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Buckle up, folks, for another road trip loop! In this episode, we’re taking you on an epic trip through the heart of Appalachia to four national parks and a national park service scenic byway.

We’ll travel to national parks in five states: Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, New River Gorge in West Virginia, Shenandoah in Virginia, and Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee.

From the world’s longest cave to one of the oldest rivers on earth to the most visited US national park, this 1500-mile road trip has it all! And as a bonus, we share some of our favorite places to eat along the way and suggestions for a few other must-see destinations.

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

·     Tickets for cave tours at Mammoth Cave National Park

·     Information about booking your New River Gorge Bridge Walk

 

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.

 

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Great Basin National Park, located in eastern Nevada, is a stunning example of the diverse beauty of the American Southwest. In this episode, we talk about why you’ll want to put a visit to this park in your wish bucket the next time you plan a trip to this part of the country.

Home to the mesmerizing Lehman Caves, Great Basin NP is one of the best least-visited parks in the NPS system. The caves, one of the park’s main attractions, are an intricate cavern system complete with stalactites, stalagmites, and unique shield formations that have been forming for over a half million years. In this episode’s History Channel, Karen delves into the unique story of how Lehman Caves became a National Monument more than a hundred years ago, long before the area became a national park.

We also describe the park that’s above ground and its rich array of ecosystems and landscapes. From the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive up to the Bristlecone pine forest and on to the only glacier in Nevada, we share some of our favorite things to do and see in the park.

And we take you to the small town of Ely, Nevada, just outside the park, where you can step back in time and experience its history by visiting the East Ely Nevada Northern Railway living museum, in addition to some very unique beehive charcoal ovens that were once used as hideouts for stagecoach bandits.

If stargazing is your thing, few parks are better than Great Basin for viewing a brilliant night sky. Recognized as a Dark Sky Park, the absence of light pollution allows for unparalleled views of the Milky Way, shooting stars, and distant galaxies, making this park one of the best places in the country to gaze at the heavens above.

 

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

·     Lehman Cave virtual tours

·     In Ely, Nevada – Nevada Northern Railway Co. museum and train ride info.

 

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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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.

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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

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:

·     The anniversary of the founding of the National Park Service

·     A brief overview of our nation’s newest national monument: The Baaj Nwaavjo (BAAHJ – NUH-WAAHV-JOH) I’tah Kukveni (EE-TAH – KOOK-VENNY) Grand Canyon National Monument,

·     Explanation of the NPS Junior Ranger Program,

·     Suggestions for where to stay when visiting Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP,

·     Thoughts on where to get your travel photos printed,

·     Which games we play when on our public lands road trips,

·     And more!

A link we promised to share:

·     A list of the NPS sites that charge an entrance fee and how much

·     Just Go Travel Studios where you can have high-quality posters made of your photos

 

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