Two Chicks with Hiking Sticks

We’re heading to one of the most underrated national parks in the entire country — Guadalupe Mountains National Park in far West Texas! Rising over 3,000 feet above the Chihuahuan Desert, these mountains hide a jaw-dropping secret: they’re actually the remains of a 260–270-million-year-old reef that once sat at the bottom of an ancient tropical sea. In this episode, we explore the natural wonders,...

What would you do if a simple hike turned into an unexpected overnight stay in the wilderness? In this episode of Two Chicks with Hiking Sticks, we're diving into essential outdoor survival skills every hiker, camper, and outdoor explorer should know before heading out on their next adventure. From the Ten Essentials and emergency shelters to navigation, hydration, signaling for help, and common m...

Have you ever actually seen the Milky Way with your own eyes? Not a photo — the real thing, overhead, arching across a pitch-black sky? If not, this episode is for you. Susan and Monica dive into the world of Dark Sky Parks — what they are, how places earn that designation, and what it actually takes to visit one and see something that will genuinely blow your mind. 🌠 IN THIS EPISODE: • What a Da...

Texas has one natural lake — and most people have never heard of it. 🌿 Caddo Lake State Park in East Texas is unlike anywhere else in the Lone Star State. We're talking 400-year-old bald cypress trees draped in Spanish moss, a swamp full of alligators, 12,000 years of human history, and a founding father of the Republic of Texas who was shot dead in the water on Independence Day. Yeah. It's THAT...

Welcome back to Two Chicks with Hiking Sticks! 🏜️ In this episode, we're heading to one of the most jaw-dropping places on Earth — Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. Home to over 2,000 natural sandstone arches (yes, TWO THOUSAND!), this park is a bucket-list destination for a reason — and we're breaking down everything you need to know before you visit. In this episode we cover: •  &nbs...

She escaped slavery alone at night. Then went back. Thirteen times. In this episode, we dive deep into the full, extraordinary life of Harriet Tubman — from her brutal childhood on Maryland's Eastern Shore, to her daring escapes on the Underground Railroad, to her secret career as a Union Army spy who led the most successful military liberation raid in American history — freeing over 700 people in...

In 1933, with 25% of Americans out of work and the land itself in crisis, FDR launched one of the most ambitious — and successful — programs in American history: the Civilian Conservation Corps. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the CCC — how it was created in just 10 days, how 3 million young men were put to work across America's most iconic landscapes, and how the structures they built w...

In this episode of Two Chicks with Hiking Sticks, we cover TWO powerful stories connected by one theme: protecting the places and values that matter most. 🎥 PART 1 — THE RIVER AND THE WALL FILM SCREENING We attended a special community event hosted by the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), Keep Big Bend Wild, Latino Outdoors, the San Antonio River Foundation, and the Big Bend Conserv...

What happens when one man tries to build the perfect world — and his workers say enough is enough? Welcome to Pullman, one of the most fascinating and layered history destinations in the entire United States. In this episode, we're diving deep into Pullman National Historical Park on Chicago's far South Side, a place where utopian dreams, brutal corporate control, a nation-shaking labor strike, an...

Join Two Chicks with Hiking Sticks as we explore the stunning landscapes of Joshua Tree National Park where two deserts collide to create one unforgettable adventure. In this episode, we break down what to see, where to go, and essential travel tips for making the most of your visit. Whether you’re planning your first trip or just curious about this iconic national park, we’ve got you covered with...

Welcome back to Two Chicks with Hiking Sticks! In this episode, we takes you on a deep dive into one of the most beloved national parks on the East Coast: Shenandoah National Park in northwestern Virginia. Whether you're planning your first visit or your fifth, this episode covers EVERYTHING: •      ✅ Key facts and history — from the 1926 congressional authorization...

Step back in time at Fort Scott National Historic Site in Kansas. It is a place where America’s frontier dreams, broken promises, and Civil War struggles all collided. Built in 1842 to enforce the Permanent Indian Frontier , Fort Scott quickly became a symbol of westward expansion, Native displacement, and the tension that fueled Bleeding Kansas . During the Civil War, it transformed into a Union...

What if we told you that one of the most dramatic and consequential battles in American history happened in a small Michigan city — and almost nobody knows about it? In this episode of Two Chicks with Hiking Sticks, we explore River Raisin National Battlefield Park in Monroe, Michigan: the site of the War of 1812's greatest American defeat, the birth of the rallying cry "Remember the Raisin!", and...

What do you do when a doctor tells you you'll be impaired for life — and you simply refuse to believe them? Award-winning journalist, Peabody Award winner, and bestselling author Jo Giese joins Two Chicks with Hiking Sticks to share her extraordinary story of survival, determination, and defying medical odds after a catastrophic fall ruptured her Achilles tendon — and a botched surgery left her wi...

What if one of America’s most “hostile” landscapes turned out to be one of its most breathtaking? In this episode of Two Chicks With Hiking Sticks, we explore Badlands National Park in South Dakota — a land shaped by 75 million years of erosion, ancient inland seas, prehistoric mammals, and powerful Lakota history. We’ll walk through: Why the name “Badlands” comes from the Lakota word makȟóšiča Ho...

Today we’re exploring one of the most beloved places in America — Great Smoky Mountains National Park . Straddling the border between Tennessee and North Carolina , this park is the most visited national park in the United States — and once you see the mist rolling across these ancient mountains, you’ll understand why. In this episode of Hike & History , we explore: Why the Smokies are some of...

Discover the powerful history and lasting legacy of Vicksburg National Military Park — one of the most pivotal battlefields of the American Civil War . In this episode we explore how the 47-day Siege of Vicksburg helped shift the course of the war, giving the Union control of the Mississippi River and dividing the Confederacy forever. We’ll walk through: ✔️ When and why the park was established ✔️...

Did you know you can walk through an actual Ice Age dig site in Texas? In this episode, we explore Waco Mammoth National Monument , one of the most fascinating paleontological sites in the country — right in the heart of Central Texas. Discovered in 1978 and designated a national monument in 2015, this site preserves the only known nursery herd of Columbian mammoths in the United States. We’ll cov...

Join us on a moving journey through Andersonville National Historic Site , one of the most powerful and important historical sites in the United States. In this episode, we explore: 🔹 The harrowing history of Camp Sumter , a Confederate Civil War prison 🔹 The tragic story of tens of thousands of Union prisoners and nearly 13,000 who died here 🔹 What life was like inside the stockade — disease,...

Independence National Historical Park reminds us that America was never meant to be finished. It was designed as a living experiment shaped by debate, fueled by hope, and challenged by contradiction. The same questions they wrestled with inside these buildings — freedom, equality, power, responsibility — are the same ones we wrestle with today. Walking these streets isn’t about idolizing the past;...

Lace up your boots and bring your appetite — it’s time for another adventure in our Hike & Feast series! In this episode of Two Chicks With Hiking Sticks , we explore the beautiful Cibolo Nature Center in Boerne, Texas . From peaceful creekside trails and towering cypress trees to wide-open Hill Country landscapes, Cibolo is one of the best hidden gems for hiking near San Antonio. After hittin...

Put your walking shoes on and step into history with Two Chicks With Hiking Sticks as we explore Gettysburg National Military Park — one of the most important and emotionally powerful landscapes in America. In this episode, we will talk about where the Battle of Gettysburg unfolded in July 1863. From Little Round Top and Devil’s Den to Pickett’s Charge and the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, we break...

Canyonlands National Park is one of the most rugged and awe-inspiring landscapes in the American Southwest and in this episode of Two Chicks With Hiking Sticks , we’re breaking down everything you need to know before you go. Located near Moab, Utah, Canyonlands is carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers into massive mesas, deep canyons, and towering sandstone formations. We explore the park’s fasc...

In this episode, we’re heading deep into Alaska’s wild beauty as we explore Kenai Fjords National Park — a land shaped by massive glaciers, rugged coastlines, and unforgettable hiking experiences. We kick things off with one of the park’s most iconic adventures: the Exit Glacier hike. This accessible yet awe-inspiring trail takes you right up to a living glacier, where you can literally see the ef...

Discover one of Texas Hill Country’s hidden gems — Guadalupe River State Park. In this episode, we explore the park’s fascinating history, the people who once lived along the river, how the land became protected as a Texas State Park, and why it’s now a favorite destination for hikers, paddlers, campers, and nature lovers. We give you a pre-hike perspective, a post hike review and then we share wi...