Way Back When

Big Blend Radio Network

A Big Blend Radio History Podcast Channel featuring expert interviews and conversations focusing on History, Heritage, Culture, Travel, and The Arts.

  1. 2d ago

    Buzz-worthy Pittsburgh: Warhol, Heinz & Mister Rogers

    Pittsburgh has long carried a reputation as a gritty steel-mill town with not much to see or do. Travel writer Debbie Stone grew up in Chicago hearing exactly that, but she kept hearing whispers that the city had changed, so she went to see for herself. On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Global Adventures" Podcast, Debbie shares the museums, art and views that changed her mind. Debbie takes us through the Heinz History Center, where six floors cover everything from Pittsburgh's inventions to the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood puppets, the story behind Heinz's 57 varieties and an eleven-foot ketchup bottle. Then it's the seven-story Andy Warhol Museum and his famous silver wig, the Mattress Factory's site-specific installations, and the colorful public art of Randyland. Debbie also explains why Pittsburgh is the city of bridges, shares tips for getting around, and visits the Fort Pitt Museum and Point State Park. She rides the historic Duquesne Incline up Mount Washington, cruises the three rivers with Gateway Clipper, and stays at the Drury Plaza Hotel, a historic Federal Reserve Bank building. RESOURCE LINKS: - Read Debbie's article and see her photos: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/pittsburgh-buzz-worthy-museums-attractions  - Plan your Pittsburgh visit: https://www.visitpittsburgh.com  - More from Debbie Stone: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/debbie-stone-travel-writer  - Global Adventures Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/global-adventures-debbie-stone  - Global Adventures Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/global-adventures-travel-magazine  New episodes of Big Blend Radio's Global Adventures Podcast with Debbie Stone air every 4th Tuesday at 7pm ET.

  2. 3d ago

    The Mudmen of Papua New Guinea

    In honor of Global Diversity Month, explorer and author James Michael Dorsey takes us to Papua New Guinea, the most linguistically diverse country on earth, with more than 800 indigenous languages and thousands of dialects.  On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio’s "Before They Vanish" Podcast, James talks with producer Lisa D. Smith about attending the Sing Sing festival, where as many as 150,000 people from dozens of tribes gather in feathers, face paint and towering headdresses, and about the Asaro people, the famous Mudmen. Many people picture the Mudmen as brutal savages in huge clay masks, but James calls them one of the most peaceful tribes in Papua, and shares the story behind the masks: a river, gray mud, and attackers who thought they were seeing spirits. Today the Mudmen are moving from ancient warriors to modern entrepreneurs, with a television commercial, perfume ads, music albums and a website for booking performances.  James also covers Papua New Guinea’s headhunting history, the Papuan litter bearers who helped Australian troops in World War II, travel tips for Port Moresby and Goroka, village life with roast pig and cassowaries, and why traditional peoples are never “backward.” The episode ends with a preview of his upcoming trip to Mongolia. MORE: 🌍 James Michael Dorsey’s website: https://jamesmichaeldorseyauthor.com/  🎙️ More episodes of Before They Vanish: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/before-they-vanish  New episodes of Before They Vanish air every 4th Monday on Big Blend Radio.

  3. 5d ago

    Historic & Haunted England: Creepy Castles & Headless Horses

    October means one thing on English Connection: it’s time for ghost stories. On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "English Connection" Podcast, Glynn Burrows takes us on a tour of England’s spookiest corners, and England has no shortage of them. Glynn takes us down into the dungeons of Norwich Castle, where prisoners were once held for years. He tells the story of a public hanging in 1849 that drew crowds from all over. He also explains how plaster casts were made of executed murderers’ heads so phrenologists could “read” their bumps, and why those casts are still on display. From there it’s Norfolk’s legendary Black Shuck, the big black dog of East Anglian folklore. We wander through churchyards, battlefields and family vaults. We also get to the story Glynn loves to tell: Anne Boleyn arriving at Blickling Hall in a coach driven by a headless coachman and pulled by headless horses. Along the way: Guernsey, the underground hospital below Dover Castle, and the question of why some old places feel so strange. It’s warm, a little eerie, and full of history. LINKS & RESOURCES: - Glynn's article: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/haunted-england-spooky-tours  - English Connection Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/english-connection  - English Connection Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/english-connection-magazine   - Keep up with Glynn and learn more about his custom tour services: https://www.englishconnection.uk/  - Follow the English Connection on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61594366433338

  4. Oct 22

    Historic Jefferson Highway: Winnipeg & Morris, Manitoba

    The Jefferson Highway begins in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and runs all the way to New Orleans. In this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Jefferson Highway" Podcast, producer Lisa D. Smith and Jefferson Highway Association (JHA) president Roger Bell travel north with Lou Erickson of the Morris & District Centennial Museum and JHA Board Member Derek Thille of Winnipeg.  You’ll hear how a 1919 garage photo sparked a whole town’s Jefferson Highway pride, from a parade float to the first official Jefferson Highway Association sign in Manitoba in a hundred years. Derek shares his Emerson-to-Morris road trip, and we cover old cars in snow, the Morris Stampede, Winnipeg’s must-sees, and where to eat. RESOURCE LINKS: - Morris & District Centennial Museum: https://www.morrisdistrictmuseum.ca/  - Morden’s of Winnipeg chocolate: https://www.mordenschocolate.com/  - Jefferson Highway Association: https://jeffersonhighway.org  - Get the guide, listen to more podcast episodes, and subscribe to the Jefferson Highway Dispatch: https://jeffersonhighwaytravelguide.com

  5. Oct 20

    Clarksville, Tennessee: History, Caves & Public Art

    In this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Journey Jukebox" Podcast, travel writer Lisa Evans takes us to Clarksville, Tennessee. It isn’t the Clarksville of the Mississippi Blues Trail. It’s a river city less than an hour from Nashville that deserves a day, or several, all to itself.  Lisa shares the history, the attractions and the public art that made this one of her favorite recent trips. You’ll meet Olympic legends Wilma Rudolph and Pat Head Summitt, and hear how Wilma insisted her hometown welcome be open to everyone. Lisa tours the 1898 Customs House Museum and Cultural Center, explores the Historic Collinsville Pioneer Settlement (and makes her own butter), and heads underground at Dunbar Cave State Park, a rough, unlit cave with Native American art deep inside. She also shares the colorful murals, including Last Train to Clarksville (pictured) and Clarksville Starry Night, and the brand-new Wings of Liberty Museum at Fort Campbell. Next month, Lisa returns with Clarksville’s food, wine and spirits. Don’t forget the Journey Jukebox Spotify playlist, where Jimi Hendrix, who was stationed at Fort Campbell, shares the mix with Roy Acuff. Learn more, see photos & get travel planning resource links:  https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/clarksville-tennessee-history-caves-public-art  LISTEN & CONNECT - Journey Jukebox Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/journey-jukebox-with-lisa  - Journey Jukebox Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7humUf03LIW04t8LiJSSN9?si=3683d9bcf60649d3  - Lisa Evans Travel Features: https://writerlisa.com/  - Lisa's "All About Travel" Substack: https://substack.com/@allabouttravelwithlisa

  6. Oct 15

    The Quarter Queen: A Mother Daughter Voodoo Story

    Author Kayla Hardy on "The Quarter Queen," her debut historical fantasy reimagining Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, and her rebellious daughter, Ree.  Voodoo queens, secret societies, and the mother-daughter bond that can make or break a family. For National Book Month, Kayla Hardy joins Big Blend Radio’s "Books & Authors" with Books Forward, to talk about The Quarter Queen, a lush, richly researched story of two generations of powerful women in a magically and racially divided 1840s New Orleans. In the novel, Ree finds her formidable mother, Marie, comatose in the bayou and has to uncover the secrets of Marie’s past to save her. Enemies are circling, including a puritanical Brotherhood of alchemists, the slaveholding mayor of the city, and Ree’s childhood best friend turned witch hunter. In this conversation, Kayla talks about: - Growing up between Ohio and Louisiana Creole country, and how childhood summers hooked her on Marie Laveau - Why slavery itself, the system, is the true villain of the book - Voodoo’s blend with Catholicism: magic, psychology, or both? - The Brotherhood’s obsession with purity, secret societies, and alchemy - Ree’s coming-of-age and mothers and daughters seeing each other as whole people - Her years of writing and querying before the book deal, and how a TV pilot became a novel Kayla Hardy is a mythology expert and multi-hyphenate author and screenwriter of Louisiana Creole descent. She earned her PhD in creative writing and African American literature from SUNY Binghamton University, where she is an adjunct professor and an accomplished scholar of Black folklore, mythology, and Voodoo. "The Quarter Queen" (Ballantine) is her first novel, named an Essence Most Anticipated Book of 2026 and a Book Riot Best New Book of March. Kayla Hardy’s website: https://KaylaHardy.com  Books Forward: https://booksforward.com/  Big Blend Media House: https://www.BigBlendMediaHouse.com

  7. Oct 11

    Ninety Six National Historic Site: Star Fort & Tunnel

    Celebrate America 250 in upstate South Carolina! On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Jo Goes Everywhere" Podcast, travel writer Jo Clark takes us to Ninety Six National Historic Site, a backcountry crossroads where 12 roads met and later the site of the longest land siege of the American Revolution, from May 22 to June 18, 1781. This park also turned 50 this year. Jo walks us through the Star Fort and Kosciuszko’s brick-lined mine tunnel. She also tells the tale of the engineer who got shot in the butt, poses for a selfie with the big replica gun, and explains why the kids’ tunnel is such a hit. She shares what it’s like to hear reenactments and cannon fire (earplugs recommended!) and why Lake Greenwood State Park is worth adding to your trip. Then it’s time to eat and stay. Jo takes us to Break on the Lake and Indigenous Underground, where Chef Erica “Trudy” McCier serves soul rolls and Black Eye Pea Gumbo. She also stops at Main Street Coffee Co., The Rough House and 96 Pecan Company (don’t miss the Lemon Crunch!), and spends the night at The Veranda on Main. At the end, Jo toasts with her Spooktacular Halloween Cocktail. RESOURCE LINKS: - Read Jo’s full article, with all the details, tips and links to every stop: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/ninety-six-national-historic-site  - Get Jo’s Spooktacular Halloween Cocktail recipe: https://recipestravelculture.com/spooktacular-halloween-cocktail/  Follow More of Jo: -  https://www.haveglasswilltravel.com/  - https://recipestravelculture.com/  - Jo Goes Everywhere! Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/jo-goes-everywhere-podcast  - Jo Goes Everywhere! Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/jo-goes-everywhere-magazine

  8. Oct 6

    100 Men Hall: Music, History & Community in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

    Step inside the 100 Men Hall in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, a 1922 Chitlin' Circuit landmark and Mississippi Blues Trail stop just across from the historic train depot. On location for Big Blend Radio's "Travel with Terri" Podcast, this shared episode features travel journalist Terri Guthrie who sits down inside the hall with Rachel Dangermond, the writer and award-winning journalist who purchased it in 2018 and now leads the nonprofit that keeps it alive. It's the perfect episode to celebrate Global Diversity Awareness Month!  Rachel traces the hall's roots to a self-reliant benevolent association formed in the Black community during Jim Crow, and shares the skits, the manless weddings, and the legendary musicians who played here, including James Brown, Ray Charles, Etta James, Guitar Slim, and BB King. She also explains how a Mardi Gras crew began in the hall as the Merrymakers, why the Chitlin' Circuit story is more nuanced than most people know, and how the hall's mission has grown to celebrate every community through A Soulful Christmas, Día de los Muertos, and the Matzo Ball. You'll also hear about the hall's four annual fundraisers: Rock 'N' Roux in January, Swamp(gr)Ass Get Down in April, Booker Fest over Labor Day weekend, and Cigars Under the Stars benefiting Gulf Coast veterans. Rachel talks about the endowment protecting the hall's future and why visitors from as far as Japan, Australia, and New Zealand keep coming back. Along the way, Terri shares the route of Amtrak's Mardi Gras Train, which runs twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile. RESOURCE LINKS: - Plan Your Visit: 100 Men Hall: https://100menhall.com/  - Listen to the previous episode about Amtrak's Mardi Gras Trainwith Knox Ross, Chairman of the Southern Rail Commission: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/mardi-gras-train-gulf-coast-amtrak  TRAVEL WITH TERRI: Travel with Terri: https://www.travelwithterri.com/  Travel with Terri Podcast: https://www.travelwithterri.com/podcast  Travel with Terri Magazine: https://www.travelwithterri.com/magazine

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About

A Big Blend Radio History Podcast Channel featuring expert interviews and conversations focusing on History, Heritage, Culture, Travel, and The Arts.

Information

  • Creator
    Big Blend Radio Network
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Big Blend Radio and Magazines
  • Show Website
    Way Back When