Big Blend Radio

Travel writer Eva Eldridge joins Big Blend Radio's "Parks & Travel Podcast to share her firsthand visit to Crater Lake National Park, Oregon's only national park and home to the deepest lake in the United States.  Hear how the caldera formed after Mount Mazama's eruption 7,700 years ago, why the lake has no inlet or outlet, the striking clarity and blue of the water, hiking trails around...

When does a workplace issue need a manager's coaching — and when does it need a lawyer?  On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "California Employment Law" Podcast, San Diego employment attorney Ward Heinrichs sits down with Bernadette Jones, CEO and co-founder of Visionova HR, to map out where coaching ends and legal exposure begins — outdated handbooks, shadow AI in the workplace, the "keys t...

Michael Calhoun, a lifelong resident of Vernonia, Oregon and Board Chair of the Columbia Soil & Water Conservation District, joins this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Parks & Travel" Podcast — timed to National Park Week 2026 — to share the story of the Banks-Vernonia Trail, a 20-mile former logging railroad that became Oregon's first rails-to-trail conversion and later earned Nation...

On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Global Adventures" Podcast, travel writer Debbie Stone relives the 163rd Gettysburg Civil War Battle Reenactment — held over 4th of July weekend at the historic Daniel Lady Farm, with timing that felt especially fitting during America's 250th birthday year. Debbie shares what it was like to stand in the summer heat alongside reenactors in full wool unif...

On the last episode of Big Blend Radio's "Travel with Terri" Podcast, Terri Guthrie took us inside The National Hotel in Oklahoma City — and now she's back to share why OKC might just be the most underrated romantic getaway in the country. In this episode, Terri maps out the perfect romantic itinerary: where to stay, where to dine, and how to soak up Oklahoma City's most enchanting and cultural ex...

Nearly thirty years ago, explorer and author James Michael Dorsey traveled to Timbuktu to see its legendary manuscript libraries — and found himself swept into a race against time. As Al Qaeda's presence grew in northern Mali, his Tuareg guide, Halis al Moctar, recruited him to help evacuate centuries-old manuscripts before the extremist group could destroy them. On this episode of Big Blend Radio...

Sasha Waters, director and producer of the new American Masters documentary "Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World," joins Big Blend Radio to talk about bringing the life of one of America's most beloved and most private poets to the screen. Mary Oliver was a bestselling poet and Pulitzer Prize winner whose work — including "Wild Geese" and "The Journey" — has reached readers far beyond th...

Lance Laber, Executive Director of DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, joins Big Blend Radio's "Tales of Southwest Artist Ted DeGrazia" Podcast to preview two new fall exhibits opening Friday, September 4th at 5pm: "The Midnight Sketches of Ted DeGrazia" and "Saint Francis of Assisi." Both exhibits run alongside the current "Ted DeGrazia's Painted Ponies" exhibit through January 27, 2027. The Midnight Sk...

It's National Park Week! Every fourth Sunday, Joey Stuckey joins Lisa Smith on Big Blend Radio's Music Talks — and this time they're diving into the music inspired by America's national parks and public lands. Recorded right at the start of National Park Week (August 22–30, 2026), the conversation marks the National Park Service's 110th birthday and the 250th anniversary of American independence....

Forget the Christmas Carol postcard version of Charles Dickens. On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "English Connection" Podcast, Glynn Burrows digs into the real story — a childhood shaped by his father's debtor's prison, a stint in a blacking warehouse, and a writing career so prolific it basically invented the serialized soap opera decades before television existed. Along the way, he digs into...

What's better: a glamping dome in the woods, or a five-star hotel on the boardwalk? Travel journalist and certified sommelier Darla Hoffmann didn't have to choose — she did both, fifty minutes apart, in Nova Scotia. On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel" Podcast with the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), Darla takes us inside Nalu Retreat, a...

In this episode of Big Blend Radio’s SUPERVISION MATTERS Podcast, organizational coach and author Rita Sever exploreS what it really means to create an inclusive workplace culture — and why building a real team is healthier than thinking of coworkers as a “work family.” Rita explains why employees who feel included and connected are more engaged, committed, and likely to stay, while organizations...

Filmmaker Casey Carter joins Big Blend Radio to talk about his feature documentary debut, "To Use a Mountain," which traces the search for a permanent U.S. nuclear waste repository back to the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act. Casey and Lisa dig into the six candidate communities featured in the film — in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Nevada — and the farmers, miners, tribal le...

It's the very first episode of "Pets, Plots & Poisons" Podcast! Mystery authors Matt Cost and BJ Magnani launch their new Big Blend Radio show with the story of how they met (a New England Crime Bake conference), what they're each writing now, and a secret collaboration between their characters. BJ shares her latest Dr. Lily Robinson thriller, "We'll Always Have Poisons," sending her poison-to...

In Part Three of her “Lessons Learned from Travel” series, travel writr Linda Ballou takes us into the wilds of Alaska and Canada for a powerful story about adventure, wilderness, and environmental stewardship. In this episode of Big Blend Radio’s “Lost Angel Travel Adventures” Show, Linda reflects on her journey down the Tatshenshini River, also known as Raven’s River, which begins near Haines, A...

In this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Journey Jukebox" travel podcast, travel writer Lisa Evans takes us to Cody, Wyoming, a fascinating Western destination where the spirit of the Old West is still very much alive. Located just outside Yellowstone National Park, Cody combines Western history, art, craftsmanship, music, rodeo, and living history in a destination that's worth more than just a quick...

Discover Shelby County, Kentucky, just east of Louisville, with Janette Marson, President and CEO of ShelbyKY Tourism, on this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel" Show with the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA). Known as the Saddlebred Horse Capital of the World, Shelby County offers an authentic Central Kentucky experience where horses, bo...

End-of-summer and fall are a wonderful time to experience Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana! From church and school fairs and live music to Bunkie Trade Days, Halloween fun, local food and seasonal events, there are plenty of reasons to visit. In this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Travel Avoyelles" podcast, hosts Lisa D. Smith talks with Wilbert Carmouche and Mary Guillory of the Avoyelles Commission of...

In this episode of Big Blend Radio’s "World of Art" Podcast, artist and art historian Victoria Chick takes us inside the exciting development of the Southwest Regional Museum of Art & Art Center in Silver City, New Mexico. Victoria is a contemporary figurative artist, collector of early 19th and 20th-century American prints, and the visionary spearheading this long-term museum project. The pro...

In this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Quiltripping Travel with Rose" podcast, travel writer and photographer Rose Palmer takes us aboard the Rosa, a luxury hotel barge operated by European Waterways, for a leisurely journey through the beautiful Gascony region of southern France. This is slow travel at its best—cruising quietly along France's historic canals, cycling shaded towpaths, exploring med...

Who was Enheduanna — the woman often recognized as the world’s first known named author? On this episode of Big Blend Radio’s "Books & Authors" Show with Books Forward, we welcome award-winning poet and debut historical fantasy novelist Ellen Rachlin, author of Enheduanna’s Song From the Sands, coming August 25, 2026 from Histria Fiction. Set in ancient Mesopotamia around 2300 BCE, "Enheduanna...

Join Big Blend Radio for a Getting to Know You conversation with author Tara Badstubner, whose debut novel, "Every Room Remembers," is forthcoming from Sibylline Press on September 25, 2026. In this warm and insightful conversation, Tara talks about her journey as a writer, what inspired her to create stories, her love of interior design, the places and experiences that shape her creative work, an...

On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel Show "with the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), Amy Nesler of the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau invites us to Eat Local First and discover the food, farms, producers, and sustainable traditions that make Washington's San Juan Islands so special. Beyond the spectacular scenery and outdoor adventures,...

Step inside one of Oklahoma City’s most remarkable historic restorations with Big Blend Radio’s “Travel with Terri” Podcast. In Part 1 of our three-part Oklahoma City series, Travel Journalist Terri Guthrie takes us inside The National Hotel, a luxurious Marriott Autograph Collection property housed within Oklahoma City’s historic First National Center. Originally opened in 1931 as First National...

Victoria, British Columbia, offers a wonderful mix of gardens, castles, history, culture, waterfront scenery and easygoing family adventure.  Celebrate Family Fun Month with this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Wanderer's Compass" Travel Podcast, travel writers Joelle Machia and Ryan Slough continue their adventures with Ryan’s son—this time crossing the border from the Pacific Northwest...