Dear Bob and Sue: A National Parks Podcast

In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us. In this episode, we cover these topics: ·     An overview of recent national park news, ·     A discussion about our trip to Italy and our experience in the beautiful Dolomites, ·     Our opinion about what not to miss on a visit to Cuyahoga National Park, ·     Whether it’s worth visiting Yosemite National Park in April or May, ·     Ideas for a family vacation in the Southwest during March or April, ·     And more! The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.  Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.  Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Glacier National Park is considered the “crown of the continent” because of its pristine beauty, rugged wilderness, and magnificent wildlife. While the park is open all year, summer is the primetime for visitors. However, the window to visit while the park is relatively snow-free and the main roads are open is narrow. With a limited number of days to experience all the park offers, competition for lodging and activity reservations is keen. In this episode, we give an overview of what you need to know to plan a summer trip to the park and offer tips to provide you with the best chance at being prepared once you get there. We talk about the various areas of the park, details about the Going-To-the-Sun Road, the park’s free shuttle, popular trails, lodging options inside and outside the park, campsites, and more. Here are a few links related to this episode: Glacier National Park’s webpage regarding the free shuttle system Glacier National Park’s webpage about the historic lodges and chalets Granite Park Chalet’s website Sperry Chalet’s website Learn more about boat tours in the park at Glacier Park Boat Company ·     Link to our Patreon account The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out. And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com. Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show. Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com. To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.   In this episode, we cover these topics: ·     Zion National Park is working on a new visitor use management plan, ·     Issues related to Mount Rainier National Park’s new timed-entry system this summer (2024), ·     Tips on making the most of a visit to Petrified Forest National Park, ·     Where to stay when visiting Yellowstone National Park, ·     When’s the best time to visit both Death Valley and Yosemite National Parks, ·     And more!   The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s on your bucket list? It’s a topic everyone is talking about these days, and we have a few suggestions for anyone who loves our national parks and public lands.   Back in the day, our list was simple; visit all the U.S. national parks. But once we checked them all off, we realized our list was longer than when we started. In this episode, we talk about some of the most popular places to see and things to do that people put on their bucket list; what they want to do before they kick the bucket.   Many of the places we discuss we’ve been to before, some we haven’t, and many more we’ll probably keep going back to again and again. From once-in-a-lifetime wildlife viewing experiences to backcountry lodges and more, we share with you some awe-inspiring suggestions you might not have heard of before.   So, get out a pen and paper (or if you aren’t as old as we are, feel free to type some notes into your phone) and join us as we imagine the bucket list possibilities our public lands hold in store.   The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us as we take you on an epic road trip to all four of Colorado’s national parks!   These four parks are incredibly diverse, and this trip will have you driving through alpine forests in the Rocky Mountains, hiking up the tallest sand dunes in North America, climbing ladders as you explore cultural treasures, and standing on the rim of a seemingly bottomless dark canyon.   We’ve organized this episode with the road trip starting in Denver and driving clockwise around the state, but you can pick up our trail anywhere along the loop. And we’ve made suggestions for several add-on sites you’ll also want to consider, including Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, Chimney Rock National Monument, and a mountain pass highway in southwest Colorado with million-dollar views.   Summer is here, and it’s time to hit the road. And we have the perfect itinerary planned for you – coming up!   Here are a few helpful links related to this episode: ·     Where to get Mesa Verde NP tour tickets ·     A link to Pike Peak’s website where you can buy visitor and vehicle timed-entry tickets ·     More information about Rocky Mountain National Park’s timed entry permit program ·     Link to our Patreon account   The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carved by the once-wild Columbia River, the Columbia River Gorge is a dramatic canyon that snakes through the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest on its way to the Pacific Ocean. It's an area of stunning natural beauty with endless outdoor adventure options.   Using the town of Hood River, Oregon, as our home base, we recently visited the gorge in search of waterfalls. (The area has nearly 100.) And being that it was spring when we were there, the waterfalls did not disappoint -- especially the famous Multnomah Falls – the most-visited single natural attraction in the Pacific Northwest.   In this episode, we talk about several of the best waterfalls in the area, a couple of breathtaking trails to hike close to Hood River, a state park you won’t want to miss, and some of the restaurants and breweries we visited. We also share a little history of the area.   A few links we mentioned in this episode: ·     KURU Footwear’s website https://www.kurufootwear.com/ ·     A link to KURU’s RIDGE Motion shoes ·     Link to our Patreon account   The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Each year, the National Park Service celebrates National Park Week in April. And this year, they’ve planned events from April 20th through April 28th.   In this episode, we highlight some of the activities that will happen during National Park Week, give a brief history of the creation of the NPS, and interview our special guest, Jacob Wolfley, who recently spent a summer as an intern park range at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota.   Jacob will enlighten us on what it takes to score a job or internship at a national park, what it’s like working as a ranger, and his ambitions for a possible career with the NPS.   So, tune in and get ready to learn about the NPS and all the exciting activities coming up in National Park Week.   Here are a couple of links related to the topics we discussed in this episode: ·     Find out more information about National Park Week here ·     Here is a link to the National Park Service’s jobs site ·     Check out our interview guest, Jacob Wolfley, on Instagram   The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.   In this episode, we cover these topics: ·     An overview of some of the closures within the national parks this year, ·     Suggestions for hikes in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, ·     Tips for avoiding altitude sickness when traveling to high-elevation parks, ·     Common mistakes people make when planning a trip to the national parks, ·     Relationship advice for couples who are together 24/7, ·     And more!   The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most frequent questions we get from travelers is how to plan a visit to Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton NPs in a single road trip. In this episode, we cover all the details you’ll need to do just that.   Without a doubt, these three parks are at the top of our “most spectacular” list. Each has its unique history and landscape, yet they’re all great places to witness once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounters. The other thing they have in common is that they all have mountainous regions. Given their elevations, winter weather can sneak up on you anytime during the year, which makes carefully choosing your dates to visit even more important than with many other destinations.   With the current popularity of the national parks, especially these three, embarking on a road trip to see them requires advanced planning. We suggest a year or more before your desired travel date. However, you can do it, and we’ll share all the tips and tricks we know to help you.   The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.   In this episode, we cover these topics: ·     News about a faster way to enter Rocky Mountain National Park this summer, ·     Update about cabin demolitions within Olympic National Park, ·     Travel advice for a listener wanting to visit the Pacific Northwest this fall to see the mountain larches change colors, ·     Tips for visiting Virgin Islands National Park, ·     Our thoughts about a couple of our favorite “hard-to-get-to” national parks, ·     The ranger-led tours in Mesa Verde National Park ranked from easiest to most difficult, ·     National Parks that are good for kids, ·     And more!   Click this link for more about us: https://linktr.ee/mattandkaren The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Long before the National Park Service was founded, the U.S. Army was put in charge of protecting America’s national parks. One of the groups that played a crucial role in fulfilling this invaluable service to our country was the Buffalo Soldiers: African American officers and enlisted men serving in the Army.   When the regimen stationed in San Francisco was tasked with protecting and developing infrastructure in Sequoia and General Grant (now Kings Canyon) National Parks, these incredibly hardworking soldiers made jaw-dropping progress in their first season of duty.   Led by the infamous Captain Charles Young, who was later posthumously promoted to Brigadier General, this group of approximately one hundred men set out to guard and improve these priceless areas. They built roads into the parks and protected the land from poachers and trespassers, making it possible for future generations of visitors to these national treasures.   In this episode, we discuss the accomplishments of the Buffalo Soldiers, not just in these two parks but also in Yosemite and the surrounding public lands.   --- Click this link for more about us: https://linktr.ee/mattandkaren The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dry Tortugas National Park is in a category of its own: pre-civil war fort, 70 miles out to sea with nothing else around it, incredible history, beautiful tropical keys with campsites, and right in the path of the most powerful hurricanes on the planet. Nowhere else can you visit a place with world-class snorkeling and see the rooms where they held the most dangerous civil war prisoners.   In this episode, we discuss some recent updates about the park, provide details about visiting and camping there, and reminisce about our visit over a decade ago. What started out for us as a brief update episode has rekindled our interest in this incredible national park and our desire to revisit it someday. And when we do, maybe we’ll camp. There’s just one small detail you might want to know about the Dry Tortugas camping situation that makes Karen a little worried. You’ll have to tune in and listen to find out what that is.   A couple of links where you can find important, up-to-date information: ·     Dry Tortugas National Park’s website ·     Yankee Freedom boat ticket information   The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a companion to our previous release, #150: Exploring Joshua Tree National Park. So many travelers to this magical part of Southern California spend time in both Joshua Tree NP and Palm Springs that these back-to-back episodes would be perfect for anyone planning a trip to the area.   Today, we’re focusing on hikes in and around Palm Springs, sharing a few of our favorite trails with you. From an easy hike through an oasis in the Indian Canyon area of the Agua Caliente Reservation to a ladder-aided scramble up a slot canyon on a Bureau of Land Management site, we discuss just a few of the fantastic hikes waiting for you in the Coachella Valley.   From fall to spring, this desert playground is a perfect place to get out into nature and challenge yourself with a heart-pounding hike before relaxing by the pool or enjoying a round of golf. And if you are looking for a real test of endurance, there is even a trail known to be the most difficult day hike in America. The Cactus to Cloud Trail rises from the desert floor over 10,000 vertical feet to the top of the San Jacinto Mountain range.   So, get out your notepad and prepare to jot down a few travel tips while we take you to Palm Springs!   Links to some of the things we discussed in this episode: ·     Info about the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway , and ·     Indian Canyons   The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our journey through the awe-inspiring landscapes of America's national parks! Today is part one of a two-part series about Southern California's desert playground, where we explore the magical and rugged terrain of Joshua Tree National Park. Located about 130 miles east of Los Angeles, Joshua Tree National Park is a world of its own. With over three million visitors annually, it's a favorite spring break destination, though the park reveals its unique charm throughout the year. In this episode, we give an overview of the park's most popular hiking trails and share our experiences hiking some of our favorites. We also provide a "lay of the land," including information about campgrounds, visitor centers, and a little vegetation education thrown in for good measure. And for those who want to wander outside the park boundaries, we recommend a couple of unique local attractions and places to eat and drink once the sun slips over the park's peaks. All this and a history story or two make this a must-listen episode for anyone planning a trip to the park. Next week, in part two, we'll move south of the park and talk about the diverse areas throughout the greater Palm Springs region, where you'll find some of the best hiking trails in southern California. Links to some of the things we discussed in this episode: ·     Joshua Tree NP’s bird list ·     The Copper Room at Yucca Valley Airport ·     Visit Pioneertown ·     Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneertown The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out. And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com. Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show. Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com. To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.   In this episode, we cover these topics: ·     Our thoughts on visiting a state park in Arkansas where a visitor recently found 7-carat diamond, ·     Suggestions about fun hiking trails for young teenagers in Utah’s national parks, ·     Places to visit in the Pacific Northwest when traveling from Mt. Rainier NP to Cannon Beach in Oregon, ·     Tips on how to prepare for a hike to Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon of Arizona, ·     And more!   The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who knows better what could go wrong while hiking in a national park than the people whose job it is to rescue hikers? That’s why we connected with a national park ranger to hear first-hand tips about hiking safety. In this episode, we interview Sara Shoemaker, a law enforcement ranger at Canyonlands National Park (Needles District) in southern Utah.   For several years, we’ve exchanged emails with Sara, and we recently met her while visiting her park. It was then we cooked up the idea to have her be a guest on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast to share practical advice on staying safe while on the trail. Hopefully, you’ll pick up an idea or two from Sara that will help make your future hiking adventures enjoyable and safe.   We start the episode by briefly reviewing the ten essentials of hiking and sharing a few stories about our near-dangerous encounters while hiking when we were not fully prepared for what we encountered on the trail.   A link to a blog post about the hiking ten essentials: ·     Washington Trails Association Ten Essentials   The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A national park that started out as a state park more than 90 years ago, Big Bend is often called Texas’ gift to the nation. With over 1,200 square miles of pristine land, this park has a wide range of ecosystems, from sprawling deserts to mountains reaching nearly 8.000 feet.   From November to April, the weather is ideal for visitors to hike in several regions of the park. In this episode, we discuss some of our favorite trails in the desert, mountains, and along the Rio Grande River.   Another unique feature of this park is that it shares a border with Mexico. And unlike in the past, you can now cross the Rio Grande River during scheduled times and visit a charming Mexican village a short hike away. If you’re planning an early November visit, check out the Terlingua Chili Cookoff in the small town by the same name, just a few miles to the west of the park.   A link to one of the places we discussed in this episode: ·     Terlingua Chili Cookoff information   The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our Mailbag! episodes, we answer questions from listeners about the national parks, ranger-led tours, road trips, hiking, camping, backpacking, gear, relationships, and pretty much whatever anyone wants to ask us.   In this episode, we cover these topics: ·     We reveal our ambitious 2024 New Year’s resolution (and you can join us!), ·     Our gear suggestions for a family who wants to get started camping, ·     A discussion about the difference between “strenuous” and “dangerous” trail descriptions, ·     An overview of Glacier National Park’s 2024 shuttle program, ·     Clarifying which reservations you’ll need in 2024 to visit Carlsbad Caverns NP, ·     And more!   A few links related to the topics in this episode: ·     Where to purchase your self-guided tour tickets for Carlsbad Caverns ·     Family camping checklist from REI ·     And for all you Dirtlander fans, here is a link to our Floral Bison t-shirts   The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many visitors, hiking is their go-to activity in the national parks; it is for us. But there are so many other activities the parks have to offer. In this episode, we talk about a dozen or more things you can do in the parks that are unique and amazing. From dogsledding to synchronized firefly tours, the parks offer activities that will thrill the entire family. Here are a few of the ones we discuss: Walk on the catwalk underneath the New River Gorge Bridge, Horseback ride, Attend the bat flight program in Carlsbad Caverns NP, Raft down a wild river, Hike to and spend the night in a backcountry chalet or lodge, See the first sunrise in the US, Pick fruit in an orchard, And more! The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out. And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com. Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show. Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com. To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the temperatures drop up north, it’s time to start thinking about warm-weather escapes. In today’s episode, we have the perfect destination for you: Saguaro National Park and a whole bunch of other incredible public lands in Southern Arizona.   Join us as we take you on a journey through both districts of Saguaro NP, Catalina State Park, Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, and the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, all within a stone’s throw from the always-bustling college town of Tucson.   We even take you on a few side trips an hour or two away from Tucson: Chiricahua NM, to the east; Casa Grande Ruins NM, north of town; and Organ Pipe Cactus NM, in the secluded desert to the west. And if you are missing the cold, snowy conditions back home, you can always take a day trip to the top of Mount Lemmon, where you can ski, do a little shopping, and be back down to the warmth of Tucson just an hour or so drive away.   A link to one of the places we discussed in this episode: ·     Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum   The best way to support our podcast is to become a member of our Patreon account. Follow this link to check it out.   And don’t forget to check out our new online merch store and www.dirtlander.com.   Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you’ve enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show.   Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com.   To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices