Dear Bob and Sue: A National Parks Podcast

In this Mailbag! episode, we share some of our hiking suggestions in Saguaro National Park and the surrounding area, how to determine if you’re ready to tackle a 10- to 15-mile hike, and how to practice shooting bear spray before you hike in bear country. Plus, we offer suggestions regarding a listener’s Utah park itinerary.    Links: ·     To see all our books on Amazon.com, follow this link. ·  ...

Who hasn’t stared in awe at the Milky Way and been lost in wonder thinking about the billions of stars that make up our galaxy? In this episode, we’re talking about a special category of public lands called Dark Sky Parks. These are areas that have been certified by the International Dark-Sky Association as being excellent places to stargaze. Join us as we share our stories about stargazing in the...

With majestic peaks in every direction, wildlife roaming the valleys, and some of the most incredible hiking trails in the country, it’s no wonder that Colorado’s Rocky Mountain is one of the most-visited national parks. In this episode, we discuss some of the best things to do inside the park, as well as in the town of Estes Park, just outside the park. And we’ll go over important details about t...

We’re heading to the Northeast part of the country in this episode, to Acadia National Park in Maine. Called the Crown Jewell of the North Atlantic Coast, Acadia has a diverse array of rocky coastlines, granite mountains, lakes, ponds, meadows, and forests. It also has a ton of things to do: ·     Scenic drives along historic motor roads ·     Hiking some of the 158 miles of trails ·     Exploring...

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 some ideas about what to do if you see someone breaking the rules in a national park. We also answer a question about when we use our trekking poles and when we leave them at home, and...

Join us for a thrilling ride as we take you on some of our favorite white-knuckle drives. These are roads we’ve discovered during our travels that have spectacular views but maybe not as many guardrails as we’d like. From winding, narrow paths over remote mountain passes to hairpin turns snaking up and down sheer cliffs, we’ll tell you about twelve must-see scenic drives so you can decide for your...

Join us on a trip to California, to one of the country's oldest and most popular national parks, Yosemite. Home to soaring granite domes, some of the world's biggest and oldest trees, and a few famous waterfalls, Yosemite offers world-class natural wonders and recreation opportunities. In today's episode, we'll give you an overview of the park's different areas, including some of our favorite hike...

Today we’re taking you with us to one of the Mighty Five National Parks in Utah: Zion. In this episode, we share with you our version of how to spend 2.5 perfect days in the park. We talk about some spectacular hikes, a great place to watch the sunset, when’s the best time to visit the park, and much more!   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like...

In our mailbag episodes, we answer questions from listeners about traveling, hiking, public lands, outdoor gear, and whatever else is on their minds. In this episode, the questions are about travel: how we decide where to go each year, how long it takes us to pack for a road trip, how to pack lightly when flying, how to plan for an impromptu trip, and more!   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podc...

In today's episode, we're discussing some of our favorite things to do and see in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. We talk about the scenic drives in the park, some of the best photography spots, and a few of our favorite hikes. Plus, we share tips about lodging options in and around the park, how many days to plan for your trip, and when to visit. And it wouldn't be a complete episode if we d...

Arches is a red-rock wonderland of fins, spires, pinnacles, and arches -- 2,000 of them! Throw in some great hiking trails and a very scenic drive, and you’ve got a lot of choices of things to see and do throughout the park. In this episode, we narrow down the list, share ten of our favorites, and give some tips and advice about making the most of your experiences visiting them. We also provide so...

#65: How to Plan Your National Park Trips   Planning a road trip can be as much fun as the trip itself. The anticipation and excitement ahead of time are some of the best parts of the experience. But the planning can also be overwhelming and confusing, especially when going to a place you’ve never visited. In this episode, we discuss how we plan our trips to the national parks and other public lan...

In our mailbag episodes, we answer questions from listeners about traveling, hiking, public lands, outdoor gear, and whatever else is on their minds. In this episode, we answer questions about Wrangell St. Elias National Park in Alaska, Indiana Dunes National Park in Indiana, and Great Basin National Park in Nevada. We also talk about some of the travel-related non-fiction books that have inspired...

Today we’re talking about Christmas trees. Specifically, everything you need to know about the program run by the National Forest Service, where you can buy a permit online and head out to your national forest to cut down your own Christmas tree. In this episode, we share our Montana experience in December as we wandered through Flathead National Forest with a permit in hand, looking for that perf...

The island of Maui has more to offer than lounge chairs on the beach and tropical drinks. It's home to Haleakala National Park. With a 10,000-foot summit, the park is the perfect place to watch the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean or hike down into its seven-mile-wide crater. In this episode, we cover the highlights of visiting this stunning park, including tips about trails and directions to its se...

In this episode, we talk about our recent 700-mile road trip through Northern Arizona, the perfect week-long tour of some of the most iconic sites in the American Southwest. Starting in Sedona, we worked our way northeast, visiting a couple of national parks, a half dozen other National Park Service sites, and a few Navajo Tribal Parks. Join us as we take you to stunning overlooks, one-of-a-kind c...

Bryce Canyon National Park has something for everyone: hikes, jaw-dropping overlooks, scenic drives, a historic hotel, good pizza, and a cave. And with a bit of planning, you can do it all in one perfect day. We’ve been to this park many times, and each visit feels like we’re seeing the place for the very first time. In this episode, we suggest an itinerary for one perfect day, but stay as long as...

Shake up your Thanksgiving routine by celebrating in a national park. Many of the park lodges and restaurants offer traditional Thanksgiving feasts. And what could be better than spending the long holiday weekend in a beautiful outdoor setting rather than battling shoppers for a deep-discount, big-screen TV? In this episode, we talk about many of the places in the national park system that you mig...

What could be more magical than watching new land being formed as lava flows from the mouth of a volcano? Hawaii Volcanoes National Park protects and celebrates this beautiful site as its boundary extends from the Pacific Ocean to nearly the 13,677-foot summit of Mauna Loa. Tucked along the southeast edge of the Big Island, this lava-belching landscape has been a national park for over 100 years....

Give the gift of adventure. In this, our annual gear and gift guide, we talk about the gear we use, love, and in some cases, absolutely can’t live without. Whether you are looking for holiday gift ideas toward the end of the year or need gear suggestions in any season, this episode is a great starting point. Check out our companion blog post with links to many of the items we discuss. The links on...

Are you thinking about visiting our nation’s 63rd national park, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia? Then you’re in luck. In this episode, we talk about our recent visit to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve with our dear friends Bob and Sue. And we’ve arranged it into a three-day itinerary to give you a starting point for planning your visit.   You can find links to man...

Did you know that Mammoth Cave National Park preserves the longest known cave system in the world? Here’s another fact you might not know: many people think the cave is haunted. Join us for this episode as we give an overview of Mammoth Cave National Park, and Karen regales Matt with frightening and sometimes ghoulish stories from the past about the caverns below south-central Kentucky.   Link to...

In our mailbag episodes, we answer questions from listeners about traveling, hiking, public lands, outdoor gear, and whatever else is on their minds. In this episode, we’re talking about the America the Beautiful Pass, how to get started backpacking, and our thoughts on how to balance work and travel. If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, email us at mattandkarensmith...

The trail to The Subway is one of the least traveled yet most spectacular in Zion National Park. Over countless years, water has carved a unique, tube-like slot canyon along the Left Fork of North Creek. If you’re lucky enough to win the permit lottery to hike this trail, you have two options for getting there: top-down and bottom-up. In this episode, we talk about our experience hiking the bottom...

Starting at the shore of Lake Powell in northern Arizona, Antelope Canyon stretches for over twenty miles as it snakes its way south through pristine Navajo land. Over millions of years, water and wind carved several incredibly beautiful sections of the canyon. In this episode, we discuss four of the areas that you can visit to experience these wonders of nature up close.   Links to where you can...