truffle ravioli at Bi-Rite Market

- Dungeness crab rolls, Mission District burritos, and more

Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.

The truth is out West! We’re hopping on the ET Highway and venturing to the most notorious alien hot spots, including Roswell’s infamous crash site, Area 51’s eerie perimeter, and a mysterious desert watchtower. 

Join us as journalist Laura Krantz, host of the podcast Wild Thing, beams up to share stories from the front lines of UFO reporting—from strange sightings and quirky festivals to a mailbox where people leave letters to extraterrestrials. Maybe you’ll even decide for yourself: Is Earth a tourist stop for spaceships? 

UFO hot spots you’ll encounter in this episode:

- UFO Watchtower (near Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado)

- Roswell, New Mexico

- Area 51, Nevada

- Extraterrestrial Highway (aka State Route 375), Nevada

- Little A’Le’Inn, ET Highway, Nevada

- E.T. Fresh Jerky, ET Highway, Nevada

- Alien Research Center, ET Highway, Nevada

- The Black Mailbox, ET Highway, Nevada

Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.

A secret field that summons lightning. A massive spiral that disappears into a salt lake. A celestial observatory carved into a volcano. Meet the wild—and sometimes explosive—world of land art, where artists craft masterpieces with dynamite and bulldozers.

In our Season 2 premiere, guest Dylan Thuras, cofounder of Atlas Obscura, takes us off road and into the minds of the artists who literally reshaped parts of the Southwest. These works aren’t meant to be easy to reach—or to explain—but they just might change how you see the world.

Land art you’ll visit in this episode:

Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.

Surprise: The Via Podcast is back with one last episode for the season. Join hosts  Michelle Donati and Mitti Hicks as they reflect on what they discovered about the American West, from Mormon crickets on the Loneliest Road in America to foraging in their own backyards to a one-armed lawyer whose spirit may or may not be hanging around a ghost town to this day. 

Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.

On the season finale of the Via Podcast, hosts Michelle Donati and Mitti Hicks head into the high deserts of California and Nevada to visit ghost towns. They learn what it's like to actually live in one—where there may or may not be a resident spirit—and where to go to see the most preserved mining towns in the West.

Guest Brent Underwood, owner and resident of Cerro Gordo near Death Valley, California, shares what it's like to make a home in a former mining town, and why it's important to visit and maintain these snapshots of Western life.

Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.