Showing titles in Travel Writing & Commentary

The “mountain men” were the hunters and trappers who fiercely strode the Rocky Mountains in the early to mid-1800s. They braved the elements in search of the skins of beavers and other wild animals, to sell or barter for goods. The lifestyle of the mountain men could be harsh, existing as they did among animals, and spending most of their days and nights living and camping out in the great unexplored wilds of the Rockies.

After my 2012 Thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, my life was changed forever. The challenge of big adventure had me hooked. I soon set a goal of sailing alone and without stopping around the world. In 2017-18, I did just that! Since then, I have taken my podcast aboard my Westsail32 as well as in my everyday life. The shows are a mix of my own past experiences along with interviews of everyday people that have a seemingly endless number of stories themselves. Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sailingintooblivionpodcast One Time Donations Via PayPal and Venmo: https://...

Committed Belgophile and road cycling obsessive Harry Pearson takes you on a journey across Flanders - through the lumpy horizontal rain, up the elbow-juddering cobbled inclines, past the fans dressed as chickens and the shop window displays of constipation medicines as he follows races big, small and even smaller, through one glorious, muddy spring. Ranging over 500 years of Flemish and European history, Pearson examines the characters, the myths and the rivalries that make Flanders a place where cycling is a religion and the riders its Lycra-clad priests.

New York Times bestselling author of The Wordy Shipmates and contributor to NPR’s This American Life Sarah Vowell embarks on a road trip to sites of political violence, from Washington DC to Alaska, to better understand our nation’s ever-evolving political system and history. Sarah Vowell...

Despite her success setting a self-supported Fastest Known Time record on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013, Heather “Anish” Anderson still had such deep-seated insecurities that she became convinced her feat had been a fluke. So two years later she set out again, this time hiking through mud, rocks, and mountain blazes to crush her constant self-doubt and seek the true source of her strength and purpose. The 2,189 miles of the Appalachian Trail, from Maine to Georgia, did not make it easy.

Vilhjálmur Stefánsson left New York in April 1908 to begin his journey northwards and into the Arctic Circle. For the next two years, he made his way northwards to Victoria Island to study an isolated group of Inuit who still used primitive tools and had strong Caucasian features, and whom some believed were descended from Vikings. The journey into these remote areas was incredibly tough and being delayed by blizzards Stefánsson, along with his companions, were forced to eat the tongue of a beached whale that had been dead for at least four years.

“Utterly captivating and beautifully written, this book is a hugely entertaining and enlightening exploration of a bird so wickedly smart, curious, and social, it boggles the mind.”—Jennifer Ackerman, author of The Bird Way “A fascinating, entertaining, and totally engrossing story...

Paul Whitehouse and fishing expert John Bailey celebrate the timeless joy of fishing. Paul Whitehouse and John Bailey have been devout fishermen for longer than they care to remember. A hobby, past time or sport – call it what you want – they have felt the pull of the water ever since they...

In the spring of 2022, renowned long distance motorcycle riders Wendy Crockett and Ian McPhee set out to execute their meticulously planned World Record ride attempt. The premise was simple enough: Visit every Australian state in alphabetical order, documenting each visit by photographing the state’s capitol building. The approach would then be replicated in the United States, visiting a grand total of 58 capitols on an epic road trip adventure spanning two continents and three countries.

Dive into the exhilarating world of small boat cruising with NanoCruising, where each episode sets sail on a voyage of adventure, exploration, and maritime tales. From nautical insights to firsthand experiences, come aboard for a podcast that fuels the spirit of independent seafaring and the pursuit of unforgettable journeys.Join us as we navigate the open waters, uncover hidden coves, and share the stories of intrepid sailors who embrace the thrill of small boat voyages. www.nanocruising.com

In I Never Knew That About New York, Christopher Winn digs beneath the gleaming towers and mean streets of New York and discovers its secrets and its hidden treasures. Learn about the extraordinary people who built New York into one of the world's great cities in just 400 years. New York is one of the most photographed and talked about cities in the world, but Winn unearths much that is unexpected and unremembered in this fast-moving, ever-changing metropolis.

In this uproarious collection of travel essays, the bestselling author of Life Will Be the Death of Me sneaks her sharp wit through airport security and delivers absurdly hilarious stories. On safari in Africa, it's anyone's guess as to what's more dangerous: the wildlife or Chelsea. But whether...

This work is a collection of fictional observations by the narrator as he travels around the countryside of southern New South Wales and Victoria in the 1880s. He presents the life of the various rural dwellers, including bullock drivers, squatters and itinerant travelers, and also attempts to convey the accents of Irish, Scottish and Chinese personalities he encounters. This tale provides insight into the stories and hardships of rural dwellers in Australia in the latter half of the nineteenth century, as well as the narrator’s own philosophy of life.

A Podcast about Italy, travel, writing, books, gardens and food. Celebrates creative living, beautiful conversations and the journeys we need to make along the way. Interest in slow living, slow food, creativity, art, cooking, books and ultimately living the good life!

An eclectic mix of exciting stories every surfer will love. This eclectic mix has something for everyone, from classic tales of monster waves and epic battles to stories of when life among the breakers goes wrong. There are accounts of death and disaster, as well as bravery and triumph. The bizarre and the extreme rub shoulders with perfect breaks and beautiful beaches. Be thrilled by legendary surfers like Laird Hamilton and Shane Dorian as well as learning about local heroes who never made the headlines.

Love Scotland is a fortnightly podcast series from the National Trust for Scotland. Hosted by TV star, expert broadcaster and National Trust for Scotland president Jackie Bird, Love Scotland features big names, experts and enthusiasts from all walks of life. Each episode delves deep into the detail of Scotland’s history, its wildlife and its landscapes.

'We can give you a start. You will need a six foot by four foot piece of canvas and blanket. If you stay for three months we will refund your fare. You will need to fly TAA out of Cloncurry and advise me your date of arrival.' And so began the adventures and misadventures of young Roland Breckwoldt. It was 1960. He was not yet sixteen, and the unworldly Roland was leaving his home on the semi-agricultural fringes of Sydney to work as a stockman on the vast cattle stations of the Gulf Country of North Queensland.

For the first time in my life I felt that death was a possibility; a stupid, pointless, lonely death on the aptly named Mondulkiri Death Highway. The Ho Chi Minh Trail is one of the greatest feats of military engineering in history. But since the end of the Vietnam War much of this vast transport network has been reclaimed by jungle, while remaining sections are littered with a deadly legacy of unexploded bombs. For Antonia, the chance to explore the Trail before it was lost forever was a personal challenge she couldn’t ignore - yet at times it would be a terrifying journey.

Billy Connolly, music-lover, biker, and scourge of the beige and bland the world over, has dreamed about taking a trip on the legendary Route 66 since he first heard Chuck Berry belting out one of the greatest rock 'n' roll records of all time. And now he's finally had the chance to do it, heading out on his custom-made trike in search of the real America that can still be found beyond the nation's freeways.

At the age of fifty-nine, Anne has never been to a concert. Then, she reluctantly goes to a Bruce Springsteen concert—a man she knows nothing about—to spend time with her son and daughter-in-law. For three-plus hours Bruce Springsteen’s energy, humanity, and enthusiasm lift her out of her lifelong depression and makes her feel alive. A year later, due to increasing classroom violence where she taught, Anne walks out the door thinking, I’m never coming back.