Episode 34: Ripples Through Time: River Travelers Take Us to the Mississippi’s Past and Present

In The Log of the Easy Way, John Mathews wrote about a honeymoon trip he and his wife took in 1900. No, they didn’t relax at an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica; they traveled a couple thousand miles down the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers in a homemade shantyboat. Their book is just one of many

By |2024-03-13T20:14:24-05:00February 14th, 2024|Podcast|Comments Off on Episode 34: Ripples Through Time: River Travelers Take Us to the Mississippi’s Past and Present

Episode 33: Steering Through the Currents: Lee Hendrix’s Life Working on the Mississippi River

What’s it like to work on a riverboat? Lee Hendrix entered riverboat work in 1972 as a deckhand, worked his way up to mate, then into the pilothouse. He has spent most of his adult life as a pilot of riverboats big and small, from tows pushing barges to elegant overnight cruise ships. In

By |2024-01-30T22:11:13-05:00January 31st, 2024|Podcast|Comments Off on Episode 33: Steering Through the Currents: Lee Hendrix’s Life Working on the Mississippi River

Episode 32: The River Life: Five Women Discuss Their Paths and Passions as Mississippi River Guides

Men have dominated the world of outdoor adventuring and guiding for so long, that it’s easy to overlook the increasing presence of women in all spheres. More women now complete long-distance paddles on the Mississippi, as well as through hikes on the major trails. The world of guided paddling on the Mississippi reflects the trend.

By |2024-02-17T11:55:15-05:00November 22nd, 2023|Podcast|Comments Off on Episode 32: The River Life: Five Women Discuss Their Paths and Passions as Mississippi River Guides

Episode 31: The Storm that Took the Midwest by Surprise: Armistice Day’s Deadly Blizzard

It’s easy to take weather forecasting for granted, especially given the difficulties with producing accurate forecasts, but at least we almost never get surprised by big storms. That wasn’t true in 1940, when an unusually warm November day turned deadly. In this episode, I tell the story of the Armistice Day Blizzard, a massive

By |2023-11-27T17:41:40-05:00November 1st, 2023|Podcast|Comments Off on Episode 31: The Storm that Took the Midwest by Surprise: Armistice Day’s Deadly Blizzard

Episode 30: Understanding the True Costs and Real Risks of Levees with Nicholas Pinter

Drive anywhere along the Mississippi or most any other river and you’ll see a levee, an earthen wall that parallels the river to keep water in the main channel and out of the adjacent floodplain. In this episode, I talk with Nicholas Pinter about levees and the good and bad that has come with

By |2023-11-15T10:06:59-05:00October 18th, 2023|Podcast|Comments Off on Episode 30: Understanding the True Costs and Real Risks of Levees with Nicholas Pinter

Episode 29: Wolves in Myth and Reality with Matt Fox

I don’t know if there’s another animal that has been simultaneously reviled and admired like wolves. We have a primal fear of them—their howls can make the bravest among us pick up their pace. But wolves also occupy a unique place in many cultural myths representing family, loyalty, and intelligence. In this episode, I

By |2023-10-30T08:31:18-05:00October 4th, 2023|Podcast|Comments Off on Episode 29: Wolves in Myth and Reality with Matt Fox
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