25 Here and There

In this end-of-the-year episode, we talk about many of the topics listeners have suggested to us that aren’t long enough for a full episode. We also try to keep our streak alive of consecutive episodes where Karen cries. You’ll have to tune in to find out if we were successful. It’s been a fun year learning to create podcast episodes and interacting with listeners. Thank you to all of you who’ve supported us in this journey!

Some of the topics we discuss in this episode:

  • How do we get along while being together 24/7 (Who says we get along?)
  • Our experiences in the few Canadian national parks we’ve visited
  • What gear is in our packs. We talk about winter gear and summer gear that we always carry.
  • Hiking tips for beginners
  • How we organize our travel ideas for future trips
  • What our experience has been in this first year of creating a podcast from scratch
  • A couple of our favorite podcast bloopers from this year
  • A few of our ideas for future episode topics

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Grand Canyon’s Phantom Ranch

If you’re hoping to be a guest at one of the most unique properties in the national parks, Grand Canyon’s Phantom Ranch, you have three possible modes of transportation to get there: on a boat as part of a river rafting trip, on the back of a mule, or by the power of your own two feet. And considering this lodging is 5,000 feet and a ten-mile trek below the south rim, it’s no easy journey. But once you arrive at this rustic oasis at the bottom of the largest canyon in the world, any aches and pains accumulated along the journey will seem well worth it.

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24 National Park of American Samoa

Little did we know when we cavalierly made the announcement ten years ago that we were going to visit every U.S. national park that we had just signed up for a trip to the Southern Hemisphere. The National Park of American Samoa is part of the only U.S. territory south of the equator. So off we went one December on a journey to explore this South Pacific island paradise. In this episode, we talk about our experiences in the park, as well as what we learned about the Samoan culture while visiting with locals about their way of life. We’ll also tell you why all of the TVs on the island were tuned into NFL games the Sunday we were there. At the end of the episode, we answer a question from our mailbag. 

Some of the topics we discuss in this episode:

  • Where the heck American Samoa is and how to get there
  • A little history about the islands
  • Why there’s a national park there
  • Best time of the year to go
  • Where to stay when you’re visiting
  • Some of the activities we did on our trip
  • Our encounter with a flying fox
  • And a special gift we got from a group of Samoan teenagers. But there’s a twist to the story.

Links to more information:

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23 Dories, Ho!: Floating the Colorado River Through the Grand Canyon Part 2 of 2

In this second part of our mini-series about floating the Colorado River in a small wooden dory boat, we share stories from our second trip through the entire length of the Grand Canyon. We describe some of the breathtaking places along the river that we didn’t see on our first go around, as well as our runs through two of the most extreme rapids in the country. If you haven’t already listened to Part One of this series, you might want to start there. In that episode, we discuss the logistics of a Grand Canyon river trip and what it’s like living on the river. Spoiler alert: both of these trips were adventures of a lifetime. Your bucket list will get longer after listening. And at the end of the episode, we answer a question from our mailbag.

Some of the topics we discuss in this episode:

  • We start the episode talking about Karen’s idea of what a bucket list is, and some of the adventures still in our bucket. (This sentence will make more sense after you listen to this episode.)
  • What it was like to float the entire length of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon
  • Descriptions of our day hikes, including Elves Chasm, The Patio, Havasu Creek, and more
  • Floating down the Little Colorado River wearing oversized diapers
  • Our impressions of running two of the biggest whitewater rapids in the lower 48: Crystal Rapid and Lava Falls
  • How the beach below Lava Falls got its name

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22 Dories, Ho!: Floating the Colorado River Through the Grand Canyon Part 1 of 2

For years we’d ask people who’d traveled the world, “What’s the best outdoor adventure trip you’ve ever taken?” To our surprise, the same answer came up time after time: floating the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. That’s all we needed to hear. So, with a dry bag filled with a few changes of clothes and a toothbrush, we set off down the river with fourteen of our closest friends for a six-day adventure. And, of course, we had a ten-person team of experienced guides with us, along with four wooden dory boats, three support rafts, and many cans of beer stowed below deck somewhere.

Some of the topics we discuss in this episode:

  • What a dory is
  • What the heck Dories, Ho! means
  • Preparing for our trip down the Colorado River
  • What it’s like living on the river for six days
  • The thrill of running whitewater rapids in a tiny wooden boat
  • And, would we do it again?
  • Tune in to part two (released Dec. 10) to learn the answer

Links to more information:

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