Armchair Explorer Aaron Millar

In Oregon, the natural world doesn't just inspire awe -- it gives a
touch of the sublime. In the words of one guide, it's
"timeless...important for the soul of humankind."

And today, we're immersing ourselves in those sublime experiences along the
Central Nature Trail in Oregon! Follow along as we snowshoe to the top
of Watchman Peak, for the best view over Crater Lake in the park – “like
a sapphire embedded in the Earth”, as Aaron describes it. It’s exposed,
it’s hair-raising and it’s worth every shaky step. 

After that we head to Bend, one of Oregon’s premier adventure towns, for some
sunset paddling along the Deschutes River surrounded by thousands of
swallows, baby ospreys and a surprise visit from Oregon’s state animal. 

Then it’s time to head underground for a spine-chilling 1000-foot descent
into a lava tube, formed by a “River of Fire” over 7,000 years ago. We
crawl through 18-inch-wide cracks, turn off our head lamps to experience
true darkness and marvel at the geologic forces that could create this
uniquely beautiful landscape. 

We finish at the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation for some
“river therapy” and a fly-fishing lesson from a native guide. We learn about
conserving native first foods, experience some river therapy and even
catch a fish.

Through it all, we’re going to explore the wonder and awe of the natural world
in all its forms, from mile-high views to quiet moments listening to birdsong on
the river. 

CONNECT
Interested in visiting Oregon and seeing the Central Nature Trail for yourself?
Find out more at www.traveloregon.com or follow along on Instagram and
Facebook @TravelOregon.

CREDITS
This episode was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the
travel industry. Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com. 
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"Paradise: that elusive place where the anxieties, struggles, and burdens of life fall away. Most of us dream of it, but each of us has very different ideas about where it is to be found. For some it can be enjoyed only after death; for others, it’s in our midst—or just across the ocean—if only we can find eyes to see it."

Thus begins the premise of Pico Iyer's journey in The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise. Pico is one of travel writing's most legendary and prolific authors. He's spent nearly half a century roaming the world, thoughtfully observing the people who live everywhere from the world's busiest cities to its most remote villages.

And in his latest book -- and today's episode -- he's reflecting on what it means to search for paradise on Earth. Is the very idea of living in paradise an oxymoron? Or is it possible to indeed find heaven, in some way or another, during our own lives?

From traveling as part of the Dalai Lama's personal convoy to being guided on a private tour of North Korea, Pico's anecdotes and insights into what it means to search for paradise will open your eyes and make you eager to explore this planet of ours.

CONNECT
Pico's book featured in this episode is called The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise, and you can find it wherever book are sold. He's also written dozens of other incredible books and articles, so check those out too on his website at PicoIyerJourneys.com . You can also follow him on X / Twitter @PicoIyer.

SOCIAL
Follow us Instagram and Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. Want travel tips and advice? Questions about this episode? Message me! Sign up for the monthly newsletter at armchair-explorer.com.

CREDITS
This episode was produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com. Jenny Allison did the guest booking and wrote this episode, along with host and producer Aaron Millar. Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Theme music written by the artist Sweet Chap (on IG @the_sweet_chap).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Florida Keys, the ocean isn't just part of the scenery. Because beneath those shimmering teal waters, there are adventures and discoveries just waiting to be found.
And in today's episode, we'll explore two very different - yet equally captivating - gems of the Keys, with excerpts from two different episodes of the 30-part Florida Keys Traveler podcast.
First, join host Elizabeth Harryman Lasley as she visits Marathon's Dolphin Research Center. Mandy Rodriguez co-founded DRC in 1984 as a research facility where dolphins are cared for and nurtured in a forever home. The results are something you'll have to hear to believe. (Hint: It really is possible to speak with them - and doing so has saved many lives).
Then, Elizabeth speaks with Kim Fisher. In 1985, Kim's father Mel Fisher finally found the object of a deep-sea search spanning nearly 17 years. The Atocha shipwreck was named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most valuable shipwreck treasure ever recovered, then worth an estimated $400 million.
Join us for an episode that will have you eager to hop into the water by the time you're done.

VISIT THE FLORIDA KEYS
If you want to learn more about booking your own trip to experience the sights and attractions featured in this episode, go to Fla-Keys.com. To call from the United States or Canada, dial 1 (800) FLA-KEYS or contact your travel advisor.

SOCIAL
For more details about Dolphin Research Center, and for details about this episode's featured dolphins, Pax and Talon, go to dolphins.org.
For more information about Mel Fisher's Treasures, go to melfisher.com. The Florida Keys History Center, itself a treasure trove of Keys history, is located in the Key West Library: keyslibraries.org.
And please help share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, and check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com.

CREDITS
This show was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Elizabeth Harryman-Lasley hosted and wrote the show. Jason Paton recorded, mixed, and sound designed it. Jenny Allison and Aaron Millar produced it.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I'm sure bungee jumping is crazy and a real like adrenaline rush. But if you've never walked through Somalia with $15,000 in your backpack, you have never lived. You think you like adventure sports, but that is real, real pumping adrenaline.” 

In this episode, American journalist Eric Czuleger takes us on a journey into the twilight zone of almost countries, the places in the world that are fighting for recognition: Kurdistan, Kosovo, Somaliland, and a tiny island called Liberland that has an insane story you will not believe. 

We’re going to follow him into the throes of a political rally, dance in the streets doing shots, get hired as an ambassador, ride on a jet ski with a president and lots more. It’s a wild ride.

But there’s a serious side to Eric’s story too. Before he became a writer, he worked as a geopolitical intelligence analyst (like stalking your ex on social media, he says, but your ex is terrorism). Every day he was forced to watch the violence and hatred that misplaced patriotism can create. He wanted to understand why. What was it about countries that makes us want to draw a line in the sand and point a gun?

He decided to find out. Eric was sick of watching the world tear itself apart, he wanted to learn about the new ways that it was coming together. He wanted to watch a country being born. 

CONNECT
The book of this story is called You Are Not Here: Travels Through Countries That Don’t Exist. You can connect with Eric on Instagram @eczuleger and on Twitter(X) @eczuleger .
He's also written two science fiction novels: Eternal L.A. And Immortal L.A. Finally, you can check out his speculative fiction podcast howl: strange short fiction for a strange short existence .

SOCIAL
Follow us Instagram and Facebook @armchairexplorerpodcast. Want travel tips and advice? Questions about this episode? Request a story? Message me! Sign up for the monthly newsletter at armchair-explorer.com 

CREDITS
This episode was produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com. Jenny Allison did the guest booking and wrote this episode, along with host and producer Aaron Millar. Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Theme music written by the artist Sweet Chap (on IG @the_sweet_chap).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

St. Patrick might be the most famous of the Irish saints...but he's far from the most interesting.
In 2023, St. Brigid’s Day was decreed a National Holiday in Ireland to honor Brigid. Over the millennia, this legendary woman has evolved into a figure encompassing myth, holy legend, pagan icon, and now modern feminist symbol.
But who was Brigid, really? To answer that question, travel writer Nicola Brady set off around Ireland to see how she’s celebrated, and she found that there’s not one simple answer. Because, as with everything in Ireland, you never know quite what’s around the corner.
Listen for a story that takes you into forests and through time, from the windswept hills of Downpatrick to ancient cathedrals of Kildare. And you just might encounter some fire dancers, divine poetry, and even a miniature Batman on a bicycle...

Thank you to everyone who featured in this episode:

Judith Boyle from Boyle’s Pub 

Phil O’Shea from Solas Bhríde


Tom McCutcheon from the Kildare Heritage Center


Musicians Lisa Lambe and Moya Brennan


Brigid Watson from Sustainable Journeys Ireland


And poets Laura Murphy and Grainne Tobin.


Also, much of the music you’ve heard in this episode was recorded live in St. Brigid’s Cathedral. Thank you to Hot Press for helping with the recording and thanks to all the performers from that evening as well. And a big thanks to Paula O’Brien of Brigid 1500 for helping us onsite. The show was hosted by Nicola Brady, and you can find her work at NicolaBrady.com.
And if you want to learn more about booking your own trip to experience the sights and attractions featured in this episode, go to Ireland.com or follow along on social media @Tourism Ireland.

SOCIAL
Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, and check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com.

CREDITS
This show was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Jason Paton recorded, mixed, and sound designed the show. Charles Tyrie helped with the editing. Jenny Allison and Aaron Millar produced it. Nicola Brady hosted and wrote it. Thanks so much.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Van Gujjar tribes spend half of each year living deep in the forests of northern India and the other half high on the mountain plains of the Himalayas. Herding water buffalo, whose milk nourishes and sustains their livelihoods, every Van Gujjar family makes an annual migration from their winter home in the forests to their summer grazing fields in the Himalayas.
That is -- until now.
Faced with the threat of losing their herds and their grazing lands to the development of national parks, many Van Gujjar families are facing an uncertain future. And when author Michael Benanav heard of their situation and wanted to learn more, he decided there was only one way to truly understand. So he joined them on their yearly migration.
Over six weeks, 125 miles, and over 11,000 feet in elevation gain, Michael and his hosts traveled on an unforgettable journey. This is a story about the changing of the seasons, a vanishing way of life, and the connections we make with the land that sustains us.

FIND MICHAEL
You can get your copy of Himalaya Bound: One Family's Quest to Save Their Animals and an Ancient Way of Life wherever books are sold (we particularly love local bookshops!) and read more about the book on its dedicated website, HimalayaBound.com. Find more of Michael's writing and photography on his website, MichaelBenanav.com. Learn more about SOPHIA, the Dehradun NGO featured in the episode, at Sophia.org.in.

SOCIAL
Share the show with your friends! Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, follow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook, check out Armchair Explorer's website, armchair-explorer.com, and learn more about APT Podcast Studios on their website at APTpodcaststudios.com.

CREDITS
This episode was produced by Armchair Productions. Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com. Jenny Allison did the guest booking and wrote this episode, along with host and producer Aaron Millar. Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Theme music written by the artist Sweet Chap (on IG @the_sweet_chap).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices