Dear Bob and Sue: A National Parks Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#57: Outdoor Gear and Gifts We Love Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

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 our website are sponsored. Any commissions we earn from them go a long way to making this podcast possible. Thank you for your support.

Special offer! And as a bonus to our listeners, GAIA GPS is offering 20% off a one-year subscription to their app when you follow this link.

Please subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.

Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.

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#56: Three Perfect Days in New River Gorge National Park Nov 04, 2021

Show notes

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 many of the places and activities we discuss in this episode on our blog post about New River Gorge National Park – click here.

Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.

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#55: The Ghosts of Mammoth Cave National Park Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

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 the National Park Service webpage: Top Ten Tips for Visiting Mammoth Cave National Park

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.

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#54: Mailbag! Oct 21, 2021

Show notes

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@gmail.com.

Links we discus in the episode:

· Where to purchase an America the Beautiful Pass online.

· A description of all six types of passes.

· More info about the Annual Pass

· More info about the Military Pass

· More info about the 4th Grade Pass

· More info about the Senior Pass

· More info about the Access Pass

· More info about the Volunteer Pass

· Resource for renting backpacking equipment

· Great site for renting backpacking equipment in the Pacific Northwest

· Backpacking checklist from REI

Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.

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.

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#53: Zion's Epic Subway Hike Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

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-up route and tips about having a safe and enjoyable hike.

Link to Zion NP’s webpage where you can find more about how to get a permit to hike to The Subway.

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.

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#52: Antelope Canyon Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

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 find more information about the tours we talk about:

Ken’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tour

Dixie’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tour

Upper Antelope Canyon Tour

Antelope Canyon X Tour

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.

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#51: Mailbag! Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

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 road trips, train trips, bears, and ticks. If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.

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

#50: The Best National Parks to Visit in Each Season Sep 23, 2021

Show notes

We get a lot of questions from people asking us what parks they should visit during specific times of the year. On today’s episode we’re going season to season, talking about which parks are great to visit during the winter, spring, summer, and fall. We cover all 63 national parks, taking into account factors like their weather, accessibility, wildflowers, fall foliage, crowds, and much more. Grab a pen and paper and get ready to take notes. You might learn a few seasonal travel tips that’ll come in handy when planning your next spring break destination, summer vacation, or fall getaway.

Some of the topics we discuss in this episode:

· The only national park that closes in the winter

· The one piece of the U.S. that is below the equator

· Our favorite park to snowmobile in

· Best national parks to view the brilliant fall colors

· Which park you can tour while on a beer train excursion

· The park you’d visit if you also wanted to attend the International Chili Championship

· Which parks you can visit in the winter for a tropical getaway

· And our list of national parks that are great to visit in any season.

Links to more information:

· The Kula Cloth

· Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (link to the beer train)

· 54th Annual CASI Terlingua International Chili Championship

Where to learn more about our books and travels
Check out our Twitter account
Join the conversation on Facebook - we want to hear from you!
Check out our Instagram account

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#49: Glacier National Park: Part 2 of 2 Sep 16, 2021

Show notes

From historic hotels to jaw-dropping vistas to spectacular hiking trails, Glacier has it all. Because of its mountainous terrain, activities and sights are clustered in several unique areas of the park and along the central park road corridor. A visit to this magnificent place feels like going to several national parks, all nestled around the Continental Divide. It would take a lifetime to see and do everything that Glacier National Park has to offer, and in this second episode of our two-part series on the park, we talk about our favorites. If you haven’t listened to the first part of this series, please check it out here.

Some of the topics we discuss in this episode:

· Why it’s so important to do advanced planning before visiting Glacier NP

· The best time to visit

· Recent changes to the park’s system for entering the park – you may need a reservation

· Why you might want to park your car and take the hikers’ shuttle

· Overview of the historic lodges and hotels in and around the park

· Some of our favorite hikes in each area of the park

· Where to get the best huckleberry bear claws in Montana

· And much more!

Links to more information:

Glacier NP’s webpage about their shuttle system
Glacier NP’s webpage about planning your visit
Where to learn more about our books and travels
Check out our Twitter account
Join the conversation on Facebook - we want to hear from you!
Check out our Instagram account

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#48: Glacier National Park: Part 1 of 2 Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

The Crown of the Continent, Glacier National Park is one of the most visited and beloved destinations in the National Park System. In this part 1 of 2 episodes on the park, we discuss one of its most unique aspects: their backcountry chalets. Ten chalets dotted the park back more than a hundred years ago, providing visitors a place to rest between day-long horseback rides. Today, three of the ten original chalets still exist and operate as places where travelers can spend a night or two while exploring the park. In August, we hiked up to Granite Park Chalet, along the Highline Trail, and spent a couple of nights in this historical site. Join us as we talk about how we planned the trip and our experience in the backcountry of this magnificent park.

Some of the topics we discuss in this episode:

· Why the Great Northern Railway built the backcountry chalets

· What happened to all of them

· Which ones still exist

· Planning a visit to stay at one of the remaining chalets

· Why you’ll need a reservation/ticket for Going to the Sun Road

· Tips and tricks regarding the park’s shuttle system

· The story of our visit to Granite Park Chalet in August 2021

Links to more information: