Podcasts about Pinnacles National Park

This is part 4 of our "Going Hamm" series, originally episode 540 titled "Low Five." Actor and longtime friend of the show Jon Hamm of Mad Men fame joins Scott to chat about his new film Beirut, breaking the internet, and his middle name. Then, Al A. Peterson aka The Smooth Criminal returns to talk about the number one reason why people use his services to fake their deaths. Later, park ranger Margery Kershaw stops by to tell us about being transferred from her beloved Pinnacles National Park. Plus, Pokemon trainer Dash Grabum arrives to talk about his journey to become a Pokemon monster. Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/cbb

Celebrate World Ranger Day with this “From the Vault” Big Blend Radio interview with Jim and Gayle Sleznick. We recorded this conversation onsite in late spring 2015, on a visit to San Benito County, Central California, the eastern gateway destination to Pinnacles National Park. It only took a few minutes to find out that they have one incredible life story to tell about living and working in various National Park units. Gayle's park story begins in Death Valley, where her father worked, and where her mother had to travel out to Riverside, California to give birth to her. Jim's park story started when he was a teenager, on family vacations in parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone. His park career began with a summer job in Crater Lake, where he met Gayle. They married when he began his full-time park ranger job in Lake Mead. Together for over 55 years, they lived and worked in several parks including the Gila Cliff National Monument, Virgin Islands National Park, Yosemite National Park, Lava Lake Volcano National Park, and beyond. Jim eventually retired from Pinnacles National Park, and they moved about 45 minutes northwest of the park, to the historic village of San Juan Bautista, which is on the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. They helped to create the local Anza Trail, a beautiful hiking trail that overlooks the valley. We recently learned that Jim passed away at the age of 91, on April 21, 2024. May he rest in peace. Our hearts go out to Gayle and his family. He is missed.

Send us a Text Message.In this week's episode we're heading to the Bay Area in California to talk to Scott about his local trail systems. You can follow Scott on Instagram, @southbayhikesScott shares with us some of his favorite trails in and around the Bay area, including some of the great local parks and preserves that are not only known for their Spring Wildflowers but on occasion can contain some snowy summits. He also shares with us his experiences hiking Half Dome in Yosemite and trekking through Pinnacles National Park.Episode Links:Joseph D. Grant County ParkMáyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space PreserveFollow us on Instagram, @HikesandmicsThis episode's music was created by Ketsa, follow him on Instagram @Ketsamusic  Episode Sponsor(s):Ursa Minor Outfitters - Inspired by the outdoors, Created by local artistsGo check them at www.ursaminoroutfitters.com and don't forget to enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.FlipSockz will keep Mother Nature out of your boots with their innovative nylon sleeve.To get your first pair visit www.FlipSockz.com and enter the promo code HikesMics10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.

"Behind the Scenes with Rob Bleetstein: Archiving the Legacy of the NRPS"Larry's guest, Rob Bleetstein, is known for his role as the host of the live concerts on the Sirius XM Grateful Dead station and as the voice of Pearl Jam Radio. In today's episode, he discusses the recently released live album "Hempsteader" by the New Riders Of The Purple Sage (NRPS), where he serves as the archivist and producer.The New Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band that emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco in 1969, with original members including some from the Grateful Dead. Their roots trace back to the early 1960s folk and beatnik scene around Stanford University, where Jerry Garcia and David Nelson played gigs together. Influenced by American folk music and rock and roll, the band formed, including Garcia on pedal steel guitar initially.The discussion delves into the background of the NRPS, their albums, and notable tracks like "Panama Red," written by Peter Rowan and popularized by the band. The album "New Riders of the Purple Sage" features Garcia on pedal steel guitar and includes tracks like "Henry," a humorous tale of marijuana smuggling.Throughout the show, various NRPS tracks are highlighted, showcasing the band's eclectic style and songwriting. Additionally, news segments cover topics such as the DEA's agreement to reschedule marijuana and updates from the music industry, including rare concert appearances and tour plans.Overall, the episode provides insights into the NRPS's music, their influence on the country rock genre, and relevant news in the marijuana and music industries. Larry's Notes Rob Bleetstein who many folks know as the host of the three live concerts played every day on the Sirius XM Grateful Dead station.  Also the voice of Pearl Jam Radio. And, most importantly for today's episode, the archivist for the New Riders Of The Purple Sage and the producer of the Hempsteader album. Today, featuring recently released NRPS live album, “Hempsteader” from the band's performance at the Calderone Concert Hall in Hempstead, NY on June 25, 1976, just shy of 48 years ago.New Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco in 1969 and its original lineup included several members of the Grateful Dead.[2] The band is sometimes referred to as the New Riders or as NRPS.The roots of the New Riders can be traced back to the early 1960s Peninsulafolk/beatnikscene centered on Stanford University's now-defunct Perry Lane housing complex in Menlo Park, California where future Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia often played gigs with like-minded guitarist David Nelson. The young John Dawson (also known as "Marmaduke") also played some concerts with Garcia, Nelson, and their compatriots while visiting relatives on summer vacation. Enamored of the sounds of Bakersfield-style country music, Dawson would turn his older friends on to the work of Merle Haggard and Buck Owens and provided a vital link between Timothy Leary's International Federation for Internal Freedom in Millbrook, New York (Dawson having boarded at the Millbrook School) and the Menlo Park bohemian coterie nurtured by Ken Kesey.Inspired by American folk music, rock and roll, and blues, Garcia formed the Grateful Dead (initially known as The Warlocks) with blues singer Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, while Nelson joined the similarly inclined New Delhi River Band (which would eventually come to include bassist Dave Torbert) shortly thereafter.  The group came to enjoy a cult following in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties through the Summer of Love until their dissolution in early 1968.In 1969, Nelson contributed to the Dead's Aoxomoxoa album in 1969.  During this period Nelson and Garcia played intermittently in an early iteration of High Country, a traditional bluegrass ensemble formed by the remnants of the Peninsula folk scene.By early 1969, Dawson had returned to Los Altos Hills and also contributed to Aoxomoxoa.  After a mescaline experience at Pinnacles National Park with Torbert and Matthew Kelly, he began to compose songs on a regular basis working in a psychedelic country fusion genre not unlike Gram Parsons' Flying Burrito Brothers.Dawson's vision was prescient, as 1969 marked the emergence of country rock via Bob Dylan, The Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco, the Dillard & Clark Band, and the Clarence White-era Byrds. Around this time, Garcia was similarly inspired to take up the pedal steel guitar, and an informal line-up including Dawson, Garcia, and Peninsula folk veteran Peter Grant (on banjo) began playing coffeehouse and hofbrau concerts together when the Grateful Dead were not touring. Their repertoire included country standards, traditional bluegrass, Dawson originals, and a few Dylan covers ("Lay Lady Lay", "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere", "Mighty Quinn"). By the summer of 1969 it was decided that a full band would be formed and David Nelson was recruited to play lead guitar.In addition to Nelson, Dawson (on acoustic guitar), and Garcia (continuing to play pedal steel), the original line-up of the band that came to be known as the New Riders of the Purple Sage (a nod to the Foy Willing-led Western swing combo from the 1940s, Riders of the Purple Sage, which borrowed its name from the Zane Grey novel) consisted of Alembic Studio engineer Bob Matthews on electric bass and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead on drums; bassist Phil Lesh also played sporadically with the ensemble in lieu of Matthews through the end of the year, as documented by the late 1969 demos later included on the Before Time Began archival release. Lyricist Robert Hunter briefly rehearsed with the band on bass in early 1970 before the permanent hiring of Torbert in April of that year.[8] The most commercially successful configuration of the New Riders would come to encompass Dawson, Nelson, Torbert, Spencer Dryden (of Jefferson Airplane fame), and Buddy Cage.After a few warmup gigs throughout the Bay Area in 1969, Dawson, Nelson, and Torbert began to tour in May 1970 as part of a tripartite bill advertised as "An Evening with the Grateful Dead". An acoustic Grateful Dead set that often included contributions from Dawson and Nelson would then segue into New Riders and electric Dead sets, obviating the need to hire external opening acts. With the New Riders desiring to become more of a self-sufficient group and Garcia needing to focus on his other responsibilities, the musician parted ways with the group in November 1971. Seasoned pedal steel player Buddy Cage was recruited from Ian and Sylvia's Great Speckled Bird to replace Garcia. In 1977 and 1978, NRPS did open several Dead and JGB shows, including the final concert preceding the closure of Winterland on December 31, 1978.In 1974, Torbert left NRPS; he and Matthew Kelly co-founded the band Kingfish (best known for Bob Weir's membership during the Grateful Dead's late-1974 to mid-1976 touring hiatus) the year before. In 1997, the New Riders of the Purple Sage split up. Dawson retired from music and moved to Mexico to become an English teacher. By this time, Nelson had started his own David Nelson Band. There was a reunion performance in 2001. In 2002, the New Riders accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award from High Times magazine. Allen Kemp died on June 25, 2009.[13][14] John "Marmaduke" Dawson died in Mexico on July 21, 2009, at the age of 64.[15][16]Pedal steel guitarist Buddy Cage died on February 5, 2020, at age 73. (Rob – this is mostly notes for me today so I can sound like I know what I'm talking about.  I'll go through some of it to set some background for the band, but feel free to take the lead on talking about those aspects of the band, and its musicians, that you enjoy most or find most interesting – keeping in mind that our target audience presumably are fans of marijuana and the Dead.)   INTRO:                Panama Red                                Track #1                                Start – 1:49 Written by Peter Rowan “Panama Red” is well known in the jam-grass scene, but it's perhaps not as widely known that Peter Rowan wrote the song.It was originally a 1973 hit for the New Riders of the Purple Sage, and the first popular version with Rowan singing and playing it came when the supergroup Old & In the Way, released their eponymous album in 1975, two years after their seminal time, in 1973, and a year after they disbanded. Jerry Garcia was the connective tissue between the two projects, playing pedal steel in the early New Riders and banjo in Old & In the Way. “I wrote ‘Panama Red' after leaving my first project with David Grisman, Earth Opera, around the summer of the Woodstock music festival [1969],” Rowan explains. “It's a fun song because it captures the vibe of the time. I was from the East Coast, but I found there to be more creativity on the West Coast during that time period.“Nobody wanted to do ‘Panama Red' on the East Coast. I took it to Seatrain [the roots fusion band in which Rowan played from 1969 to 1972], and when it eventually became a hit, the manager of Seatrain claimed it. I never saw any money, even though it became the title of an album for the New Riders of the Purple Sage [1973's The Adventures of Panama Red]. “The subject was "taboo" in those days. You did jail time for pot. So that might have scared commercial interests. But Garcia was a green light all the way! "Oh sure" was his motto, both ironically and straight but always with a twinkle in his eye! After Seatrain management kept all the money, Jerry suggested I bring the song to Marmaduke and Nelson!" “When David Grisman and I got back together for Old & In the Way in 1973 with Jerry Garcia, Vassar Clements and John Khan, we started playing it.”From the NRPS album “The Adventures of Panama Red”, their fourth country rock album released in October 1973. It is widely regarded as one of the group's best efforts, and reached number 55 on the Billboard charts.The album includes two songs written by Peter Rowan — "Panama Red", which became a radio hit, and "Lonesome L.A. Cowboy". Another song, "Kick in the Head", was written by Robert Hunter. Donna Jean Godchaux and Buffy Sainte-Marie contribute background vocals on several tracks.  SHOW No. 1:   Fifteen Days Under The Hood                                Track #41:55 – 3:13 Written by Jack Tempchin and Warren Hughey.  Jack Tempchin is an American musician and singer-songwriter who wrote the Eagles song "Peaceful Easy Feeling"[1] and co-wrote "Already Gone",[2] "The Girl from Yesterday",[3]"Somebody"[4]and "It's Your World Now".[5] Released as the opening song on the NRPS album, “New Riders”, their seventh studio album, released in 1976 SHOW No. 2:   Henry                                Track #6                                1:19 – 3:05 "Henry", written by John Dawson, a traditional shuffle with contemporary lyrics about marijuana smuggling.  From the band's debut album, “New Riders of the Purple Sage”, released by Columbia Records in August, 1971.  New Riders of the Purple Sage is the only studio album by the New Riders to feature co-founder Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead on pedal steel guitar. He is also featured on the live albums Vintage NRPS and Bear's Sonic Journals: Dawn of the New Riders of the Purple Sage.Mickey Hart and Commander Cody play drums and piano, respectively, on two tracks—"Dirty Business" and "Last Lonely Eagle".Then, there's a swerving left turn away from romance tunes on this album with ‘Henry‘, whose titular hero has stepped right out of a Gilbert Shelton underground comic.  At a frenetic pace the story of Henry's run to Mexico to fetch twenty kilos of (Acapulco?) gold unravels, with Henry driving home after sampling the wares “Henry tasted, he got wasted couldn't even see – how he's going to drive like that is not too clear to me.”  It's a joke, but a joke that sounds pretty good even after repeat listens.SHOW No. 3:   Portland Woman                                Track #9                                :34 – 2:00 Another Marmaduke tune from the NRPS album released in August, 1971.A bittersweet love song progressing from touring boredom to be relieved by a casual hook-up with the pay-off with the realization that the Portland Woman who “treats you right” has actually made a deeper connection “I'm going back to my Portland woman, I don't want to be alone tonight.”   SHOW No. 4:   You Never Can Tell                                Track #15                                :51 – 2:26 You Never Can Tell", also known as "C'est La Vie" or "Teenage Wedding", is a song written by Chuck Berry. It was composed in the early 1960s while Berry was in federal prison for violating the Mann Act.[2] Released in 1964 on the album St. Louis to Liverpool and the follow-up single to Berry's final Top Ten hit of the 1960s: "No Particular Place to Go", "You Never Can Tell" reached number 14, becoming Berry's final Top 40 hit until "My Ding-a-Ling", a number 1 in October 1972.  Berry's recording features an iconic piano hook played by Johnnie Johnson.  The piano melody was influenced by Mitchell Torok's 1953 hit "Caribbean". The song has also been recorded or performed by Chely Wright, New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Jerry Garcia Band, Bruce Springsteen, the Mavericks, and Buster Shuffle.  JGB performed it almost 40 times in the early ‘90's. The song became popular again after the 1994 release of the film Pulp Fiction, directed and co-written by Quentin Tarantino. The music was played for a "Twist contest" in which Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) competed (and were the only contestants shown in the film). The music added an evocative element of sound to the narrative and Tarantino said that the song's lyrics of "Pierre" and "Mademoiselle" gave the scene a "uniquely '50s French New Wave dance sequence feel".  OUTRO:              Glendale Train                                Track #17                                1:30 – 3:14 Still another Marmaduke tune from the “New Riders of the Purple Sage” album released in late summer 1971.   MJ News:Just one MJ News story today important enough to take a few minutes to talk MJ:  DEA's agreement to reschedule MJ to Schedule 3 from Schedule 1.DEA Agrees To Reschedule Marijuana Under Federal Law In Historic Move Following Biden-Directed Health Agency's Recommendation - Marijuana Moment Benefits:  banking services, no 280(e) restrictions on what expenses retailers can deduct and allows for full medical research of MJ. Negatives:  Still illegal, all drugs on Schedules I, II and III must be prescribed by a licensed health care provider with prescription privileges and can only be dispenses by licensed pharmacists.  Music News:A few quick hits re Music (no real need to get into any of these but I like to see what's going on so I don't miss anything interesting, these are the first things that get cut when we decide we want to keep talking): Jaimoe makes rare public concert appearance with Friends of the Brothers in Fairfield CN, plays ABB hitsJaimoe Takes Part in Rare Public Concert Appearance, Revisits Allman Brothers Band Classics (relix.com) Mike Gordon sits in at the Dodd's Dead Residency at Nectar's in Burlingtron, VT as part of “Grateful Dead Tuesday”.  Plays He's Gone and Scarlet (we have some Phish fans as listeners so try to toss a few bones to them)Listen: Mike Gordon Offers Grateful Dead Classics at Nectar's (A Gallery + Recap) (relix.com) David Gilmour may be planning first tour since 2016, won't play any Pink Floyd songs from the ‘70's – like the old Doonesbury strip where Elvis comes back from the Dead, Trump hires him to play in one of his casinos and at the start of the show, Elvis announces that he is only playing the songs of the late great John Denver.David Gilmour Plots First Tour Since 2016 (relix.com) Roy Carter, founder of High Sierra Music Festival passes away.Roy Carter, High Sierra Music Festival Founder, Passes Away at 68 (relix.com) .Produced by PodConx Deadhead Cannabis Show - https://podconx.com/podcasts/deadhead-cannabis-showLarry Mishkin - https://podconx.com/guests/larry-mishkinRob Hunt - https://podconx.com/guests/rob-huntJay Blakesberg - https://podconx.com/guests/jay-blakesbergSound Designed by Jamie Humiston - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-humiston-91718b1b3/Recorded on Squadcast

Pinnacles National Park in California is California's newest national park.  Come learn about the only National Park release site for the California Condor, and about the Talus caves.  This park has a lot to offer, from strapping on your headlight and hiking through the caves, spotting wild condors, and sneaky raccoons in camp, come learn what makes this park so much fun to explore, especially with kids!

Bogerd's Bad Day ep.686 An aging berserker reluctantly plucks up his ax and sword to rescue an old friend from the clutches of a rogue wizard and things go downhill as soon as he walks out his door. Robert Walton is a retired middle school teacher, rock climber and mountaineer with ascents in Yosemite and Pinnacles National Park. Walton is an experienced writer with five novels, both YA and adult, to his credit. His Civil War novel Dawn Drums won the 2014 New Mexico Book Awards Tony Hillerman Prize for best fiction. His Most recently, his “Joaquin's Gold”, a collection of Joaquin Murrieta tales, was published on Amazon. Robert Walton's website :   http://chaosgatebook.wordpress.com/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

Hometown Radio 05/17/23 3:30p: Guest host Gary J. Freiberg talks about the best time and places to go at Pinnacles National Park

Episode 2 of the Big Year Podcast features Yve Morrell. I first met Yve Morrell in 2017 during her Big Year.  I had flown down to Texas to search for a Jabiru.  A bunch of us, including Yve, searched in vain for it for most of the day.  Many of us did get a Black Rail that day, so it wasn't a total loss for ether of us.   What we didn't know at the time is we were both booked on a pelagic with Debbie Shearwater in Californian and met again on the boat.  The highlight of the trip, for me, was a Blue-footed Booby. My other reason for going to California, after Texas, was to finally see the California Condor.  I had looked for it in 2012 at what was then Pinnacles National Monument, but had no luck that day.  I mentioned to Yve that I was going and she met me there for the long hike up the mountain at the newly renamed, Pinnacles National Park, to find them.   Yve continued on with her Big Year and eventually saw species 816, the Loggerhead Kingbird in Florida, giving her top spot for the 2017 ABA Big Year.  You can find Yve at her website thedancingbirder.com

Summary: Have you ever wondered what the largest bird in North America is? If you live in AZ, CA, UT, or Baja you might have seen it, the California Condor. Join Cheryl and Kiersten as they take you on a flight with this majestic bird.   For our hearing impaired listeners, a transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean.   Show Notes: Ornithology by Frank B. Gill Birds of The World: The visual guide to more than 800 species, covering the entire range of bird families by Colin Harrison and Alan Greensmith The Book of Eggs: A life-size guide to the eggs of six hundred of the world's bird species edited by John Bates and Barbara Becker Background bird song:  Naturescapes Backyard Birds www.naturescapes.com   Our email address, please reach out with comments, questions, or suggestions: thefeathereddesert@gmail.com   Transcript   Host Voice: Welcome to The Feathered Desert a podcast all about desert bird feeding in the Southwest region of the United States. (Various bird calls play)   Kiersten: Welcome everyone to The Feathered Desert. I felt it was about time we talked about the largest bird in Arizona, actually the largest bird in North America, the California Condor. So this episode is titled: California Condor: Giants of the Sky.   Cheryl: That's a good title.   Kiersten: Thank you! Now, of course, this is not a bird we will be attracting to our backyard through bird feeding but it is one amazing bird that I think we can all appreciate.   Cheryl: Let's start off with what this condor looks like. They have a featherless head and neck that is pink to orange in color. Juveniles have grayish-black heads. The skin on the head of adults will turn a deep red-pink during breeding season or during times of alarm.             Huh! I don't know that.   Kiersten: Yeah!   Cheryl: Their beak is black and hooked at the end. The majority of their feathers are black with large, white wing patches that can be seen in flight. Their legs and feet are large and gray with small black claws. They come in at a height of just about 4 feet tall when standing with a 9-foot wingspan in flight. They can weigh up to 25 pounds! These are large birds; although, based on wing span they don't even make it into the top ten largest in the world, but they are the largest land birds in North America.  (I know you're going to ask! The largest flighted bird based on wing span is the Wandering Albatross with a 12-foot wingspan and the largest bird in the world is the ostrich.)             I knew that but I didn't know the albatross has a larger wing span.   Kiersten: What exactly is a condor? The California condor is in family Cathartidae. Their scientific name is Gymnogyps californianus.   Cheryl: I'm so glad you're saying this part!   Kiersten: (laughs) Gymnogyps is Greek from the word gymnos meaning naked and gyps meaning vulture. Californianus is Latin and refers to the birds' range. The word condor comes from cuntur, the Inca name for the Andean Condor. Cathartidae Family contains the New World Vultures. So, yes! The California Condor is technically a vulture.   Cheryl: Okay, I have a question. Are the California Condor and the Andean Condor basically the same except for the range?   Kiersten: No.   Cheryl: Is there a size difference?   Kiersten: Yes. The Andean Condor is MUCH larger and they cannot interbreed, so they are a different species all together. Being vultures means they do eat carrion, or dead animals, as their main diet. They prefer larger animals such as deer, elk, pigs, sea lions, whales, and domestic cattle. Being a four-foot-tall bird, you certainly aren't eating mice all day! (laughs)   Cheryl: (laughs)   Kiersten: Because they like domestic cattle, this is what got them in trouble with ranchers and put them on the Endangered Species List. Since they are such large birds, when people saw them on a dead cattle carcass they thought, incorrectly, that the condor had killed the cow and then began to eat it. When, in reality, they were only attracted to the cow after it was dead. Just like other vultures they are the clean-up crew of the planet. Keeping dead animals from rotting in the environment helps contain the spread of disease, so the condor's job in extremely important to the health of the environment, which, by the way, includes us. When a condor come across a food source, they will gorge themselves on the carcass because they never know when they will find food again. They can hold up to 3 pounds of meat in their crop, which can help them survive from one to two weeks before they need to find more food.   Cheryl: How do they find their food?             California Condors are considered soaring birds. Their large flight muscles are not anchored to a correspondingly large sternum and this limits them to mainly soaring. This means that once they are in the air, they catch the warm thermals with their vast wingspan and do not need to flap their wings to stay aloft. They tend to perch on high outcroppings so they can open their wings and catch the wind with as little flapping as possible. When it is a cold windless day, they are restricted to their perches. Soaring allows them to search wide swaths of land for food without using a lot of energy. They mainly find their food through sight. Unlike their cousins, the Turkey Vulture, they do not have a keen sense of smell. Once they have spotted an appropriate carcass, they use their hooked beaks to tear it into small enough pieces to easily swallow. They use their large heavy feet to help hold the carcass down. When other scavengers are around, they give way to the California Condor because of their large size, with the exception of Golden Eagles. California Condors get out of their way because of their large powerful talons. I was just running that through my head because they don't use their feet to intimidate. They use their size ad don't need to be assertive.   Kiersten: Yes! They just use their feet to hold the carcass down.             Kiersten: What happens during breeding season?             California Condors will reach sexual maturity at the age of six. That's quite a ways into their life, considering our little verdin becomee sexually mature at six months! That is when they will begin looking for a mate. To attract a mate the male will puff up his neck feathers and redden the skin on his head. He will then open his wings and hold them out as he slowly approaches the female. If she accepts him by lowering her head, they mate and seal their life-long pair bond. The courtship may also continue in the air with the couple flying in tandem.             The female will lay one egg in a cave near a cliff or on a cliff side with nearby trees and open spaces for easy landing. No discernable nest is made, the female just lays the egg righton the ground. The egg is a light bluish-white color and is about 4 ¼ inches in length, 2 5/8 inches wide, and weighs about 280 grams. Eggs are laid as early as January to as late as April. Both parents will share incubation duties which last almost 2 months. The parents bring food home to the nest for 5 to 6 months until the chicks are able to fly. The offspring will commonly stay with their parents for almost 2 years. Because of this, condor couples will only lay eggs every other year.   Cheryl: Two questions? Is the females larger than the male?   Kiersten: None of the information I came across indicated that there was a large difference in size, so I don't know for sure. But I don't think so.   Cheryl: How can the chicks learn to fly if they can't flap their wings?   Kiersten: They can flap their wings a bit. They do have to build up their flight muscles but it's not something they are doing a lot of. Flapping, I mean. They are not like out little gold finches that flap a lot in flight, but they can flap to get up and when landing.   Cheryl: Where are they found?             California Condors are currently found in only three places in North America, the arid foothills of southern California near Big Sur, a small area in Northern Baja Mexico, and the border of northern Arizona and southern Utah in the Grand Canyon Area. Historically they were found all across North America from California to Florida and Western Canada to Mexico. Illegal shooting due to misunderstanding their behaviors, as mentioned above, and lead poisoning from eating carcasses riddled with lead bullet fragments was the cause of their decline.             By 1967 they were listed as an endangered species by the federal government and by 1982 there were only 23 individuals left alive world-wide. This included captive and wild condors. In 1987, we made the very tough decision to capture all those left in the wild, approximately 17 individuals, and keep them all in captivity. This began the California Condor Recovery Program.   Kiersten: The California Condor Recovery Program             This program was a bit controversial in the beginning. Two sides argued about how much intervention we should provide. One side said none at all, just let the condors be free and let whatever happens happen even if that is extinction. The other side said we need to keep them alive at any cost even if that means they survive in captivity only, since we were the ones who led them to near extinction. The goal of the program that was officially approved by the United States in 1987 was to establish two geographically separate breeding populations, one in California and one in Arizona, each site with 150 individuals including 15 breeding pairs.             A captive breeding program was the approved way to accomplish that goal. The captive breeding program was slow going at first due to the mating habits of the condors. They need space and the ability to fly to successfully chose mates and that was not something that could be offered in a captive situation. But with some patience things got moving. In the wild, if a couple losses an egg they will lay another. This is called “double clutching”. The captive breeding program used this to their advantage by removing the first egg from the nest and sending it to be raised by humans, while the mated condors laid a second egg that they would raise themselves. The chicks raised by humans would be exposed to puppets made to look just like adult condors to keep them from imprinting on humans. The whole goal of the captive breeding program was to release these animals back into the wild.             You certainly cannot release a 4-foot bird that has imprinted on humans back into the wild. That would be a BIG mistake.   Cheryl: (laughs) True!   Kiersten: In 1991 and 1992, California Condors were released back into the wild at Big Sur, Pinnacles National Park, and Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge. In 1996, more were released at Vermillion Cliffs in Arizona near the Grand Canyon. In 2003, the first chick fledged in the wild since 1981.  I think that's amazing!   Cheryl: That just makes me excited!   Kiersten: With the success of reintroduction in California and Arizona, a site in Mexico was chosen near Baja California, Mexico. In 2007 a California Condor laid an egg in Mexico for the first time since the 1930s.   Cheryl: It gives me chills!   Kiersten: I know! It's amazing! In 2010 the California wild population was 100 individuals with 73 individuals in Arizona. A milestone was reached in 2015 when more condors were hatched in the wild than ones that died. In 2021, the total world population of California Condors was 537 with 203 in captivity and 334 flying free in the wild.   Cheryl: Wow! How awesome is that!   Kiersten: Absolutely the coolest thing ever!   Cheryl: What can we keep doing to helping California Condors?             The biggest threat to these majestic birds now is lead poisoning from lead bullets. What happens is that when hunters hunting in the condors' territory kill animals with lead bullets and do not retrieve the entire carcass, condors will do their jobs and end up consuming the fragment of the lead bullets still in the carcass. So, please use non-lead ammunition when hunting in the condors' territory. This type of ammunition is readily available. In 2008, the Ridley-Tree Condor Preservation Act was passed which requires the use of non-lead bullets by hunters hunting in the condor's territory and it seems to be helping. The levels of lead in blood tested by scientists in resident birds has gone down.             Another thing we can do is when we go camping, be clean. Take all of your trash with you when you leave. Small bits of plastic, glass, and metal have also been found in the stomach of some dead condors.   Kiersten: I think those are easy things to do.   Cheryl: Those are definite two things we can do.   Kiersten: The California Condor is an amazing conservation success story and we are so lucky to have this awe-inspiring bird in our state. When we put our minds to it we can make a positive difference in the world around us.                          

Do you want to find more butterflies? Paul Johnson can help. Paul is a Wildlife Biologist at Pinnacles National Park, and a long time lepidopterist, or one who studies butterflies and moths. Paul also leads several North American Butterfly Association (NABA) butterfly counts in California, which is how I got connected with Paul in the first place, and a primary focus of this episode.Today, we discuss Paul's path to wildlife biology and butterflies. Being a wildlife biologist at a National Park sounds like a dream job to me, so I also probed a bit about that, and what makes Pinnacles National Park such a unique place. As a hint, Pinnacles is named for geologically unique spires of volcanic origin.We then turn our attention to butterflies and butterfly counts - North American Butterfly Association, or NABA, Fourth of July counts. Despite the name, these counts are held over the months of June and July. We discuss the structure and goals of the counts and how to participate. With 450 counts across North America, and most skill levels needed, there might be an opportunity for you!Paul also discusses butterfly behavior, which aside from being fascinating, is also helpful for finding them. This includes behaviors such as hilltopping, mudpuddling, and larval food plant associations.You can find Paul on iNaturalist as euproserpinus (you-pro-serpinus). And if you are interested in participating in a NABA butterfly count, check out naba.org for the count circles and count leaders (or this link for additional details for Northern California counts). Did you have a question that I didn't ask? Let me know at naturesarchivepodcast@gmail.com, and I'll try to get an answer in my monthly newsletter. If you aren't already subscribed, go here. I promise, no spam. I share the latest news from the world of Nature's Archive, as well as pointers to new naturalist finds that have crossed my radar, like podcasts, books, websites, and more. FULL SHOW NOTESPeople/OrganizationsArt Shapiro - professor at UC Davis, Dr. Shapiro has been tracking butterflies for 45+ yearsJerry Powell - UC Berkeley entomologistLiam O'Brien - lepidopterist and illustrator who is creating a butterfly guide (instagram)Xerces Society - nonprofit focused on conservation of invertebrates and their habitatsBooks/OtherHandbook for Butterfly Watchers - Robert Michael PyleThe Butterflies of North America - A Natural History and Field Guide - James ScottChecklist of Butterflies at Pinnacles National ParkRelated Podcast Episodes#28 - Milkweeds - Dr. Carrie Olson-Manning and Sydney Kreutzmann#30 - Dr. Jaret Daniels Butterflies, Creating Habitat in Overlooked Landscapes, Creative Outreach#37 - Dr. Stuart Weiss – Checkerspots, Cars, and CowsSupport the show

#79: Mailbag: Pinnacles National Park, and much more!   In our Mailbag episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, road trips, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we share suggestions about what to do in Pinnacles National Park if you only have one day. We also answer questions about which national parks let you take your dog on the trails, what is in our emergency road kit, and how to maneuver the ferry to Olympic National Park. All this and much more!   Links: ·     To see all our books on Amazon.com, follow this link. ·     If you purchase one of our books through this link, you will not pay a higher price, but Amazon will pay us a small marketing fee. This fee helps support our podcast. Thank you!   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Yoo is a virtuoso violinist, conductor, and also the artistic director of Festival Mozaic. He talks to Marisa Waddell about his endeavors and plans. Also, acclaimed musician and producer Eric Krasno talks to Benjamin Purper about his new album, Always. On the Nonprofit Story, host Consuelo Meux speaks with Andrea Chmelik of Women's March SLO, about this year's 6th annual event in Mitchell Park in San Luis Obispo. And finally, KCBX contributor Tom Wilmer explores Pinnacles National Park in this episode from the archives of Journeys of Discovery.

A conversation and hike with park ranger, Lupe Zaragoza at the Pinnacles National Park in Monterey County.

Benny T (@bennytomp18) and Maddie Miyahara (@maddie.miyahara) check back in from El Capitan State Beach in Santa Barbara, California after a very special handful of days spent in the Bay Area, which included a trip up to Santa Rosa to visit the Charles M. Schulz museum, fine Italian dining in SF with friends, meeting Maddie's Aunt Kim, Uncle Mike, and their two boys, hitting alllll of Ben's favorite spots in the North and South Bay, plus Ben shares his two biggest takeaways from the Bay and reflects on a moment of crisis. After the Bay days, our friends recap Big Sur, San Luis Obispo, Pinnacles National Park, and tease out where they're headed next. If you've enjoyed these CA National Parks episodes and wanna help grow the show, please let us know by leaving a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts

This year's historic fledging of a peregrine falcon at Harpers Ferry ― the first in more than 70 years ― is just the latest chapter in the once-endangered species' recovery. Host Todd Christopher takes a closer look at how raptor monitoring and reintroduction programs in the parks are making a difference for birds of prey including peregrines and critically endangered California condors. Guests include Mia Parsons, Chief of Resources Management at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Rolf Gubler, Biologist at Shenandoah National Park, and Wildlife Biologist Gavin Emmons & Condor Program Manager Alacia Welch at Pinnacles National Park. Learn more about the Endangered Species Act and the endangered plants and animals that call national parks home at esa.npca.org. Original theme music by Chad FischerAudio clips courtesy of the National Park Service and Harpers Ferry Park Association The Secret Lives of Parks is brought to you by: Todd Christopher – Producer & HostJennifer Errick – Producer & HostBev Stanton – Online ProducerIsmael Gama, Jr. – Creative Content Specialist The Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation's only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org

In this episode I explore the spires and walls made up of pyroclastic breccia in Pinnacles National Park, and why the rock is notoriously chossy. Link to the Blog: jazzhammer.blogspot.com/ Email Me at: qtodzo@gmail.com Insta: @Jazzhammer365 Mountain Project: Quinn Todzo

THE HARVEST FESTIVAL IS FINALLY HERE and it is Awesome Sauce! Susie and Beks discuss all things Harvest Festival, including LIL' SEBASTIAN!This week's National Park is Pinnacles National ParkFollow us here:Twitter: @pawnee_commonsInstagram: pawneecommonspodFacebook: The Pawnee CommonsProducer: Andy MeyerIntro and Outro Music:Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3976-life-of-rileyLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Links:https://www.nps.gov/pinn/index.htmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinnacles_National_Parkhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neenach_Volcanohttps://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/how-pinnacles-formed.htmhttps://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/geologicformations.htmhttps://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/faults.htmhttps://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/cave.htmhttps://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/rlfrogs.htmhttps://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/plant-communities.htmhttps://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/historyculture/native-peoples.htm

4989 American Life EP.135 ■今年のまとめと来年の準備 ■英語の話 ■手作り鮭フレーク   ★スクリプト★ 続きはウェブサイトへ！ https://www.4989americanlife.com/blog     先週はThanks Givingでしたね。皆さんどのように過ごされましたか？ インスタグラムなどを観ていると、ターキーにスタッフィング、マッシュポテトにクランベリーソース、グリーンビーンキャセロール、デザートはパンプキンパイやアップル、ピーカンパイという、ざ・Thanksgivingな料理たちを皆楽しんでいて、 アメリカに来て初めの2年は友達のお家に招待してもらってそういうザ・Thanksgiving Dinner をごちそうになりましたが、それ以降はずっと食べていないので、 SNSで写真を観たり、友達の話を聴いたりしていると、羨ましいなーって思いました。   私たち夫婦はというと、先週はキャンプに行っていました。 数年前からThanksgiving当日やその週にキャンプに行くことが私たち夫婦の恒例行事となりつつあります。 私たちはアメリカに家族も親戚もいないので、夫婦2人で家にいてもねぇ。ってことでだったらキャンプ行っちゃおうってことに毎年なります。 去年は我が家から一番近いナショナルパークである、Pinnacles National Parkに1泊のキャンプに行ったのですが、今年はもう少し遠くに長く行きたいねっとなり、 Death Valley National Parkに行ってきました。 Death Valleyに3泊、帰り道に別のキャンプ場に更にもう1泊の合計4泊5日のキャンプ旅だったのですが、大満足の良い旅になりました。 写真をたくさん撮ったので、また4989のYouTubeチャンネルで色々喋りながらSlide-logでご紹介できればと思います。   そう、Slide-logといえば、アメリカキャンプ旅＃2のSlide-logをね、またこっそりアップしてありますので、 まだ観ていないよーという方、ぜひご覧ください。 っていうか、さっきからSlide-Logって言ってるけど、何それー、と思っている皆さん、 つい最近からですが、4989のYoutubeチャンネルにポッドキャスト以外のビデオの投稿を始めました。 と言ってもまだ2つなのですが、 写真をスライドショー形式で流して、それに対して説明とかを私が喋ってるという形式のビデオです。 我が家はキャンプに良く行くのでキャンプの写真をまとめたり、出かけた時の写真や、まだあまり決めてないですが、なんでも、日常のことでも、 おすすめの食べ物でも、うちの猫たちの写真でも、 まあこのポッドキャストみたいにトークをするんですが、それに対する写真があるよ的なね、そんなやつを投稿していきたいと思っています。 4989American Lifeで検索すると出てきますので、皆さんぜひご覧ください！ そしてよろしければチャンネル登録Subscribeしていただけると嬉しいです。   さて、今日のエピソードでは私の好きな12月の過ごし方についてお話ししたいと思います。 そのほか英語の話、my favoriteも予定しています。

With a practiced "cacaw," while reverse-spelunking (aka not spelunking) in Pinnacles National Park, Cash grabs the attention of a majestic California Condor. As the beautiful bird approaches, it appears to be one of the largest of it's kind, possibly the largest of... it's... no... it's... could it be? T.J.? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Locals raising Cain, bats, and tectonic plates --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Jen Rodriguez, Director of Tourism & Hospitality at the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau in Central California, talks about the region’s attractions and activities including Pinnacles National Park, Fremont Peak State Park, the De Anza Trail, Hollister’s downtown public art and architecture walking tour, local wineries and culinary destinations. More: http://www.discoversanbenitocounty.com/Music is "California Days" by Josh Pfeiffer.

ON THIS EPISODE OF BIG BLEND RADIO: - Bombardier Blood - Hear about this inspiring doumntary with hemophiliac film director Patrick James Lynch and documentary subject Chris Bombardier. - Discover San Benito County - Jen Rodriguez, Tourism Director of San Benito County Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau in Central California, talks about the region's parks including Pinnacles National Park, along with the local public art, wineries, and culinary destinations. - Artist-in-Residence Programs - Tanya Ortega, founder of the National Parks Arts Foundation, discusses the organization's unique month-long artist residence opportunities in various national park units across the country. Show Music: “The Climb” By Evren Ozan, “California Days” by Josh Pfeiffer, “A Day in Hawai’I” by Makana.

A long-ago hike in Pinnacles National Park and arriving at its panoramic view at the top offers clues about what it's like to open the heart. But in a society that teaches us to follow the mind—thinking and planning and goal setting—what does it look like to follow the heart? Unangan teacher Ilarion Merculieff's experience of discovering and practicing "awareness without thinking" offers one example. How opening the heart is not about opening to feelings per se but rather about navigating in life by following a larger wisdom that arises when we listen from the heart.

One of our favorite parts of the Front Porch yearly schedule is our quarterly camping trips. This episode captures some conversation around the campfire on our most recent camping trip to Pinnacles National Park.

On this episode of Big Blend Radio, Jared McDonald, representative of the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce and real estate broker / property manager at Ram Property Management, discusses San Benito County as a visitor and relocation destination. Located in central California, San Benito County is the eastern gateway community of Pinnacles National Park and is also a destination on the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. Popular activities include outdoor recreation such as bird watching and hiking, golf and tennis, as well as a wine tasting trail, a delectable selection of dining options, boutique shopping, historic parks and museums, and a fun calendar of events!  Featured music is “California Days” by Josh Pfeiffer.  

On this episode of Big Blend Radio, Jared McDonald, representative of the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce and real estate broker / property manager at Ram Property Management, discusses San Benito County as a visitor and relocation destination. Located in central California, San Benito County is the eastern gateway community of Pinnacles National Park and is also a destination on the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. Popular activities include outdoor recreation such as bird watching and hiking, golf and tennis, as well as a wine tasting trail, a delectable selection of dining options, boutique shopping, historic parks and museums, and a fun calendar of events! More at: http://www.discoversanbenitocounty.com/Featured music is “California Days” by Josh Pfeiffer. https://joshpfeiffer.com

In Episode 11 we talk about our Big Sur NOT Big Sur Road Trip where we attempt to brave the worst storm in California in 20 years to road trip up Hwy 1 to Big Sur. We recount the mudslide that put a wrench in our plans, but how we recovered for an epic weekend road trip story. In this episode we cover: Road tripping Hwy 1 Driving in a rainstorm The famous Bixby Creek Bridge Hiking San Simeon State Park Where to eat and drink in Monterrey Hiking Pinnacles National Park How to deal when the unexpected gets in the way of your travel plans Connect with us: Follow us on Instagram @travelsquadpodcast See more at travelsquadpodcast.com Send us your travel questions! Email us at travelsquadpodcast@gmail.com for questions or PR inquiries.

Having spent the past two weekends camping, in Pinnacles National Park and at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterrey, I have had quite a full plate during the weekdays. I wanted to have a present mindset to best enjoy the beauty and adventure of Pinnacles and the chaos and wildness of Sea Otter but in order to do that, I had to make sure that I took care of all of my responsibilities before Friday each week. If you’ve never heard of Pinnacles National Park, it’s a magnificent place filled with incredible trailrunning amongst massive rock formations and views of soaring condors. If you’ve never heard of the Sea Otter Classic, it is regarded as the largest cycling festival in the world and I attended with friends of mine from here at Cal Poly. For their individual draws, I wanted to be present when I was camping in Pinnacles and hanging out at Sea Otter, which led my weeks to be filled with many things to get done. There were a few moments where I was on the verge of becoming overwhelmed and stressed but by applying mindfulness lessons and the all-important tool of to-do lists I was able to stay focused and accomplish what I needed to get done.AUM,Jarod ContrerasSupport Touching the Trail:touchingthetrail.com/donatetargetreleaserecovery.comFind Touching the Trail:touchingthetrail.comTouching the Trail Weekly: touchingthetrail.com/signupInstagram: @touchingthetrail instagram.com/touchingthetrailTwitter: @touchthetrail twitter.com/touchthetrailFacebook: Touching the Trail facebook.com/touchingthetrail

A trip to Pinnacles National Park, confused European tourists, the hemorrhoid of differentiating between two morphologically-identical genera of annual tarweeds, and the best goddamn taqueria in the Salinas Valley (Soledad Brother).

Located East of Monterey in Central California, the San Benito County Historical Society is a non-profit historical society operating a Museum in Historic Downtown Hollister, and separate Historical Park in Tres Pinos, a few miles from the eastern entrance of Pinnacles National Park. Anita Kane talks about the museum’s exhibits and research archives, as well as the historical park’s buildings, exhibits and annual events. www.SBCHistoricalSociety.org Featured music is 'Finger Pointin’ Mama' from the album “DreamSongs, Etc.” by Billandthebelles.com

It’s time to give Central Coast Syrah its due. Not only does it produce age worthy wines, but you’ll find a wide variety of styles and regions to explore. Wine discussed:  5:48 Stolpman 2017 Syrah So Hot Syrah (Ballard Canyon) 13:52 Samuel Louis Smith 2016 Sandstone Terrace Syrah (Santa Cruz Mountains) 17:25 Joyce 2016 Tondre Grapefield Syrah (Santa Lucia Highlands) Transcript Jameson Fink:  Welcome to Wine Enthusiast's What We're Tasting Podcast. I'm your host, Jameson Fink. Join we as we discuss three fantastic wines, and why each one belongs in your glass. This episode I'm exploring Syrah, from California's Central Coast with contributing editor Matt Kettman, who covers and reviews wines from the region. What We're Tasting is sponsored by Vivino. Vivino is the world's largest online wine marketplace, powered by a community of 30 million wine drinkers who use The Vino app to engage with 2 million wines (including Central Coast Syrah from California) every single day.  So when it comes to the top grape, the top dog in California, especially with red wine, everyone wants to talk about Cabernet. It's the wine people collect, it's the one that can age, it's the one that gets the most love, and press, and it's well-loved for a reason. It's a famous, famous grape. But I think we're giving short shrift to Syrah. it's underrated, it's versatile, and it also belongs in your cellar. So Matt, you have recently made the case for Central Coast Syrah, the area that you cover, as being age worthy. Can you talk about sort of your awakening with Syrah as a grape that is age worthy? Matt Kettman: Yeah, of course. I've loved Syrah since I started liking wine. I've always found it to be kind of one of the more interesting wines out there. And it was actually one of the first wines where I was in a tasting room, I read a note that said "cracked pepper", and I actually smelled cracked pepper. So I was like, "Wow, this isn't all completely made up. There's some truth to these tasting notes." Jameson Fink: Of course, they're completely objective. Matt Kettman:Of course, yes. So that really kind of turned my head not just for Syrah, but for wine in general. This is obviously a dozen or so years ago at this point. So that really kinda made me interested in Syrah. And then over the years I've been lucky enough to try some older vintages from people like Bob Lindquist at Qupe, he's been making single variety Syrah since the 1980s, and doing it really well. And then more recently, a couple things happened. One, I did a long vintage flight with Joey Tensley of Tensley Wines, and we tried every vintage he'd ever made from Colson Vineyard, which is this really remote spot in Northern Santa Barbara County. And they were all phenomenal, and not in ways that you would necessarily expect. Some of the older vintages tasted younger than some of the more recent ones, so it was really kind of eye-opening in that regard. And it also showed how Syrah can really speak of a specific place, and do so while also referring to that year's, the vintage's characteristics as well. And then a little while ago, couple months ago, I had been up at Hospice du Rhône and and tried zillions of different Syrahs and other Rhône varieties from around the world and the region. And I came home, and was hanging out with a buddy in my garage, which is kind of a defacto tasting den of sorts. And we popped open this bottle, this was pretty late at night, but we popped open this bottle of 1987 Qupe from Bien Nacido Vineyard, and we tasted it and we were both like, "This is maybe the best wine we've ever had in our lives." And I actually posted that to Instagram. And people were very not so much surprised, but they were surprised that I would say something like that I guess so publicly. Jameson Fink: Yeah. Matt Kettman: But also that somehow Syrah was up there. And I wasn't really surprised at all, because I had been tasting older Syrahs for a while. And I try to seek out old stuff as much as possible. But it was really just this phenomenal wine that you kept coming back to. And it really had developed beyond secondary and tertiary notes. There were just a lot of kind of crazy flavors and textures going on that were really memorable. Jameson Fink: Yes, I went back and stalked your Instagram, and I saw that post. Your quote is, "Very possibly the best wine I've ever had." And then two of the responses are, "That is quite a statement." "Bold statement." Matt Kettman: Right. No, and I wasn't, I stand by that statement. It was a phenomenal wine. And you know, it was obviously properly cellared and all of that, so it was kept well. You know, I don't know it was kind of mind blowing, which is funny. A lot of people have that happen with crazy old Burgundy, or some Chateau Margaux from 1954 or whatever. But for me it was just a simple 1987 Syrah from Bien Nacido Vineyard, and it was awesome. I taste a lot of great Pinot Noir, so when people ask me what my favorite grape is I usually have to say, "Well, I taste a lot of great Pinot Noir from this region." 'Cause we have that. But Syrah is still kind of my, you know that's the one that ... My heart goes out to Syrah I guess. It's had a lot of struggles over the years. It's been a little bit too widely planted, probably in regions where it doesn't do as well. But I love, especially cool climate Syrah. Stuff that comes from really coastal regions, I think it brings out a lot of the kind of inherent uniqueness to the grape where you start to get these really kind of gamey, meaty flavors. But you also get a lot of the pretty purple flower aromatics too. So I don't know, there's just a lot in Syrah that's there to love. And those flavors and aromas really develop over time as it sits in your cellar. Jameson Fink: Yeah, when you say there's a lot of Syrah, that first one I wanted to talk about was pretty much just for that reason. It's the Stolpman 2017 Syrah So Hot Syrah from Ballard Canyon, 92 points. And it's a wine made without sulfur, a natural wine. And you talk about chilling it down. I'm just wondering, are you tasting a lot more wines like that with no sulfur added, or minimal sulfur and the kind of light weight Syrah that you do wanna put a chill on and enjoy in an ice bucket? Matt Kettman: I'm starting to see more, I guess you'd call them kind of sessionable reds. Lighter reds. They're not all Syrah by any means. Some are Syrah. Ones that you would wanna put a chill on. They do tend to be Rhône varieties, or Cab Franc can kind of show up that way as well. But I've had some Cinsaults recently that were really light, and sessionable I guess. So I am starting to see that. As far as the natural wine movement goes, you know, there's a lot of people, especially in Santa Barbara County, but in other parts of the Central Coast that have always used kind of minimally effective sulfur. So they've never been big on adding too much. I don't see, I know there are a few brands that do it. I don't see a lot of all natural wine branding here, or brands here. There are some, but for the most part people are, I don't know, I guess professional about making their wines here. And they'll put a little sulfur in there to make sure it lasts. What's great about this Stolpman wine was that they tried to do it a different way. So they actually fermented it carbonically for the most part, which is to stay in a closed container without oxygen and without crushing the berries. So their Syrahs tend to be pretty rich and sumptuous, and thick. And that's because they get pretty warm days in Ballard Canyon and it makes the skins thicker, so that will lead to kind of a thicker wine during the fermentation. So for this one, they wanted to make something fresher. So if you ferment it carbonically the juice starts to ferment inside the berries, so you get less skin tan and extraction. So you can make this kind of lighter, fresher wine. And that's what they did. And to keep that freshness, they decided not to add sulfur. I think it was partially kind of an experiment to see how it would go. But it makes this really light, lovely, fresh wine, that really I think does deserve a bit of a chill to properly experience it. It's funny, I was trying to remember where we were, but now I do. We were at the World of Pinot Noir this past March. And the guys from the Stolpman team were walking around with a chilled bottle of this Syrah as kind of an antidote to some of the Pinot. So if you think about it in that way, using Syrah as a refresher for a bunch of Pinot, it kind of goes to show how light and refreshing this particular bottling is. Jameson Fink: Yeah, I was impressed, I was reading your review, and you actually called the aromas joyous. "It's a joyous wine." Matt Kettman: Yeah, I use that when it's, it almost means kind of juicy, or I'll also use the word playful from time to time. It just kind of means it smells like a fun wine. Smells like a wine that you wanna hang out with for the afternoon. And I think it's reflective of sunshine, and kind of that warmth during the growing season leads to some riper flavors. And especially, you know, when a wine's released that young, they bottled that in January. So for a red wine, that's pretty crazy to have it on the market at all at this point. But to have it on the market as early as March and February, right after harvest, it's gonna be just by design extremely lively, and really primary on the palate. It's not the most complex wine in the world, and I think my note kind of eludes to that. It's pretty ... I don't wanna say simple, 'cause that makes it seem kind of demeaning. But it's a light, fresh, fruity wine. And I think as much, for many decades, people have been trying to make these really rich, and layered, and deep wines. And they still do. But it's nice to have another choice in your arsenal there for something that maybe you have with lunch. You can have red wine with lunch and it's not too much. And you can enjoy that and go back to work, and not have to worry about it. 'Cause it's a lighter wine. Jameson Fink: I like the life you live, your lunch life. Matt Kettman: That's right, yeah. Jameson Fink: But I like also you say, "Get it cold and chill out." That's literally the last sentence in the review. I think that's actually, well chilling out is good advice for everyone when appropriate. But get it cold, I think not even just with a wine like this, but I come across wines at restaurants and things like that, the red wines are just way too warm. Matt Kettman: Yeah, and that's kind of the mantra I've heard for the typical American serving practice is that our whites are typically a little too cold in a restaurant, and then the reds are typically too warm. I think that's changing a lot in the last few years, especially as wine has become such a major part of our culture, and Sommeliers are in every single restaurant you go to. So I think there's a little bit more knowledge on that front. But yeah, that is something that I think people tend to forget even when serving at home is that those red wines should be served kind of at cellar temperature, which is not room temperature. It's a little bit more cold. And really you can just throw it in the fridge for 10 minutes and pull it out and you're gonna be probably at a more optimal space than if you just serve it too warm. Jameson Fink: Yeah, I've kinda talked about this concept earlier, but if you can just buy two bottles of any red wine, the same red wine, and put one in the fridge for 20 minutes and serve the other one at room temperature, it's pretty astonishing the differences in the wine, and what flavors poke out. Alcohol dominates for things like that. It's a pretty simple exercise that anyone can do with just two $10 bottles of red wine. You can have it be a little parlor game, and serve it to your friends and say, "Which wine do you like better?" And then be like, "Aha, it's the same wine." Matt Kettman: Right. Yeah. And sometimes chilling it, it'll hide certain flavors, but it's not like it's hiding the bad flavors. It's just allowing other flavors to stand out a little bit more. And in the case of this Stolpman, it allows those crisper fresh fruit flavors to stand out away from maybe some of the warmer, riper aspects. So it's I don't know, I wouldn't chill all, I wouldn't put a big chill on big Cabs, or anything like that. Because you do kind of want, when they're these kind of lush wines, you do wanna experience those full waves of lush-ness. But you know, for a wine like this, it's just great to have a red wine option that you can drink on a sunny day. Sunshine and red wine are not necessarily the best of friends. But chill it down, and they can be buddies. Jameson Fink: That's right. Summer, it's not just for white wine and rosé . I want to shift gears from this really unique Syrah in Ballard Canyon to move onto the Santa Cruz Mountains. And that's a region that's always been kind of, I've never been there, but kind of magical to me, just because some of my favorite wine drinking experiences have been drinking the wines of Mount Eden there. The Cabernet, the Chardonnay, and the Pinot Noir. But I actually hadn't heard of Syrah from the Santa Cruz Mountains, so that's why I wanted to talk about the second wine that Samuel Lewis Smith 2016 Sandstone Terrace Syrah from the Santa Cruz Mountains, 94 points, Editor's Choice. What's your experience with Syrah in the Santa Cruz Mountains? Matt Kettman: Sam Smith, the winemaker there, he started actually down in Santa Barbara County, he worked for Margerum Wine Company down here, which makes a lot of great Rhône wines, now they also make some Pinot and Chardonnay. But he started down here, worked here for a few years, and now he's the winemaker at Morgan Winery, which is actually one of the more famous wineries in the Santa Lucia Highlands, and throughout Monterey. So that's his primary job. And then this is his side label, or his personal label is this Samuel Lewis Smith. So he's really focused on making really I think fairly small batches of really hands-on wine every vintage. So I think in last year's release was really only this Syrah, and then one Pinot Noir that he made from Albatross Ridge which is this other crazy vineyard above Carmel Valley. By anyways, so he's really kind of adept at finding these sites that have not yet been used. So he was able to find some Syrah from there. And it's an excellent wine. Like you thought, there's not a lot of it out there. Another great example of Syrah from Santa Cruz Mountains would be Big Basin, which is a fairly well-known brand. It's not a big brand, but it's fairly well-known. And they're at the top of the Santa Cruz Mountains. And that's where the proprietor there, Bradley Brown grows, he grows a lot of Syrah. Really at the top of the Santa Cruz Mountains, surrounded by redwood trees. Santa Cruz Mountains is mostly dominated on the coastal side by Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and then on the more inland side by Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and some of the Bordeaux varieties like Cab. Just like what Mount Eden does. They kinda nail the three main ones. Jameson Fink: Yeah, and do you see this wine, the Samuel Lewis Smith as one you wanna hold for a few years, or more than a few years in your cellar? Or crack it open now? Or works both ways? Matt Kettman: You know, I think like you suggested buying two bottles of any wine and doing the cool trick. You should also buy two or three bottles of every wine and drink one now, and drink one in five years, and drink one in ten years. Then you're really gonna get to taste the life of the wine. I do recall that wine having a really solid amount of structure, whereas the Stolpman was much more of, like I said, joyous fun wine to really chill down and drink right now. I believe the Samuel Lewis Smith wines will hold for quite a long time. You know, it's just a really well-made wine. And it has the acidity to keep it alive, and then some tannins to kind of hold it up too. So I think that one's gonna last quite awhile. But it is quite delicious now. So I would be remiss in not advising you to drink at least one of the bottles as soon as you get it. Jameson Fink: We gotta open up a retail wine shop where I'm like, "Buy two bottles," and you're saying, "Oh, buy at least three." Everyone's gonna be walking out of there with at least a case. And then of course you'd get a case discount too. Matt Kettman: That's right. Yeah. Yeah, we'd be good at that. Jameson Fink: We'll have to talk about that offline. Matt Kettman: Yeah. Jameson Fink: And I did hear you mention the Santa Lucia Highlands, so for the third wine, for a third Central Coast Syrah, I chose the Joyce 2016, hopefully I'm saying this right Joyce 2016 Tondre Grapefield Syrah, 91 points, editor's choice. What can you tell me about this Syrah as far as where it fits in with the Samuel Lewis Smith, or is it more of its own unique expression? Matt Kettman: You know, the way it fits in with Samuel Lewis Smith is that like the Santa Cruz Mountains not having that much Syrah, the Santa Lucia Highlands do not have that much Syrah either. You get so much more money for Pinot Noir from regions that are known for Pinot Noir than you do for Syrah. Most places that had Syrah have ripped it out and replanted Pinot. But there are still a few Syrah plantings left. And there's actually some I think smart vineyards that are actually putting in a little bit more Syrah in the Santa Lucia Highlands right now. But overall it's declined quite a bit over the years. I was looking it up earlier today, I couldn't actually find anyone else that made a Syrah from Tondre Grapefield. So I get the sense that Russell Joyce, who's the winemaker for his family winery, Joyce Cellars, I get the sense that he might take it all and make it all. And he must get a fair price for it, because I think that bottle's only like $25 or so. Which for a wine, any wine from the Santa Lucia Highlands, that's a pretty good price. And that wine is also kinda actually fits a little bit in between the Stolpman and the Sam Smith wines, in the sense that it is really ... I remember it being very fresh and vibrant, but also it had a little more structure than maybe the Stolpman did. So I think it's a nice kinda fit in between there. Joyce Cellars is kinda one of the, there's this kind of new guard of Monterey County wine makers, and Russell Joyce, who's I think only in his mid-30s, younger guy. But he's taking the label that I believe his father founded, and he's really kinda upping the quality level, putting more of a younger, hipper vibe to the labels, a little more colorful, a little less old school. And then he's really ambitious about betting on, especially the Carmel Valley. So he and his wife took over this property right in the middle of Carmel Valley. And developed their new tasting room, they put another tasting room in there. Chesta Rosa Winery is also in this spot. And then they built something, I believe it's called the Wine House, something like that. And it's essentially a, I believe it's a wine bar/retail shop/small restaurant. And outside of it are bocce ball courts, and lounge chairs, and all this kind of outdoor fun. And it's right in the middle of Carmel Valley. So the Joyce family really paid for all that, and are kind of betting on that region. So they make wines, they make a lot of Santa Lucia Highland wines, but they also make some Carmel Valley wines. And they're keeping it kind of fun. So this Syrah really fits right into that program.  They're also doing, they do a Gamay wine, which is really cool. And they do a Rose of Gamay I believe. So they're exploring varieties that are really kind of more or less brand new to Monterey County at this point. Or maybe they were there many, many decades ago, and now they're back again like Gamay. Jameson Fink: Yeah, and I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention you wrote up a nice little exploration of the Santa Lucia Highlands if you're a wine tourist, where to go, where to taste, all kinds of things. That's Exploring California's Santa Lucia Highlands, that's on winemag.com. I haven't been to that area, so I don't know what, you obviously just gave us a nice little slice of what's available there. But is it a region that's exciting for wine tourism, or has a lot of possibilities? What is your take? Matt Kettman: Santa Lucia Highlands is a little bit funny, because Monterey County, the government is very I guess aggressive in protecting the historic farming philosophies, and the farming traditions of Monterey County. So they've made it, and I think that's a good thing. But they've made it very difficult for wineries to open tasting rooms in the region, they've made it very difficult for any kind of real hospitality to emerge in that area. So Santa Lucia Highlands sits above the floor of the Salinas Valley. So there's all these little kind of quaint, but fairly poor farm towns. Like Gonzales, and Greenfield, and places like that, that don't have a lot of hospitality infrastructure. At least not the level of hospitality infrastructure that the modern California wine tourists would expect. So there are a handful of places in the Santa Lucia Highlands that do have tasting rooms, and it's beautiful to visit. You can see almost all the way to Monterey Bay on a clear day. And all the way across the Valley to the Pinnacles National Park. So it's really beautiful. But not a lot of people go there, because there's just not a lot of tourist infrastructure. So that article you mentioned, I spent a little bit of time just kind of explaining what I just explained. But then I also say, "If you really wanna taste a lot of these wines, you really have to go into Carmel by the Sea, or Carmel Valley," where most of the tasting rooms are.  So I think in Carmel by the Sea, there's something like 20 or two dozen tasting rooms. And then the same is true in Carmel Valley, there's like two dozen tasting rooms in a mile stretch of road. So that's if you wanna bang out Santa Lucia Highlands tastings, you're gonna be better off trying to do it in the Carmel Valley or Carmel by the Sea. That said, it's certainly worth a day trip to drive through and check it out. And there's rumors of a potential kind of glamping option that might go in along the Arroyo Seco river. Although, like I said, it's a struggle getting any of those things approved. So that'll take probably a number of years to even get close to construction.  But hopefully I think in the future there'll be some places that come online. I think it'd be a smart place to build something if you could. Maybe the cities around there would be more hospitable to that sort of thing. But right now, your best bet is gonna be staying at a chain hotel or motel in Salinas, or one of those little farm towns around there. Jameson Fink: And finally Matt, we've taken a quick little tour of Syrah around the Central Coast, and just kind of to bring it back full circle, you've recently championed Syrah as age worthy from the Central Coast. We've talked about three totally pretty different, unique wines that different styles, different regions. Syrah in the Central Coast, where do you see it going from here? Do you see it growing, or just more of a thing where there's gonna be producers who just love working with it, it's maybe not their bread and butter, but it's certainly something that they're passionate about? Matt Kettman: You know, I think it depends on which part of the Central Coast. If you look at Stolpman, they're in Ballard Canyon, which is really a small appellation, and it's basically an appellation that was made for Syrah. Syrah is always gonna be really strong there. In other regions I think it's gonna probably play second fiddle for a long time, for the years to come. The one thing I will say, though, is that Syrah, and especially cool climate Syrah is kind of a favorite wine for many winemakers, for many sommeliers, for many wine professionals. People can't get enough of it. So as the American wine customer gets more and more educated over the years, I wouldn't be surprised if you see them shift in that direction too. If you see people who used to like Cab and maybe Pinot Noir shifting to liking this cool climate Syrah. Because it frankly is one of the most interesting wines out there. And once you've gotten used to other varieties of more noble varieties, or these standard varieties that our chocolate, vanilla, strawberry world likes, I think Syrah offers this really nice portal into a whole different wine experience. And when you're talking about throwing some age on those bottles too, it becomes even more interesting. So I don't know. I have high hopes for Syrah. But people have been singing its praises for decades now. So I don't know what's gonna happen. Maybe this'll be the third or fourth rebirth of Syrah in the years to come. But you know, I guess it's like a phoenix. The phoenix of the California wine world. Jameson Fink: Rising from the ashes. Matt Kettman: Keeps rising from its own death. Its own demise. So maybe, I don't know maybe we'll enter a new era of Syrah popularity. I hope so, because I think it's good stuff. Jameson Fink: I agree. You're preaching to the choir here. Well thanks Matt, for joining me and talking about Central Coast Syrah. It's a great journey, great education. And I hope someday to hang out with you in the garage, drinking '87 Qupe. Matt Kettman: Yeah. We'll do it. I'll go track down some more bottles. Jameson Fink: You got a folding chair waiting for me? Matt Kettman: I actually have a vinyl covered couch in my garage now. Jameson Fink: Oh wow, okay. I'm gonna look at flights right after this. Matt Kettman: Yeah, all right. Jameson Fink: Thanks again, Matt. Matt Kettman: Okay, thank you. Jameson Fink: And thank you for listening to the What We're Tasting Podcast. What We're Tasting is sponsored by Vivino, buy the right wine. The wines we talked about this episode were the Stolpman 2017 Syrah So Hot, the Samuel Lewis Smith 2016 Sandstone Terrace, and the Joyce 2016 Tondre Grapefield. Find What We're Tasting on iTunes, Google Play, or wherever you find podcasts. And if you liked today's episode, please give us a five-star rating on iTunes, leave a comment, and tell your friends. What We're Tasting is a Wine Enthusiast Podcast. Check out Wine Enthusiast online at winemag.com.

How do you save a species of bird with a population of 22 living? A controversial plan hatched nearly three decades ago has condors soaring over Pinnacles National Park again. How they did it, and why there is still trouble ahead, on this episode of America's National Parks. More info, a full transcript, music credits, and other resources are available at nationalparkpodcast.com/condors-pinnacles-national-park.

Park Ranger Alacia Welch discusses the California Condor Recovery Program in Pinnacles National Park, located in Central California. Due to a number of factors, including lead poisoning, the California condor was close to extinction in the 1980s, reaching a low of 22 individuals. Over the last several decades, conservationists and scientists have committed themselves to saving the condor from extinction and reintroducing birds to the wild. As of December 2017, there are 435 condors both in the wild and in captivity. While this is good news, condors are still endangered due to high mortality from lead poisoning. Learn more about Pinnacles National Park, here: http://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/pinnacles-national-park/

Park Ranger Elizabeth Hudick discusses the incredible ecological biodiversity and various habitats of Pinnacles National Park, which are home to over 140 birds species of birds, 49 mammals, 22 reptiles, 8 amphibians, 71 butterflies, 41 dragonflies and damselflies, more than 400 bee species! America's 59th National Park, Pinnacles is located in Central California. Learn more here: http://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/pinnacles-national-park/

This episode of Big Blend Radio's Vacation Station Travel Show, aired live on Nov. 10, 2017. Discover San Benito County, California with Juli Vieira – CEO of the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau. Jim Ostdick – Author of ‘Palomino Nation: My 2016 Crazyass Walk Across America’. Park Ranger Elizabeth Hudick discusses winter activities at Pinnacles National Park in Central California. www.BigBlendRadio.com

From hiking and exploring trails, to bird watching, star gazing, caves and waterfalls, Park Ranger Elizabeth Hudick discusses winter activities at Pinnacles National Park in Central California. See: http://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/pinnacles-national-park/

The third and final part of "Hope for Democracy:" great questions from the audience. On May 17 at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, we heard the unique perspectives of leaders with national and local experience in government, politics, the law, and media. This is Part Two of a three-part series on this event. Former Congressman Sam Farr represented the Central Coast in the House of Representatives for 24 years, following service in the California Assembly, on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, and in the Peace Corps. His record of accomplishment includes the creation of CSUMB, Pinnacles National Park, the VA Hospital in Marina, the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery and much more. Adrienne Harris was a Special Assistant to President Obama for Economic Policy at the White House National Economic Council. Before that she was with the U.S. Treasury Department, New York-based Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, and election campaigns for Barack Obama, Senator Cory Booker, and Manhattan D.A. Cyrus Vance, Jr. Zach Friend is a policy, public affairs, and communications expert who has worked for Barack Obama and John Kerry’s presidential campaigns, the White House Council of Economic Advisers, U.S. Senate, Congressman Sam Farr, and the Democratic National Committee. He is the 2nd District Supervisor for Santa Cruz County. Host Spencer Critchley is a communications consultant whose experience includes both of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns, stories for the CBC, NPR, the AP and others, and audio production for the Emmy-winning PBS documentary “Blink.” He is the Managing Partner of Boots Road Group, a communications firm for governments, nonprofits, and socially responsible corporations.

More from "Hope for Democracy:" the conversation resumes with former Congressman Sam Farr describing the anger and misinformation surrounding health care reform, all the panelists addressing whether public servants really want to serve the public, and more. On May 17 at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, we heard the unique perspectives of leaders with national and local experience in government, politics, the law, and media. This is Part Two of a three-part series on this event. Former Congressman Sam Farr represented the Central Coast in the House of Representatives for 24 years, following service in the California Assembly, on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, and in the Peace Corps. His record of accomplishment includes the creation of CSUMB, Pinnacles National Park, the VA Hospital in Marina, the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery and much more. Adrienne Harris was a Special Assistant to President Obama for Economic Policy at the White House National Economic Council. Before that she was with the U.S. Treasury Department, New York-based Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, and election campaigns for Barack Obama, Senator Cory Booker, and Manhattan D.A. Cyrus Vance, Jr. Zach Friend is a policy, public affairs, and communications expert who has worked for Barack Obama and John Kerry’s presidential campaigns, the White House Council of Economic Advisers, U.S. Senate, Congressman Sam Farr, and the Democratic National Committee. He is the 2nd District Supervisor for Santa Cruz County. Host Spencer Critchley is a communications consultant whose experience includes both of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns, stories for the CBC, NPR, the AP and others, and audio production for the Emmy-winning PBS documentary “Blink.” He is the Managing Partner of Boots Road Group, a communications firm for governments, nonprofits, and socially responsible corporations.

Gateway to Pinnacles National Park in Central California, San Benito County is a beautiful community to visit, and also live and work in. Sylvia Sims DeLay a real estate agent at Bertao Real Estate Group, talks about the quality of life and real estate market in San Benito County, a relocation destination for many families from the San Francisco Bay area. See: http://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/sylvia-sims-delay-bertao-real-estate-group/

This episode aired live on Sept. 8, 2017 and focuses on San Benito County, gateway to Pinnacles National Park in Central California. Featured guests: Juli Vieira - San Benito County Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau; Cesar Flores – El Teatro Campesino; Mark Paxton – Community Food Bank of San Benito County; Kathina Szeto – San Benito Bene & San Benito County Olive Festival. www.BigBlendRadio.com

Government institutions, the free press, the judiciary, the integrity of the election itself — all face doubt and even attack, from both foreign and domestic sources. What’s the way forward? On May 17 at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, we heard the unique perspectives of leaders with national and local experience in government, politics, the law, and media. Former Congressman Sam Farr represented the Central Coast in the House of Representatives for 24 years, following service in the California Assembly, on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, and in the Peace Corps. His record of accomplishment includes the creation of CSUMB, Pinnacles National Park, the VA Hospital in Marina, the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery and much more. Adrienne Harris was a Special Assistant to President Obama for Economic Policy at the White House National Economic Council. Before that she was with the U.S. Treasury Department, New York-based Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, and election campaigns for Barack Obama, Senator Cory Booker, and Manhattan D.A. Cyrus Vance, Jr. Zach Friend is a policy, public affairs, and communications expert who has worked for Barack Obama and John Kerry’s presidential campaigns, the White House Council of Economic Advisers, U.S. Senate, Congressman Sam Farr, and the Democratic National Committee. He is the 2nd District Supervisor for Santa Cruz County. Host Spencer Critchley is a communications consultant whose experience includes both of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns, stories for the CBC, NPR, the AP and others, and audio production for the Emmy-winning PBS documentary “Blink.” He is the Managing Partner of Boots Road Group, a communications firm for governments, nonprofits, and socially responsible corporations.

This week on our motorcycle podcast, we bring to you the shit show. It's not that it's not entertaining and full of valuable information, it's just a packed house and things get a little wild and loud. First we talk about the Hollister Rally and our quick paced ride to Pinnacles National Park where Liza almost passes out at 120mph. Then we cover what we're working on in the garage, and find out what lesson Jeremy learns. We hear a rap from our friend Siobhan, that for some reason brings up all of Mikes insecurities. We hear from Jeremy who totaled his R6 this week, and gives us a crash report. We also hear from Isaac and Kat who have some Craigslist rants to get off their chests. Here's where things start to get a little silly. In response to Jim wishing he had a bigger bike, Liza raises the question if bigger is better? It doesn't take a genius to guess where the conversation goes from there, but it turns to a new question about if your penis was a motorcycle, which one would it be? Riots and laughter ensue. Finally we read some listener emails and try to give out some solid advice. Did you notice I said try? With Liza, Bagel, Andrew, Isaac, Miss Emma, Nak, Mike, Kat, Douglas, Jon Dalton, Jeremy, Craig, Naked Jim, Bex, Henry and Jamyl. www.zazzle.com/recyclegarage/products Call and leave us a message at 831-291-5112 Go to www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com to find the links to our Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Patreon and more. And send us an email at recyclemotorcyclegarage@gmail.com

Big Blend Radio destination spotlight on San Benito County, gateway to Pinnacles National Park in Central California, featuring: San Juan Bautista State Historic Park & Old Mission San Juan Bautista, Native Daughters of the Golden West, Johnny’s Bar & Grill and San Benito Bene in Hollister, and the San Benito County Historical Society. www.DiscoverSanBenitoCounty.com

Don Pidd talks about the San Benito County Historical Society’s Museum in downtown Hollister and the Historical Park in Tres Pinos which will host the Good Old Bluegrass Festival and Civil War Days this summer, 2017. Gateway to Pinnacles National Park, San Benito County is located in central California. www.SBCHistoricalSociety.org

Delbert Doty and Don Pidd talk about the unique exhibits and artifacts at San Benito County Historical Park in Tres Pinos, a small historic town near Pinnacles National Park in San Benito County, central California. See> http://nationalparktraveling.com/listing/san-benito-county-historical-park/

Delbert Doty and Don Pidd talk with Big Blend Radio about the exhibits and artifacts at San Benito County Historical Park in Tres Pinos, a small historic town near Pinnacles National Park in San Benito County, central California. This historic village features historic buildings, gardens, vehicles and farm implements, a rose garden and more.See: http://www.sbchistoricalsociety.org/sbc-historical-park.php

Elaine Patarini and Mary Rowen talk to about visitor experience and environmental mission of the historic destination of Paicines Ranch near Pinnacles National Park, in San Benito County, central California. See the full story in Big Blend's Spirit of America Magazine> http://en.calameo.com/read/003996566cdf73609fb6b?page=16

From Crater Lake to Pinnacles National Park, listen to our ‘Park Ranger Insider’ Big Blend Radio interview with James and Gayle Sleznick, who share their 55-year love story and adventurous life within the National Park Service. See their feature in the Winter 2017 issue of Spirit of America Magazine> http://en.calameo.com/read/003996566cdf73609fb6b?page=83

The National Park Service is celebrating 100 years and the newest park in the system is here in Monterey County. Pinnacles National Park is part of an ancient volcano that blew up more than 190 miles south of where it sits today. Oz went out to check it all out and won't shut up about it.

Tim and Michelle Borland talk about BAR SZ RANCH, their working family ranch, which is a popular vacation, wedding and special events destination, just outside Pinnacles National Park in San Benito County, California. Visit www.BarSZRanch.com and also see the San Benito County Ranch article they are part of in Big Blend's Spirit of America Magazine> http://en.calameo.com/read/003996566cdf73609fb6b?page=16

California Condor recovery and conservation efforts at Pinnacles National Park and beyond. Check out our website at Pelecanus.org for photos of Condors and our time at the park. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram @pelecanusradio Host, Interviewer, Editor: Austin Parker Producers: Austin Parker, Taylor Parker Special Thanks to: Rachel Wolstenholme, Pinnacles National Park, Cabrillo National Monument conservancy, NPS Music Credits: Wildlief Thisfrontierneedsheroes

The eastern gateway to Pinnacles National Park, San Benito County is a beautiful central California destination with historic sites, nature and outdoor adventure opportunities, boutique shopping, wine tasting and a variety of restaurants. Juli Vieira, President/CEO of San Benito County Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, talks about some of the fun fall events (2016) and activities in the region. www.DiscoverSanBenitoCounty.com