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Ethiopia

Kingston, Ontario

America's National Parks

The Amateur Traveler talks to Margot about Acadia National Park in Maine. Margot has been going to Acadia since she was a little girl to hike, bike, kayak, and connect with the beauty of this beautiful area. She talks about the sights, the seafood, the Maine people and why you should not go blueberry picking with her grandfather.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Erik Smith (who was a guest on Travel to America’s National Parks - Amateur Traveler Episode 121) about Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. We talk about all the different geothermal highlights of the park including Old Faithful, other geysers, thermal pools, etc. We also talk about wildlife, hiking, camping, floating down the Snake river, the grand canyon of the yellowstone, the grandeur of the Tetons (and the strange original of the name Teton).

The Amateur Traveler talks to Edith about the mountainous region of Austria where she grew up, the Tyrol. Edith designs for us both a winter and a summer itinerary, both of which involve getting outside and enjoying the beautiful mountains. In the winter we would ski and in the summer we would hike. When we are not hiking or enjoying one of the mountain alms then we can explore the palace at Innsbruck, a hiking museum and the Höfemuseum which is a farm museum. Edith talks about traditional foods such as Wiener Schnitzel, Kaiserschmarrn (sweet pancake dish), Kaspressknödel (fried cheese dumplings) and Graukäse (literally grey cheese). To work off that rich food (and of course beer) she will recommend we hike between the mountain huts or up her favorite hike Nochspitze.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Mike from Toronto who is living in Japan as part of an exchange program Mike talks to use about the Chugoku or middle region of Japan. Mike starts us out in Hiroshima with its world famous peace park and atomic bomb museum and its lesser known shopping and izakaya eateries. After we sample the okonomiyaki at okonomiyaki mura Mike sends us off to see the red Torii gate on Miyajima island. Mike recommends getting the Japanese railway pass because of the expensive local transportation. Mike then directs us to Yamaguchi which is known for its onsens (hot baths), 5 story temple and the church of Francis Xavier. Hagi which is a preserved walled town is our next stop. Hagi is Mike’s favorite spot in Japan. Hagi is also where many of the modernization movement came from.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Christine Cantera about her time living in the Languedoc region of France in the city Montpellier. Montpellier is sometimes called the San Francisco of France. Christine shares with us a few thoughts about cafes, bars, which museums are worth it (and which aren’t), beaches, fortified cities, when to visit, and the one day of the year when nobody in France gets any work done. She discusses what are her favorite 3 places to see in Languedoc including one seaside town that still has jousts but with a very nautical twist.

News

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Show Notes

France Travel Guide
Montpellier
Languedoc
Jardin des plantes de Montpellier
Le Petit Train Touristique du Centre Historique
Languedoc wine
Le Jardin du Champs de Mars
Paparazzi
La Dolce Vita
Aigues-Mortes
Carcassonne
Parc naturel régional de Camargue
Musee Fabre
Antigone District
Palavas-les-Flots
Sète
Nîmes
Beaujolais nouveau
Bar le Saint-Roch
MissExpatria’s photostream

Community

Sam was looking for a show on Malta
Don't use the first LukeDon’t use the first Luke

The Amateur Traveler talks to Seth Oakley about traveling to his birthplace in Northern Ohio. Years ago Ohio and Northern Ohio in particular, had a very bad reputation for pollution that one can only get when a river (the Cuyahoga) catches fire. But these days Lake Erie is cleaner than it has been in maybe a hundred years and boasts sites like the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame, Cedar Point, surfing, and even a burgeoning wine region. The area is rich in history as the site of the Battle of Lake Erie, the birthplace of Thomas Edison and one of the first states added to the new United States. Seth also gives us a glimpse of small town life with a side trip to his hometown of Milan which is the home for both the Milan Melon Festival and the little-known superhero Melon Man.

News

Chris takes a new job

Show Notes

Northwest Territory
Cuyahoga River
Moon Handbooks: Ohio
Ohio: Off the Beaten Path
Milan, Ohio
Lake Erie
Zebra mussels
Ohio on Wikipedia
Firelands
History of Ohio
City of Cleveland
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Great Lakes Science Center
Ohio’s sports misery
LeBron adds to Cleveland sports setbacks
A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor
LeBron signs with Miami
Sandusky, Ohio
Cedar Point Amusement Park
Cedar Point
Destination: Cedar Point Amusement Park
Soak City
Sandusky Hotels
Lake-effect snow
Lake Erie Islands
Battle of Lake Erie
Paper Moon Vineyards
Paper Moon Vineyards, Vermillion, Ohio
Thomas Edison
Ohio Festivals and Events
Milan Melon Festival
Firelands Wineyards
Great Lakes Brewery
Melon Man’s Facebook

The Amateur Traveler talks to Corinne from Have Baby Will Travel who is a life-long Torontonian (that is to say that she lives in Toronto, Ontario). Corinne gives us an introduction to her city and its many parks, its great ethnic food, its iconic skyline punctuated by the CN Tower. Its neighborhoods includes two different Chinatowns, Greektown, the Irish-influenced Cabbagetown,  Distillery District, Kensington Market, Harbourfront and St. Lawrence Market, She particularly suggests you visit during Thanksgiving (Canada's which is in October) or Toronto International Film Festival. Corinne also describes side trips from the city heading out towards Niagra and Ontario's wine country. The city houses both a working farm in Riverdale Farms and a warren of underground shops in the Toronto Underground PATH.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Matthew Long from LandLopers.com about his trip to the West Bank or the Palestinian Authority. Mathew did day trips into this emerging state from Jerusalem and tells us about visiting Jericho and Bethlehem, the city of David. The Dead Sea was a well known highlight while Hisham’s Palace proved to be an unexpected highlight. The area boasts monuments dating back to the Jewish patriarch’s such as Rachel’s Tomb, where childless woman come to pray, and the ruins of the community of Qumran, where the dead sea scrolls were found. Do you know what you should skip doing the morning before you go to the Dead Sea? Matthew will tell you.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Karl Anders who returns to the show to talk about travel to Western Montana and in particular to the majestic Glacier National Park. Karl encourages us to drive the Going to the Sun Highway but then to get off the blacktop and hick some of the back country of the park (preferably in a group large enough to discourage the curiosity of bears). He describes some of his favorite hikes such as the trail to Hidden Lakes. Glacier is often rated as one of the top places in the United States to hike or backpack. The valleys of Glacier are carved by glacial activity although there aren't as many glaciers still in the park. Karl also talks about some nearby destinations like the National Bison Refuge, Bitterroot Valley and nearby Missoula with its museum to Smokejumpers.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Erik Smith again about his trip to the Four Corners area in the American southwest. Four Corners is the spot where 4 U.S. states meet: Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. While the Four Corners spot itself is just a photo op (an probably at the wrong place), the area around it contains some amazing scenery and historic sites. Erik gives us a state by state break down of the area. He tells us about National Parks nearby like Arches Canyonlands, Hovenweep, Moab, Canyon de Chelly, Rainbow Bridge, Mesa Verde , Chaco Culture, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Petrified Forest and Aztec Ruins. The area also boats the spectacular and iconic scenery of Monument Valley and a stretch of road known as the “Million Dollar Highway”. It has many Native American sites including those like Canyon de Chelly run jointly by the Navajo nation and the U.S.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Shawn Farris about his recent trip to the Guangxi region in China. Guangxi is a lesser known but spectacular region in south western China known for its rugged karst mountains and green terraced rice paddies. Shawn explored the area hiking, biking and even kayaking through the countryside. Shawn describes it as a region that still has that “wide open, blue sky, rural feel to it.” The region can be accessed through the cities of Guilin or Yongshuo. During his trip Shawn met the strongest lady he had ever met as well as two of the most enterprising sellers of soda.

The Amateur Traveler talks to well-known travel writer / editor Don George about his first visit to the Champagne region of France. Despite having lived in France after college, Don had never visited the area made so famous by the blind monk Dom Perignon and his sparkling wine. Don discovered a beautiful agricultural area and learned the secret to a good life is one bottle of Champagne a day.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Carlos Gutierrez about his home town of San Antonio, Texas. Carlos gives us a guide to some of the obvious spots like the Alamo but also shares some of his favorite hole in the wall restaurants, a tip about the best time to come to San Antonio, and a great drive in the Texas countryside.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Janice Waugh from Solo Traveler about solo travel as a woman, particularly solo international travel. Janice did not set out to be a solo traveler but after the death of her husband she gained her courage to travel again.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Nathan from Wand’rly Magazine about Great Smoky Mountains National Park and about his current home of Western North Carolina. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited U.S. National Park.

Hear about travel to the Navajo Nation as the Amateur Traveler talks to Mark Carrara from markstravels.com about his recent visit. The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory the size of the state of Connecticut located mostly in Arizona. It can be described as desolate, majestic, barren and spacious.

Hear about travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as the Amateur Traveler  talks to Kay from TheKayDays.com who is a University student in Rio.

"Rio has a culture and a aura that is completely different from anywhere I have seen before."

Hear about travel to Ottawa, Ontario as the Amateur Traveler talks to return guest Michael Soncina of Sonchy's Adventures about Canada's capital city. Michael was in Ottawa as a part of a press trip looking a new eco district the city is setting up in its downtown.

Hear about travel to Lassen National Park in northern California as the Amateur Traveler talks to Dick Jordan about this spectacular if less visited destination. Lassen is in northeastern California. It is just as easy to get to from San Francisco as Yosemite National Park but with fewer tourists and one more volcano. The park centers around the dormant volcano Mt. Lassen and features other geothermal active areas.

Hear about travel to Lazio, Italy as the Amateur Traveler talks to Nancy Parode from about.com and sixtyandme.com about one of her favorite regions in Italy. Lazio is the region of Italy that includes Rome but this episode will feature all the things outside of Rome.

Hear about a road trip around Ontario as the Amateur Traveler talks to guidebook author Carolyn Heller, author of the Moon guide to Ontario. 

Hear about travel to the National Parks in Utah as the Amateur Traveler talks to Scot and Emily McKay from wingitworldwide.com about their travels in the Beehive State.

Hear about travel to Cincinnati, Ohio as the Amateur Traveler talks to Erin Hinsen and Seth Walsh from UnlockCincinnati.org about the Queen City.

Hear about travel to the Dordogne region of France as the Amateur Traveler talks to Laurence Norah about this region known for it's picturesque villages and castles. 

Hear about travel to the Kansai Region of Japan (Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, etc) as the Amateur Traveler talks to Amanda Kendle from the Thoughtful Travel Podcast about one of her favorite parts of the world. Amanda originally came to Kansai to teach English and fell in loved with it.

Hear about travel to Ethiopia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Anwar from beyondmyfrontdoor.com about travel to this country rich with beauty and history.

Hear about travel to 4 national parks in British Columbia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Carolyn B. Heller author of "Moon Vancouver & Canadian Rockies Road Trip".

Hear about travel to Joshua Tree National Park in southern California as the Amateur Traveler talks to retired chief ranger from the park, Jeff Ohlfs.

Hear about travel to Columbus and central Ohio as the Amateur Traveler talks to Matthew Caracciolo from matthewcaracciolo.com about what to do in the Buckeye State.

Hear about travel to the coffee region of Colombia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Alejandro from Bogota about an area of his country that he thinks doesn't get enough attention.

Hear about travel to some of the WWII sites in Western Europe  as the Amateur Traveler talks to Gary Arndt from everything-everywhere.com about the Liberation Route.

Hear about travel to Alaska's National Parks as the Amateur Traveler talks once again to Gary Arndt about his visits to each of the 8 National Parks in Alaska.

Hear about travel to Barolo and the Piedmont region of Italy as the Amateur Traveler talks to Betsy and Greg Ball from eurotravelcoach.com about this wine region that they love.

Hear about National Parks in Washington D.C. and the vicinity as the Amateur Traveler talks to Erik Smith about monuments, memorials, mansions, battlefields, gardens and more.

Hear about travel to the Le Marche Region of Italy as the Amateur Traveler talks to Chantelle and Giovanni from theitalianontour.com about this off the beaten path destination.

Hear about travel to Virunga National Park as the Amateur Traveler talks to Niall from Ireland about his visit to this stunning national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Hear about travel to Namibia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Karthik Iyer about his most recent trip to this desert country.

Hear about travel to the Alsace Region of France as the Amateur Traveler talks to Brighde Reed from worldvegantravel.com about this lovely wine region.

Hear about travel to Arizona's National Parks as the Amateur Traveler talks to Gary Arndt from Everything-Everywhere.com about the many and varied parks in the Grand Canyon State.

The World Health Organization is once again facing increased scrutiny and outrage. The renewed public outcry is not, however, directed at the shoddy initial response to the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, instead coming as a result of unsettling details recently discovered in the organization’s child and adolescent sexual education guidelines. Set forth by global health…

The post WHO Comes Under Fire for Saying Kids Under 4 Should Be Taught About ‘Early Childhood Masturbation’ appeared first on The Western Journal.

At a cost of $7.5 million a patient, they were 16 very expensive field hospitals. Yet, according to NPR, those hospitals are now “stand[ing] down.” You probably remember them from headlines early in the pandemic: makeshift medical centers being assembled at breakneck speed by companies contracted by the Army Corps of Engineers in anticipation of…

The post After Treating Barely Any Patients for a Massive $7.5 Million Each, 16 Emergency COVID Hospitals Are Standing Down appeared first on The Western Journal.

Little Richard, the self-proclaimed “architect of rock ‘n’ roll” whose piercing wail, pounding piano and towering pompadour irrevocably altered popular music while introducing black R&B to white America, died Saturday. He was 87. Pastor Bill Minson, a close friend of Little Richard’s, told The Associated Press that Little Richard died Saturday morning. His son, Danny…

The post Little Richard, Flamboyant Rock ‘N’ Roll Pioneer, Dead at 87 appeared first on The Western Journal.

As confetti floated through the air, a baby boy and his family celebrated his final chemotherapy treatment in time to go home before his first birthday. According to KSAZ, young Aaron has been battling a rare form of cancer called acute megakaryoblastic leukemia since he was four months old. Aaron was a patient at Duke…

The post 10-Month-Old Gets Heartwarming Celebration from Hospital Staff After Finishing Chemotherapy appeared first on The Western Journal.

When jokes are so horrible, so obvious, so corny that they make your eyes roll, it’s a good chance that they’re what many call “dad jokes.” Bordering on lame, and all the more hilarious because of it, these jokes are so bad and yet fathers seem to get such joy from trotting out the perfect…

The post Man Posts Hilarious ‘Bad Dad Jokes’ Daily on Sign in Front Lawn To Spread Cheer to Neighbors appeared first on The Western Journal.

If you’re a big business and you abused the Small Business Association’s new Paycheck Protection Program, you’re getting very close to the deadline for you to pay the government back. If you don’t, that means the government is going to be coming after you — and you can definitely be ready for an audit. That’s…

The post Big Businesses That Abused Paycheck Protection Program Should Get Ready for an Audit appeared first on The Western Journal.

Some House Democrats have decided that the COVID-19 pandemic is an appropriate time to implement a key plank of the campaign of former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts — who make up the…

The post ‘The Squad’ Pushes for Huge Student Loan Cancellation in Next Relief Bill appeared first on The Western Journal.