Armchair Explorer
Armchair Explorer is an award-winning travel and adventure podcast featuring documentaries recorded on location. It tells immersive stories from around the world and offers deep dives into different cultures. The show aims to inspire listeners to live life to the fullest through engaging storytelling.
Episodes
BUCKET LIST: Uluru - Australia's Wonder of the World
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastRising over 1,000 feet straight from the red desert of Australia's Northern Territory, Uluru is one of the great wonders of the world. At sunrise it glows p
CONNECTION: Wayfinding with Travel Writer Daniel Scheffler
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastWayfinding is an ancient Polynesian way of navigating by reading the ocean, stars and wind. No compass, no map, just deep observation, and experience passed
LONELY PLANET: New Hampshire Wild - the Live Free Road Trip
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastThere is a state in New England where ancient mountains rise above the treeline into bare Arctic tundra, where sheer granite summits look out over oceans of
LONELY PLANET: Beneath an Auroral Sky - Sailing Norway's Arctic Coast
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastThere is a place at the top of the world where the land runs out, a sheer thousand-foot cliff rising straight from the Arctic Ocean, and nothing beyond it b
Life in the Deep Blue: Diving the World’s Oceans with Author and Photographer Pier Nirandara
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast“You stand at the edge of the boat - and you take a giant stride into the unknown.”Today we’re chatting with Pier Nirandara, a bestselling author, film prod
ADVENTURE: Kayak the Kwanza: the World-Record Paddle Down Angola’s Longest River
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastFollow travel author Oscar Scafidi on his world-record paddle down the Kwanza River inAngola. Stretching 600-miles from its source in the Angolan Highlands,
IMMERSION: Hog Heaven - On Location at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastThe Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is the biggest two-wheeled party in the world drawing hundreds of thousands of riders each year to the Black HIlls of South Dak
DISCOVER: Into the Wild - A Road Trip Through Australia's Northern Territory
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastIn today’s Discover Destination guide, we’re taking a road trip across the Northern Territory of Australia, from crocodile close-encounters and aboriginal r
BUCKET LIST: The River Nevis Race - Scotland’s Extreme White-water Pool Floatie Race
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastToday host Aaron Millar is sharing a bucket list bit of madness — literal adventure insanity he got up to about 15 years ago in the Scottish Highlands. It's
BEST OF EXPLORER: Arabia, a 5,000-mile Journey into the Heart of the Middle East with Explorer Levison Wood
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastLevison Wood is one of the world’s most well-known explorers, TV presenters and authors. Join him for a 5,000-mile journey through the heart of the Middle E
LONELY PLANET: The Aurora Chaser
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastWitnessing the Northern Lights is one of the most awe-inspiring experiences on the planet, and in today’s interview episode we’re going to hear what it feel
ADVENTURE: A Million Steps on Lava with Ricardo Kaljouw
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastToday we are going to travel across all seven continents, through steaming craters and frozen summits, into the heart of the world's most active volcanoes.
IMMERSION: A Life Underground: Into the Sacred Caves of the Black Hills
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastThe Black Hills are home to more than 100 known caves - including the world's third-longest cave system at Jewel Cave National Monument with it's miles of u
BUCKET LIST: Hiking Italy’s Old Salt Road across the Apennine Mountains
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastSometimes the wrong path is the best path. I was stumbling down the side of a steep mountain slope, pushing through thorny bushes, scratched, thirsty and ut
ADVENTURE: Kite-skiing Antarctica with Explorer Justin Packshaw
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast"Humans are meant to excel. And when you start pushing that and seeing how capable we are, it's phenomenal what you can actually go and do."-Justin Packshaw
PATHWAYS: Italy’s Old Salt Road, the River Nevis Race and A Million Steps on Lava
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastEvery Pathways, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton crack open a few stories, play their favorite clips, and take you on a whirlwind preview of what’
Season 4 Trailer - The Adventure is About to Begin!
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastThere’s a moment before every journey begins — that flicker of anticipation when the map is still folded, the road still unknown, and the world feels imposs
Namibia Safari: From the Sossusvlei Dunes to the Skeleton Coast
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastThere are many beautiful countries in Africa, but none are like Namibia.Today we will travel from the highest sand dunes in the world to the wildest coast o
Powwow Spirit in the Black Hills of South Dakota
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastThe Black Hills Powwow is the biggest powwow in the U.S., where dancers, singers, artists, and spectators come from across North America to honor the spirit
CONNECTION: Ayahuasca Ceremonies, Inuit Hunters and Trekking in Papua New Guinea with Nature Writer Jay Griffiths
Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel Podcast“There is something in us,” nature writer Jay Griffiths says, “that detests the tepid world of net curtains … the chloroform world where human nature is wel
Navajo Nation: Beside the Medicine Man’s Fire
“The medicine man sits before a pile of hot coals spread out on the compacted red earth floor of his Hogan – the traditional home of the Navajo. “This is Native American church,” he tells me, pulling shiny black arrowheads and Golden Eagle feathers from his wooden medicine box, and twisting a thick translucent crystal before the flames.Sweat beads on my forehead: medicine men are believed to see p
HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: Searching for Sasquatch in the Valleys of the Noble Beyond
Whether you known him as Sasquatch, Bigfoot, Yeti, Thla'Thla, Sninik, or something else, you've heard the legends - the stories of the hairy mountain man who lives, as writer John Zada says, "in primeval nature and collective memory." And today, we're plunging deep into Canada's ancient forests to find him.But make no mistake - this isn't Bigfoot searching like you've seen before. There are no inf
Botswana Safari: From the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans to the Okavango Delta
Botswana is the Africa in our heads, the one we see in nature documentaries, and think of when we say the word. It is a vast and untempered land filled with one of the richest concentrations of wildlife on the continent. In a single game drive you could see up to 50 different species: elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard, hippos, baboons and more. But beyond the wildlife there is something else too. A
BUCKET LIST: Kayaking with a Whale & Climbing Crater Lake National Park
Do you want to know what it's like to go kayaking with a whale?
How about climbing to the top of Crater Lake National Park to see one of the most beautiful views in America?
Well, that’s what we’re doing today. Our Bucket List episodes highlight what we think are the best adventures on the planet, and these two certainly fit the bill. Recorded on-location in surround sound audio, this
JANE GOODALL SPECIAL: Trekking with Chimpanzees and Mountain Gorillas
Today, we’re sharing a special episode honouring a true explorer who we lost last week. Dr. Jane Goodall was a pioneering primatologist, and conservationist best known for her groundbreaking work with wild chimpanzees in Tanzania. With no formal scientific training at the time, she began observing chimpanzees in 1960 and soon made discoveries that redefined our understanding of animals — including
IMMERSION: Exploring Rocky Mountain National Park’s Living Lab
In this episode, recorded on location, we’ll discover a side to Rocky Mountain NationalPark that most people don’t even know exists. Beyond the beautiful mountains andtrails, the park is a Living Laboratory of science with about 100 scientific projectshappening at any one time. Some of the most cutting-edge ecology, biology andconservation in the world is being done right here.Rocky Mountain Natio
BEST OF EXPLORER: Land of the Thunder Dragon: Exploring Bhutan
Bhutan is the last of the great Himalayan kingdoms. Still largely untouched by outside influences, shrouded in mystery and magic, this Buddhist country, hidden for centuries on the roof of the world, is like nowhere else on the planet. Follow British Travel Writer of the Year Emma Thomson as she explores the culture and majesty of Druk Yul, Land of the Thunder Dragon, as it's known by its people.
CONNECTION: Life Lived Wild with Rick Ridgeway
"A life worth living is lived at the edges, where it is wild" - Rick RidgewayRick Ridgeway is one of the greatest mountaineers of all time. In this in-depth interview he shares the adventures that have come to define his life, and the wisdom he has learned along the way.Highlights includeGetting lost while sailing across the Pacific Ocean in search of Tahit.iTaking the famous newscaster
PATHWAYS September: Desert Stars, Swiss Hikes and the Funniest Hot Air Balloon Crash of All Time
Every month on Pathways, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton crack open a few stories, play their favorite clips, and take you on a whirlwind preview of what’s coming up this month on Armchair Explorer. It’s part travel hangout, part behind-the-scenes, and a whole lot of part “wait, you did what?”Special Offer: we’ve revived our NEWSLETTER! (scroll to the bottom of our homepage to signup)
BUCKET LIST: Stargazing with the Bedouin
Our Bucket List episodes showcase the greatest travel experiences on the planet. Today, we’re going to the deserts of Arabia to go stargazing with the Bedouin and learn their secrets of the stars.This episode is about learning to see the stars through the eyes of a people who have lived in the Arabian desert for thousands of years, and whose very existence, and survival,l was shaped by the night s
RED BULL: Paragliding the Himalayas with Tom de Dorlodot
Today we’re sharing an episode from the Red Bull podcast: How to be Superhuman. How To Be Superhuman is about pushing the limits of human potential, from conquering terrifying climbs and kayaking down jaw-dropping waterfalls to swimming the world’s longest rivers, running through uncharted mountain kingdoms, and embarking on solo expeditions to the most remote corners of the globe. In each episode
CONNECTION: Real-world ‘Yellowstone’ Ranchers and Rodeo Legends at the Pendleton Roundup
“The first time I entered here I was 18 years old…I'd always heard about the Pendleton Roundup, it's just iconic. I was driving in thinking, I've made it, you know, I've made it”“You can name any sport, basketball, football, whatever. [Rodeo] just isn't that way. These events started and evolved from ranching. They've molded it into a sport, and that's just outta cowboy try. I have a ranch, Pat ha
CONNECTION: Living Adventurously with Alastair Humphreys
Alastair Humphreys is a legend in the world of adventure. If you haven’t heard of him, here’s a few of things he’s gotten up to over the years …“Aged nine, he completed the 20 mile Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge, then the National 3 Peaks in 24 hours aged 13. At 15 he cycled off-road across England … Then after leaving school, he cycled from Pakistan to China, Land’s End to John O’Groats, Turkey to I
CONNECTION: The Lost Treasures of AlUla
In this series, we’re going to take you on a journey into the heart of one of the most ancient kingdoms on Earth. Located in the northwestern corner of Saudi Arabia, Alula is an oasis in the desert layered in 200,000 years of human history. But, until recently, it was closed to outsiders, and to this day only a handful of visitors have ever been. If you haven’t listened to our three-part on locat
IMMERSION: ‘We Will Never Fade:’ Protecting Native History at Tamástslikt
We thought we knew the Oregon Trail…Turns out, we only knew half the story.“The settling of the West,” says Bobbie Conner, “was the unsettling of the West for our people.”In this episode of The Hidden Trails of Oregon, we’re exploring the past, present and future of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes, whose ancestral homelands stretch across Eastern Oregon.In 1993, the 150th anniversary
ADVENTURE: Biking Around the World with a Mystery Illness
"There are people out there that have found incredible success in ultra-running and things by being tough as nails…and it just doesn't work for me. But what I can do is wake up in the morning and be like, oh, like I'm gonna stop for a coffee in 10 miles and that coffee's gonna taste so good…Relying on speaking positively to myself and…to other people, I think offers a lot more potential”
PATHWAYS July: UFO Parking, Shark Attacks, and Biking Around the World
Every month on Pathways, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton crack open a few stories, play their favorite clips, and take you on a whirlwind preview of what’s coming up this month on Armchair Explorer. It’s part travel hangout, part behind-the-scenes, and a whole lot of part “wait, you did what?”
Special Offer: we’ve revived our NEWSLETTER! (scroll to the bottom of our homepage
BEST OF EXPLORER: Discovering South America's Hidden Wonders with Dylan Thuras
Follow Atlas Obscura co-founder Dylan Thuras on a quest to discover South America’s hidden wonders. From the Last Incan Bridge and the Machu Picchu of the North to the Everlasting Lightning Storm and a statue of a squid fighting a whale the size of the statue of liberty (yes, you read that right), this is an epic ride through Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Peru’s weirdest and wildest wonders. Th
CONNECTION: Guarding the Voiceless with Peter Heller
"We paddled out to the first net, and there were 12 pilot whales huddled up against it, completely traumatized because they could hear the other 40 members of their pod being massacred yards away. They were screaming. I remember a little baby pilot whale breached and stuck her head out to look at us with curiosity. I took as a request - a sacred compact to speak for those who cannot speak
Let ‘er Buck! Broncos, Steers, Whiskey & Beer at the Pendleton Roundup
It might’ve been my first rodeo, but it won’t be my last!
“It’s part action movie, part rock show blurring into the superbowl. It feels modern, but bull riding itself goes back to the bronze age. And that’s true for rodeo contests in general: bull riding, barrel racing or wild cow milking, they’re all based on tradition, and in keeping those traditions alive.
‘Let ‘Er Buck’ makes a lo
PATHWAYS June – Buckin’ Broncos, Ancient Graffiti and the Secrets of Lake Baikal
Every month on Pathways, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton crack open a few stories, play their favorite clips, and take you on a whirlwind preview of what’s coming up this month on Armchair Explorer. It’s part travel hangout, part behind-the-scenes, and a whole lot of part “wait, you did what?”
Special Offer: we’ve revived our NEWSLETTER! (scroll to the bottom of our homepage t
Winging It in San Salvador
We’ve got something a little different but very special for you today. This episode comes from Winging It, a travel podcast hosted by my friend James Hammond, who you’ll hear from shortly. He takes us on an immersive, on-location audio adventure through San Salvador, El Salvador – and trust me, it’s a journey worth tagging along for.
James has a brilliant way of mixing practical travel ti
DISCOVER: South Australia Road Trip Part 2: The Wild Side
We're back for part two of our Discover series on the less travelled, but adventure-rich state of South Australia. Our Discover Guides are deep dives into new destinations, where we interview experts to get the ‘drum’ on the places they live and love. This series is produced as a road trip through a lesser-known part of Australia filled with natural wonders, wildlife and more than one hil
Alone Across Gola: Riding through the Rainforest with Adventurer Jude Kriwald
“At home, mindfulness is an app, a tool to fight the noise. In the wild, peace and calm rule by default … Out in the open, my mind is released from the noise. It sways with the trees and flows with the rivers. It blows over snow tipped mountaintops and down into wide sunlit valleys expanding to fill its surroundings. The vistas are bigger, but there is less to know.”
- Jude Kriwald
DISCOVER: South Australia Road Trip: From Adelaide to the Edge of the Outback
G’day and good onya! Our Discover Guides are deep dives into new destinations, where we interview experts to get the ‘drum’ on the places they live and love.
Today we’re excited to share the first of two episodes exploring South Australia, a less-trodden state rich in adventure, wildlife and natural beauty. This two-part series is produced as a road trip through a lesser-known part of Au
CONNECTION: Dreamtime Diving on the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system in the world. Covering an area of 135,000 square miles, it is bigger than the United Kingdom, Holland and Switzerland combined. Lay it out across Europe and it would reach from London to Moscow, making it is the largest living structure in the world and the only one visible from outer space.
Today, we’re going to the best place in the w
Introducing “Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant”
Today, we are sharing an episode of Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, the chart-topping and Webby Award-winning podcast from our friends at Nature on PBS. Back for a brand new season, Going Wild features some of the coolest champions of nature – like a former butterfly technician who
saved an endangered species while incarcerated, and a marine ecologist
who worked as a featured diver
IMMERSION: Homecoming: Chief Joseph’s Promise and the Flight of the Nez Perce
Welcome back to the Hidden Trails of Oregon! In the first episode
of our new season, host Aaron Millar heads to the eastern edge of the
state, far from the bustle of coastal cities and the craggy heights of
the cascade mountains.
We're going on location in the traditional lands of the Nez Perce to
uncover a piece of history unknown to most outsiders. In the
late 19th century, the Wa
DISCOVER: The Place Where Land and Sea Meet at Victoria, B.C.
In this episode, we’re heading to the city of Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. They call this the place where ‘land and sea meet, and cultures converge’. Victoria is a city surrounded by wild nature on all sides, from the tranquil waters of the Salish Sea to the mighty rainforests of Vancouver Island.
Our Discover Guides are deep dives into destinations
PATHWAYS: Dreamtime Dives, African Forests and Baby Kangaroos
Every month on Pathways, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton crack open a few stories, play their favorite clips, and take you on a whirlwind preview of what’s coming up this month on Armchair Explorer. It’s part travel hangout, part behind-the-scenes, and a whole lot of part “wait, you did what?”
In this episode, we’re going from the dreamtime waters of the Great Barrier Reef to t
ADVENTURE: From the Shadow of Denali Into the Thaw with Jon Waterman
Today we are taking a journey to the arctic circle, in the far north of the American continent. This is a story about climbing, and surviving, one of the tallest mountains on Earth. It’s about paddling through the most remote national park in America, the Gates of the Arctic; and it’s about finding wonder and hope in places where that hope is nearly lost.
Taking us on this journey is mo
DISCOVER: River Drifting, Reef Diving & Rainforest Wandering in Tropical North Queensland
In this episode, we’re heading deep into the wilds of Tropical North Queensland, Australia—where the oldest rainforest in the world meets the greatest reef on the planet. We’ll be connecting with an Aboriginal guide to learn indigenous perspectives on the land; doing something called ‘River Drifting’ through the ancient forests of Daintree; seeing the Great Barrier Reef from the sky and u
🎧 PATHWAYS: Rainforest Drifts, Kangaroo Islands & Denali’s Frozen Edge
This is your monthly guide to the world’s wildest travel stories – one adventure at a time.Every month on Pathways, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton crack open a few stories, play their favorite clips, and take you on a whirlwind preview of what’s coming up on Armchair Explorer. It’s part travel hangout, part behind-the-scenes, part “wait, you did what?”—and all of it is designe
BUCKET LIST: Eye-to-Eye with Giants: Whale Watching in Victoria, B.C.
"I've been guiding or working around whales now for almost over just about over a decade, and I still am in awe at all of the experiences that we have. It's just a wonder of a magnitude that people don't really get to experience anywhere else in urban life" – Nik Coutinho, Prince of WhalesIn this Bucket List episode, produced in our immersive documentary style, whale watching guide Nik Co
ADVENTURE: Becoming Forrest Gump: The Man Who Ran Across America Five Times (IRL)
In today’s episode, we’re joined by Rob Pope, the first person in the world to complete the legendary run made famous by one of Hollywood’s most beloved characters – Forrest Gump. Yes, you heard that right. Rob took on the challenge of following Forrest’s route mile by mile, crossing the country not once, but FIVE times. That’s like running from the North Pole to the South Pole, and then
BEST OF EXPLORER: Where’s Wallis? No Guidebook, No Google, No Clue with Best-selling Travel Author Brian Thacker
Follow best-selling travel author Brian Thacker on a unique, mad-cap adventure to three of the remotest countries on Earth. Inspired by the intrepid spirit of explorers of old, Brian decided to tear up the guidebook, switch off the phone and turn up to a country knowing absolutely nothing about it in advance.He picked three countries at random: the east African country of Togo, the South
PATHWAYS: Flight of the Nez Perce, the Prince of Whales and Run Forrest Run
At the start of every month, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton preview what’s coming up on Armchair Explorer, play their favorite clips, and reveal the stories they’re most excited to share.A cross between a highlight reel, an interview, and two people telling travel tales down the pub, our Pathways episodes are your guide to choosing your adventures with us.MARCH EPISODESADVENTU
ADVENTURE: The Long Ride Home: 10,000-miles on Horseback from Canada to Brazil
“I came face to face with grizzly bears. I had to befriend drug lords. I saw two people shot dead. I witnessed a guy trying to kill his wife with five gunshots. I crossed the tallest mountains in the world. I had to swim rivers with horses. I was lost in deserts and nothing, absolutely nothing, brought me more pain and heartache and stress than man made lines drawn across a map.” – Filipe
IMMERSION: Muskets, Marching and a Haunted Hospital
As soon as they walked into the barracks at Fort Sisseton, they were handed muskets - heavy Springfield 63s from the Civil war era - given a uniform and told to march. Presenter Brian Thacker and producer Jason Paton thought they were just covering the annual Sisseton historical festival, in South Dakota, as spectators. Turns out they were getting enlisted in the army. The Union Army th
Red Bull: How To Be Superhuman
Abdullah Zeinab’s epic Rhino Run adventure crossing South Africa and Namibia redefines what’s possible in endurance cycling. Unsupported and unforgiving, this grueling 1,700-mile ultra-cycling race put his mental strength, grit and resilience to the ultimate test through breathtaking but brutal landscapes – where a tiny detail, like a tiny screw, made a world of difference. This special f
Following in the Treads of the 1897 All Black Bicycle Corp with Erick Cedeño
“Those are my heroes, those guys paved the way for me to be able to travel through this country, free, and they're almost superhuman to me.” - Erick Cedeño, Bicycle NomadIn 2013, Erick Cedeño, aka. Bicycle Nomad, came across an old photograph that changed his life. Taken in 1897, it showed 20 black soldiers riding bicycles across the American West. As he dug deeper, he learned tha
PATHWAYS: Buffalo Soldiers, a Long Rider, and How to be a Superhuman
At the start of every month, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton preview what’s coming up on Armchair Explorer, play their favorite clips, and reveal the stories they’re most excited to share. A cross between a highlight reel, an interview, and two people telling travel tales down the pub, our Pathways episodes are your guide to choosing your adventures with us. February episodes:
JOURNEY: Canada’s Wild Rivers and Shimmering Lakes: Paddling Ontario by Canoe
In this episode, we dive into the soul of Ontario’s wild, tranquil landscapes alongside award-winning travel writer and photographer Alex Robinson. From serene canoe journeys gliding through Algonquin Provincial Park to exhilarating white-water escapades on the Madawaska River, this journey is an invitation to immerse yourself in the pristine waterways of the Canadian wilderness, and disc
IMMERSION: Irish Myths and Mysteries: Searching for St. Brigid on Location in Ireland
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
BUCKET LIST: In the Heart of Denali: Dream Sleeps on Alaska’s Ruth Glacier
In this Bucket List episode, Aaron Millar takes us to one of the most remote and breathtaking locations on Earth: Sheldon Chalet in Alaska. Perched on a rocky outcrop in the middle of the Ruth Glacier, 70-miles from civilization, with views of the east face of Denali out of your bedroom window, this is perhaps the most spectacular hotel in the world.From helicopter rides over frozen wilde
IMMERSION: The Elements of AlUla: Arabia’s Lost City and the Power of Water
Before the modern city of Alula rose to prominence, its natural springs and water systems were at the heart of its existence. For centuries, Alula's oasis has been a critical stop on the Incense Road, connecting cultures and trading routes across the Arabian Peninsula. Water, both from the sky and the earth, has sustained life here, and its management has shaped both the landscape and the
PERFORMANCE: Strings, Stories, and the Blues: Rick Rushing Live from Chattanooga
Before the bustling streets of Chattanooga and the sounds of modern life, the blues were born from the struggles and stories of generations past. Deep in the heart of this city in Tennessee, the blues pulse through the air, enriching the soil, and infusing every corner of this musical mecca.In this episode, we take you to the roots of this powerful genre, bringing you a live session with
ADVENTURE: Iceland: Surfing the Northern Lights & Riding the Forgotten Coast with Chris Burkard
In this episode, we journey into the wild, rugged landscapes of Iceland through the eyes of renowned photographer and filmmaker, Chris Burkard. From an unplanned surfing adventure under the Northern Lights to his grueling exploration of Iceland's remote "Forgotten Coast," Chris takes us on a path of discovery and inspiration.We explore the vast beauty of Iceland—from icy fjords and glacia
PATHWAYS: Northern Lights, Irish Saints and Alaskan Dreams
At the start of every month, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton preview what’s coming up on Armchair Explorer, play their favorite clips, and reveal the stories they’re most excited to share.A cross between a highlight reel, an interview, and two people telling travel tales down the pub, our Pathways episodes are your guide to choosing your adventures with us.October episodes:ADVE
IMMERSION: Wellness in the Desert: Sacred Waters, Sound Baths, and Starry Skies
Before movie star colonies, country clubs and pool parties, the first people to lay claim to Palm Springs were the Agua Caliente band of Cahuilla Indians. The spring waters were sacred to the local tribes, and today people from around the world visit the area to take in its healing waters. But there’s wellness in more than just the water. The desert surrounding Greater Palm Springs is bel
BUCKET LIST: 100-mile Pub Crawl along the South Downs Way, England
In this Bucket List episode, host Aaron Millar recounts the most audacious, tipsiest, and ridiculous hike of his life: a 100-mile pub crawl across the entire length of the South Downs National Park, near his hometown of Brighton England. “Should you ever happen to find yourself walking with only one boot on in the middle of the night,” Aaron writes, “the one thing you don’t want to read w
BUCKET LIST: The Everest of Great White Shark Cages Dives
On today’s bucket list episode, we are following award-winning travel writer James Stewart as he attempts the ‘Everest of Cage Dives’.In the Neptune Islands of Australia, home to the most great white sharks on the planet, there is a cage dive that drops you all the way to the ocean floor. And it was set up by the man who survived the shark attack that inspired the movie, Jaws.This adventu
IMMERSION: Land of Stone and Light: On Location in Badlands National Park
They call it The Land of Stone and Light because of the way sunlight plays on its rocky terrain. It is a geological tapestry of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires, home to one of the richest fossil beds on the planet. The Lakota people called it Mako Sica, which is where it got its name. But there is nothing bad about the Badlands.Recorded on location in immersive stereo surroun
ADVENTURE: Whale Warriors and Eco-Pirates: Patrolling the Southern Ocean with Best-Selling Author Peter Heller
“… tied up at the pier was this all-black pirate ship with the Jolly Roger flag at the bow. It was menacing as hell, and I walked up to the superstructure, and there on the on the outer bulkhead, was all these skulls and crossbones. They were the names of all ships these guys had sunk or rammed on the high seas.”In 2005, adventure journalist and best-selling novelist Peter Heller, spent s
PATHWAYS: Ancient Kingdoms, Badlands and the Everest of Cage Dives
At the start of every month, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton preview what’s coming up on Armchair Explorer, play their favorite clips, and reveal the stories they’re most excited to share.A cross between a highlight reel, an interview, and two people telling travel tales down the pub, our Pathways episodes are your guide to choosing your adventures with us.December episodes:ADV
IMMERSION: Pizza Farms, Fish Boils and Sacred Corn: Here’s to Those Who Wisconsin
“The thing about eating a meal with people is it breaks down barriers … But then beer elevates that to the magic of the intoxication of a shared experience. That is why beer and pizza go well together - the primal solving of the human conflict problem and the primal mysticism, paired perfectly.” – Tony Schultz, Stoney Acres FarmHere’s to those who Wisconsin … that’s what they say in this
IMMERSION: Glamour in the Desert: Shag houses, Mr Tiki and Sinatra’s Favorite Haunt
Palm Springs is a must-visit for cinephiles, history buffs, adventure seekers, architecture enthusiasts and foodies, but this desert city is better known as the home of glitz and glamour. Today, we are stepping back in time to when Palm Springs was Hollywood’s favorite hideaway, when mid-century architecture shaped the town and suavely clad folk sipped martinis by the pool. In this episod
INSIGHT: Butch Cassidy, Stagecoach, and the Lone Ranger: Riding into the Sunset in Utah
“People can't believe how we live out here on the land, and under the stars. Maybe it's just the freedom of it. Once you get that red dirt in your blood and your socks, you can't get rid of either one of them. It just stays with you, and you’re going to find that out if you stick around very long.”Norris Church, KanabThe Western is as finely layered as the red rock deserts and dusty towns
IMMERSION: The Elements of AlUla: Arabia’s Lost City and the Adventure of Air
“I'm dangling 250-feet above a canyon, and I'm about to get dropped. This is what AlUla is all about. It's got desert treasures, it's got 200,000 years of history, but it's also got adventure. And we're going to start ours by soaring through the air. Are you ready? Let's do this …”Aaron Millar, host In this series, we’re going to take you on a journey into the heart of one of the most anc
ADVENTURE: Living with Wolves: Filmmakers Jim and Jamie Dutcher’s six-year adventure camping with the Sawtooth Pack
“There was one time when one of the young wolves was licking my face, and his canine went up my nose, and I was like, oh, okay, don't move. He wasn't trying to bite me; it was justexcitement. But it was an awesome, eerie, and strangely wonderful experience.” - Jamie DutcherBefore the arrival of European settlers, it is estimated as many as 500,000 wolves roamed freely across the contin
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