Dear Bob and Sue: A National Parks Podcast
In Dear Bob and Sue, authors Matt and Karen Smith share stories of their travels to all of the U.S. National Park as well as other spectacular public lands. From adventures gone awry to memorable moments and Q&As from readers, get to know the couple behind the books and get inspired to go on some adventures of your own.
Episodes
April 17, 2025 • 40 mins
This episode is sponsored by GO RVING™
Nothing says “All American Road Trip” more than loading up an RV, hitting the road, and having an adventure. And that’s exactly what we did recently with the help from our friends at GO RVING™
In the spring of 2025, we rented an RV in Phoenix and drove up to Page, Arizona where we spent five days and four nights enjoying the Roam America Horseshoe Bend campground and exploring this incredibl...
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March 10, 2025 • 53 mins
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 alternative to visiting the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park while the road is closed due to flood damage,
· Road trip suggestions for visiting the Washingto...
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February 25, 2025 • 58 mins
Visitors flock to Sedona, Arizona, for a multitude of reasons: the red rock landscape, the concentration of incredible hiking trails, the culinary scene, and the focus on spiritual wellness. In this episode, we'll share some of our favorite experiences on our recent trip.
We'll give you an overview of Sedona, including where it's located, the optimal times to visit, and some great food we discovered, like the best donuts, margarita...
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January 30, 2025 • 52 mins
National parks, forests, and other federal lands are not the only incredible outdoor destinations in America. Wherever we travel, we make a point to check out the state parks along the way, and we’re constantly amazed at the ones we find.
In episodes #30 and #121, we discussed some of our favorite state parks. In this episode, we bring you five more we’ve visited recently. From a spectacular cave in Montana to a dramatic rock spir...
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January 16, 2025 • 67 mins
There’s a reason to visit Olympic National Park any time of year. While summer is best, each season offers visitors a chance to enjoy this incredibly diverse natural resource. Regardless of how often we visit Olympic we always leave wanting to go back as soon as we can find another couple of free days.
Olympic National Park might be more popular than most people realize. In 2023, it was the tenth most visited U.S. national park, wi...
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January 9, 2025 • 45 mins
Are you looking for a break from the cold, gray days of winter? We have a perfect solution: a road trip loop through the American Southwest that will take you to four national parks with some bonus stops along the way.
We start and end the road trip at the Las Vegas airport. From there, we drive east to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park before heading south to the red rocks of Sedona for a couple of days. Continuing on, w...
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October 1, 2024 • 50 mins
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...
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August 29, 2024 • 54 mins
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 ...
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July 22, 2024 • 51 mins
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),
· ...
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June 27, 2024 • 63 mins
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...
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June 13, 2024 • 56 mins
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 startin...
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May 2, 2024 • 59 mins
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...
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April 18, 2024 • 58 mins
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 ...
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April 4, 2024 • 59 mins
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 altitud...
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March 21, 2024 • 64 mins
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 othe...
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March 7, 2024 • 56 mins
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 li...
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February 29, 2024 • 49 mins
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 Genera...
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February 26, 2024 • 33 mins
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 up...
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February 22, 2024 • 62 mins
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...
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February 15, 2024 • 59 mins
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, tho...
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