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National Parks Traveler Podcast

National Parks Traveler Episode 164: Visiting Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, Part 1

A visit to Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

Those who have ascended to the presidency of the United States are products of the environments in which they were born, raised, and educated. Their early experiences usually have a significant effect on how they manage their presidency and the subsequent policy and programs developed under their watch. 

Lyndon Baines Johnson is a fitting example of that.  His presidency was guided in full measure by his upbringing, his personal experiences with poverty and shame and his observation of racism and hate. 

National Parks Traveler Episode 163: Exploring Padre Island National Seashore

Exploring Padre Island National Seashore

Some 615,000 visitors a year flock to the hard-packed gray sands of Padre Island National Seashore along the Gulf Coast of Texas. Mild winter temperatures here allow the national seashore to be fully enjoyed year-round, although summertime visitors can expect relentless heat, despite the epic Gulf breezes that blow nonstop.   

National Parks Traveler Episode 162: Saving Everglades' Cape Sable

Saving Cape Sable at Everglades National Park

For much of the 20th century, there were efforts to drain the Everglades, the world famous "river of grass" in Florida, to make way for agriculture, industry, and communities. More recently, more effort has been focused on restoring the Everglades, to let the sheet of water that heads south from Lake Okeechobee down to Florida Bay flow more naturally, as naturally as possible.

National Parks Traveler Episode 161: In Search Of A National Biodiversity Strategy

Why doesn't the US have a National Biodiversity Strategy?
What exactly would a National Biodiversity Strategy look like? What would it entail? How does it differ from efforts that have been ongoing for years? To explore those, and other, questions about biodiversity we’re joined today by Robert Dewey, vice president of government relations at Defenders of Wildlife, and Lindsay Rosa, who directs Defenders’ center for conservation innovation.

National Parks Traveler Episode 158: Fleeing The Crowds

Fleeing the crowds in the National Park System.
How many are too many? That’s the question to mull in the wake of news from the National Park Service that nearly 300 million visited the National Park System last year. Now, to put some context into that number, it’s not the highest annual tally the Park Service has counted. Back in 2016, the agency’s centennial year, nearly 331 million people headed into the parks. But...that doesn’t mean last year’s number marked an improvement in your national park experience.

National Parks Traveler Episode 156: RVing Through The National Park System

RVing in the National Park System
RVing – traveling by creational vehicle – has exploded along with the coronavirus pandemic. Sales have gone through the roof, inventory has been depleted, and would-be customers often have to wait months before they can hit the road with their new rig. Many, if not most, of those RV enthusiasts are heading into the National Park System. And why not? Gorgeous scenery, inspiring landscapes, relaxation. But it’s not as simple as it used to be because of that rush to hit the road with your home either being towed along or on the back of your pickup.

National Parks Traveler Episode 155: How To Expand Eastern National Parks

How can the National Park System in the East grow bigger?
With the great rush to the outdoors that we’ve seen since the Covid pandemic erupted, there have been many calls for more space in the National Park System. While there are places in the West that seem to be logical additions to the parks there, that's not the case in the East. So, if we want more park lands east of the Mississippi, how could we gain them?

National Parks Traveler Episode 154: Chasing The Smokies Moon

Chasing the Smokies Moon at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the great hiking destinations in the mid-Atlantic region, if not the entire East Coast. Across its rumpled 522,427 acres there are more than 800 miles of trails. They range from relatively short footpaths to scenic payoffs like Rainbow Falls and Abrahams Falls to the more than 70 miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail that crosses the top of the park.

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