Denali National Park, the country's twelfth national park, is home to the highest point in North America, Denali. It's frequently visited by tourists in Alaska, but it requires advanced preparation to visit. By planning ahead, visitors can make the most of their time in this park. In this podcast, we describe what Denali is all about, how to get to the park, where to sleep, what to do, and everything in between. Plus we answer a few of your questions about visiting Denali: How much does it cost?...
Nov 24, 2020•42 min
Lassen Volcanic National Park, the country's eleventh national park, is home to active and dormant volcanoes, hydrothermal features, and beautiful mountain landscapes. It's one of the least visited parks in California, but many people congregate to Lassen Volcanic's main attractions. By planning ahead, visitors can avoid the crowds and see some truly unique sights. In this podcast, we describe what Lassen Volcanic is all about, how to get to the park, where to sleep, what to do, and everything i...
Nov 08, 2020•34 min
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, the country's tenth national park, is home to two of the most active volcanoes in the world. Most visitors go to try and spot some volcanic activity, like lava flows, steam vents, and lava tubes. Hawai'i Volcanoes is located on the island of Hawai'i and is constantly changing and shifting, so visitors should plan ahead before arriving. In this podcast, we describe what Hawai'i Volcanoes is all about, how to get to the park, where to sleep, what to do, and everyth...
Oct 19, 2020•37 min
Rocky Mountain National Park, the country's ninth national park, is home to spectacular mountain environments, alpine tundra, wildlife, and gorgeous lakes. Most visitors go to drive the Trail Ridge Road or take a hike, and the park is a paradise for those activities. Rocky Mountain is located in north-central Colorado and is surrounded by beautiful natural areas, making and trip to the area well worth it. In this podcast, we describe what Rocky Mountain is all about, how to get to the park, wher...
Oct 19, 2020•39 min
Glacier National Park, the country's eighth national park, is home to mountains, hundreds of lakes, and 26 rapidly-receding glaciers. Most visitors go to drive the Going to the Sun Road or take a hike, and the park is a paradise for those activities. Glacier is located in Montana along the Canadian border, and is half of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the first in the world of its kind. In this podcast, we describe what Glacier is all about, how to get to the park, where to sleep...
Oct 13, 2020•39 min
Mesa Verde National Park, the country's seventh-oldest park, is home to some of the most impressive cliff dwellings in the world. Most visitors go to tour the cliff dwellings, but there is much more to be found in Mesa Verde. Mesa Verde is located in southwestern Colorado, in the Four Corners Region, where visitors can find plenty more to see and do. In this podcast, we describe what Mesa Verde is all about, how to get to the park, where to sleep, what to do, and everything in between. Plus we a...
Oct 13, 2020•33 min
Wind Cave National Park, the country's sixth-oldest park, is home to the densest cave system in the world. Most visitors go to see the cave itself, but there is another world for exploring above ground. Wind Cave is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, situated among several other national parks that would make any trip memorable. In this podcast, we describe what Wind Cave is all about, how to get to the park, where to sleep, what to do, and everything in between. Plus we answer a few of...
Sep 28, 2020•31 min
Crater Lake National Park, the country's fifth-oldest park, is home to the country's deepest lake. Most visitors go to see Crater Lake and its rim trails and scenic drive, which make up most of the park's recreation opportunities. Crater Lake has a relatively short visiting season, and most visitors see the park in July and August, so avoiding the crowds takes some extra planning. In this podcast, we describe what Crater Lake is all about, how to get to the park, where to sleep, what to do, and ...
Sep 18, 2020•38 min
Mount Rainier National Park, the country's fourth-oldest park, has a fascinating history of preservation. Most visitors go to see the iconic Mount Rainier, which juts out abruptly along the horizon, twice the height of its surrounding peaks. Mount Rainier has a relatively short visiting season, and most visitors see the park in July and August, so visiting in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming takes some extra planning. In this podcast, we describe what Mount Rainier is all about, how to get t...
Sep 14, 2020•35 min
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, some of the country's earliest parks, protect the world's largest trees, vast wilderness, and diverse ecosystems. In this podcast, we describe what Sequoia and Kings Canyon are all about, how to get to the parks, where to sleep, what to do, and everything in between. Plus we answer a few of your questions about visiting Sequoia and Kings Canyon: how much time should you spend in the parks? How are sequoias different than redwoods? For more details, be sur...
Aug 31, 2020•32 min
Yosemite National Park, the country's third park, is foundational in national parks history. Surrounded by granite cliffs, sequoias, waterfalls, and history, visitors can easily find something for them. Yosemite is popular, and most visitors congregate into the 7-square-mile area of Yosemite Valley, so visiting the park in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming can be tricky. In this podcast, we describe what Yosemite is all about, how to get to the park, where to sleep, what to do, and everything...
Aug 27, 2020•35 min
Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park, is truly one of a kind. Teeming with geothermal activity, wildlife, and vast wilderness, yet chock full of visitor facilities, programs, and tours, Yellowstone is a park for everyone. In this podcast, we describe what Yellowstone is all about, how to get to the park, where to sleep, what to do, and everything in between. Plus we answer a few of your questions about visiting Yellowstone: is it safe for kids? How do you avoid crowds? What...
Aug 24, 2020•39 min
This season, we're getting back to our roots to launch a year-long national parks project. Each week, we will put out a podcast covering a different national park, describing what the park is all about, how to visit, what to do, and answer some of your questions about the park. We will be working through the parks in the order in which they were established, so we're kicking things off with the world's first national park, Yellowstone. For more details, be sure to check out our website at switch...
Aug 24, 2020•11 min
Nigeria is SO DIVERSE, and yet it's a very under-touristed destination. In this episode I provide live reports from Nigeria with various segments of my personal experience with the culture in Lagos and a rural village. We will also cover: 1. Nigeria country overview 2. 8 Nigeria National Parks previews 3. Tourist highlights around Lagos and the rest of the country 4. Cultural festivals scan around the year throughout the country Music from bensound.com.
Dec 23, 2019•48 min
Get my live reports and sounds of the island as I circle Ireland and Northern Ireland! I'll cover everything from traditional tourist destinations, the 6 Irish National Parks and our personal itinerary: 2 parks, Ring of Kerry, Cliffs of Moher, quaint seaside hamlets, random cave attractions, 3 castles, super old distillery, Giant's Causeway, famous traditional Irish pub and more.
Nov 06, 2019•46 min
It's hard to think about visiting Europe as an American without thinking about the ancient architecture, romantic cities, great food, and backpacking hostel to hostel. But when we planned a six-week Eurotrip last summer, we found that many things we had thought about traveling through Europe weren't exactly what we expected. In this episode of Switchbacks, we'll lay out five common myths of traveling to Europe, and how we debunked those during our travel process, from planning to transportation ...
Sep 09, 2019•1 hr 6 min
Having a travel wish list and putting your travel goals down on paper can have a huge impact on whether or not you actually achieve those travel goals. Today we're sharing why you should have a travel wish list, how we created ours, and what destinations are high on our list. Music: http://bensound.com
Aug 06, 2019•44 min
If you aren't following us on social media, you may have missed our exciting news... we welcomed baby boy Donelson on June 10th! We are soaking up baby snuggles and diaper changes here at home, but today we broke away from that routine to record a new episode. Today we're sharing EVERYTHING about our trip to the Azores... how we got there, where we slept, what we did, and exactly how much money we spent while enjoying three of the Azores islands. Tune in for all the details! Music: http://bensou...
Jul 02, 2019•1 hr 28 min
We may not be expert babymooners yet, but we sure had an amazing time during our recent pre-baby trip to the Azores and mainland Portugal. Listen for all things babymooning: planning and considerations, our favorite babymoon-specific activities, and things we learned along the way. Music: http://bensound.com
May 14, 2019•43 min
Today we're sharing Part II of our Africa experiences last summer. Last time, we broke down our top 5 game drive experiences. Today, we're chatting all about our favorite natural landmarks and outdoor experiences in the southern portion of Africa. From mountains to waterfalls to desert, Africa has something for just about everyone. Music: http://bensound.com
Mar 14, 2019•1 hr 5 min
If you missed the big news out of the National Park Service a few weeks ago, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was renamed Indiana Dunes National Park, making it the U.S.'s 61st national park. Of course, we have to talk about it. We share our thoughts, our experiences at the park, and clips from an interview we recently conducted with Kailey Capuano of Indiana Dunes Tourism. Enjoy the show! Music: http://bensound.com
Mar 06, 2019•44 min
When it comes to backpacking on a budget through a giant region, Southern Africa is no Southeast Asia. It doesn't have the extensive travel infrastructure, the masses of digital nomads, or the shoestring-budget travel possibilities. But as a travel destination, Africa called to us. Today we're sharing our start-to-finish planning process for our 66-day trip through Africa. We also list our Top 5 game drives of the two months. Music: bensound.com
Feb 04, 2019•1 hr 14 min
2018 has been good to us, especially in terms of travel experiences. Dozens of new countries, two new continents (for Elizabeth!) and millions of memories. Listen for our top 18 travel experiences last year. Let's see if 2019 can top it! Music: http://bensound.com
Jan 07, 2019•1 hr 12 min
In honor of Thanksgiving, this episode covers a smorgasbord of topics… all from you! We picked out some great questions and comments from our listeners over the past 6 months since we ended the first season of the podcast and started our 3-month traveling hiatus. Should I spend on a dream trip or accelerating debt payments? The app that donates to charity when you log exercise. How do you afford to take 3 months off? Why Gateway Arch National Park is a sham. What's the best Africa overland tour ...
Dec 05, 2018•1 hr 6 min
We are so grateful for the friends we met this summer while on an overland tour through eastern and southern Africa. They taught us a lot, but one thing that stuck is that we have SO MUCH of the world left to explore. Today we're sharing a discussion we recorded back in July with our new friends about the ups and downs of travel, magical travel moments, and why travel is important. Enjoy the show!
Nov 05, 2018•1 hr 12 min
We're back and we're overly excited to kick off Season 2 of Switchbacks. We're going international, people. Want to know what we've been up to lately? Curious about our very favorite budget travel tips? Listen for more, and check out today's show notes at switchbackkids.com/podcast. And check out SwitchbackKids.com for blog posts, videos and ebooks with tips, info and visuals on each National Park. Or find us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for much more! Adventure on! Music: bensound.com
Oct 01, 2018•35 min
In February, Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri quietly became the 60th national park. Today we're breaking down the history behind the famous Arch, and the controversy that surrounds its national park status. Listen for more, and check out today's show notes at switchbackkids.com/podcast. And check out SwitchbackKids.com for blog posts, videos and ebooks with tips, info and visuals on each National Park. Or find us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for much more! Adventure on! Music: bensound...
May 27, 2018•50 min
Today we're taking off on a 3.5-month trip abroad to Eastern Europe and Africa. Listen to hear where we're going, why we're taking time off social media, and what you can expect from our podcast in the next few months. Listen for more, and check out today's show notes at switchbackkids.com/podcast. And check out SwitchbackKids.com for blog posts, videos and ebooks with tips, info and visuals on each National Park. Or find us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for much more! Adventure on! Music: ...
May 21, 2018•19 min
We are thrilled to announce that our eBook all about how to visit Alaska's national park is now available for download. You can find it here: http://switchbackkids.com/product/ebook-visit-alaskas-8-national-parks/ Today, we spilling five of our top resources for building your own Alaska adventure. Whether you are planning to visit the parks or travel to other parts of the beautiful state, tune in. You might save hundreds of dollars on your next big trip! Listen for more, and check out today's sh...
May 16, 2018•47 min
Ever think about striking out for a long-haul international excursion? Over the last two years and ten international trips, we have been learning about what we need and what we don't. Today we're sharing our list for our upcoming 3.5-month trip through Europe and Africa. For links, and the entire list, go to our show notes at: switchbackkids.com/podcast And check out SwitchbackKids.com for blog posts, videos and ebooks with tips, info and visuals on each National Park. Or find us on Facebook, In...
May 13, 2018•47 min
