Passport Podcast

Late-night streets. Faint sirens. A city that never sleeps and never stops surprising you. From Washington, DC's unsolved murders to Seattle, San Francisco, and Albuquerque's notorious "Warzone,"  The Passport Podcast host Keith Breitbach shares unfiltered stories of beauty, danger, and the unreported side of urban life. Set against the backdrop of a national conversation on violent crime, homeles...

From Railcars to Robotaxis: America's Transit Transformation - From riding the Amtrak Empire Builder as a college student in the early 1990s to working on the launch of Albuquerque's Rapid Transit system, Keith traces a lifetime of movement through America's evolving transportation landscape. Along the way: cable cars in San Francisco, the rise of ride-share, and the arrival of autonomous vehicles...

The geography of change, and what cities remember even when we forget. In this episode, I revisit Phoenix, where heat, grit, and geography collide. Once the edge of the map and now one of America's fastest-growing metros, Phoenix is where my adult life began. Through memory, motion, and the lens of place, I reflect on what it means to return to a city that once defined you. From biking wide street...

At age 11, Keith Breitbach delivered newspapers through the quiet streets of Dubuque, Iowa, past freshly built homes, union workers, and a corner where men waited each morning for the yellow bus to the John Deere plant. Decades later, he'd watch another kind of worker, young tech professionals gathered at a different corner in San Francisco, bound for Silicon Valley on sleek commuter shuttles. In...

In this episode of the Passport Podcast, host Keith Breitbach delves into the powerful teachings of key figures in the New Thought movement. Discover how these insights on positive thinking and the mind's potential, combined with wisdom from history's greatest thinkers, can provide you with essential tools for personal growth and success. Fasten your seatbelt and get ready to elevate your life.

In this dynamic episode, we reconnect with Max Lockwood on the bustling streets of New York City. Max brings us the latest updates on tourism, economic activity, and the political climate, all while sharing insights from his popular American Freedom and Democracy walking tour centered in Manhattan. Join us for an engaging conversation as Max provides an in-depth look at the current state of the ci...

In this episode, we sit down with Max Lockwood, a New York City-based writer and social commentator whose thought-provoking insights are featured on his popular Substack newsletter, "America is." Max takes us on a journey through his freewheeling life, from his roots in Cambridge, MA, to his diverse roles as a park ranger with the United States Park Service, a position with the Interior Department...

In episode 17, I make a trip back to my hometown of Dubuque, Iowa where I meet up with urban farming pioneer Mike Muench. Mike and his wife Leslie are on a mission to create a community around food - from growing it to cooking it to sharing it with the citizens of this small city located along the banks of the mighty Missississippi River smack dab in the middle of America's heartland. They've repu...

Passport Podcast host Keith Breitbach talks with Author John W. Law about his book chronicling the exploits and adventures of San Francisco's avant-guard Cacophony Society and Suicide Club. One of the original creators and producers of Burning Man, SantaCon, and the Billboard Liberation Front among others, John Law shares his story.             A runaway at 17, Law hitchhiked to the City and immer...

San Francisco native SK Morton talks about his Lousy Walking Tour and provides a fun perspective on discovering the city on foot. Have you ever done a walking tour? Well, San Francisco is one of the most walkable cities in the world and with its rich history, colorful neighborhoods, and quirky cast of characters there's no better way to experience it than with a local who will keep you entertained...

The Route 66 road trip continues with a stopover in Winslow, Arizona where I visit the roadside attraction inspired by the Eagles tune Take it Easy.  It's funny how one little line in a song can lead people to the tiny northern Arizona town. But it's that whimsical charm and the curiosity of the attraction that causes people to pull over and take a look around. I first traveled through Winslow on...

In Episode 13, we proceed along Route 66 from Oklahoma to New Mexico where I meet up with two wonderful friends, Deb Haaland and Juan Sanchez. Listen as Deb and Juan share their heritage and culture along with fascinating historical facts about their beloved Land of Enchantment. Deb is a member of the Laguna Pueblo with ancestors going back thousands of years. Juan's family first came to New Mexic...

A week ago I was passing by the Caffe Triest in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood when I ran into my friend Franny Renoir. You may recall Fanny's insightful interview from Episode 6: The Road to Enlightenment.  Fanny coaxed me to sit with her for a few minutes in the sun and then proceeded to turn my camera and began peppering me with questions about the Passport Podcast as well as m views...

There I am out on Route 66 having just stepped out of the Roger Miller Museum in Erick, Oklahoma. As I went to get into my car, I scanned the main strip in town and surveyed it to see what else this tiny village had to offer. It turned out to be more than I had ever imagined. A couple of blocks down the street I saw a sign. Then another and another and, well you get the idea. There were lots of si...

It's been quite awhile since I've taken a fun and extended road trip. With gas prices falling to affordable prices, it was time to hit the highway and see who I could meet along the way. I first flew to Oklahoma City to briefly visit family, including my two sisters. I was picking up a car to drive back to San Francisco and with a little time to kill I decided to head west on Route 66, or what's l...

Episode 10 makes me think of that well-worn Chinese proverb - The journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step. Pilgrim's Tale features a recent conversation with author, travel writer and Pilgrim Brandon Wilson . I first met Brandon through his wife, Cheryl. We shared an office during a stint as producers at Paradise Television on Maui. Sometimes during water cooler conversations, Cheryl woul...

In episode 9 we talk with San Francisco Artist, Author, and World Traveler Nancy Calef. Nancy tells us that she's been looking for the "stepping stones" along the way, and it's provided her with a rich life of creating art, globe-trotting adventures along with a healthy perspective about people and our shared planet. As you'll hear, it hasn't always been easy, but following her intuition has guide...

In Episode 8, we meet my free-spirited friend & peaceful warrior Jimmy Young for a conversation about his very personal spiritual journey. In this show, Jimmie takes us down a path lined with curiosity and connections tying together a personal narrative that takes him from studying transcendental meditation in rural Oklahoma to a Scientology house in Los Angeles to pursuing happiness through Buddh...

In Episode #7 we venture to the San Francisco Railway Museum to meet up with General Manager Alison Cant for a fascinating discussion about public transportation and the City's  historic streetcars. Alison shares how these "museums in motion" have played a crucial role San Francisco's diverse public transportation system since 1912. Listen to learn about the past, present, and future of this mode...

Fanny Renoir's childhood was spent wandering amongst Humboldt County's giant redwoods, reading Marcel Proust and chasing rainbows in search of elusive pots of gold.  Fanny attempted to live a conventional life, but the temptation of the hippie movement finally caught up with her in 1971 when she stood on the side of the road with her thumb out to hitchhike around America. Fanny's road and acid tri...

What does it mean to hit rock bottom? If you are down and out how low does one have to go before there is nowhere else to go, but up? For our guest, Manny Fernandez, his life on the mean streets of the East Bay in-between trips to California's Juvenile Detention Centers led to existing one day to the next without much hope for the future or value for life. After a violent fight over a girl and get...

To Hell and Back, Part-1 features the compelling life story of actor/author Manny Fernandez. Beginning in the late 1980's To Hell and Back is a wild tale of dysfunction and despair for a young boy as he navigates the poor relationship choices of his mother who divorces from Manny's father and takes up with a string of drug dealers and abusive addicts. These poor decisions expose young Manny to a l...

Episode 4 takes us on a virtual tour of San Francisco as seen through the eyes of a longtime resident and current "Bus Monkey" tour guide. Nick Messinger has called San Francisco home for the past 30 years, and he had a successful career as a TV News Producer. After taking an early retirement from his job and then while facing critical life questions, Nick had an epiphany to become a tour guide on...

A welcome and introduction to the Passport Podcast.  

Passport Podcast Episode 2 features a conversation with Bradmundo Breitbach. This show recalls the time host Keith Breitbach and his brother Bradmundo set out on an epic road trip adventure in a car they purchased for $100. The 1993 journey covered more than 6,500 miles of visiting national parks in the U.S. and Canada. Bradmundo also shares how that trip inspired the next adventure of living, wor...