Month: September 2023

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:

·     Recommendations for public lands and hikes in Southern California’s desert that are good to visit in winter and not crowded,

·     Cities and towns in the west that would make great home bases for working remotely and visiting national parks and other public lands,

·     How we research a visit to a national park or other outdoor destination,

·     Our favorite national park campgrounds,

·     And more!

A link we promised to share:

·     The NPS website where you can find all the NPS sites in each state

 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

Hugging the eastern border of Alaska, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is a breathtaking example of raw and untamed nature. At a staggering 13.2 million acres, it holds the title of the largest national park in the United States. Its vast wilderness holds some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world, including the Wrangell Mountains and the coastal St. Elias Range, home to the second-highest peak in the U.S., Mount Saint Elias.

The park is not just known for its geology and natural wonders; it also preserves numerous historic sites, including the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark. At the end of a 59-mile gravel road leading to the park’s interior, visitors can explore the well-preserved mining company town of Kennecott and the nearby equally historic town of McCarthy. These sites offer a glimpse into the life and times of the early miners and settlers in the region.

In this episode, we talk about our experience visiting this magnificent park and share our suggestions about what you might want to see and do in the park. There are even a few short history and geology channel mini-episodes as we describe this park’s vastness and natural wonders.

Here are a couple of links to items we mentioned in this episode:

·     Guided Wrangell-St. Elias Hiking Trips

·     Kennecott Glacier Lake & River Rafting – 4 Hour Trip

 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

Our country’s national parks protect a huge variety of landscapes, and today, we’re playing in the sand in some of the national parks that feature sand dunes. These unique landforms offer a wide variety of activities, from hiking, saucer-sliding, tranquil sunset watching, and even camping.

We share stories of our adventures and misadventures in these incredible public lands. We also provide tips about other activities you might want to consider and suggestions for where to stay when visiting these parks.

Here are a few of the sites we discus in this episode:

·     Great Sand Dunes National Park,

·     White Sands National Park,

·     Indiana Dunes National Park,

·     And we mention a few more parks with amazing dunes!

Here are a couple links about things we mentioned in this episode:

·     Every Kid Outdoors (Fourth-Grader parks pass)

·     P.E.O. International (P.E.O. stands for Philanthropic Educational Organization)

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