Podcasts about Big Bend

During this week's public lands news briefing on the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we have two feature stories for you. What we cover this week:1. Oak Flat, a sacred indigenous site and popular rock climbing destination in central Arizona, was transferred to a multinational mining company featuring Jason Keith from the Access Fund.2. Southern Texas is battling to protect Big Bend National Park and the surrounding landscapes from the proposed border wall, featuring Bob Krumenaker, a core member of Keep Big Bend Wild and former superintendent of Big Bend National Park. And no, this is not all that's happened with public lands this week. So, as always, make sure you're subscribed to our weekly newsletter at theoutdoorminimalist.com for more in-depth public lands and outdoor industry sustainability news. Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalistBuy Me a Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/outdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠Listener Survey: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/jd8UCN2LL3AQst976⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠------------Episode ResourcesSave Oak Flat: https://www.accessfund.org/action-alerts/save-oak-flatKeep Big Bend Wild: https://keepbigbendwild.org/No Big Bend Wall: https://nobigbendwall.org/CPB Smart Wall Map: https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/along-us-borders/smart-wall-mapNPCA: https://act.npca.org/page/94625/action/1?ea.tracking.id=ActionCenter

This week in national park news: The National Park Service reports 323 million recreation visits in 2025 (down 2.7% from 2024), Mount Rushmore will host fireworks for the U.S. 250th anniversary amid ongoing regional wildfire concerns. A new CBP map no longer shows a primary border wall through Big Bend, instead labeling the area as detection technology, while Big Bend's Chisos Basin will close starting May 1 for up to two years for lodge replacement and water infrastructure work. Lawmakers introduce the Save Our Sequoias Act to fund reforestation, monitoring, and forest management after major tree losses, and Indiana will add all-terrain track chairs to every state park at no cost. 00:00 Big Changes Ahead 00:34 2025 Park Visitation Report 02:19 Mount Rushmore Fireworks Return 04:08 Big Bend Border Wall Update 05:41 Chisos Basin Two-Year Closure 07:03 Save Our Sequoias Act 08:47 Indiana Parks Accessibility Upgrade 09:46 Wrap Up And Thanks

A group of girls are guided to safety by an unknown force, strange objects in the sky, a pair of ghosts, and more.Stories in this episode:- Saved By a Ghost, by Sarungasie22- Gerald's Thermostat, by Alex- Weird Encounters in Big Bend, by exloringtheworld- Footsteps in the Hall, by Renata- Weird Object in the Sky, by Other-Flamingo-3503- Something Was in the Field, JimSubmissions: stories@oddtrails.comPrefer an ad-free experience? Support the show on Patreon for $5 a month and enjoy higher quality audio. We appreciate you.For a limited time Hollow Socks is having a Buy 2, Get 2 Free Sale. Head to Hollowsocks.com today to check it out. After you purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. You can support our show and tell them we sent you.  #HollowSockspod Connect with us on Instagram and the Odd Trails Discord.Find more Cryptic County shows at CrypticCountyPodcasts.com.

One of the best places to ride in Texas is Big Bend. It's an expansive area in the southwestern U.S. that features mountains, deserts and canyons carved by the Rio Grande River. Big Bend National Park serves as the centerpiece, stretching for 1,250 square miles. A recent visit revealed the area's rugged beauty and timeless appeal. Riding Into The Sunset is brought to you by the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America and hosted by journalist & author Ed Housewright. Reach us by email at podcast@bmwmoa.org.

Little DMT weekend recap from the Big Bend of Texas and some C-Lo Scramble talk with Sweatshop Ind.Good Times MotorcycleDMTDanger Dan's Talk ShopMCshopTsLowbrow CustomsKnives Made By Nick Permalink

Texas lawmakers did not get through a ban on THC sales this past legislative session, but new rules restricting them are about to go into effect.There’s been some confusing back and forth from the Trump administration on what exactly a border wall might look like in Big Bend.Another Texas university is making changes to race […] The post Texas ban on smokable cannabis products looms appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Artie Ahier developed a fascination with all things polar after reading Endurance at age 13. The harrowing story of Shackleton's Antarctic misadventure so gripped young Artie that he spent his whole life dreaming of one day experiencing that desolate, people-less land. Raised in his family's restaurant in a small New Brunswick town on Canada's Restigouche River, Artie always found happiness in nature on the water. His family didn't travel much, so his original seed of exploring the big world was sown in his best friend's living room reading National Geographic. By a series of happy accidents, Artie made his way into the hospitality business and married a chef. Their life  became one big, glorious adventure. Together, they skippered motor yachts through Florida and the Caribbean, ran hotels and a luxury guest Ranch in the remote Big Bend of Texas and opened an award-winning restaurant on Vancouver Island, where Artie has lived since 2000. Their restaurant, SoBo (Sophisticated Bohemian) was named a Zagat top 100 restaurant in Canada in 2007. For Artie, the theme was always the same, take great care of the guests and show them what natural treasures abound ... whether serving "grassroots gourmet" cuisine or leading bird, bat and nature walks. Artie's life took a hard turn when he woke up at 50 and realized he just wasn't happy. His marriage had run its course and the restaurant business had burned him out. "I have a love of isolation in nature. The ocean and coastline of the world is my mistress," he mused. This pull toward nature and the water brought him back to skippering boats on whale, bear and bird watching tours in British Columbia, as he said goodbye to his marriage and the restaurant world. Then a phone call took him back to his childhood dream - an opportunity to guide nature tours and Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) expeditions in Antarctica. Artie didn't think twice. In 2017, just past fifty, he made his fantasy reality and joined the expedition leadership with renowned expedition cruise company Quark. Artie has been guiding in the pristine waters of the Arctic and Antarctica ever since. He spent over 200 days in the Arctic this past year, reveling as he shares his passion for the outdoors with others, helping them (including your host Stu and his family) better understand his favorite mystical frozen wilderness landscape. Artie is ecstatic to now live a life surrounded by nature on an almost daily basis. When not chasing birds he can be found on his SUP, listening to music and enjoying great food and wine, but not generally at the same time.Have a Swan Dive to share? Text us!We are always looking for Swan Dive Stories to share so hit us up, send an e mail to Ron: Ron@artbikesjax.com or Stu: Stuart@stuartsheldon.com

Soup’s on at Arch Eats central, and George and Cheryl have a crock full of recommendations for where to get a delicious bowl. From the quintessential French onion to their favorite chili, the co-hosts dish on the best soups St. Louis has to offer, as well as which establishments are guaranteed to always have something delicious simmering in a stockpot. Whether the volatile weather has you craving something warm and soothing, a lighter lunch, or a cure for whatever ails you this time of year, their picks are sure to make your mealtime more delicious. Watch Arch Eats on YouTube and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever podcasts are available. This episode is sponsored by STAGES St. Louis. STAGES is celebrating 40 years of Broadway-quality musical theatre right here in St. Louis. Join STAGES for a milestone season featuring the hilarious 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the return of the high-rolling charm, Guys and Dolls, and the powerful, heartwarming hit Come From Away. Get tickets. New to podcasts? Follow these instructions to start listening to our shows, and hear what you’ve been missing! Want more? Check out all of St. Louis Magazine’s podcasts. Have an idea for a future Arch Eats episode? Send your thoughts or feedback by emailing podcasts@stlmag.com. Hungry for more? Subscribe to our Dining newsletters for the freshest coverage on the local restaurant and culinary scene. And follow George (@georgemahe) and SLM on Instagram (@stlouismag). Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Contact Lauren Leppert at lleppert@stlmag.com. Mentioned in this episode: Lazy River Grill, 631 Big Bend, Manchester, 636-207-1689 3Gerards Pizza South Grand Soup Crawl (February) Civil Life Brewing Co. (Soup Sundays), 3714 Holt, Tower Grove South, no listed phone Stellar Hog (brisket chili), 5623 Leona, Holly Hills, 314-481-8448 Colleen’s Cafe (Denver green chili), 7337 Forsyth, University City, 314-727-8427 DouDou Cafe (pho), 6318 Clayton, Richmond Heights, 314-952-2255 Fork & Stix (khao soi), 549 Rosedale, Skinker-DeBaliviere, 314-863-5572 Stew’s Food & Liquor (khao soi), 1862 S. 10th, Soulard, no listed phone Chiang Mai (khao soi), 8158 Big Bend, Webster Groves, 314-961-8889 Nudo House (Hebrew Hammer), Creve Coeur and Delmar Loop Union Loafers (chicken & rice), 1629 Tower Grove, Botanical Heights, 314-833-6111 Blueberry Hill (chicken noodle), 6504 Delmar, The Delmar Loop, 314-727-4444 Russell’s on Macklind (chicken noodle), 5400 Murdoch, Southampton, 314-553-9994 Brasserie by Niche (French onion), 4580 Laclede, Central West End, 314-454-0600 Truffles (French onion), 9202 Clayton, Ladue, 314-567-9100 Shay’s Creole Smokehouse (gumbo), 912 S. Main, St. Charles, 314-852-2803 Sister Cities Cajun (seafood gumbo), 3550 S. Broadway, Marine Villa, 314-405-0447 The Gin Room (osh), 3200 S. Grand, Tower Grove East, 314-771-3411 Lona’s Lil Eats (Hill Tribe Soup), 2199 California, Fox Park, 314-925-8938 Robin Restaurant (whitefish chowder), 7268 Manchester, Maplewood, no listed phone Levels Nigerian Cuisine (pepper & goat, egusi), 1405 Washington, Downtown West, 314-571-9990 Peel Wood Fired Pizza (smoked tomato bisque, wild mushroom), Multiple locations Straub’s (selection), Multiple locations Companion Cafe (selection), 9781 Clayton, Ladue, 314-218-2280 Bike Stop Cafe (soup flight), 701 S. Riverside, St. Charles, 636-724-9900 You may also enjoy: The best soups in St. Louis Must-try parish fish fries in St. Louis Restaurants where you can get your fish fry fix in St. Louis More episodes of Arch Eats Shop Arch Eats merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: TX23's Rep.Tony Gonzales gives it up but he sure doesn't sound very repentant to me in his official statement. That makes Brandon Herrera the TX23 GOP nominee. This adds to other races that move Texas' GOP congressional delegation more conservative.Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.If you missed it, go listen on this Alamo Day: Rick Range: What really happened to David Crockett at the Alamo? – Pratt on Texas 12/18/2025Paxton's offer on national Voter I.D. hands Trump a much bigger lever over Senate leadership and he's already using it. Could this gift to Trump play in his senate race endorsement decision?Oil and gas rig count rises in Texas but not elsewhere.Sheets is promising to do something that is as unethical as he claims Sid Miller would do: Sheets promise to fire “every one of the cancerous people that were pro-Sid” in the Texas Dept. of Agriculture. That statement goes well beyond the traditional few at the top that normally change.Trump administration signals change in course on Big Bend border wall. Appeasing the rich and influential at our expense?Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates.www.PrattonTexas.com

Trump says no negotiations with Iran and demands unconditional surrender. Big Bend is in the crosshairs of conservation and border security. And data centers are pressured to use renewable energy.

Chris talks with Alpine Mayor Catherine Eaves about:A resolution recently passed by the Alpine City Council opposing the proposed border wall in the Big Bend region,Alpine's commitment to protecting the Big Bend's Dark Skies, including the upcoming deadline to begin enforcement of the City's night sky friendly lighting ordinance, andThe City's pending purchase of an iconic downtown property using Hotel Tax funds as an annex to the Alpine Visitor Center.

This week in national park news: Mount Rainier National Park has officially dropped its timed entry reservation system for 2026 — joining Yosemite, Arches, and Glacier in abandoning the pandemic-era crowd management experiment. Meanwhile, one of Yellowstone's most unusual geothermal features — Echinus Geyser — has suddenly begun erupting again after years of dormancy. We also cover: • A fatal incident near the Kīlauea caldera in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park • A controversial proposal to build new border barriers through Big Bend National Park • One of the best wildflower blooms in Death Valley since 2016 • A strange act of vandalism at Big Sur's famous Calla Lily Valley • Possible campground closures in Washington state parks • And the opening of a brand-new Texas state park for the first time in 24 years 00:00 Intro 00:46 Mount Rainier Drops Timed Entry 02:01 Hawaii Volcano Fatal Incident 02:57 Yellowstone Geyser Returns 04:47 Big Bend Border Wall Proposal 06:58 Death Valley Wildflower Bloom 08:14 Big Sur Flower Vandalism 09:46 Washington Campground Cuts 10:58 Texas Opens New State Park 12:05 Wrap Up

In this episode of The Other Side of Campus, hosts Jen Moon and Katie Dawson speak with Charles Di Piazza from the UT School of Architecture about his Rural Architecture Studio course. Charles takes students to Terlingua, near Big Bend National Park, where they work alongside local partners to explore sustainable design rooted in place.From earthen construction and compressed earth blocks to the design of potential teacher housing for the local school district, the studio invites students to connect ideas with material practice. Along the way, they learn how environmental constraints, traditional building knowledge, and community collaboration can shape better architecture.Professor Di Piazza describes the project as an “experiment in reciprocity,” where knowledge flows in both directions between the university and rural Texas communities. The result is a powerful model for experiential learning, sustainable design, and meaningful engagement beyond campus.The Fall 2025 class description...Earthen Grounds: Graduate Studio in West TexasIn partnership with Bob Estrin, Director of the School of Constructive Arts (SCA) in Alpine, Charles Di Piazza leads this new graduate design studio, building on the work in Marathon, Texas. Earthen Grounds brings Di Piazza's interest in vernacular architecture, massive construction, and courtyard housing and combines it with Estrin's focus on regenerative design and hands-on building practices.The studio asks students to envision new models of sustainable housing and walkable communities for dryland environments. Beginning with the study of precedents spanning nearly 9,000 years, students will explore the fundamental relationships between people, climate, space, and place before applying their research to a site in the Chihuahuan Desert near SCA. The class includes a trip to Big Bend to participate in an earthen construction workshop on the SCA campus.The studio's research and proposals aim to generate ideas for affordable housing in the Big Bend region and beyond. This work is supported by a grant from the Still Water Foundation, whose generosity makes this collaboration possible.CreditsHosts: Jen Moon & Katie DawsonMusic by various artists: "Arizona Moon" by Blue Dot Sessions, "Lyanetha" by John Bartmann, "Help Me" by Eme HacheTheme track: "Soul Sync" by KetsaExecutive Producer: Michelle Daniel

On Friday, President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to immediately cease their use of the artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic's technology after it declined to allow the Pentagon unrestricted access to its models. Later in the day, Defense Secretary Hegseth directed the Pentagon to designate Anthropic as a “supply chain risk to national security,” which he said would bar contractors, suppliers, or partners doing business with the U.S. military from conducting commercial activity with Anthropic. Shortly after, OpenAI announced it had agreed to let the Pentagon use its AI models within classified systems. Ad-free podcasts are here!To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only premium content, go to ReadTangle.com to sign up!A special report.We know that all eyes are on Iran right now, but we also wanted to highlight a special report from West Texas we broke over the weekend. Last week, the Trump administration waived a series of environmental laws and regulations to begin awarding contracts for border wall construction in Texas's Big Bend region, where Tangle Executive Editor Isaac Saul owns land. Isaac wrote about what he's hearing from residents, the reason he's opposed to a wall, and why he hopes Trump abandons the plan. This is a special report, available for free to all readers. You can read it here. You can read today's podcast⁠ ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠, our “Under the Radar” story ⁠here and today's “Have a nice day” story ⁠here⁠.You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Take the survey: What do you think of the military partnering with AI services? Let us know.Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was written by: Isaac Saul and audio edited and mixed by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75.Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Lindsey Knuth, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday's show: We have the latest news on voter turnout during primary election day.Also this hour: Houston didn't make the headlines like Minneapolis or Los Angeles for aggressive immigration enforcement this past year, but it felt the impact. More than one in seven Houston-area residents personally know someone who was detained and potentially deported in 2025. We discuss new surveys from Rice University's Kinder Institute on how Houstonians' attitudes toward immigration enforcement are shifting.Then, retired astronaut Butch Wilmore joins us to talk about his career, including the nine months he spent on the ISS when his mission was originally only supposed to last eight days.Then, we discuss why the Trump administration wants to extend the Texas border wall through Big Bend National Park.And we learn about a Texas Tech University archaeology team's recent discovery of a long-lost Spanish mission site, which sheds new light on missionary life in Texas during the 1700s.Watch

Big Bend National Park lately has drawn a lot of national attention, and not in a good way. Recently the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol announced that it wanted to build some sort of border wall along all or part of the 118 miles of border the national park shares with Mexico. Is that a good idea? Will it adversely impact the park? Can it even be done? To discuss those and other questions, our guest today is Bob Krumenaker, whose long Park Service career included a stint as Big Bend's superintendent. Bob also is chair of the Keep Big Bend Wild organization that is pushing to see a large portion of the park designated as official wilderness. 

During this week's public lands news briefing on the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we have three feature stories for you. And no, this is not all that's happened with public lands this week. So, as always, make sure you're subscribed to our weekly newsletter at theoutdoorminimalist.com for more in-depth public lands and outdoor industry sustainability news. What We Cover:1. Plans for a border wall through the Big Bend region of West Texas are moving forward with special guest Wes Siler2. Steve Pearce's confirmation hearing to become the director of the BLM before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee happened on Wednesday, February 25th with commentary from Aaron Weiss (Western Priorities) 3. Department of the Interior announced it is moving forward with Public Land Order No. 7966, reopening roughly 2.1 million acres of federal land in Alaska's Dalton Utility Corridor to mining claims and other developmentFederal Register: https://eplanning.blm.gov/Project-Home/?id=e34e2bf5-a7f2-f011-8407-001dd803d7d3&_gl=1*1rsn16j*_ga*Njg5MjAxOTc5LjE3NzEwMDkwMTQ.*_ga_GQKKTMMT8V*czE3NzE2MjQ5NDIkbzIkZzEkdDE3NzE2MjUwNDQkajYwJGwwJGgwInstagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalistBuy Me a Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/outdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠Listener Survey: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/jd8UCN2LL3AQst976⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chris talks with brand new Museum Director Dr. Emily Wilkinson, and Curator of Temporary Exhibits Karina Canteñs about the Museum of the Big Bend and its current / upcoming exhibits and events.Get more info at museumofthebigbend.com

Show Notes

Is Oklahoma hiding a massive desert adventure?

Chris talks with Sul Ross State University classical guitar instructor Nick Hurt about Guitar in the Big Bend, an annual free concert series bringing world-class performers to Alpine and Marfa. https://www.guitarinthebigbend.com/

In this episode of the "90 Miles from Needles" podcast, host Chris Clarke engages in a thought-provoking discussion with guest Rick LoBello about ambitious conservation strategies along the U.S.-Mexico border. Rick shares insights into his life-long campaign to establish a transboundary protected area encompassing Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and several protected regions in Mexico. Despite the current political climate, Rick’s vision emphasizes the possibility of international cooperation in conservation efforts as a means to foster better cross-border relationships and protect vital ecosystems. Throughout the episode, the conversation traverses a wide range of fascinating topics such as the historical context of the international park proposal and natural wonders of the Big Bend region. The dialogue also highlights the challenges and opportunities in bridging conservation efforts across borders, particularly considering the complex socio-political dynamics. Rick stresses the importance of collaborative frameworks, engaging with local communities, and leveraging relationships to advance conservation initiatives. He draws on past examples of successful cross-border collaborations and provides a roadmap for future actions. Key Takeaways: Transboundary Conservation Vision: Rick LoBello shares his initiative to promote a transboundary protected area involving U.S. and Mexican protected lands, aiming for improved environmental preservation and cultural cooperation. The Role of Local Communities: Local Mexican communities like those in Boquillas del Carmen play a crucial role in conservation efforts, showcasing the importance of community engagement in international environmental initiatives. Unique Biodiversity: The Big Bend region boasts a rich diversity of wildlife which includes black bears, desert bighorn sheep, and a wide range of plant life, underscoring its value as a conservation priority. Successful Cross-Border Collaboration: Historical precedents suggest that meaningful, structured collaboration between countries can address mutual conservation challenges effectively, despite political headwinds. Educational Outreach: Rick’s efforts to increase awareness of Chihuahuan Desert biodiversity through initiatives like the El Paso Wildlife Conservation Society and educational events highlight the critical need for public knowledge in conservation success. Notable Quotes: "I've made it a mission in my life to do all I can to help make [a transboundary protected area] a reality." "People need to know each other and people need to trust each other if we're going to make progress." "The black bear told us that the environment can heal, and there's hope for other species too." "My main concern when it comes to development is that it be done in a way that's ecologically sensitive." "If they know it and they love it, then they're going to want to protect it." Resources: Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition El Paso Wildlife Conservation Society Chihuahuan Desert Conference: Visit Chihuahua Desert Conference for details on upcoming events. Listeners are encouraged to tune into the full episode to explore more about Rick LoBello's inspiring proposals for cross-border conservation, and to stay updated with upcoming episodes of "90 Miles from Needles" for more engaging contBecome a desert defender!: https://90milesfromneedles.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Think Texas has no mountains? We open the map and prove otherwise with a deep dive into Big Bend's peaks, canyons, and night skies—and we brought the region's top insider, Robert Alvarez of Visit Big Bend, to guide the way. From the first “don't speed in small towns” lesson to the last stargazing tip, this journey is built for travelers who want to plan well and wander slow.www.VisitBigBend.comWe break down the real differences between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park so you can match your trip to your style. The national park delivers paved access, the Chisos Basin, the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, Santa Elena Canyon, and family-friendly trailheads. The state park trades polish for solitude: high-clearance roads, rugged terrain, and some of the best mountain biking in Texas. Robert shares how to time your visit around the Chisos Basin renovations, why the Rio Grande can surprise you, and where to chase fossils, history, and birds—including the elusive Lucifer hummingbird in the Christmas Mountains.If logistics make or break your trips, you'll love the practical run of tips: top off your gas before the gate, download offline maps, lock your phone to Central Time, and choose your vehicle wisely. A sedan can reach the headliners, but a high-clearance SUV or guided Jeep tour unlocks Balanced Rock and backcountry gems. We talk safety without fearmongering—pack more water than you think, respect sun and distance, give wildlife space—and we make room for wonder. Sotol Vista, the Marathon star party, and dark-sky pullouts turn the Milky Way from a photo into a memory.Ready to design a trip you'll actually savor? Press play, then tell us your first move: sunrise in the Chisos, a river day along the canyon, or a night under the brightest sky in Texas. If you're enjoying the show, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—it helps more travelers find their Big Bend.Please support our show by shopping through Eagle Creek: https://alnk.to/gVNDI6N and/or feel free to donate to:http://paypal.me/TheROAMies And it means the world to us when you subscribe, rate and share our podcast. Alexa and RoryThe ROAMiesFollow us at:http://www.TheROAMies.com@The ROAMies: Facebook and Instagram YouTube and X.

A ghost town with a beating heart. That's the promise—and surprise—of Terlingua, where rock walls, open skies, and a stubborn love of place turned ruins into a living community. We sit with Bill Ivey, whose father-son land deal on a car hood set off decades of stewardship: preserving the look of history while opening doors to comfort, music, and belonging.Bill takes us inside the restoration of Perry Mansion and the hard call to add a roof to the Starlight Theater so the beloved adobe wouldn't melt away. We talk about why good preservation sometimes looks like change, and how the most vocal skeptics often become the first allies once a bold choice proves itself. Food and lodging become experiences here, with nights that stretch into stories and new friends made on the porch. If you've ever wondered how to keep authenticity without freezing a place in amber, this is your field guide.We also trace the roots of the Terlingua chili cook-off—from a ragtag promotional party to a world-stage tradition that still brings thousands to the desert each November. Then the tone turns intimate at the cemetery, where Dia de los Muertos gathers locals and travelers to remember the unnamed and the loved with hundreds of candles. Between tales of a goat mayor and a pink-painted music video, you'll hear how St. Agnes Church was saved with adobe, volunteers, and the kind of community that shows up. Along the way, Bill shares what mindset makes the best traveler in remote country: low expectations, high curiosity, and a sense of humor when the nearest Walmart is hours away.If you're drawn to Big Bend, historic restoration, community-led tourism, or the art of turning scarcity into welcome, you'll find something to carry with you here. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves West Texas lore, and leave a review to help more curious travelers discover the show. visitbigbend.comPlease support our show by shopping through Eagle Creek: https://alnk.to/gVNDI6N and/or feel free to donate to:http://paypal.me/TheROAMies And it means the world to us when you subscribe, rate and share our podcast. Alexa and RoryThe ROAMiesFollow us at:http://www.TheROAMies.com@The ROAMies: Facebook and Instagram YouTube and X.

Send us a textBig Bend National Park is one of the most remote parks in the lower 48 states. It is wild and vast, with a dramatic bend in the Rio Grande that gives the park its name. You can explore canyons, old mines, and hot springs, and learn about the park's fascinating cultural and natural history as you adventure. After a day of exploring, stay up after sunset to enjoy some of the darkest, most star-filled skies in the United States, making Big Bend one of the country's premier stargazing destinations.

The desert doesn't whisper here—it sings off canyon walls. We headed to Big Bend to chase that sound and came back with a pocket full of must-do hikes, a few hard-won driving tips, and a fresh respect for how wild West Texas still is. From the instant payoff of Santa Elena Canyon to the echoing turns of Boquillas, we show you how to thread quick stops with immersive moments so you actually feel the place, not just check it off.We start along the Rio Grande, where pale desert frames a sudden surge of green. The Rio Grande Village Nature Trail surprised us with boardwalks and birdsong that felt more Louisiana than Chihuahuan Desert. A flood-damaged road kept us from the Hot Springs Historic Trail, so we traded soaking for summits and took local advice to tackle Lost Mine. With a knowledgeable guide from Big Bend Boating and Hiking, the Chisos Basin unfolded in layers—geology, plants, and long views that shift every step. If you've only got one big hike in you, make it this one.Then we swapped boots for a Jeep and rolled out with Far Flung. Abandoned mercury mines, Terlingua ghost-town lore, and the red-tinged bones of the desert gave the landscape a different edge. Our guide balanced history and wonder, a combo that matters in a park where beauty and risk run side by side. We also mapped the drives that tie it all together: Barton Warnock's museum-like visitor center, the overlook to Closed Canyon, and a free dark sky star party where the Milky Way looked close enough to touch. Finish with a golden-hour ascent to the Chisos Basin Lodge road—less for the lodge itself and more for the light that sets the ridges on fire.If you're planning Big Bend, this guide packs quick wins, deeper routes, safety smarts, and the best ways to see more with less stress. Subscribe for more West Texas stories, share this episode with your travel crew, and leave a review to help fellow hikers find it. Where should we go next?Please support our show by shopping through Eagle Creek: https://alnk.to/gVNDI6N and/or feel free to donate to:http://paypal.me/TheROAMies And it means the world to us when you subscribe, rate and share our podcast. Alexa and RoryThe ROAMiesFollow us at:http://www.TheROAMies.com@The ROAMies: Facebook and Instagram YouTube and X.

A great Big Bend trip starts with a smart plan, not a scramble. We lay out a traveler's roadmap to Terlingua—where to find the best tacos and tostadas, how to grab a table at the Starlight Theater without burning your evening, and which spots box up trail-ready lunches before you disappear into the park. From a press-lauded barbecue basket to soft-serve pints and breakfast burritos on the go, you'll get a real feel for the food scene that keeps hikers, rafters, and stargazers happily fueled.Lodging gets a glow-up with Terlingua Escondido, a pair of thoughtfully built yurts hidden just off the main road. Think full bathroom, a big fridge-freezer, AC and heat, and a stargazing dome under true dark skies. Host Jenny—once a river guide—joins us to share the ghost town's living history: mercury mining roots, roofless dances at the Starlight, and the creative freedom that birthed today's A-frames, teepees, restored Airstreams, and hipcamp sites. It's a portrait of a place with no chain hotels and plenty of character, where neighbors endure summer heat, rare winter ice, and help each other anyway.We also break down when to go and why it matters. Fall brings green hills after monsoons and flowing river days. Spring surges with energy and crowds. Winter offers mild hiking and the clearest skies. Summer rewards dawn hikers and midday nappers with empty trails and quiet nights. Use our on-the-ground tips to line up dinner, pack better lunches, and pick a stay that lets you savor the desert instead of suffering through it.Loved the guide? Tap follow, share this with a Big Bend-bound friend, and leave a quick review so more travelers can find the show. Got a Terlingua favorite we missed? Tell us and we'll add it to the map.Please support our show by shopping through Eagle Creek: https://alnk.to/gVNDI6N and/or feel free to donate to:http://paypal.me/TheROAMies And it means the world to us when you subscribe, rate and share our podcast. Alexa and RoryThe ROAMiesFollow us at:http://www.TheROAMies.com@The ROAMies: Facebook and Instagram YouTube and X.

For the past five years, the Texas Showdown Series has been slowly, inevitably, drifting west. We started in the dense, pine-soaked forests of East Texas, moved through the rugged limestone of the Hill Country, but the destination was always clear: Big Bend. Few landscapes in the world capture the heart and soul the way West Texas does. For those willing to push themselves to the edge, something different waits out there—something ancient, indifferent, and extraordinary. In the world of ultra-cycling, that "something" takes the shape of the West Texas Showdown. The WTS doesn't just test riders. It strips them down. It pushes them to their limits and then, without apology or sympathy, asks for more. Out there, the desert becomes your only companion—its silence broken only by your groans, your breathing, and the steady reminder that you are very far from comfort. And the numbers tell the story: only 32% of the field finished the course. In the Showdown category, the desert claimed all but three riders. Fifteen started. Three rolled into Terlingua. Despite the brutality of the route, the racing was electric and equally unrelenting. A small but mighty group battled back and forth across the miles, creating genuine, edge-of-your-seat dot-watching. It wasn't clear who would take the win until the final stretch, and by then everyone—riders, spectators, and the desert itself—had given everything they had. When the dust settled, here's who was left standing: 1st — Kyle Gilbert — 2d 5h 44m 2nd — Hannah Simon — 2d 16h 17m 3rd (DFL) — Robert Shine — 2d 19h 33m These three deserve every ounce of praise and recognition—not just for surviving the desert, but for putting on one hell of a race. Everyone who was out there knows how hard they had to fight, and they earned the respect of the entire field. On today's episode, I sat down with Kyle and Hannah in the back of DogSpeed Cycling in Austin, TX to talk all things WTS. At this point, they are the leading experts on the event, and we went deep: strategy, equipment, tire choice, water management, drop bags, preparation—you name it. Whether you're thinking about tackling WTS or you just want to hear two incredible humans break down an unforgettable ride, this episode is for you. On a personal note, hosting both Kyle and Hannah at their very first ultra-cycling race back at ETS 2021 was one of the highlights of my time in this community. Seeing them return nearly five years later—stronger, wiser, and standing atop the WTS podium—was a full-circle moment that I'll never forget. I couldn't be prouder of these two, and I have no doubt they'll keep pushing boundaries and inspiring others along the way. --------- The party starts again at the 6th Edition of East Texas Showdown at the Bullet Grill in Point Blank, TX. Need to know: - March 27th-29th, 2026 - Registration Open now - Showdown (395 miles), Slowdown (275 miles), Lowdown (160 miles) - NEW FOR 2026 we're introducing a Gravél option. Please say "hi" to the 69 miles Gravél Throwdown. This is a unique race format that introduces another opportunity for others to get in on the action over the weekend, but it also presents a new challenge for the ultra-cylists - anyone who finishes the Showdown or Slowdown before Sunday at 7am can enter the Throwdown for free. Should make for a really dynamic race...a battle between gravel racers and ultra-cyclists - its the Gravél Throwdown y'all! - more info can be found at TexasShowdownSeries.com Thanks to our newest Patrons!!! Dustin Mareth Indiana Shulz Manuel Busse Dave Milam  Borja G Join them won't you?! - Patreon.com/bikesordeath  

What if your Big Bend trip started with stillness? We kick off a West Texas series by dropping into Marathon, a tiny town that appears like a mirage after miles of open desert—and turns out to be the smartest basecamp for exploring Big Bend National Park. With guest insights from Samuel, guest services manager at the Gage Resort and Spa, we unpack how a 1927 hotel became an oasis of warm wood, courtyards, and gardens where the noise of the world finally lets go.gagehotel.com We trace the property's roots from Alfred Gage's original build to JP Bryan's restoration and careful expansion, including Los Portales rooms, casitas, and the historic Captain Shepherd House. Samuel walks us through the event-ready Gage Gardens, where desert chic meets rose-lined paths, and explains why weddings here feel close-knit and unhurried. Need recovery after a canyon day? The spa delivers massages, facials, an outdoor hydrotherapy pool, steam room, and an infrared sauna, with a full gym included for guests.Food lovers get plenty to savor. The White Buffalo Bar pairs a legendary mount with a standout prickly pear margarita. 12 Gage serves contemporary American with West Texas flair, while Ghost Fire Pizza fires sourdough pies in a Napoli oven, and Brick Vault Brewery and Barbecue brings weekend smoke and house beer. Mornings belong to V6 Coffee for roastery-fresh drinks, hearty breakfasts, and boxed lunches for the park—because inside Big Bend, options are limited.We share practical trip planning: why Marathon's 45-minute run to the park entrance is a fair trade for comfort and culture, how to structure a two to three day stay, and where to fly (Midland–Odessa commercially, with private options nearby). Along the way, expect stories of quiet balconies, birds in old trees, and the kind of community warmth that makes you think, I could live here. If West Texas has been on your list—or if it's never crossed your mind—this guide will make you see the desert differently.Enjoyed the story and the tips? Follow, share with a friend who needs a desert reset, and leave a quick review so others can find their way to Marathon and Big Bend.Please support our show by shopping through Eagle Creek: https://alnk.to/gVNDI6N and/or feel free to donate to:http://paypal.me/TheROAMies And it means the world to us when you subscribe, rate and share our podcast. Alexa and RoryThe ROAMiesFollow us at:http://www.TheROAMies.com@The ROAMies: Facebook and Instagram YouTube and X.

As the fall weather begins to cool, this is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors of Texas. The state has an abundance of hiking options to choose from. Regions covered include the Panhandle Plains, prairies and lakes, Piney Woods, Gulf Coast, South Texas Plains, Hill Country, and Big Bend. What makes Texas hiking unique? What dangers and challenges should hikers be prepared for? And which hikes best capture the spirit of Texas?

EVs can feel like a battlefield of headlines and hot takes, so we put the rhetoric aside and dig into what actually matters on the road: incentives, charging reality, range you can trust, and the freedom to choose what fits your life. We start with a clear-eyed look at Honda's massive EV write-down and a supplier lawsuit tied to a delayed electric pickup, then unpack how policy nudges, mandates, and market signals collide to shape buyer behavior. No cheerleading, no doom—just what's changing, what isn't, and the trade-offs drivers face today.From there, we go wheels-on-the-ground with a Texas road trip designed to push limits. Big Bend's 235-mile gap between chargers, the relief of a 460-mile electric truck, and the surprising power of simple planning all come into play. We share practical tactics to stretch range, the underrated advantage of charging overnight at RV pedestals in state parks, and the candid truth about 30-minute fast charges that can derail a tight schedule. If you value convenience, this part matters. If you love long-haul spontaneity, it matters even more.We also tackle the cultural fog around EVs. Political theater turned cars into symbols, but ownership remains personal. Data shows aversion plummets when people get hands-on time behind the wheel. For most daily drivers, home charging and lower running costs make a persuasive case. For frequent interstate travelers or time-crunched families, today's charging curve can still be a deal-breaker. That's why we keep returning to the same point: try it, measure the friction in your real routine, and decide for yourself. If an EV gives you more freedom, you'll feel it. If it doesn't, you'll know fast.If this conversation helped clarify your thinking, share it with a friend, subscribe for more straight-talk car coverage, and leave a quick review telling us your biggest EV deal-breaker or must-have. Your feedback steers future shows.Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk!---- ----- Want more In Wheel Time car talk any time? In Wheel Time is now available on Audacy! Just go to Audacy.com/InWheelTime where ever you are.----- -----Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast provider for the next episode of In Wheel Time Podcast and check out our live multiplatform broadcast every Saturday, 10a - 12nCT simulcasting on Audacy, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and InWheelTime.com.In Wheel Time Podcast can be heard on you mobile device from providers such as:Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music Podcast, Spotify, SiriusXM Podcast, iHeartRadio podcast, TuneIn + Alexa, Podcast Addict, Castro, Castbox, YouTube Podcast and more on your mobile device.Follow InWheelTime.com for the latest updates!Twitter: https://twitter.com/InWheelTimeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inwheeltime/https://www.youtube.com/inwheeltimehttps://www.Facebook.com/InWheelTimeFor more information about In Wheel Time Podcast, email us at info@inwheeltime.com

This week, I will be speaking with a solo RVer who has found tremendous purpose as a volunteer Workamper for seven years, while starting an online platform to share his adventures. My guest today is Sam Gennawey, an urban planner turned full-time RVer who has been living on the road for more than seven years. What began as a search for a more intentional future quickly became a lifestyle that allowed Sam to explore America's most remarkable places while keeping his expenses manageable. Sam travels in a 2012 Airstream Interstate, which is a black Mercedes-based touring van he affectionately calls Darlene. He has put nearly 200,000 miles on the vehicle, boondocking across the country, sleeping in unexpected places, such as minor league ballparks, and navigating everything from flat plains to rugged mountain passes. Along the way, he has lived and worked in some of America's most iconic national parks as a volunteer interpreter and campground host. Big Bend, Death Valley, the Redwoods, North Cascades, Aztec Ruins and Sequoia National Park are just a few of the places that have become temporary “home.” Sam's experiences offer a valuable look at the realities, challenges and joys of long-term RV travel, and how volunteering can make the lifestyle more sustainable, meaningful and affordable. Sam offered terrific advice for anyone considering the RV lifestyle, especially those people over 60 who want to travel with purpose. He encouraged people to take an honest assessment of their personalities to determine whether they enjoy long stretches of solitude or if they'd thrive working alongside other people. Whichever the case, he said the lifestyle requires flexibility, resilience and the willingness to work through unexpected weather, repairs and delays. He noted that RVing is often more difficult and more expensive than people expect, which is why maintaining a realistic mindset is essential. Something will always need attention or  break, and the weather will not always cooperate. Yet the rewards are immense. Living inside national parks, hiking trails before the gates open, seeing landscapes without crowds and learning from park rangers are opportunities that don't come with any other lifestyle. Sam also urged newcomers to travel like a bison by walking into challenges rather than running from them, because persistence helps you reach the other side faster. For him, volunteering has been the key to keeping expenses low, preserving his van's lifespan, and experiencing America's popular places more deeply. People can follow Sam's ongoing travels, photos and stories on Facebook. He posts regularly about the parks he lives in, the routes he takes and the adventures that shape his life on the road. You can also buy Sam's book, “Sacred Landscapes,” on Amazon and in other bookstores. If you'd like to be inspired by someone who is squeezing every drop out of life, you'll enjoy connecting with Sam and following his remarkable journey. Would you like to be featured in an upcoming episode of The Workamper Show? I encourage you to schedule an interview with me at workampershow.com. We'd love to hear about your Workamping experiences, how you got started RVing, and what you love and dislike about the RVing lifestyle. Help others explore all the different ways to live this great lifestyle by sharing your story. If you are an employer of Workampers – we invite you to be on the podcast, too. Share all of the details of your Workamping jobs in a future episode. It only costs a little bit of your time. Schedule an interview with me today by going to workampershow.com. You'll find the schedule buttons at the bottom of the home page. That's all for this week's show. Next time, I will be speaking with an executive from Love's Travel Stops about the new overnight RV parks the company is developing all over the country.

This week, I will be speaking with a solo RVer who has found tremendous purpose as a volunteer Workamper for seven years, while starting an online platform to share his adventures. My guest today is Sam Gennawey, an urban planner turned full-time RVer who has been living on the road for more than seven years. What began as a search for a more intentional future quickly became a lifestyle that allowed Sam to explore America's most remarkable places while keeping his expenses manageable. Sam travels in a 2012 Airstream Interstate, which is a black Mercedes-based touring van he affectionately calls Darlene. He has put nearly 200,000 miles on the vehicle, boondocking across the country, sleeping in unexpected places, such as minor league ballparks, and navigating everything from flat plains to rugged mountain passes. Along the way, he has lived and worked in some of America's most iconic national parks as a volunteer interpreter and campground host. Big Bend, Death Valley, the Redwoods, North Cascades, Aztec Ruins and Sequoia National Park are just a few of the places that have become temporary “home.” Sam's experiences offer a valuable look at the realities, challenges and joys of long-term RV travel, and how volunteering can make the lifestyle more sustainable, meaningful and affordable. Sam offered terrific advice for anyone considering the RV lifestyle, especially those people over 60 who want to travel with purpose. He encouraged people to take an honest assessment of their personalities to determine whether they enjoy long stretches of solitude or if they'd thrive working alongside other people. Whichever the case, he said the lifestyle requires flexibility, resilience and the willingness to work through unexpected weather, repairs and delays. He noted that RVing is often more difficult and more expensive than people expect, which is why maintaining a realistic mindset is essential. Something will always need attention or  break, and the weather will not always cooperate. Yet the rewards are immense. Living inside national parks, hiking trails before the gates open, seeing landscapes without crowds and learning from park rangers are opportunities that don't come with any other lifestyle. Sam also urged newcomers to travel like a bison by walking into challenges rather than running from them, because persistence helps you reach the other side faster. For him, volunteering has been the key to keeping expenses low, preserving his van's lifespan, and experiencing America's popular places more deeply. People can follow Sam's ongoing travels, photos and stories on Facebook. He posts regularly about the parks he lives in, the routes he takes and the adventures that shape his life on the road. You can also buy Sam's book, “Sacred Landscapes,” on Amazon and in other bookstores. If you'd like to be inspired by someone who is squeezing every drop out of life, you'll enjoy connecting with Sam and following his remarkable journey. Would you like to be featured in an upcoming episode of The Workamper Show? I encourage you to schedule an interview with me at workampershow.com. We'd love to hear about your Workamping experiences, how you got started RVing, and what you love and dislike about the RVing lifestyle. Help others explore all the different ways to live this great lifestyle by sharing your story. If you are an employer of Workampers – we invite you to be on the podcast, too. Share all of the details of your Workamping jobs in a future episode. It only costs a little bit of your time. Schedule an interview with me today by going to workampershow.com. You'll find the schedule buttons at the bottom of the home page. That's all for this week's show. Next time, I will be speaking with an executive from Love's Travel Stops about the new overnight RV parks the company is developing all over the country.

The Old Orchard Fall Festival is back—and bigger. This week on The STL Bucket List Show, host Luke Farrell sits down with Madeleine Wiering, of Papillon Press, and Lexie Toomey, of First House, to share how Webster Groves' Old Orchard District is turning Big Bend into a two-day neighborhood celebration.Festival at a glance:

As the fall weather begins to cool, this is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors of Texas. The state has an abundance of hiking options to choose from. Regions covered include the Panhandle Plains, prairies and lakes, Piney Woods, Gulf Coast, South Texas Plains, Hill Country, and Big Bend. What makes Texas hiking unique? What dangers and challenges should hikers be prepared for? And which hikes best capture the spirit of Texas?

If you enjoy this podcast and look forward to it in your inbox, consider supporting it by becoming a paid yearly subscriber for $60 or you can buy me a cup of coffee for $8Welcome to another episode of "Dishing with Stephanie's Dish." Today, I interview acclaimed food writer, wild foods expert, and self-described hunter-gatherer Hank Shaw. Hank is the author of the brand new cookbook, "Borderlands: Recipes and Stories from the Rio Grande to the Pacific," an exploration of the flavors, cultures, and stories that define the borderlands between the United States and Mexico. He also has a Substack that's wonderful, called Hank Shaw “To The Bone” and a website full of recipes.In this episode, Hank and I dive into everything from his early days as a restaurant cook and investigative journalist to his passion for foraging, preserving, and hunting wild foods. Hank discusses the vibrant mix of culinary traditions that thrive along the border, debunks myths about iconic ingredients (like acorns!), and shares the fascinating histories behind beloved dishes such as chimichangas and parisa.They also touch on practical advice—like the art of drying herbs, the joys and challenges of single-person food preservation, and the ins and outs of self-publishing cookbooks at a high level.Get ready for an episode filled with storytelling, culinary wisdom, and inspiration for your next adventure in the kitchen or the great outdoors. Whether you're a curious home cook, an aspiring cookbook author, or simply a lover of good food, there's something here for everyone. Let's get started!Original Episode Transcript Follows:Stephanie:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's Dish, the podcast, where we talk to fun people in the food space and sometimes they have cookbooks. And today's author is an author. He's an author of great magnitude, Hank Shaw. His new book is Borderlands Recipes and Stories from the Rio Grande to the Pacific. And Hank, you are such a prolific, beautiful writer. This book, I feel like, is just so you. Do you love it?Hank Shaw:It's been a long journey to make this book, and I'm pretty proud of it. And it's. It's been probably the biggest project of my adult life in terms of time, commitment, travel, really unlocking understanding of things that I thought I knew but didn't necessarily know until I got there. And it's just been this. This crazy, fantastic journey and a journey that you can eat.Stephanie:Can you talk a little bit about your history? Like, I think many people know you as the hunter, forager, gatherer, type, and Borderlands obviously has a lot of those elements to it. But can you just walk readers that are listeners that might be new to your journey kind of through how you got here?Hank Shaw:Sure. Many, many years ago, when I was still fairly young, I was a restaurant cook. So I worked first as a dishwasher and then as a line cook and then as a sous chef in a series of restaurants, mostly in Madison, Wisconsin. And I left that job to be a newspaper reporter. And I ended up being a newspaper reporter for 18 years. And I cooked all throughout that and traveled and learned more about food and did fishing and hunting and foraging and such. And then I left the News Business in 2010 to do my website, which is hunter, angler, gardener, cook. And I've been doing that full time since 2010.So, yeah, my entire kind of current incarnation is wild foods. But Borderlands is kind of an outgrowth of that for two reasons. The first is I've been basically written all of the fishing game books you can possibly write already. I've got one for every kind of quarry you can imagine. And then the other thing was, oh, well, you know, a lot of that travel for those other books was on the border on both sides, on the American side and on the Mexican side. And that kind of grew into this. Wow, you know, God, the food is so great and God, this area is just so neglected, I think, by most, you know, the. The food, or radio, for lack of a better term.Yeah, because all of the, like, everybody seems to love to hate Tex Mex without really fully knowing what Tex Mex actually is. And people say that the Southwestern cooking is so very 1987. And. And, you know, the people who know Mexico are like, oh, all the good foods in Oaxaca or Michoacan or Mexico City or Yucatan. And really that's not the case, as over and over and over again, I was discovering these amazing just finds. And a lot of them had to do with wild foods, but not all of them. And so that borderlands became my diary of that journey.Stephanie:And quite a diary it is. What's interesting to me is I didn't actually ever know that you were in the newspaper business.Hank Shaw:And that makes a Pioneer Press graduate.Stephanie:Oh, you work for them. How did I not know this?Hank Shaw:Yeah, I was a St. Paul Pioneer Press investigative reporter from 2002 to 2004. And if you're of a certain age and you remember there was a big story about some Republican operatives getting involved with a telecommunications boondoggle. And yeah, that was probably. That was us. That was our story.Stephanie:Well, and it makes sense because the book is so like. It's the storytelling that's so good. And, you know, cookbooks are cookbooks with beautiful recipes and different people's point of view on recipes. But what I love about your book, too, is it really goes into ingredients a little more in depth. It tells the story of the terroir, of where the recipe's from and why it's the way it is. And it makes sense now to me that you're a journalist because it's so beautifully written.Hank Shaw:I really appreciate that. I mean, I tried in this particular book. There are essays in all of my books, but in this particular one, I really, really wanted people from the rest of the country to get a flavor of what it's like to was really honest to God, like on the border. Everybody has thoughts and opinions about immigration and about the border and about blah, blah, blah. And it's like, well, how much time have you actually spent on the border? Do you actually know what it feels like, what it smells like, what it tastes like? Chances are you probably don't. And I really wanted this book to shine a light on that in ways that go well beyond food.Stephanie:When we talk about the borderlands, can you talk about it without talking about immigration and the close connection between the United States and Mexico? I mean, we share this border. People have this idea that it's like this gated, fenced situation, and really there's tons of the border that's just. You'd only know it was a border if someone told you you were crossing it.Hank Shaw:It's very true. In Fact, one of my favorite moments to that was in south southwest Texas there's a beautiful national park called Big Bend. It's one of the biggest national parks in the country. It's fa. It's famous, it's amazing. But you're going to drive and hike and hike and drive and hike and drive a gigantic park. So one place that you can go to. And it's actually, if you open up a copy of Borderlands and you see this huge vista right at the beginning of the book, there's this huge vista and it's on a cliff. That is exactly it. That is. That is Big Bend National Park. And if you're looking right in the back end of that back center, a little to the left, you'll see a canyon in the background. In that canyon is St. Helena Canyon. And St.Helena Canyon is created by the Rio Grande. So you can go to that park and you can walk across the border literally to Mexico and not have the Rio Grande come up over your ankles. And there's Mexicans on their side, there's Americans on our side, and everybody's crossing back and forth until their families are there and having a fun time, blah, blah, blah. And it's just, it's one of these great moments where it shows you that, yeah, that border is really just sort of a fiction.Stephanie:Yeah. Yes, in many ways. Right. Figuratively. And also, I don't know, we seem to be in a global food economy whether we want to or not. When you look at the individual ingredients that you're using here in Borderlands, obviously there's very different things because of temperature in Mexico than you might have here in the Midwest. But is it really different from like say, Texas to Mexico in.Hank Shaw:Yes, there, there are definitely different. So the food you'll get in Nueva Leon or Coahuila or Tamaulipas, which are the three Mexican states, that border Texas is going to be different from what you would think about as Texas food. However, on the Borderlands, that. That change really is minimal. And I talk about in the book the idea of Fronteraisos, people who are neither fully Mexican nor full. They're. They're border people and they can slide between English and Spanish in mid clause. And it's really the, you know, the, the pocho or Spanglish or whatever you want to call it that you'll hear there is very different from what you'll hear from a bilingual person from, say, Mexico City, where typically those people will speak in full sentences or paragraphs in one language and then maybe switch to another language in the next sentence or paragraph.Hank Shaw:Well, on the border, it's a mishmash. So the structure, the words, the adjectives, like, it's everything. It's like no function. And so it's like. It's like this whole kind of amalgam of what's going on. And that kind of translates into the food where you've got some Texas, you know, some very Texas. Texas. Things that don't cross the border, like yellow cheese doesn't really cross the border.Stephanie:Right.Hank Shaw:The idea of, like, rotel queso. So it's. It's like Velveeta cheese melted with rotel. That's queso. That's the bad queso in North Texas. Like, you'll get that in, like, Amarillo. But the real queso is south of Interstate 10. And that is a white Mexican cheese.That it where you get, you know, roasted fire roasted green chilies folded into it and a little bit of Mexican oregano and salt and a little bit of crema to thin it out. And it's is to the rotel queso what a match is to the sun.Stephanie:Yeah.Hank Shaw:And, you know, I mean, that said, I'm not gonna poop all over the Velveeta one, because that while I don't think it tastes great, what I realized is that particular version of queso, which I personally don't like, is really heavy with cultural significance.Stephanie:Yeah.Hank Shaw:And. And so that's. There's a place for it. It's just not. That's not really as border food as you might think. That's a little bit more North Texas, and that's an example of where things don't cross. But a really great example of where things are damn near the same is Arizona and Sonora. So that there's almost no difference between Arizona Mexican food and Sonora Mexican food because they're one and the same.The burritos are pretty similar. The flour tortillas are similar. The carne asada is pretty similar. And so that. That's a case where the border's really. I mean, yes, it's a border, but I mean, it's like the. It's. There's no food border.Same thing with Southern California and Tijuana and Northern Baja. There's almost no. No functional difference between the two of them. Now, New Mexico and Chihuahua has a difference. And, like, north of Interstate 10 in Texas and the border in Texas are quite different.Stephanie:There's a recipe in here that I didn't even really know existed called Parisa.Hank Shaw:Oh, yeah.Stephanie:And, you know, you we will order steak tartare or make tartare. And I didn't realize that there was a. In many cultures, you sort of see similar foods or similar food groups, and they're just treated differently with herbs or spices. This looks delicious.Hank Shaw:It really is. It's the best way to describe it if you. If you're not familiar, because it's very. It's. It's super regional in Texas. Like, you can't even really get barista in Dallas or in. Or in El Paso. It's not a thing there.It's sort of a south central Texas thing. But the best way I can describe it is really accurately describe it. It is steak tartar meets aguachile. Because most people will say it's steak tartare meat ceviche. And yes, you absolutely can get it like that, but the. The acidity and the citrus will turn the. The raw beef gray, which I think looks gross. Yeah, I mean, it.It tastes fine, but it just kind of looks like, meh. So my recipe and what I do is I. I mix the steak tartare with the. Essentially, pico de gallo is really what it. What it's being mixed with, and a little bit of cheese, and I. I'll mix it and serve it right away so that when you eat it, the meat is still pink.Stephanie:Yeah, it looks really good. And then also in the book, so you're a hunter, obviously, we established that. But in many of these recipes, you have substitutions of different animal proteins that can be used. So whether it's elk or bison or sheep or duck, I think that's cool.Hank Shaw:Yeah, I mean, I think I. I started that process. It's done with icons. So if you look at a recipe for. Oh, there's a stew that's very popular. They're called puchero. And I'm just to that page, so I'll. So.Oh, that's a sour puerto. So always pork, but, like, no. Babies will die if you use something else from that. But that is traditionally a pork dish. Buchero is traditionally beef or venison, but really, you know, you're gonna be fine if you put damn near anything in it. It's a big, giant stew, a lot of vegetables, and it's fantastic. And to. To really make the book more versatile, because I.The two things that I always do in my books. Number one is I'm going to give you the recipe as faithfully as I can to what it actually is, wherever it's from, and then I'm going to give you all these substitutions so that if you live in, you know, Bismarck or Crookston or, you know, rural Iowa, you're going to be able to make it. And that's important to me because it's more important to me that you make some version of it than to be exactly proper and specific. I hate cookbooks where it's like, especially with cheese, where you'll see someone be like, it must be the, you know, Cowgirl Creamery point raised blue from 2012. Otherwise this recipe won't work. I'm like, come on guys, this is a stupid recipe. Like it's blue cheese. It'll be fine.Stephanie:I was surprised that you have a chimichanga in the book. Can we talk about chimichangas? Because people that grew up in the Midwest, Chichis was like the first Mexican restaurant besides El Burrito Mercado. And El Burrito Mercado was authentic and chichi's was like the Americanized what they thought Mexican food was. Which also I will say I have taste memories of chi cheese. I say this not dogging on them and they're actually coming back. And the chimichanga is something that like, if I actually go to the new restaurant, which I'm sure I will, I will order a chimichanga. It's like a taste memory for me. What is the origination of chimichanga?Hank Shaw:It's shrouded in mystery. So there's a couple different theories. And then I'll tell you what I think the general story is that a woman was making burritos in Arizona and either dropped, which I don't believe because that would create a splash that would, you know, send 350 degree oil everywhere, or placed a burrito in the deep fryer. And the, the legend, which I don't believe this is true at all, is she drops the burrito in the deep fryer and you know, says something like, you know, ah, chingo to madre or whatever, like just like swears something bad and. But then sort of does what you would do in a kind of a mom situation. And if you instead of saying the F word, you would say oh, fudge. And so she goes, oh Jimmy changa. And which is sort of vaguely reminiscent of some Mexican swear words.And so that thus the, the dish was born. But I think that's not true because there is a fantastic resource, actually. I mean, I found it in some of my older Mexican cookbooks that I own. But there's a fantastic research that the University of Texas at San Antonio of Mexican cookbooks. And some of these Mexican cookbooks are handwritten from the 1800s, and so they're all digitized and you can. You can study them. And so there's a thing in Sonora. Remember I just got done saying that, like, there's almost no difference between Sonora and Arizona.There's a thing from Sonora many, many, many, many years ago, you know, early early 1900s, for a chivy changa. C H I V I C H A N G A ch and it's the same thing. So I'm convinced that this is just a thing, because if you have a burrito and you fry things, there's zero. There's zero chance that at some point you be like, I want to. I wonder if frying the burrito will make it good? You know, like, the answer, yes, yes, all the time.Stephanie:And.Hank Shaw:And so, you know, I, like you, came into the chimichanga world just thinking with a definite eyebrow raised, like, what is this? And when it's done right, and if you see the picture in my book, it is dressed with a whole bunch of things on the outside of the burrito. So it's crema, it's a pico de gallo. It's shredded lettuce or cabbage, limes. The thing about a properly served chimichanga is that you have to eat it as a whole because the chimichanga itself is quite heavy. You know, it's a. It's a fried burrito with, like, rice and beans and meat inside it. Like, it's a gut bomb. But when you eat it with all these light things around it that are bright and fresh and acidic, it completely changes the eating experience. And I was sold.Stephanie:I can imagine. The one you have in the book looks really good. I'm going to. I keep asking about specific recipes, but there were, like, some that just jumped out at me, like, wow. Another one that jumped out at me was from that same chapter about the acorn cookies. I've always been under the impression that acorns, and maybe it's from just specific to the oaks, but that they're poisonous. I didn't think about making acorn flour.Hank Shaw:So, number one, no acorns are poisonous. Zero, period. End of story. It's a myth. You were lied to. Sorry.Stephanie:Yeah. I mean, it helps me because my dog eats them.Hank Shaw:I mean, acorns have been a source of food for human beings forever, you know, all the way. I don't know how long ago, but way more than 10,000 years. Way more. Okay, so what the myth comes from is most acorn varieties, so most especially red oaks, are full of tannins. And tannins are not poisonous. Tannins are not toxic. Tannins will make you constipated if you eat too many of them. And I suppose it would be possible to poison yourself with tannins, but I mean, good luck.Yeah, good luck eating enough of that astringent stuff to be able to get yourself poisoned. But tannins are water soluble. So for millennia, the people who eat acorns, and especially in. In northern California, where, you know, acorn. Acorns were their main starch, the idea of leaching the tannins out in a stream or wherever is as old as time. And so you make the. You make a meal. It's really a meal is probably a better way to put it.I call it flour, but there's no. There's no real gluten in it. In fact, there's no gluten in it, but there is some starch in it that will help the flour stick to itself. So that's true everywhere. In fact, it's a very good acorn year here in Minnesota this year. And I found some bur oaks in a. In a place that I'm going to go back and harvest them to make some more acorn flour this year. And I'll have to leach them here.But this is a very long walk up to this cookie recipe, because in south Arizona and in Sonora, there's an oak called an emery oak. And the emery oak is in the white oak. It's in the white oak clan. And it is sweet in the sense that you can roast those acorns and eat them. And in fact, you can get roasted acorns as a snack on some of the reservations down there or really wherever. I mean, it's a thing like it's. It. It.They could just roast it. Roast the acorns? Yeah. It's just like a chestnut. Very good. That's exactly with the. Because it's the same kind of a texture as well. And so that particular oak is unique in. In North America.The cork oak in Europe is the other one that doesn't have any tannins to it. So you can just sit there and eat them. And that's why they make flour out of them. It's an indigenous thing. You don't really see it too much among the Hispanic Sonorans. You see it a lot more with, like, Yaqui or Pima or Tono O', Odham, those indigenous groups.Stephanie:It's so Cool. I also subscribe to your substack, which I would encourage people to subscribe and. And yes to the Bone, it's called. And you just had a post about herbs and how important herbs are in your cooking and in your yard. And I know that you have kind of a small St. Paul yard because we've talked about it. What are you doing with your herbs now that we're at the end of the season? Are you. Do you have anything that's special that you do with them? Do you dry them? Do you mix them with salt?Hank Shaw:I do all of the above. I am a preservation fanatic. I could talk for hours just about various ways to preserve things for our Minnesota winners. Maybe that's another podcast for sure. But the short version is, yes, all of the things. I mostly will do things like make pesto with basil, because I love pesto. But I do dry some and there are tricks to drying herbs. The trick is low heat for a long time, so the don't use your oven and try to get them dry within 40, 48 hours, but also try to do it at less than 110 degrees, otherwise they turn brown.Stephanie:Do you use it like a dehydrator, then?Hank Shaw:Yes, I use a dehydrator. And most herbs dry really well. In fact, many herbs are better dried because it concentrates their flavor. Basil's iffy. Parsley's kind of terrible. Dried parsley's one of those ones where eat it fresh, make pesto. I suppose you could freeze it. I mostly will.I will gather big scabs of it because I grow a lot and I will freeze it. And even though it's going to suffer in the freezer, it is one of the most vital things I use for making stocks and broths with the game I bring home. So freezing, drying, you can, you know, I just mixed a whole bunch of. Of lovage with salt. So you go 50, 50 the herb and. And coarse salt, like ice cream salt almost. And then you buzz that into a food processor or a blender, and then that creates a much finer kind of almost a wet salt that is an enormous amount of flavor. And if you freeze it, it'll stay bright green the whole winter.And sometimes I like to do that, but the other times I kind of like to. To see it and progress over the. Over the months. And it's kind of a beautiful thing to see that herb salt kind of brown out and army green out as we get to like, late February, because it really is. Is sort of also indicative of how of our Harsh winters and feels a little bit more of the time and place than pulling something out of a freezer.Stephanie:Yeah. So let's talk about that because you're a single man, you are a recipe writer and developer, so you're also cooking and testing recipes. You're preserving all these things. I mean, my freezer right now is kind of a hellscape. I just closed up my summer and I came home with so much food. I have, like, canned and pickled and preserved. And I just literally feel overwhelmed by all of the food in my home right now. And I realize this is a real first world problem.So, you know, my daughter's kind of in her young 20s and sort of poor, so I've loaded her up with stuff. But do you just feel overwhelmed sometimes by all of the abundance of food?Hank Shaw:Absolutely. It's one of the things that's been really remarkable about it, about sort of single life, is how less I need to hunt or fish. So I find myself. I mean, I still. I. Because. So, side note, background backstory. I don't buy meat or fish at all.I occasionally will buy a little bit of bacon because I love bacon. And I'll occasionally buy pork fat to make sausages with game, but that's it. So if I'm eating red meat, it's going to be venison. If I'm eating white meat, it's probably going to be grouse or. Or pheasants. If I'm eating fish, I've caught it. And so that's what I find is that I eat. Hey, I don't eat that much meat anymore.Like, I eat plenty. But I mean, it's not like I. I don't gorge myself on giant steaks anymore. And it's just me. So, you know, a limit of walleyes can last me a month. And before, it was definitely not like that. And so, yes, I can feel the overwhelm. But what's, you know, I have neighbors that I give things to.I have friends that I give things to. Like, I. I had two deer tags last year, and I shot the second deer because I had a whole bunch of friends who didn't get a deer and needed medicine. So it was really cool to be able to give to. You know, I butchered it all and gave them an all vacuum seal. It was like all ready to go. And. And that was really satisfying to be able to help people like that.And then, you know, I like, you know, have a dinner party here and there.Stephanie:Yeah, I want to come to a dinner party. Not to invite myself. But please, I'll. I'll reciprocate in the. I have a cabin in the summer, so I'm sort of like between here and there. But once sets in, I really like to entertain and have people over. I find that it's a really easy way to gather new people too. Like, I like collecting people because I just think people are so amazing and I love putting like, new people at the table that people don't know yet or making those connections.I think I'm actually kind of good at it. So I can't wait to have you over this fall.Hank Shaw:Yeah, likewise. We'll. We'll do a home and home.Stephanie:Yes, I would love that very much. Your book is available, Borderlands on. I found it because obviously I. You sent me a copy. But also it's on Amazon and you self publish. So there's a lot of people that listen to this podcast that are cookbook writers themselves or people that maybe are trying to get published or find publishing. Can you speak to that a little bit and why that's been your route. You've been doing this a long time.Hank Shaw:Yeah, this is my force. Fourth self published book. And self publish is really kind of a misnomer in a way because the books that I put out are of Random House quality. Like, they're for sure. There's no way you're gonna be able to tell this book is apart from a gigantic publishing house, because what I ended up doing is creating a publishing company. So the books are published in big, big runs at Versa Press in Illinois. I'm very happy to say that these books are entirely made in America. And that's kind of important to me because most cookbooks are made in China and not a fan.So the books are printed in Illinois and they are stored and shipped at a, at a, a warehouse in Michigan. So the best ways to get the books are to either buy them from my website or buy them from Amazon. Those are probably your two best avenues for it. The thing about self publishing, if you want to do it at the level that I'm doing it, which is to say, make a book that, you know, even a snooty Random House person will be like, damn, that's a good book. You have to go big and it's not cheap. So I do, I, I don't ever do runs less than 5,000. And a typical run for me is between 10 and 15,000. And because your unit costs go way, way down.Stephanie:Right.Hank Shaw:And we can get in the weeds of it, but I have some Advantages in the sense that my sister has designed books for a living for 30 some odd years and her husband has edited books for 30 some odd years.Stephanie:Oh, so you got like family business going.Hank Shaw:Yeah, and my ex, my ex does most of the photos like this. Borderlands is the first book where the majority of the photos are mine. They're nice, but the. But even she's cheap. She photo edited this book. And so like I have people with very good skills. And so what I would say is if you have a kitchen cabinet where you have people who have those skills. And I have to kind of stress that, for example, copy editing, copy editing or proofreading or indexing a book are entirely different from copy editing or proofreading something in businessIt's just not the same skill. And I found that out. So if you have that ability to put together a dream team, then you can make a really, really beautiful book that will, that will impress people and that you will actually love. The print on demand system is still not good enough for cookbooks. It's fantastic for like a memoir or something without a lot of pictures, but it is not good for, for cookbooks still.Stephanie:All right, I'm just making notes here because people ask me questions about this all the time. All right, well, I appreciate that you've done all this work, and the book is beautiful, and I love talking to you about food. So hopefully we can call you again and just wrap it down.Hank Shaw:Yeah, let's talk about preservation.Stephanie:Yeah, I. Because I've never met anyone that only was eating what they killed.Hank Shaw:Well, you could go up north. I bet you'd find more people who do.Stephanie:But yes, yes. And I just, I find that to be fascinating and also just the idea of preserving food and how you use. Use what you preserve. So yeah, that's a great topic to get into at a later date. The book is Borderlands. I'm talking with Hank Shaw. Recipes and Stories from the Rio Grande to the Pacific. You can find it at Amazon or at his website.I always say this one wrong. Hunt, Gather. CookHank Shaw:So. So the best way to get to my website is just go to huntgathercook.com okay.Stephanie:And you have lots of recipes there too. I want people to just explore thousands. Yeah, it's incredible the mon recipes that you have there. And you know, if you think about protein as being interchangeable in a lot of these instances, it's definitely a really well done website with tons of recipes.Stephanie:Thanks for your time today, Hank. I appreciate it.Hank Shaw:Thanks a lot. Thanks for having me on.Stephanie:We'll talk soon.Hank Shaw:Bye.Stephanie:Bye. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

If you enjoy this podcast and look forward to it in your inbox, consider supporting it by becoming a paid yearly subscriber for $60 or you can buy me a cup of coffee for $8Welcome to another episode of "Dishing with Stephanie's Dish." Today, I interview acclaimed food writer, wild foods expert, and self-described hunter-gatherer Hank Shaw. Hank is the author of the brand new cookbook, "Borderlands: Recipes and Stories from the Rio Grande to the Pacific," an exploration of the flavors, cultures, and stories that define the borderlands between the United States and Mexico. He also has a Substack that's wonderful, called Hank Shaw “To The Bone” and a website full of recipes.In this episode, Hank and I dive into everything from his early days as a restaurant cook and investigative journalist to his passion for foraging, preserving, and hunting wild foods. Hank discusses the vibrant mix of culinary traditions that thrive along the border, debunks myths about iconic ingredients (like acorns!), and shares the fascinating histories behind beloved dishes such as chimichangas and parisa.They also touch on practical advice—like the art of drying herbs, the joys and challenges of single-person food preservation, and the ins and outs of self-publishing cookbooks at a high level.Get ready for an episode filled with storytelling, culinary wisdom, and inspiration for your next adventure in the kitchen or the great outdoors. Whether you're a curious home cook, an aspiring cookbook author, or simply a lover of good food, there's something here for everyone. Let's get started!Original Episode Transcript Follows:Stephanie:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's Dish, the podcast, where we talk to fun people in the food space and sometimes they have cookbooks. And today's author is an author. He's an author of great magnitude, Hank Shaw. His new book is Borderlands Recipes and Stories from the Rio Grande to the Pacific. And Hank, you are such a prolific, beautiful writer. This book, I feel like, is just so you. Do you love it?Hank Shaw:It's been a long journey to make this book, and I'm pretty proud of it. And it's. It's been probably the biggest project of my adult life in terms of time, commitment, travel, really unlocking understanding of things that I thought I knew but didn't necessarily know until I got there. And it's just been this. This crazy, fantastic journey and a journey that you can eat.Stephanie:Can you talk a little bit about your history? Like, I think many people know you as the hunter, forager, gatherer, type, and Borderlands obviously has a lot of those elements to it. But can you just walk readers that are listeners that might be new to your journey kind of through how you got here?Hank Shaw:Sure. Many, many years ago, when I was still fairly young, I was a restaurant cook. So I worked first as a dishwasher and then as a line cook and then as a sous chef in a series of restaurants, mostly in Madison, Wisconsin. And I left that job to be a newspaper reporter. And I ended up being a newspaper reporter for 18 years. And I cooked all throughout that and traveled and learned more about food and did fishing and hunting and foraging and such. And then I left the News Business in 2010 to do my website, which is hunter, angler, gardener, cook. And I've been doing that full time since 2010.So, yeah, my entire kind of current incarnation is wild foods. But Borderlands is kind of an outgrowth of that for two reasons. The first is I've been basically written all of the fishing game books you can possibly write already. I've got one for every kind of quarry you can imagine. And then the other thing was, oh, well, you know, a lot of that travel for those other books was on the border on both sides, on the American side and on the Mexican side. And that kind of grew into this. Wow, you know, God, the food is so great and God, this area is just so neglected, I think, by most, you know, the. The food, or radio, for lack of a better term.Yeah, because all of the, like, everybody seems to love to hate Tex Mex without really fully knowing what Tex Mex actually is. And people say that the Southwestern cooking is so very 1987. And. And, you know, the people who know Mexico are like, oh, all the good foods in Oaxaca or Michoacan or Mexico City or Yucatan. And really that's not the case, as over and over and over again, I was discovering these amazing just finds. And a lot of them had to do with wild foods, but not all of them. And so that borderlands became my diary of that journey.Stephanie:And quite a diary it is. What's interesting to me is I didn't actually ever know that you were in the newspaper business.Hank Shaw:And that makes a Pioneer Press graduate.Stephanie:Oh, you work for them. How did I not know this?Hank Shaw:Yeah, I was a St. Paul Pioneer Press investigative reporter from 2002 to 2004. And if you're of a certain age and you remember there was a big story about some Republican operatives getting involved with a telecommunications boondoggle. And yeah, that was probably. That was us. That was our story.Stephanie:Well, and it makes sense because the book is so like. It's the storytelling that's so good. And, you know, cookbooks are cookbooks with beautiful recipes and different people's point of view on recipes. But what I love about your book, too, is it really goes into ingredients a little more in depth. It tells the story of the terroir, of where the recipe's from and why it's the way it is. And it makes sense now to me that you're a journalist because it's so beautifully written.Hank Shaw:I really appreciate that. I mean, I tried in this particular book. There are essays in all of my books, but in this particular one, I really, really wanted people from the rest of the country to get a flavor of what it's like to was really honest to God, like on the border. Everybody has thoughts and opinions about immigration and about the border and about blah, blah, blah. And it's like, well, how much time have you actually spent on the border? Do you actually know what it feels like, what it smells like, what it tastes like? Chances are you probably don't. And I really wanted this book to shine a light on that in ways that go well beyond food.Stephanie:When we talk about the borderlands, can you talk about it without talking about immigration and the close connection between the United States and Mexico? I mean, we share this border. People have this idea that it's like this gated, fenced situation, and really there's tons of the border that's just. You'd only know it was a border if someone told you you were crossing it.Hank Shaw:It's very true. In Fact, one of my favorite moments to that was in south southwest Texas there's a beautiful national park called Big Bend. It's one of the biggest national parks in the country. It's fa. It's famous, it's amazing. But you're going to drive and hike and hike and drive and hike and drive a gigantic park. So one place that you can go to. And it's actually, if you open up a copy of Borderlands and you see this huge vista right at the beginning of the book, there's this huge vista and it's on a cliff. That is exactly it. That is. That is Big Bend National Park. And if you're looking right in the back end of that back center, a little to the left, you'll see a canyon in the background. In that canyon is St. Helena Canyon. And St.Helena Canyon is created by the Rio Grande. So you can go to that park and you can walk across the border literally to Mexico and not have the Rio Grande come up over your ankles. And there's Mexicans on their side, there's Americans on our side, and everybody's crossing back and forth until their families are there and having a fun time, blah, blah, blah. And it's just, it's one of these great moments where it shows you that, yeah, that border is really just sort of a fiction.Stephanie:Yeah. Yes, in many ways. Right. Figuratively. And also, I don't know, we seem to be in a global food economy whether we want to or not. When you look at the individual ingredients that you're using here in Borderlands, obviously there's very different things because of temperature in Mexico than you might have here in the Midwest. But is it really different from like say, Texas to Mexico in.Hank Shaw:Yes, there, there are definitely different. So the food you'll get in Nueva Leon or Coahuila or Tamaulipas, which are the three Mexican states, that border Texas is going to be different from what you would think about as Texas food. However, on the Borderlands, that. That change really is minimal. And I talk about in the book the idea of Fronteraisos, people who are neither fully Mexican nor full. They're. They're border people and they can slide between English and Spanish in mid clause. And it's really the, you know, the, the pocho or Spanglish or whatever you want to call it that you'll hear there is very different from what you'll hear from a bilingual person from, say, Mexico City, where typically those people will speak in full sentences or paragraphs in one language and then maybe switch to another language in the next sentence or paragraph.Hank Shaw:Well, on the border, it's a mishmash. So the structure, the words, the adjectives, like, it's everything. It's like no function. And so it's like. It's like this whole kind of amalgam of what's going on. And that kind of translates into the food where you've got some Texas, you know, some very Texas. Texas. Things that don't cross the border, like yellow cheese doesn't really cross the border.Stephanie:Right.Hank Shaw:The idea of, like, rotel queso. So it's. It's like Velveeta cheese melted with rotel. That's queso. That's the bad queso in North Texas. Like, you'll get that in, like, Amarillo. But the real queso is south of Interstate 10. And that is a white Mexican cheese.That it where you get, you know, roasted fire roasted green chilies folded into it and a little bit of Mexican oregano and salt and a little bit of crema to thin it out. And it's is to the rotel queso what a match is to the sun.Stephanie:Yeah.Hank Shaw:And, you know, I mean, that said, I'm not gonna poop all over the Velveeta one, because that while I don't think it tastes great, what I realized is that particular version of queso, which I personally don't like, is really heavy with cultural significance.Stephanie:Yeah.Hank Shaw:And. And so that's. There's a place for it. It's just not. That's not really as border food as you might think. That's a little bit more North Texas, and that's an example of where things don't cross. But a really great example of where things are damn near the same is Arizona and Sonora. So that there's almost no difference between Arizona Mexican food and Sonora Mexican food because they're one and the same.The burritos are pretty similar. The flour tortillas are similar. The carne asada is pretty similar. And so that. That's a case where the border's really. I mean, yes, it's a border, but I mean, it's like the. It's. There's no food border.Same thing with Southern California and Tijuana and Northern Baja. There's almost no. No functional difference between the two of them. Now, New Mexico and Chihuahua has a difference. And, like, north of Interstate 10 in Texas and the border in Texas are quite different.Stephanie:There's a recipe in here that I didn't even really know existed called Parisa.Hank Shaw:Oh, yeah.Stephanie:And, you know, you we will order steak tartare or make tartare. And I didn't realize that there was a. In many cultures, you sort of see similar foods or similar food groups, and they're just treated differently with herbs or spices. This looks delicious.Hank Shaw:It really is. It's the best way to describe it if you. If you're not familiar, because it's very. It's. It's super regional in Texas. Like, you can't even really get barista in Dallas or in. Or in El Paso. It's not a thing there.It's sort of a south central Texas thing. But the best way I can describe it is really accurately describe it. It is steak tartar meets aguachile. Because most people will say it's steak tartare meat ceviche. And yes, you absolutely can get it like that, but the. The acidity and the citrus will turn the. The raw beef gray, which I think looks gross. Yeah, I mean, it.It tastes fine, but it just kind of looks like, meh. So my recipe and what I do is I. I mix the steak tartare with the. Essentially, pico de gallo is really what it. What it's being mixed with, and a little bit of cheese, and I. I'll mix it and serve it right away so that when you eat it, the meat is still pink.Stephanie:Yeah, it looks really good. And then also in the book, so you're a hunter, obviously, we established that. But in many of these recipes, you have substitutions of different animal proteins that can be used. So whether it's elk or bison or sheep or duck, I think that's cool.Hank Shaw:Yeah, I mean, I think I. I started that process. It's done with icons. So if you look at a recipe for. Oh, there's a stew that's very popular. They're called puchero. And I'm just to that page, so I'll. So.Oh, that's a sour puerto. So always pork, but, like, no. Babies will die if you use something else from that. But that is traditionally a pork dish. Buchero is traditionally beef or venison, but really, you know, you're gonna be fine if you put damn near anything in it. It's a big, giant stew, a lot of vegetables, and it's fantastic. And to. To really make the book more versatile, because I.The two things that I always do in my books. Number one is I'm going to give you the recipe as faithfully as I can to what it actually is, wherever it's from, and then I'm going to give you all these substitutions so that if you live in, you know, Bismarck or Crookston or, you know, rural Iowa, you're going to be able to make it. And that's important to me because it's more important to me that you make some version of it than to be exactly proper and specific. I hate cookbooks where it's like, especially with cheese, where you'll see someone be like, it must be the, you know, Cowgirl Creamery point raised blue from 2012. Otherwise this recipe won't work. I'm like, come on guys, this is a stupid recipe. Like it's blue cheese. It'll be fine.Stephanie:I was surprised that you have a chimichanga in the book. Can we talk about chimichangas? Because people that grew up in the Midwest, Chichis was like the first Mexican restaurant besides El Burrito Mercado. And El Burrito Mercado was authentic and chichi's was like the Americanized what they thought Mexican food was. Which also I will say I have taste memories of chi cheese. I say this not dogging on them and they're actually coming back. And the chimichanga is something that like, if I actually go to the new restaurant, which I'm sure I will, I will order a chimichanga. It's like a taste memory for me. What is the origination of chimichanga?Hank Shaw:It's shrouded in mystery. So there's a couple different theories. And then I'll tell you what I think the general story is that a woman was making burritos in Arizona and either dropped, which I don't believe because that would create a splash that would, you know, send 350 degree oil everywhere, or placed a burrito in the deep fryer. And the, the legend, which I don't believe this is true at all, is she drops the burrito in the deep fryer and you know, says something like, you know, ah, chingo to madre or whatever, like just like swears something bad and. But then sort of does what you would do in a kind of a mom situation. And if you instead of saying the F word, you would say oh, fudge. And so she goes, oh Jimmy changa. And which is sort of vaguely reminiscent of some Mexican swear words.And so that thus the, the dish was born. But I think that's not true because there is a fantastic resource, actually. I mean, I found it in some of my older Mexican cookbooks that I own. But there's a fantastic research that the University of Texas at San Antonio of Mexican cookbooks. And some of these Mexican cookbooks are handwritten from the 1800s, and so they're all digitized and you can. You can study them. And so there's a thing in Sonora. Remember I just got done saying that, like, there's almost no difference between Sonora and Arizona.There's a thing from Sonora many, many, many, many years ago, you know, early early 1900s, for a chivy changa. C H I V I C H A N G A ch and it's the same thing. So I'm convinced that this is just a thing, because if you have a burrito and you fry things, there's zero. There's zero chance that at some point you be like, I want to. I wonder if frying the burrito will make it good? You know, like, the answer, yes, yes, all the time.Stephanie:And.Hank Shaw:And so, you know, I, like you, came into the chimichanga world just thinking with a definite eyebrow raised, like, what is this? And when it's done right, and if you see the picture in my book, it is dressed with a whole bunch of things on the outside of the burrito. So it's crema, it's a pico de gallo. It's shredded lettuce or cabbage, limes. The thing about a properly served chimichanga is that you have to eat it as a whole because the chimichanga itself is quite heavy. You know, it's a. It's a fried burrito with, like, rice and beans and meat inside it. Like, it's a gut bomb. But when you eat it with all these light things around it that are bright and fresh and acidic, it completely changes the eating experience. And I was sold.Stephanie:I can imagine. The one you have in the book looks really good. I'm going to. I keep asking about specific recipes, but there were, like, some that just jumped out at me, like, wow. Another one that jumped out at me was from that same chapter about the acorn cookies. I've always been under the impression that acorns, and maybe it's from just specific to the oaks, but that they're poisonous. I didn't think about making acorn flour.Hank Shaw:So, number one, no acorns are poisonous. Zero, period. End of story. It's a myth. You were lied to. Sorry.Stephanie:Yeah. I mean, it helps me because my dog eats them.Hank Shaw:I mean, acorns have been a source of food for human beings forever, you know, all the way. I don't know how long ago, but way more than 10,000 years. Way more. Okay, so what the myth comes from is most acorn varieties, so most especially red oaks, are full of tannins. And tannins are not poisonous. Tannins are not toxic. Tannins will make you constipated if you eat too many of them. And I suppose it would be possible to poison yourself with tannins, but I mean, good luck.Yeah, good luck eating enough of that astringent stuff to be able to get yourself poisoned. But tannins are water soluble. So for millennia, the people who eat acorns, and especially in. In northern California, where, you know, acorn. Acorns were their main starch, the idea of leaching the tannins out in a stream or wherever is as old as time. And so you make the. You make a meal. It's really a meal is probably a better way to put it.I call it flour, but there's no. There's no real gluten in it. In fact, there's no gluten in it, but there is some starch in it that will help the flour stick to itself. So that's true everywhere. In fact, it's a very good acorn year here in Minnesota this year. And I found some bur oaks in a. In a place that I'm going to go back and harvest them to make some more acorn flour this year. And I'll have to leach them here.But this is a very long walk up to this cookie recipe, because in south Arizona and in Sonora, there's an oak called an emery oak. And the emery oak is in the white oak. It's in the white oak clan. And it is sweet in the sense that you can roast those acorns and eat them. And in fact, you can get roasted acorns as a snack on some of the reservations down there or really wherever. I mean, it's a thing like it's. It. It.They could just roast it. Roast the acorns? Yeah. It's just like a chestnut. Very good. That's exactly with the. Because it's the same kind of a texture as well. And so that particular oak is unique in. In North America.The cork oak in Europe is the other one that doesn't have any tannins to it. So you can just sit there and eat them. And that's why they make flour out of them. It's an indigenous thing. You don't really see it too much among the Hispanic Sonorans. You see it a lot more with, like, Yaqui or Pima or Tono O', Odham, those indigenous groups.Stephanie:It's so Cool. I also subscribe to your substack, which I would encourage people to subscribe and. And yes to the Bone, it's called. And you just had a post about herbs and how important herbs are in your cooking and in your yard. And I know that you have kind of a small St. Paul yard because we've talked about it. What are you doing with your herbs now that we're at the end of the season? Are you. Do you have anything that's special that you do with them? Do you dry them? Do you mix them with salt?Hank Shaw:I do all of the above. I am a preservation fanatic. I could talk for hours just about various ways to preserve things for our Minnesota winners. Maybe that's another podcast for sure. But the short version is, yes, all of the things. I mostly will do things like make pesto with basil, because I love pesto. But I do dry some and there are tricks to drying herbs. The trick is low heat for a long time, so the don't use your oven and try to get them dry within 40, 48 hours, but also try to do it at less than 110 degrees, otherwise they turn brown.Stephanie:Do you use it like a dehydrator, then?Hank Shaw:Yes, I use a dehydrator. And most herbs dry really well. In fact, many herbs are better dried because it concentrates their flavor. Basil's iffy. Parsley's kind of terrible. Dried parsley's one of those ones where eat it fresh, make pesto. I suppose you could freeze it. I mostly will.I will gather big scabs of it because I grow a lot and I will freeze it. And even though it's going to suffer in the freezer, it is one of the most vital things I use for making stocks and broths with the game I bring home. So freezing, drying, you can, you know, I just mixed a whole bunch of. Of lovage with salt. So you go 50, 50 the herb and. And coarse salt, like ice cream salt almost. And then you buzz that into a food processor or a blender, and then that creates a much finer kind of almost a wet salt that is an enormous amount of flavor. And if you freeze it, it'll stay bright green the whole winter.And sometimes I like to do that, but the other times I kind of like to. To see it and progress over the. Over the months. And it's kind of a beautiful thing to see that herb salt kind of brown out and army green out as we get to like, late February, because it really is. Is sort of also indicative of how of our Harsh winters and feels a little bit more of the time and place than pulling something out of a freezer.Stephanie:Yeah. So let's talk about that because you're a single man, you are a recipe writer and developer, so you're also cooking and testing recipes. You're preserving all these things. I mean, my freezer right now is kind of a hellscape. I just closed up my summer and I came home with so much food. I have, like, canned and pickled and preserved. And I just literally feel overwhelmed by all of the food in my home right now. And I realize this is a real first world problem.So, you know, my daughter's kind of in her young 20s and sort of poor, so I've loaded her up with stuff. But do you just feel overwhelmed sometimes by all of the abundance of food?Hank Shaw:Absolutely. It's one of the things that's been really remarkable about it, about sort of single life, is how less I need to hunt or fish. So I find myself. I mean, I still. I. Because. So, side note, background backstory. I don't buy meat or fish at all.I occasionally will buy a little bit of bacon because I love bacon. And I'll occasionally buy pork fat to make sausages with game, but that's it. So if I'm eating red meat, it's going to be venison. If I'm eating white meat, it's probably going to be grouse or. Or pheasants. If I'm eating fish, I've caught it. And so that's what I find is that I eat. Hey, I don't eat that much meat anymore.Like, I eat plenty. But I mean, it's not like I. I don't gorge myself on giant steaks anymore. And it's just me. So, you know, a limit of walleyes can last me a month. And before, it was definitely not like that. And so, yes, I can feel the overwhelm. But what's, you know, I have neighbors that I give things to.I have friends that I give things to. Like, I. I had two deer tags last year, and I shot the second deer because I had a whole bunch of friends who didn't get a deer and needed medicine. So it was really cool to be able to give to. You know, I butchered it all and gave them an all vacuum seal. It was like all ready to go. And. And that was really satisfying to be able to help people like that.And then, you know, I like, you know, have a dinner party here and there.Stephanie:Yeah, I want to come to a dinner party. Not to invite myself. But please, I'll. I'll reciprocate in the. I have a cabin in the summer, so I'm sort of like between here and there. But once sets in, I really like to entertain and have people over. I find that it's a really easy way to gather new people too. Like, I like collecting people because I just think people are so amazing and I love putting like, new people at the table that people don't know yet or making those connections.I think I'm actually kind of good at it. So I can't wait to have you over this fall.Hank Shaw:Yeah, likewise. We'll. We'll do a home and home.Stephanie:Yes, I would love that very much. Your book is available, Borderlands on. I found it because obviously I. You sent me a copy. But also it's on Amazon and you self publish. So there's a lot of people that listen to this podcast that are cookbook writers themselves or people that maybe are trying to get published or find publishing. Can you speak to that a little bit and why that's been your route. You've been doing this a long time.Hank Shaw:Yeah, this is my force. Fourth self published book. And self publish is really kind of a misnomer in a way because the books that I put out are of Random House quality. Like, they're for sure. There's no way you're gonna be able to tell this book is apart from a gigantic publishing house, because what I ended up doing is creating a publishing company. So the books are published in big, big runs at Versa Press in Illinois. I'm very happy to say that these books are entirely made in America. And that's kind of important to me because most cookbooks are made in China and not a fan.So the books are printed in Illinois and they are stored and shipped at a, at a, a warehouse in Michigan. So the best ways to get the books are to either buy them from my website or buy them from Amazon. Those are probably your two best avenues for it. The thing about self publishing, if you want to do it at the level that I'm doing it, which is to say, make a book that, you know, even a snooty Random House person will be like, damn, that's a good book. You have to go big and it's not cheap. So I do, I, I don't ever do runs less than 5,000. And a typical run for me is between 10 and 15,000. And because your unit costs go way, way down.Stephanie:Right.Hank Shaw:And we can get in the weeds of it, but I have some Advantages in the sense that my sister has designed books for a living for 30 some odd years and her husband has edited books for 30 some odd years.Stephanie:Oh, so you got like family business going.Hank Shaw:Yeah, and my ex, my ex does most of the photos like this. Borderlands is the first book where the majority of the photos are mine. They're nice, but the. But even she's cheap. She photo edited this book. And so like I have people with very good skills. And so what I would say is if you have a kitchen cabinet where you have people who have those skills. And I have to kind of stress that, for example, copy editing, copy editing or proofreading or indexing a book are entirely different from copy editing or proofreading something in businessIt's just not the same skill. And I found that out. So if you have that ability to put together a dream team, then you can make a really, really beautiful book that will, that will impress people and that you will actually love. The print on demand system is still not good enough for cookbooks. It's fantastic for like a memoir or something without a lot of pictures, but it is not good for, for cookbooks still.Stephanie:All right, I'm just making notes here because people ask me questions about this all the time. All right, well, I appreciate that you've done all this work, and the book is beautiful, and I love talking to you about food. So hopefully we can call you again and just wrap it down.Hank Shaw:Yeah, let's talk about preservation.Stephanie:Yeah, I. Because I've never met anyone that only was eating what they killed.Hank Shaw:Well, you could go up north. I bet you'd find more people who do.Stephanie:But yes, yes. And I just, I find that to be fascinating and also just the idea of preserving food and how you use. Use what you preserve. So yeah, that's a great topic to get into at a later date. The book is Borderlands. I'm talking with Hank Shaw. Recipes and Stories from the Rio Grande to the Pacific. You can find it at Amazon or at his website.I always say this one wrong. Hunt, Gather. CookHank Shaw:So. So the best way to get to my website is just go to huntgathercook.com okay.Stephanie:And you have lots of recipes there too. I want people to just explore thousands. Yeah, it's incredible the mon recipes that you have there. And you know, if you think about protein as being interchangeable in a lot of these instances, it's definitely a really well done website with tons of recipes.Stephanie:Thanks for your time today, Hank. I appreciate it.Hank Shaw:Thanks a lot. Thanks for having me on.Stephanie:We'll talk soon.Hank Shaw:Bye.Stephanie:Bye. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

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When you think of hiking in the U.S., Texas might not be the first place that comes to mind — but maybe it should. In this episode of the 10Adventures Podcast, Richard is joined by E. Dan Klepper, a Texas native, acclaimed artist, writer, and outdoor adventurer. Klepper is the author of the newly released second edition of 100 Classic Hikes in Texas, and he shares why Texas offers some of the most diverse, rewarding, and surprising hiking in America. From the desert canyons of Big Bend to hidden Hill Country trails, Klepper explains what makes Texas hiking unique, what dangers and challenges hikers should be prepared for, and which hikes best capture the soul of the state. Along the way, he reflects on his father's legacy as a longtime outdoor editor, the role of serendipity in his career, and his passion for connecting people with the landscapes of Texas.  

Chris talks with Dr. Maureen Frank and Dr. Alex Chavez of Sul Ross State University about seasonal migration patterns and what they mean for the birds that you are likely to see as summer turns to fall in the Big Bend.What is the best online bird resource for beginners and experts alike?What birds like to hang out with prairie dogs?What hawk pretends to be a turkey vulture?Maureen and Alex answer these burning questions and more!

Cannabis-friendly restaurants. Ozempic menus. Dirty sodas and focaccia sandwiches. These are just a few of the trends George and Cheryl picked up on in St. Louis Magazine’s annual A-List, a celebration of the best of all that the region has to offer. Using this year’s A-List as a jumping off point, the co-hosts shine a light on what they anticipate will come to define eating and drinking in St. Louis in the coming year. Tune in for their insights and see what’s in store for the area’s food scene. This episode is sponsored by St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. The new season kicks off its first Young Friends Night with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert. Friday, October 3 at Powell Hall. Get tickets. New to podcasts? Follow these instructions to start listening to our shows, and hear what you’ve been missing! Have an idea for a future Arch Eats episode? Send your thoughts or feedback by emailing podcasts@stlmag.com. Hungry for more? Subscribe to our Dining newsletters for the freshest coverage on the local restaurant and culinary scene. And follow George (@georgemahe) and SLM on Instagram (@stlouismag). Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Contact Lauren Leppert at lleppert@stlmag.com. Mentioned in this episode: Made. By Lia, 610 Rue St. Francois, Florissant, 314-551-2383.dohmo, 9538 Olive, Olivette, 314-222-3518.Vampire Penguin, 12 S. Euclid, CWE, 706-294-5600.Twisted Rolls Chimney Cakes, 14640 Manchester, Ballwin, 636-386-5025.Melt ‘n’ Dip, 11575 Manchester, Ballwin, 636-220-1168.Café Ganadara, 6413 Hampton, Saint Louis Hills. 314-802-7044.Spoonful Dessert Cafe, 12943 Olive, Creve Coeur, 314-485-1757.The Moniker, 1000 Washington, Downtown, 314-932-5602.Aperi, 4317 Manchester, The Grove, 314-405-8333.Big Chief Roadhouse, 17352 Manchester, Wildwood, 636-458-3200.Off Elm, 8709 Big Bend, Webster Groves, 314-502-9272.Dirty Pop, Mobile pop-upCrispy Sips, Mobile pop-upSodie, Mobile pop-up, 573-450-7162.Pop n Sons, Mobile pop-upChicken n Pickle, 1500 S. Main, St. Charles, 636-229-9700.Puttshack – St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, Midtown; 314-887-7888.Topgolf – St. Louis (Chesterfield & Midtown), Multiple locationsFive Iron Golf, 8015 Forsyth, Clayton, 314-608-9089.Flight Club, 7710 Forsyth, Clayton, 314-887-7020.The Hub at the District, 17057 N. Outer 40, Chesterfield, 636-812-0580.Cottle Village Farmstead + Distillery, 6470 State Rte N, Cottleville, 636-268-2123.Katie’s (Crestwood location), 9635 Watson, Crestwood (opens late fall 2025)The Mexican STL, 9615 Watson, Crestwood, 314-525-5025. (opens September 2025)4 Hands + Peacemaker – Kirkwood, 150 W. Argonne, Kirkwood, 314-287-6688.Noto/Bormio, 5105 Westwood, St. Peters, 636-317-1743.Cibo, 7489 Delmar, U CityMarconi Mercato, 2030 Marconi, The Hill, 314-380-9003.Neon Greens, 4176 Manchester, The Grove, 314-899-0400.Expat BBQ, 3730 Foundry Way, Midtown, 314-924-9728.Union Loafers, 1629 Tower Grove, Botanical Heights, 314-833-6111.Sakatanoya Revolving Sushi Bar & Ramen Bar, 6683 Delmar. U City.Big Mouth Sandwich Co. (inside Perennial Artisan Ales and The Mack), Multiple locationsGarden Variety Deli, 3131 Morganford, Tower Grove South, no phoneEuphoria Kitchen + Kocktails, 5916 Delmar, East Loop, 314-256-1045. You may also enjoy these SLM articles: St. Louis Magazine’s A-List Awards 2025 Editors’ Favorites: Food, Drink & Nightlife Readers’ Choice: Food & Drink See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris talks with Cyndi Perdue, founder of the Big Bend Bluegrass Association, and bandleader Edgar Loudermilk about the 2025 Big Bend Bluegrass Festival, coming to Alpine October 3 and 4!

Talethia Edwards is shaping the future of neighborhoods throughout Florida's Big Bend region. As executive director of Good News Outreach, she works to connect residents with critical resources that help communities flourish.  In this episode, Talethia talks with SMPR President Heidi Otway about her path from Miami to the state capital, and why she believes investing and advocating for people is the foundation for real, lasting change.  

It’s peak produce season in St. Louis, and George and Cheryl have been busy scouring the area’s farmers markets for the perfect tomatoes, peaches, and sweet corn. Along the way, they’ve come across some hidden gems that make these markets some of the spots to enjoy the region’s culinary bounty—and they’re letting you in on the secret. From a must-visit new pastry stand at Tower Grove to one of the best condiments in the bi-state area at Lake St. Louis, this episode will give you your ultimate farmers market shopping guide to make this your most delicious summer ever. This episode is sponsored by Cardinals Nation. Make your game day unforgettable at Cardinals Nation Restaurant & Bar—just steps from Busch Stadium! Book your table. New to podcasts? Follow these instructions to start listening to our shows, and hear what you’ve been missing! Have an idea for a future Arch Eats episode? Send your thoughts or feedback by emailing podcasts@stlmag.com. Hungry for more? Subscribe to our Dining newsletters for the freshest coverage on the local restaurant and culinary scene. And follow George (@georgemahe) and SLM on Instagram (@stlouismag). Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Contact Lauren Leppert at lleppert@stlmag.com. Mentioned in this episode: Balkan Treat Box, 8103 Big Bend, Webster Groves, 314-733-5700Madrina, 101 W Lockwood, Webster Groves, 314-963-1976White Castle, multiple locations & phone numbers.Kirkwood Farmers’ Market, 150 E Argonne, Downtown Kirkwood, 314-984-9496Stonie’s Sausage Shop, 1507 Edgemont, Perryville, 573-547-2540Buttonwood Farms Odelehr Farm Baked Goods, 7127 Illinois River, Brussels IL, 618-883-2265Tropical Moose, located in Kirkwood Farmers Market & Kirkwood Park, Kirkwood, 314-570-6517Ferguson Farmers’ Market, 501 S Florissant, Ferguson, 314-521-4661MO Flourishing Fungi, 160 Saint Benedict, Florissant, 314-626-4189Bluefield Kitchen, pickup location varies, North County, 314-606-4331Hotplate, online food business platform.Market Wagon, online farmers market.Earthdance Organic Farm, 233 S Dade, Ferguson, 314-521-1006Lake St. Louis Farmers’ Market, 20 Meadows Circle, Lake St. Louis, 636-352-6716Luna Maki, 636-344-0498Capulí Cakery, no storefront address, 314-546-0847Wildwood Farmers’ Market, 221 Plaza, Wildwood, 636-458-0440NHB Knifeworks, no address or phone.Angel’s Fruits, no storefront address, 314-624-9199Boulevard Farmers’ Market, 1 Blvd Saint Louis, Richmond Heights, no phone.Tower Grove Farmers’ Market, 4257 Northeast, Tower Grove, no phone.Klondike Bison, 2207 Lynch, 314-773-6779Skáld Bakery, found at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market (4257 Northeast), no phone.Comet Bakery, 640 W Woodbine, Kirkwood, no phone.Estella’s Frescas, found at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market (4257 Northeast), no phone.Fourth City Barbecue, looking for a new home, can be found at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market (4257 Northeast), 314-669-6505Wheelhouse Fish Co., found at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market (4257 Northeast), no phone.Dang Good Produce, 15795 State Hwy W, Bourbon, 573-732-3276Food with Yoo, found at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market (4257 Northeast), no phone.Farm Spirit, 2710 Locust (inside Bluejay Brewing Co.), no phone.Ivan’s Fig Farm, found at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market (4257 Northeast), no phone.Grand Army Farm, found at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market (4257 Northeast), 314-302-7454Urban Buds, 4736 Tennessee, Dutchtown, 314-399-8377Iron Hill Farm, 3253 Iron Hill, Union, no phone.Tower Grove Farmers’ Market, 20 year anniversary, August 30, 4257 Northeast, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. You may also enjoy these articles from SLM:More episodes of Arch EatsEssential summer dishes in St. LouisGuide to farmers’ markets in St. LouisSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join the Jeep Talk Show as we dive into an epic interview with JP, a passionate off-road enthusiast who's conquered trails from Texas to Moab and the legendary Rubicon Trail. Starting with a 2013 Toyota 4Runner, JP upgraded to a beastly 2025 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X, sharing tips on Jeep builds, why he switched from Toyota, and essential mods for serious wheeling. As a leader in Texas 4WD clubs and contributor to TrailsOffRoad.com, JP reveals how he mapped Big Bend Ranch State Park trails—complete with drone footage, brush clearing, and off-road challenges that tested his rigs to the limit. But that's not all! In 2023, JP founded Texan Heartland (texanheartland.com), a handcrafted hot sauce and spicy jam company that exploded onto the scene in August 2024. With 16 international awards, shipments to 43 states (and photos from all 7 continents!), and retail partnerships like Urban Egg Restaurants, Texan Heartland is redefining flavor. Discover his top sellers like Lone Star Reserve hot sauce (perfect for steaks and eggs) and cinnamon raspberry habanero jam (ideal for charcuterie or glazing meats). We chat about everything from ham radio vs. satellite comms for trail safety, building Jeeps for purpose (daily driver vs. hardcore crawler), to starting a food business from scratch—no cooking background required! Whether you're into Jeep Wrangler mods, off-roading in Big Bend or Moab, Toyota 4Runner comparisons, or spicy gourmet products, this episode has it all. Shop Texan Heartland's award-winning hot sauces and jams at https://texanheartland.com (free shipping on orders over $47.50!). Use code JEEPTALK for exclusive listener perks? Check the site for details. Timestamps: - 0:00 Intro & JP's Off-Road Journey - 5:30 Switching from Toyota 4Runner to Jeep Wrangler - 12:45 Mapping Big Bend Trails for TrailsOffRoad.com - 20:15 Ham Radio & Satellite Comms on the Trail - 28:00 Founding Texan Heartland Hot Sauce Company - 35:40 Top Hot Sauces, Spicy Jams & Award Wins - 42:50 Jeep Build Tips & Future Plans If you're a Jeep newbie or hardcore wheeler, hit LIKE if this inspired your next build or sauce purchase! SUBSCRIBE for more Jeep interviews, trail guides, and off-road tips. Comment below: What's your favorite hot sauce heat level? #JeepWrangler #OffRoading #HotSauce #TexanHeartland #RubiconTrail #Moab #BigBend #JeepBuilds #TrailMapping #SpicyJams Rev up your engines, Jeep lovers— the Jeep Talk Show is here to take you on a wild ride! For 15 years, we've been the ultimate pit stop for Jeep enthusiasts, delivering off-road thrills, insider tips, and a whole lotta Jeep passion. With a powerhouse crew of hosts and team members, we're dropping five action-packed episodes every week to fuel your Jeep obsession! Buckle up for our fan-favorite Chic Chat, a women-centric, women hosted episode that's all about empowering female Jeepers. It's the perfect space for women to dive into the world of Jeeps and off-roading, hosted by fearless ladies who live for the trail. But that's just the start—we've got over 1,200 episodes waiting to rev up your day, whether you're tearing down the highway, mowing the lawn, or pumping iron at the gym. Watch us on video or listen audio-only—your call, your adventure! Join the Jeep Talk Show family and become part of the ultimate Jeep community! Jump into our Discord chat at jeeptalkshow.com/discord, support us on Patreon for ad-free episodes at www.patreon.com/jeeptalkshow, or catch our live Round Table every Tuesday at 7:30 PM CT via Zoom (https://jeeptalkshow.com/roundtable, password: jeep). Stay in the loop with our newsletter at https://jeeptalkshow.com/newsletter and follow the action on Instagram @jeeptalkshow (instagram.com/jeeptalkshow). Head to https://jeeptalkshow.com to explore our world of Jeep madness, subscribe, and let us make your day a little more rugged and a lot more fun. Ready to roll with us? Let's hit the trails together!#JeepTalkShow #JeepLife #OffRoad

Chris talks with Karina Canteñs, Museum of the Big Bend's Curator of Temporary Exhibits and Events, and Tim Oliver, Premier Artist for the 39th Annual Trappings of Texas exhibit and sale of contemporary western art and cowboy gear.The Trappings of Texas Opening Weekend will be held September 18-20, 2025.Event sponsorships are available now, and online ticket sales will start soon. Visit the Museum's website for details.

Topics: Skims for Men, DIY Wainscoting, Flirty Lifeguard, Texas Vacation, Duped by Fixer Upper, Waco, The Silos, Joanna Gaines, Austin, Barton Springs, Big Bend, Forth Worth Rodeo and Shopping, Air BnB, USA's Space Program?! (NASA, Artemis), Cowgirl Aesthetic,  Destin Spring Break

With summertime heat and humidity reaching unbearable levels, Arch Eats hosts George Mahe and Cheryl Baehr are looking for any way they can find to cool off. There are the usual suspects—the classic frozen treats like custard, snow cones, and slushies—but in this episode, they’re covering the under-the-radar, unexpected desserts that have been in their rotation this season. From fish-shaped waffles stuffed with black sesame brittle ice cream to Korean shaved ice and ice cream nachos, they’ll take you on a frosty tour of the area’s most unique dessert spots that is guaranteed to cool you off and pique your culinary curiosity. This episode of Arch Eats is sponsored by Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tours & Experiences and supported by Proper Brands. Anheuser-Busch invites guests to its next food and beverage pairing dinner at the Budweiser Biergarten on July 17. The evening features a four-course meal complimented with four carefully selected beverages. Reserve your seat. New to podcasts? Follow these instructions to start listening to our shows, and hear what you’ve been missing! Have an idea for a future Arch Eats episode? Send your thoughts or feedback by emailing podcasts@stlmag.com. Hungry for more? Subscribe to our Dining newsletters for the freshest coverage on the local restaurant and culinary scene. And follow George (@georgemahe) and SLM on Instagram (@stlouismag). Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Contact Lauren Leppert at lleppert@stlmag.com. Mentioned in this episode: St. Louis Rotisserie, 12414 Olive, Creve Coeur, 314-576-5656. Straub’s, Multiple locations. Citizen Kane’s Marketplace, 127 W. Clinton, Kirkwood, 314 394-1093. dohmo, 9538 Olive, Olivette, 314-222-3518. Joyful House, 3900 S. Grand, Dutchtown, 314-696-8255. Café Ganadara, 6413 Hampton, Saint Louis Hills. 314-802-7044. Spoonful Dessert Cafe, 12943 Olive, Creve Coeur, 314-485-1757. Vampire Penguin, 12 S. Euclid, CWE, 706-294-5600. Twisted Rolls Chimney Cakes, 14640 Manchester, Ballwin, 636-386-5025. Snow Factory, Multiple locations. Rollup Ice Cream & Eatery, 4551-B Telegraph, Oakville, 314-200-8293. JARS by Fabio Viviani, 8853 Ladue, Ladue, 314-202-8736. Sando Shack, 7376 Manchester, Maplewood, 314-932-7046. Sugarwitch, 7726 Virginia, Carondelet, 573-234-0042. Serendipity Homemade Ice Cream, 4400 Manchester, The Grove, 314-833-3800. Silvie Dee’s, 8721 Big Bend, Webster Groves, 314-918-5472. Poptimism, 3730 Foundry Way, Midtown, no phone. La Vallesana, 2801 Cherokee, Benton Park, 314-776-4223. You may also enjoy these SLM articles: More episode of Arch Eats Top spots for snow cones in St. Louis Where to find the best ice cream, frozen custard, snow cones, and more in St. Louis Where to bring home the top St. Louis ice cream, frozen custard, gelato, and more Ask George: What’s your favorite indulgence from a local ice cream or custard shop? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:The U.S. House appears preparing to vote on Donald Trump's Big Bullshit Bill: https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-7-3-2025...As of last night, Austin Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett was holding out hope that the bill could be stopped: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/doggett-holding-out-hope-that-trumps-one-big-beautiful-bill-could-fail-in-house...Austin Republican Congressman Chip Roy, seemingly holding out over the massive impact to the national debt, seems likely pliable over additional benefit cuts: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/02/us/politics/trump-conservatives-bill.html...Massive impacts on Texas, especially those in rural, Republican areas, appear to be landing on deaf GOP ears: https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2025-07-02/texas-trump-tax-big-beautiful-bill-congress-snap-medicaid...The Texas clean energy sector, which just dodged a bullet with the end of the state legislative session, could be devastated by the bill: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/trump-budget-bill-wind-solar-ira-credits-20415094.phpRumors are growing that recently-former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg is planning to run for Governor: https://quorumreport.com/quorum_report_daily_buzz_2025/chatter_growing_louder_out_of_san_antonio_that_for_buzziid32725.html...Our recent talk in San Antonio with Mayor Ron and newly-elected Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones: https://progresstexas.org/podcast/special-live-pod-san-antonio-party-progress-mayor-ron-nirenberg-and-mayoral-candidate-ginaWe should pay attention to lesser-known, upstart candidates too, including former astronaut Terry Virts of Houston, running for Senate: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/former-astronaut-terry-virts-talks-about-his-senate-run-trump-and-the-nasa-budget-in-exclusive-space-com-interview-video...And East Texas farmer and firefighter Bobby Cole, running for Governor: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/greg-abbott-reelection-20415198.phpThe upcoming special session appears likely to be characterized by growing tension between Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick over "Dan's Ban": https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-special-session-2025-thc-ban-greg-abbott-dan-patrick/285-982791df-6705-49fd-9d88-5ae09939b2caThat expected lawsuit over the new law requiring the displaying of the Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms from the ACLU has arrived: https://www.kxan.com/video/aclu-files-suit-against-texas-ten-commandments-law-kxan-news-at-6-p-m/10859214/Heading into the 4th of July weekend, Texas ranks terribly on a ranking of states based on patriotism: https://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/least-patriotic-states-texas-2025/As the Progress Texas Summer Vacation series focuses on the Big Bend region, we learn that Donald Trump's undercutting of the National Park system is both politically and fiscally stupid: https://www.tpr.org/2025-06-23/as-visitors-flock-to-parks-deep-cuts-leave-rangers-and-wildlife-at-riskThe merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Parkography! This episode is the first of our monthly comprehensive news roundups on national parks and public lands. Today' we're covering the reinstatement of federal employees, cuts to federal facilities, an executive order on historic monuments, military deployments to Big Bend National Park, potential changes to Yosemite's timed-entry reservation system, Alaskan oil exploration, and various lawsuits concerning logging in national forests. Stay informed about all the latest changes and decisions affecting America's public lands. 00:00 Introduction 01:29 Federal Employee Reinstatements and Workforce Reductions 03:29 Federal Building Lease Cancellations 04:56 Review of Historic Monuments and Memorials 06:22 Military Deployment to Big Bend National Park 07:32 Yosemite National Park Reservation System Controversy 09:00 Opening Alaskan Oil Resources 10:25 Logging Controversies in National Forests 14:10 Wild Horse Adoption Incentive Program Halted 15:12 Hurricane Helene's Impact on Blue Ridge Parkway 16:31 Conclusion