Matt and Karen

In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these topics:

·     Which national parks were more than we expected when we visited them,

·     How to fit more passport stamps in your passport book when the pages fill up,

·     What activities to do and sites to visit in a camper van on the way from Dead Horse Point State Park to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon,

·     Tips for snagging an NPS lodge cancellation when they’re all booked up,

·     What are the chances the Quinault Lodge in Olympic NP, whose rooms are not airconditioned, will be too warm at night for sleeping in June,

·     Whether Mount Rainier NP will impose a timed-entry reservation system and if it will go into effect in 2023, 

·     Do we think it’s still worth visiting Mesa Verde if you can’t get tickets for the ranger-led tours,

·     What are our biggest regrets when we look back at our journey to all the national parks,

·     And more!

A link we promised to share:

·     Find the Expander Pack for your National Parks Passport here

 

The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.

 

And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.

 

Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.

 

Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.

 

To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.

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The American Bison symbolizes a bygone era when the Great Plains, with their millions of acres of tallgrass prairie, were undisturbed by railroads, fences, farmland, and towns. While we nearly squandered this extraordinary natural resource into extinction, instead of becoming a forgotten footnote about a lost wonder, our national mammal is thriving in numbers not seen in over a hundred years.

 

Today, the tale of the bison is one of the greatest success stories in American history. Yet the story could have ended very differently if it weren’t for the efforts of a small number of people who took it upon themselves to protect this magnificent species and bring them back from the brink of disaster.

 

In this episode, we take you to several public lands where bison are protected and free to roam and share a few stories about the people who helped save them. As a complement to our Episode #13: The Great American Bison Road Trip, we talk about new places we did not cover in our previous episode, places you’ll want to consider adding to your itinerary as you explore our incredible public lands.

 

The places we discuss in this episode include the following:

·     Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma

·     Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Kansas

·     Antelope Island State Park, Utah

·     Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge (NIGH-oh-brare-ah), Nebraska

·     The Bison Range (formerly known as The National Bison Range), Montana

·     Catalina Island, California

·     Caprock Canyons State Park, Texas

Thank you to all our supporters on Patreon! Our Patreon account is now up and running with bonus content. Follow this link to check it out.

 

Don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.

 

Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.

 

Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.

 

To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.

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America is home to some of the world’s most awe-inspiring landscapes and natural marvels. In this episode, we’ve chosen twelve stunning destinations that are also relatively easy for most people to experience. While there are many more beautiful sights to behold in the US beyond our list, the places we’ve included here are ones we feel everyone should see at least once in their lifetime.

 

Join us as we give you an overview of each place, provide tips and suggestions for making the most of your visit, and share a few of our experiences visiting these beautiful sights.

 

The places we discuss in this episode include the following:

·     Grand Canyon – Arizona

·     Horseshoe Bend – Arizona

·     Antelope Canyon – Arizona

·     Delicate Arch, Arches NP – Utah

·     Yosemite Valley – California

·     The Largest Sequoias Trees in Kings and Sequoia NPs – California

·     Devils Tower National Monument – Wyoming

·     Crater Lake, Crater Lake NP – Oregon

·     Going to the Sun Road, Alpine Section, Glacier NP – Montana

·     Mount Rainier, Sunrise Area, Mount Rainier NP – Washington

·     Bryce Canyon Amphitheater, Bryce Canyon NP – Utah

·     Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone NP, Wyoming

 

Thank you to all our supporters on Patreon! Our Patreon account is now up and running with bonus content. Follow this link to check it out.

 

Don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.

 

Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.

 

Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.

 

To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these topics:

·     Visiting Channel Islands National Park, what to do, where to stay,

·     Hiking suggestions for Voyageurs National Park,

·     Whether we ever organize group hikes,

·     Advice for women who hike solo in public lands,

·     Gear that women can use to assist with peeing outdoors, yep, you read that correctly,

·     And more!

A link we promised to share:

·     A list of hiking trails in Voyageurs National Park

 

The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.

 

And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.

 

Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.

 

Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.

 

To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Started in 1933 during the Great Depression as part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal Program, the CCC was created to put young men back to work. However, this 9-year program did more than provide employment during difficult economic times. It was instrumental in improving our national parks and forests and establishing hundreds of state parks. Many of the facilities we enjoy today are the result of the incredible work done by the CCC.

 

In this episode, we talk about some of the CCC’s many accomplishments, give you a glimpse into what life was like as a member of the corps, and talk about a program that honors the members of the CCC for whom we owe a debt of gratitude.

 

Links:

·     Here is the website where you can find a list of all the CCC Worker Statues

·     And, follow this link to learn about the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps

 

Thank you to all our supporters on Patreon! Our Patreon account is now up and running with many bonus audio and video episodes. Follow this link to check it out.

 

Don’t forget to visit our online merch store at www.dirtlander.com.

 

Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.

 

Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.

 

To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s unlikely that anyone has had a more significant positive impact on our U.S. public lands than Teddy Roosevelt, which is why it’s fitting that he has a national park named after him. Tucked into the Badlands of North Dakota, the park celebrates and memorializes the life of this remarkable conservationist.

 

In this episode, we discuss Roosevelt’s experiences as a young man living in North Dakota, his prodigious record of creating and protecting public lands, and his role in helping save our National Mammal, the bison, from near extinction.

 

We also talk about the various units of the park, activities you’ll want to consider doing in each, and information about where to stay and the best times of the year to visit.

 

Link to the book about Roosevelt’s adventure in the Amazon after he was President:

The River of Doubt by Millard, Candice

(Amazon may pay us a marketing fee if you use this link to purchase this book.)

 

Our Patreon account is now up and running with bonus content. Follow this link to check it out.

 

Don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.

 

Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.

 

Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.

 

To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.

 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices