I had a blast getting to chat with Park Ranger Charlie Reed! Zion National Park is one of my favorite places on earth, it's always a joy getting to explore and chat about this gem in southwestern Utah. In this episode we chat about the parks geology, specifically the sandstone cliffs and the Virgin River, wildlife and a lot about the dark skies that surround this park. Charlie even shares some tips on how you can see and interact with the night sky next time you're at the park. Watch the...

Back with another park preview! This time we are taking a brief look at Zion National Park in Utah.  Zion is one of my favorite places in the world, I am so excited to release two podcasts from this incredible park: Zion National Park: Geology, Wildlife and Dark Skies Astronomy with Park Ranger Charlie Reed (12/6)Zion National Park: Botany, Zion Vegetation and Invasive Plants with Vegetation Program Manager Darrin Gobble (12/13)___Follow us on social!Instagram:...

In our final episode from Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, we are joined by Physical Scientist and Park Ranger Armin Howell. Armin joined the NPS in 2024 and is primarily focused on research around water flow, water quality and air quality within the four parks associated with the Southeast Utah Group (SEUG). In this podcast we chat about climate change, how the park is researching and learning about the changing climate and the different ways that Arches and Canyonlands are both being...

Arches and Canyonlands park ranger, Karen Henker, joined the podcast to chat about the geology and formation of Arches and different environmental factors that are at play at Arches National Park. Karen has been a park ranger for nearly 20 years and has spent most of her time in Utah at Canyonlands and Arches. Her knowledge, humor and passion for this area is so infectious. You can watch the full podcast here: https://youtu.be/nJAP_tZ7kbs Upcoming Podcasts: Canyonlands and Arches National...

Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator and Park Ranger Brian Hays joined us to chat about the search and rescue team at Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. Brian shares the day-to-day experience working on the SAR team, different types of rescue missions and includes some potentially life saving tips and advice for explorers. Brian was such a fascinating guest and such a joy to meet and talk with. He and his team do some incredible work for the parks and its visitors. Watch the video...

Canyonlands and Arches park ranger, Karen Henker, joined the podcast to chat about Canyonlands geology, human history and wildlife.  Karen has been a park ranger for nearly 20 years and has spent most of her time in Utah at Canyonlands and Arches. Her knowledge and passion for these parks is incredible and so fun to listen to. I had a blast getting to spend time with her.  You can watch the full podcast here: https://youtu.be/ttSeP0-BBkw In the podcast, we talk about the native peoples who...

We're on the road again! In this episode we preview Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. We'll be recording a total of four episodes at these parks: Episode one: Arches National Park: Geology, Human History and Environmental FactorsEpisode two: Canyonlands National Park: Geology, Wildlife and VegationEpisode three: Search and RescueEpisode four: Exploring Climate Change Through Remote Sensing SystemNew episodes will be released every Friday. Excited and thankful to have you follow...

We're back with one more episode at César E. Chávez National Monument!  Park Superintendent, Erin Gates, sat down to chat with us about how the National Park Service protects more than just beautiful natural places like the national parks. The NPS tells stories that allow us to interact with and learn key pieces of American history, like the story of César E. Chávez and the United Farm Workers movement.  The full episode is also available on YouTube!  Special thanks to Erin Gates, the...

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we traveled to Keene, California, to chat with the Superintendent of César E. Chávez National Monument, Erin Gates.  Erin and I chatted about César's life and legacy, how he was an ordinary human who achieved extraordinary things and why his story should motivate and encourage us to chase our own dreams and passions.  Here is a link to the YouTube version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/yMUyvbjS6Ok ___Follow us on social!Instagram:...

My friend Wyatt joined the podcast to chat about the connection between coffee and nature! Wyatt is a coffee educator at an awesome coffee shop in Southern California called Lamill. In this episode, we talk about the hard labor that is involved with the process of getting coffee seeds into your cup. Keeping 'leave no trace' in mind, I wanted to chat with Wyatt about the full stream process involved in coffee making and how we can make more mindful decisions about where we get our coffee and...

We'll be discussing park news from the month of August, upcoming podcast plans and my favorite creators from the previous month. Here are the press releases referenced throughout this episode: Happy Birthday, National Park Service!: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/media-advisory-rangers-available-to-celebrate-national-park-service-s-108th-birthday-on-sunday.htmCelebrating the Great American Outdoors...

Hi there! I know it's been a few weeks... BUT, I bought a van named Jet... and Jet is going to take us to more national parks than we could ever imagine. In this episode, I briefly talk about Jet, how the van is going to influence our channel, what's been on my heart and upcoming episodes. I will have a van tour on my YouTube channel soon! You can check out the YouTube channel @SafeTravelsPod. ___Follow us on...

Josh King is a professional landscape photographer based out of Laguna Beach, CA. We're stoked to have him on the podcast to chat about tips and tricks for folks who want to take photos at national parks, his personal journey and much more! You can find Josh's work at www.joshkingimages.com The full podcast is also available on YouTube (@safetravelspod): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Y7T9TyxJE ___Follow us on...

Welcome to the first News, Notes & Creators edition of the Safe Travels Pod! We'll be discussing park news from the month of July, upcoming podcast plans and my favorite creators from the previous month.  Here are the press releases referenced throughout this episode: Death Valley Heat:https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/news/hottest-month-in-death-valley-history.htmhttps://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/news/july-2024-heatwave.htmhttps://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/news/7-20-2024-sand-dunes.htmFourth Of...

Why is Mt. Rainier one of the most hazardous volcanoes in the world? Let's chat about Mt. Rainier together! In a change-up from our traditional park preview podcast, we go a bit more in-depth on Mt. Rainier National Park and it's volcanic geology. We'll also briefly chat about human history and it's history as a national park. You can also watch the 24 Hour VLOG at Mt. Rainier on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@safetravelspod___Follow us on...

Matt Dubeau is an archeologist and curator at Olympic National Park. He joined the podcast to discuss how humans have used the olympic peninsula for thousands of years. Matt also shared insight on archeological digs, how the parks preserve artifacts and how visitors can minimize their impact on culturally significant resources and artifacts. Matt is tremendous! I really hope you enjoy this episode. You can also watch this podcast on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@safetravelspod___Follow...

Bill Baccus is a climate ecologist at Olympic National Park, his role is described as 'a doctor checking the vitals of the park'. In this episode we explore the health of Olympic National Park, climate change and the role that physical scientist play in each of these national parks. Bill is an incredible scientist and a wonderful guest! We did the podcast with the beautiful Olympic mountains peaking behind us.  You can also watch this podcast on our YouTube channel:...

Jeff Bortner is the Fire Management Officer at Olympic National Park and he joined the podcast to discuss fire management, firefighter mental and physical health, wildland training, the fire history in Olympic National Park and much more! Jeff is an incredible guests with and extensive history of fighting fires in various parks inside the United States and Canada. We had such a beautiful backdrop at Hurricane Ridge inside the park. You can also watch this podcast on our YouTube channel:...

In this Park Preview episode we discuss Olympic National Park! Olympic is a breathtaking park with an incredible amount of biodiversity. We'll be releasing three podcasts from Olympic over the next three weeks: Olympic National Park: Fire Management and Firefighter Health with Fire Management Officer Jeff BortnerOlympic National Park: Climate, Climate Change and Science with Climate Ecologist Bill Baccus Olympic National Park: Cultural Resources and Human History with Historian and Curator...

North Cascades Park Ranger Anna Vornholt joins the podcast for round two to discuss bears, bear safety and general wildlife in the park. Anna shares helpful tips on how to keep yourself safe when you're hiking and camping in bear country, plus she also shares insight about other area's that frequent North Cascades National Park. You can also watch this podcast on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@safetravelspod___Follow us on...

North Cascades Park Ranger Anna Vornholt joined the podcast to chat about the natural features and ecosystems of the North Cascades! We discussed glaciers, glacial melt, the parks rain shadow, old growth forests and more. Ranger Anna is so great to talk with. She will join us again next week to talk about bears, bear safety and general wildlife within the park. You can also watch this podcast on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@safetravelspod___Follow us on...

We've travelled up to Washington! North Cascades National Parks is beyond beautiful. In this episode, we lay the groundwork for the next two weeks of shows with Park Ranger Anna Vornholt as her and I chat about: - Natural Features and Ecosystems- Bears, Bear Safety and General Wildlife ___Follow us on social!https://www.instagram.com/safetravelspodhttps://www.tiktok.com/@safetravelspodYouTube:  @SafeTravelsPod  Safetravelspod.com

Death Valley Park Ranger, Matt Lamar, joined to chat about the geology and climate of Death Valley National Park. He shared details on how specific parts of the park were created, what you need to see when you visit and how you can stay safe despite the parks' extreme climate. Matt is awesome and is filled with knowledge about the parks. Make sure to give him a visit when you head to DVNP! You can also watch this podcast on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@safetravelspod ___Follow us on...

We had the opportunity to sit down with Cris Hazzard from HikingGuy.com to chat about his outdoor journey, how we can encourage and support others that are getting into hiking, outdoor + tech gear, hiking etiquette and much more! Cris was an awesome interview and an even better person. I had a blast picking his brain and getting to spend some time with him! You can also view the full conversation on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@safetravelspod Cris Hazzard/Hiking Guy links to...