Vacation Station

On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Adventures in Asheville" Podcast, Steve and Karen Wilson chat with Dawn Bankson, owner of Star Watch Night Vision Tours, about exploring Asheville's night sky in a whole new way. 
Using military-grade PVS-7 and PVS-14 night vision goggles, Dawn takes guests out to dark-sky locations around the Blue Ridge Parkway and Mount Pisgah to spot meteor showers, satellites, and unexplained "travelers" in the night sky. 
Steve and Karen share their own experience catching the Perseid Meteor Shower, and the conversation wanders into UFO sightings, Bigfoot lore, and why fall and winter are the best seasons for stargazing in Western North Carolina. Plus, hear what's on tap at The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast this season, and get the scoop on their in-room beer keg package for Beer City USA visitors.
Follow Dawn & Star Watch Night Vision Tours:* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057159232266 * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starwatchnight 
Stay at The Lion & The Rose Bed & Breakfast: https://www.lion-rose.com 
More Adventures in Asheville:* Podcast Channel: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/adventures-in-asheville-podcast * Digital Podcast Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/adventures-in-asheville-magazine 

On the last episode of Big Blend Radio's "Travel with Terri" Podcast, Terri Guthrie took us inside The National Hotel in Oklahoma City — and now she's back to share why OKC might just be the most underrated romantic getaway in the country. In this episode, Terri maps out the perfect romantic itinerary: where to stay, where to dine, and how to soak up Oklahoma City's most enchanting and cultural experiences, all just under three hours from Dallas-Fort Worth.
Terri and her husband Ron's home base is The National Hotel, a beautifully restored 1931 Art Deco landmark in downtown OKC with towering columns, hand-painted ceilings, and a lobby that feels like stepping into a grand European bank hall. For romantic dining, she takes us through Stock & Bond, the hotel's refined steakhouse celebrating Oklahoma's ranching heritage, and The Vault, a sultry speakeasy tucked behind the hotel's original bank vault door. A few blocks away, sky-high dining awaits atop the Devon Energy Tower at VAST, on the 48th floor, followed by a nightcap at its new, ultra-chic cocktail lounge. For something completely different, Terri raves about NONESUCH, an intimate 10-course tasting menu experience led by executive chef Garrett Hare, where each course is chef-presented and personally explained.
Beyond the table, Terri digs OKC's cultural side: the First Americans Museum and neighboring Gallery C in the Horizons District, the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum on Route 66, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (home to a stunning Chihuly glass collection), and the Myriad Botanical Gardens with its Crystal Bridge Conservatory. For breakfast and lunch, Terri's favorites include Kitchen 324, Tellers inside The National, The Gilded Acorn, and Malfi in Midtown.
Then, stick around for Terri's on-site interview with Kaylee Douglas, Communications Specialist for the First Americans Museum. Kaylee shares how FAM tells the collective histories and living cultures of Oklahoma's 39 tribal nations, the WINIKO project reuniting sacred objects with tribal communities in partnership with the Smithsonian, the museum's Family Discovery Center for all ages, its award-winning architecture and programming, and the surrounding Horizons District, home to Okana Resort and Water Park and the Exhibit C gallery.
Links mentioned in this episode:- Visit OKC: https://www.visitokc.com - First Americans Museum: https://famok.org 
And be sure to listen to The National Hotel OKC Episode: https://travelwithterri.podbean.com/e/the-national-hotel-okc/  
Stay tuned for more of Terri’s Oklahoma City adventures!🎙️ Travel with Terri: https://www.travelwithterri.com/  📻 Travel with Terri airs every other Tuesday:  https://www.travelwithterri.com/podcast  📰 The Luxe Explorer Magazine: https://www.travelwithterri.com/magazine  🌎 Travel with Terri highlights on Big Blend Media House: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/t/terri-guthrie  

Forget the Christmas Carol postcard version of Charles Dickens. On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "English Connection" Podcast, Glynn Burrows digs into the real story — a childhood shaped by his father's debtor's prison, a stint in a blacking warehouse, and a writing career so prolific it basically invented the serialized soap opera decades before television existed.
Along the way, he digs into what Victorian England was really like for the poor, why Dickens' novels mattered as social record as much as entertainment, and the genuine mystery still surrounding his personal life — including a young actress named Ellen Ternan and a sister-in-law who moved in three years after his separation. Glynn also makes the case for why doing your own research matters, whether you're tracing Dickens' story or your own family history.
It all wraps up with where you can actually go in England today to walk in Dickens' footsteps — from his Portsmouth birthplace to his grave in Westminster Abbey's Poets' Corner — and a reminder that gratitude looks a little different once you know what people were living through less than 200 years ago.
📖 Read Glynn's article, "A Dickens Tour of England: From Portsmouth to Poets' Corner": https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/dickens-tour-of-england 
🌐 Visit English Connection: https://EnglishConnection.uk 
📚 Explore Glynn's English Connection Digital Magazine: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/english-connection-magazine 
🎙️ Listen to more episodes: https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/english-connection-podcast 

What's better: a glamping dome in the woods, or a five-star hotel on the boardwalk? Travel journalist and certified sommelier Darla Hoffmann didn't have to choose — she did both, fifty minutes apart, in Nova Scotia.
On this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel" Podcast with the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), Darla takes us inside Nalu Retreat, a geodesic dome on the North Shore with a hot tub, a fire pit, and a chef-prepared dinner waiting in the fridge, before heading into Halifax for the total opposite: Muir, a five-star hotel in the Queen's Marque District with a hidden speakeasy you have to knock to enter, an on-site restaurant called Drift, and boardwalk views from every room.
Along the way, we talk Nova Scotia wine (crisp Tidal Bay whites, a standout red from the Lucie Kuhlmann grape), local food (buttery Wolffish, a proper Halifax donair), and the city's history, from Citadel Hill to the 1917 Halifax Explosion. 
Darla also shares how a career in wine led her into travel writing, what she's working on next, and news on her upcoming book — a multi-year project pairing one wine with one signature dish from all fifty U.S. states.
READ DARLA'S HALIFAX ARTICLES:- Salt Air, Scenic Hikes, and a Vibrant Food Scene: https://fwtmagazine.com/salt-air-scenic-hikes-and-a-vibrant-food-scene-halifax-nova-scotia/ 
- Nalu Retreat: Your Next Serene Getaway Awaitshttps://luxebeatmag.com/nova-scotias-glamping-escape-into-nature-nalu-retreat/ 
RESOURCE LINKS:- More About Darla: https://www.aboutwineinaz.com 
- Learn more about IFWTWA: https://www.ifwtwa.org/ 
- Follow the Food, Wine & Travel Podcast: https://food-wine-travel.podbean.com/ 
- Big Blend Radio's "Travel Food & Wine: Digital Podcast Magazine:https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/ekxy/#p=1 

In this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Journey Jukebox" travel podcast, travel writer Lisa Evans takes us to Cody, Wyoming, a fascinating Western destination where the spirit of the Old West is still very much alive.
Located just outside Yellowstone National Park, Cody combines Western history, art, craftsmanship, music, rodeo, and living history in a destination that's worth more than just a quick overnight stop. Lisa shares her experiences exploring the city's many layers, from the extraordinary Western functional art at By Western Hands to the historic buildings and frontier stories of Old Trail Town.
The episode also takes us to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody Cattle Company, and the Cody Stampede Rodeo, where Lisa experienced her first "real" rodeo. She also discovers the city's lively music scene and talks about the musicians she added to the Journey Jukebox playlist.
With American Adventures Month and America 250 as part of the conversation, this episode is an invitation to explore a destination where American history, Western heritage, artistry, entrepreneurship, and entertainment come together. As Lisa discovered, Cody is much more than a gateway to Yellowstone—it's a destination worth spending several days exploring.
🗺️ Cody, Wyoming Travel Planning Resources- Lisa's article on By Western Hands: https://www.seegreatart.art/discovering-cody-wyomings-legacy-of-western-art-at-by-western-hands/ 
- Irma Emporium: https://www.irmahotel.com/ 
- The Chamberlin Inn - https://chamberlininn.com/ 
- Heart Mountain WWII Japanese American National Historic Landmark: https://www.heartmountain.org/ 
- Buffalo Bill Center of the West: https://centerofthewest.org/ 
- The Cody Cattle Company: https://thecodycattlecompany.com/ 
- Cody Stampede Rodeo: https://www.codystampederodeo.com/ 
- Cody Firearms Experience: https://www.codyfirearmsexperience.com/ 
- By Western Hands: https://www.bywesternhands.org/ 
- Old Trail Town: https://oldtrailtown.org/ 
🎵 Journey Jukebox Music Playlist on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7humUf03LIW04t8LiJSSN9?si=71c11c52c77c4596 
Lisa's Cody playlist includes artists such as Righteous Vendetta, Kaylen Beasley, and Luke Bell, giving the episode its own musical Western soundtrack. 
🎧 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 

Discover Shelby County, Kentucky, just east of Louisville, with Janette Marson, President and CEO of ShelbyKY Tourism, on this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel" Show with the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).
Known as the Saddlebred Horse Capital of the World, Shelby County offers an authentic Central Kentucky experience where horses, bourbon, food, farms, history, shopping and outdoor adventures come together.
Janette takes us inside the region's remarkable horse culture, including more than 100 Saddlebred farms, Thoroughbred farms and the largest Icelandic horse farm in North America. We also explore the area's bourbon heritage, including Bulleit and the special mother-daughter team behind Jeptha Creed Distillery.
Food is another big part of the story, from Kentucky barbecue and bourbon mash-fed livestock to Talon Winery, local restaurants, farm-to-table dining and family farms such as Mulberry Orchard and Gallrein Farm.
We also talk about historic downtown Shelbyville and Simpsonville, antique shopping, family attractions, horseback riding, lakes, fishing, camping, golf, festivals and the region's growing appeal for road trippers and pet-friendly travelers.
And because Shelby County is a four-season destination, Janette shares ideas for visiting throughout the year—from bourbon tours and horse farms to fall pumpkins, winter shopping and spring and summer horseback riding.
- Explore Shelby County, Kentucky: https://www.visitshelbyky.com/  
- Learn More About IFWTWA: https://www.ifwtwa.org/  
- Follow the Podcast: https://food-wine-travel.podbean.com/  
- Check out the "Travel, Food & Wine" Digital Podcast Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/ekxy/#p=1  

End-of-summer and fall are a wonderful time to experience Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana! From church and school fairs and live music to Bunkie Trade Days, Halloween fun, local food and seasonal events, there are plenty of reasons to visit.
In this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Travel Avoyelles" podcast, hosts Lisa D. Smith talks with Wilbert Carmouche and Mary Guillory of the Avoyelles Commission of Tourism about what's happening throughout Avoyelles Parish as summer winds down and fall begins.
They talk about upcoming fairs, community events, live Cajun and Zydeco music, Halloween celebrations, shopping, art, food and local traditions—including the church and school fairs that bring communities together throughout the fall.
You'll also hear about some of the food that makes Avoyelles special, from gumbo and jambalaya to homemade cakes, cochon de lait, locally grown produce, sweet potatoes and those wonderful fair plate lunches.
As always, the best way to experience Avoyelles is to get out and meet the people, enjoy the food and become part of the community.
* Plan Your Avoyelles Parish Visit & Get Event Info: https://travelavoyelles.com/ 
* Listen to new episodes and follow the Travel Avoyelles podcast: https://travel-avoyelles.podbean.com/ 

In this shared episode of Big Blend Radio's "Quiltripping Travel with Rose" podcast, travel writer and photographer Rose Palmer takes us aboard the Rosa, a luxury hotel barge operated by European Waterways, for a leisurely journey through the beautiful Gascony region of southern France.
This is slow travel at its best—cruising quietly along France's historic canals, cycling shaded towpaths, exploring medieval villages and UNESCO-listed sites, enjoying exceptional local food and wine, and simply having time to relax and enjoy the scenery. Rose describes the intimate experience of traveling with just six guests and a four-person crew aboard the Rosa, which accommodates a maximum of eight passengers.
The journey begins in the Toulouse area and follows approximately 70 miles of the Canal de Garonne, with excursions into historic towns and the countryside. Rose visits the UNESCO-listed Abbey of Saint Pierre, explores one of France's designated "Most Beautiful Villages," visits a working cheese farm, samples regional Armagnac, and joins the chef at a local farmers market to select fresh ingredients for the day's meals.
Food is a major part of the experience. Rose describes multi-course meals featuring local cheeses, fresh produce, regional wines, and ingredients purchased directly from local farmers—including strawberries, cherries, apricots, meats, vegetables, and more. As Lisa puts it during the conversation, it's "farm to barge."
Rose also explains why barge cruising can be such a wonderful option for solo travelers: you can travel independently without being alone, while leaving the driving, navigation, meals, sightseeing logistics, and daily planning to the crew. The small-group atmosphere makes it easy to form connections with fellow travelers and crew members.
Whether you're looking for a romantic getaway, a friends' or family charter, a solo travel experience, or simply a peaceful way to discover rural France, this episode offers an enticing look at the pleasures of small-ship cruising, authentic cultural experiences, and slow travel.
📖 Read Rose Palmer's Featured Article:https://www.bigblendmediahouse.com/p/cruising-france-on-the-rosa-barge 
🚤 Learn More About European Waterways: https://www.europeanwaterways.com/ 
🌐 Explore More from Quiltripping: https://quiltripping.com/   📰 Check Out the "Quiltripping Travel" Digital Podcast Magazine: https://online.fliphtml5.com/yhwzg/QUILTRIPPING-TRAVEL-WITH-ROSE-MAG/#p=1 
🎧 Subscribe to the Podcast on Podbean:https://quiltripping-travel.podbean.com/