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Step inside one of the South's grand historic hotels with this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Travel with Terri" Podcast. On location in downtown Mobile, Alabama, travel journalist Terri Guthrie sits down in the lobby of the Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa with General Manager Margo Gilbert, who has led the hotel since 2004. Margo shares the hotel's remarkable story: built in 1852, lost to fire in 1905, rebuilt in 1908, shuttered in 1974, and brought back to life as a Historic Hotels of America member and AAA Four Diamond property. You'll hear about the two-story lobby and its hand-painted trompe l'oeil portraits, the whispering arch where there are "no secrets in the lobby," and the Crystal Ballroom, where Mobile locals still stop by to remember their proms. Terri also explores the amenities: 238 rooms, restaurants and bars, a 10,000-square-foot European spa, a pool deck with pickleball and tennis, and a location right on the Mardi Gras parade route. Along the way, Margo shares the movie stars who have stayed here, and Terri explains why this one is now a favorite. This episode is part of Terri's Mardi Gras Train series along Amtrak's route from New Orleans to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and Mobile. Coming up next: what to see and do in Mobile. LINKS  & RESOURCES: - Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mobbr/  - Start the series with Knox Ross of the Southern Rail Commission: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/mardi-gras-train-gulf-coast-amtrak  - Last time, Bay St. Louis by Train: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/bay-st-louis-mississippi-mardi-gras-train  - Plan your ride on the Mardi Gras Train: https://www.amtrak.com/mardigras  TRAVEL WITH TERRI - Travel with Terri on Big Blend Radio: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/travel-with-terri  - Travel with Terri: https://www.travelwithterri.com  - The Luxe Explorer Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.travelwithterri.com/magazine

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

As America celebrates 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson has been claimed, reshaped, and rejected by every side of the political divide. On this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Way Back When" History Show, Lisa D. Smith talks with historian Francis D. Cogliano, professor of American history at the University of Edinburgh. He is co-author with Peter S. Onuf of "Thomas Jefferson Survives: American Independence in His Time and Ours" (Liveright, 2026). This isn't a typical biography. Built from years of teaching seminars for American school teachers, the book's three essays, "Generations," "My Country," and "The People," look at Jefferson in his real historical context. Frank explains how Franklin Roosevelt and Donald Trump each invoked Jefferson toward very different ends. He talks about why the political left has largely stepped away from him this century, and how Jefferson's "Empire of Liberty" came at the expense of enslaved people and Indigenous nations. The conversation also goes to the heart of the book. Jefferson believed that "the earth belongs to the living." He thought the Constitution should grow with the country, and that every generation must confront its own challenges instead of being held back by the past. Frank shares the story of Jefferson's lukewarm reaction to Madison's Constitution. He also discusses the powerful slave trade clause Congress deleted from Jefferson's draft of the Declaration, and why Jefferson is "America writ small." Lisa brings in the kitchen table conversations the book sparked, including Jefferson's failings on women and the questions that still surround Sally Hemings. For Big Blend, the conversation hits close to home. The historic Jefferson Highway, the 1915 auto trail from Winnipeg to New Orleans, was named for Jefferson because it runs through the Louisiana Purchase. Frank also talks about teaching American history from Scotland and the Whiskey Rebellion podcast he co-hosts with fellow historian David Silkenat. RESOURCE LINKS: - Thomas Jefferson Survives: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324098072  - Francis D. Cogliano: https://franciscogliano.com  - Check out more history and culture interviews in the Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/t/history-and-culture

Travel writer and advisor Lisa Evans, host of Big Blend Radio's "Journey Jukebox" Podcast takes us to Yellowstone National Park — America's very first national park, marking 110 years of the National Park Service this year.  This episode picks up right where her Cody, Wyoming visit left off: after basing herself in Cody, Lisa spent a day and a half looping through Yellowstone by chartered bus, and brings back a full rundown — bison herds thick enough to stop traffic for fifty cars, a moose sighting straight out of Lamar Valley, a surprise cinnamon bear, and the bighorn sheep on the way out of the park. From there we walk through the icons — Old Faithful (which kept everyone waiting an extra thirty minutes), the otherworldly colors of Grand Prismatic Spring and the Midway Geyser Basin, the bubbling mud volcanoes, and dinner at the historic Lake Yellowstone Hotel with a general manager who's spent 40 years working his way up through the park's lodging operation. We also get honest about the less charming side of visiting a place like Yellowstone: tourists stepping over barriers at Mammoth Hot Springs, walking up to bison for a closer photo, and — in one widely reported case — Pierce Brosnan's own $1,500 fine for wandering off a boardwalk into a restricted thermal area. With national parks already stretched thin on funding and staffing, we talk about why this isn't just about rule-following — it's about keeping the wildlife wild and the parks safe for everyone who visits them. Along the way, Lisa also looks ahead to her next stops — Clarksville, TN, and a trip up to Anacortes, WA — and shares more of the multi-generational travel trends she's seeing on the road. 🗺️ Plan your own trip: Full Yellowstone travel guide, park links, and resources: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/yellowstone-still-wild-at-110  - Missed her last stop? Catch Lisa's Cody, Wyoming episode & article: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/cody-wyoming-western-culture  🎵 Journey Jukebox Music Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7humUf03LIW04t8LiJSSN9?si=71c11c52c77c4596  🎧 More about the Journey Jukebox Podcast: - New episodes air every 3rd Tuesday at 6pm CST: https://journeyjukebox.podbean.com/  - Podcast Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/JOURNEY-JUKEBOX---2026/#p=1  Follow Lisa Evans:  - https://substack.com/@allabouttravelwithlisa   - https://writerlisa.com/

On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Jo Goes Everywhere!" Podcast, travel writer Jo Clark takes us to Greensboro, North Carolina — the third-largest city in the state and home to Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, site of one of the most consequential battles of the Revolutionary War. Jo digs into Greensboro's roots, from the Saura and Keyauwee peoples who lived there first, to the German, Welsh, English Quaker, and Scotch-Irish settlers who followed, to the city's surprising reputation as the "second-holiest city in America."  Then the Revolution arrives: on March 15, 1781, General Nathanael Greene's Continental Army met Lord Cornwallis's British troops at Guilford Courthouse. Cornwallis technically won the battle — but at such a staggering cost in men that it helped set up his eventual defeat at Yorktown. Along the way, Jo tells the story of the Hoskins family, who fled war-torn Pennsylvania for a fresh start in Greensboro, only to have the British commandeer their farm and turn their home into a field hospital just three years later.  Jo also shares Greensboro's literary and broadcast history (hometown ties to O. Henry and Edward R. Murrow), plus where to eat, drink, and stay if you visit today, including Sàigòn Cuisine, Machete, Lewis and Elm, the O. Henry Hotel, Fainting Goat Spirits, and Angels Bed & Breakfast. Read Jo's full article: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/guilford-courthouse-national-military-park  Plan Your Visit to Greensboro - Jo's Greensboro Travel Guide:  https://recipestravelculture.com/greensboro-1781-battlefield-to-jeansboro/  - Guilford Courthouse National Military Park: https://www.nps.gov/guco/index.htm  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

In this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "ABC's of Horses" podcast, World Champion horse trainer Christy Wood is joined by fellow rider Stephanie Callahan Clark for their annual look at the Chief Joseph Trail Ride — a thirteen-year progressive journey on horseback retracing the Nez Perce National Historic Trail across Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.  They cover this year's route, wildlife encounters, camp community, horse safety, and why living off-the-grid on the trail is part of the adventure — plus a look ahead to 2027, the 150th anniversary of Chief Joseph's flight. 🔗 EXPLORE MORE 🐴 Learn more about the Chief Joseph Trail Ride: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/the-chief-joseph-trail-ride  📚 Connect with Christy & get her books: https://wdnhorse.com/  🏇 Chief Joseph Trail Ride nonprofit: https://chiefjosephtrailride.org/  🎧 Listen to more episodes of the ABC's of Horses Podcast: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/abcs-of-horses-podcast  📖Check out the ABC's of Horses Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/abcs-of-horses-magazine

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Getting to Know You" series was recorded back in April with Phyllis Bitner, Chair of the Miners Hall Museum Foundation in Franklin, Kansas. Phyllis shares how Miners Hall Museum grew out of the 2003 tornado that leveled the town's community center, why the museum's twelve exhibit categories focus as much on the immigrant experience as the equipment, and the story behind the Page 618 Walking Dragline — a massive, one-of-eighteen-ever-built machine now being moved piece by piece into a new free public park along the Jefferson Highway. She also talks about the historic 1.7-mile Franklin-Arma sidewalk, the site of the 1921 Amazon Army March, and why the museum's research library keeps surprising visitors with their own family history. Then Phyllis plays a round of our Lucky Seven Questions — sharing her spirit animal, her NASCAR bucket-list dream, a life lesson from her father, and more. P.S. — Phyllis will be one of four storytellers at "Night at the Friendly Tavern" on September 3rd, part of Pittsburg, KS's 150th birthday celebration, and Miners Hall Museum is a featured stop on the Jefferson Highway Association's "Miner's Drive" caravan, September 17–19. Resource Links: - Miners Hall Museum: https://www.minershallmuseum.com/  - Night at the Friendly Tavern Tickets (Sept 3):  https://memorialauditorium.ludus.com/show_page.php?show_id=200542773  - Jefferson Highway "Miner's Drive" Caravan (Sept 17–19): https://jeffersonhighway.org/event-6661501  - Jefferson Highway Travel Guide — Miners Hall Museum page: https://www.jeffersonhighwaytravelguide.com/travel-directory/kansas/miners-hall-museum

On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Global Adventures" Podcast, travel writer Debbie Stone relives the 163rd Gettysburg Civil War Battle Reenactment — held over 4th of July weekend at the historic Daniel Lady Farm, with timing that felt especially fitting during America's 250th birthday year. Debbie shares what it was like to stand in the summer heat alongside reenactors in full wool uniform, walk through the Union and Confederate camps, and talk with the volunteers — many of them lifelong history buffs — who keep this history alive. They cover the sobering reality of the battle itself (more than 50,000 casualties over three days), a packed-house presentation on Civil War medicine, the Daniel Lady Farm's role as a Confederate staging area and field hospital, and even a kids' reenactment battle that had every adult on the field smiling. Read Debbie's full article with more of her Gettysburg story: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/civil-war-battle-reenactment-in-gettysburg  Follow more of Debbie's travels on Global Adventures: - https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/global-adventures-with-debbie-stone  - Explore the digital Global Adventures Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/global-adventures-travel-magazine