Top Five TV Travel Show Hosts

I love travel shows and it is most of what I watch on TV with the exception of some sports and a few science fiction programs (Doctor Who anyone?). Many times it is the host of the show that will make or break the program.  With that in mind here are my top five favorite hosts:

#5) Megan McCormick. This host is one of the rotating crew on PBS’s Globe Trekker series. A Boston University graduate and a Florida native she worked overseas as an English teacher and for MSNBC prior to taking the job at Globe Trekker.  She comes across as an experienced traveler that you would not be surprised to see traveling the world with a backpack even if there were no cameras present.  Her style of travel does seem to be more conducive to this type of budget minded itinerary.

#4) /Michael_Palin. This Monty Python star has been hosting travel shows for the BBC for over twenty years. He is a serious traveler with a broad range of interests but you can see his sense of humor and light-hearted demeanor come through. The obvious joy he has in traveling is evident and draws you into whatever destination he is talking about.

#3) Samantha Brown. Make sure you take your diabetes medicine Sam can induce a sweetness overload. Here charm and joie de vivre overcome this and you cannot help but fall into her spell as she gallivants across the globe. Do not under-estimate the savvy traveler and shrewd businesswoman; beyond her cuteness is an experienced travel show host.

#2) Andrew Zimmern.  People love watching Andrew eat things they would never even consider. Beyond this voyeuristic aspect he is a knowledgeable traveler who has traveled the world eating his way through every continent.

#1) Rick Steves. When it comes to Europe you would be hard pressed to find anyone with more knowledge of the destination than Rick.  He has a homesy down to earth demeanor and you just get a feeling that if there is something you should know about a destination he is going to explain it to you. Catch his lectures on the podcast Rick Steves Travel Talks: half hour lectures on art and history from a travel perspective.

These are my favorites, what are yours?

Top Five TV Travel Shows

When it is not possible to travel the next best thing is to vicariously wander the world via the flat screen in the living room.  I enjoy travel shows to both revisit destinations I have been lucky enough to visit in the past as well as a means to get ideas about future explorations.  When I travel I want to see the big sights; the iconic buildings and landscapes, National Parks and World Heritage Sites. Although the amount of travel programming is so much more than what it used to be there are times I miss the travel programs of old.  The emphasis used to be on the great sights and “tourist attractions” now the focus is on cultural experiences.  A mixture of the two styles is more my preferred mode of travel.  With my particular travel focus in mind here are my favorite five travel TV shows.  Most of these are still available over the air or if not, available either through a streaming service or DVD.

#5) Any show hosted by Samantha Brown.  The list of programs from this prolific travel host is long; Girl Meets Hawaii, Great Hotels, Passport to Europe and Samantha Brown’s Asia to just name a few.  Samantha who hails from my home state of New Hampshire is a perky, cute and energetic host who brings to every subject be it hotel, cruise ship or destination the highlights that will make your trip memorable.  She may be overly perky for some tastes but the enthusiasm she brings compensates for the sweetness overload.  She has a new show called Places to Love coming to PBS soon.

#4) Rick Steve’s Europe. Rick is one of the most knowledgeable tour guide authors you can find and he most definitely brings that knowledge to his European travel TV shows.  His shows have a great mix of sights, food and culture and he captures the essence of each location he covers.  I also highly recommend both of his travel podcasts. Travel with Rick Steves covers several travel related topics per episode. Rick Steves Travel Talks is an interesting show as it is a series of lectures by Rick on art and history with a travel bent.

#3) Bizarre Foods. This show is more geared to the foodie in the audience and the more extreme one at that. I cannot agree more with the host Andrew Zimmern when he says the best way to experience a culture or a destination is to share a meal and eat like a local.  To do this you must put aside the food prejudices that we all have and be adventurous. Whether it is organ meat, strange creatures or off putting textures this show is going to show you the options in all their glory.

#2) Globe Trekker. This long running show has a rotating cadre of hosts some of whom I like more than others.  The hour long show seen on PBS stations coves a gamut of travel destinations ranging from city tours to countries to road trips.  On one show you might see a road trip on the rust belt in Midwestern United States and the next the silk road in Central Asia.  The best part about the show is the even mix between sights and culture.

#1) departures. This Canadian series features two high school friends (Scott Wilson and Justin Lukach) as they travel around the world going to some very unique destinations as well as some more routine areas. The two friends along with cameraman Andres Dupuis take you to the Cook Islands, Ascension Island, North Korea and Mongolia.  The camaraderie and convivial nature of the hosts and the exotic destinations make this show something you do not normally see on TV.

Honorable Mention. Shows hosted by Anthony Bourdain or Michael Palin.  Starting with his first and I think his best show A Cook’s Tour leading up to his prime time CNN show Parts Unknown Tony has brought his unique perspective to the airwaves.  His focus is on the cultural experience of the destination and its food.  Michael Palin formerly of Monty Python fame has hosted numerous travel shows for the BBC for the last 25 years. He has an irreverent style and his obvious love of travel comes through in each of his series.

These are my favorites check them out and let me know what you think and which ones are your favorites.

Saint Croix Island International Historic Site

This tiny little park is in the far reaches of Washington County Maine near the Canadian border about halfway between Eastport and Calais on Route 1.  The park has a special meaning for me as my parents retired to this area which is quite close to my mother’s hometown of Eastport, Maine.  I used to come here often when the park was very under-developed with only an interpretive shelter open.  In recent years a short walking tour with statues of the local Passamaquoddy native american tribe and the ill-fated explorers who wintered over on the island representing a historical overview of the site.  There is also a visitor center open seasonally during the summer.  The actual site of the colony is in the middle of the St. Croix river and is not accessible from the park.  On the Canadian side of the river there is a Parks Canada site also commemorating the colonization effort.

New photo by Wanderlust Family Adventure / Google Photos

Pierre Dugua led the colonization effort during the winter of 1604/1605 with devastating results. Thirty-five of the Seventy-nine men left on the island perished.  The colony was dismantled and relocated to Nova Scotia. This first effort at colonization brought some hard earned lessons that were used in future endeavors by France to colonize the New World.

Restaurant Reviews – Kentucky Fried Chicken (Multiple Locations)

I am not adverse to fast food and in fact find it to be very convenient when on a long road trip or when I am running late after a long day at work. In times like these the last thing I want to do is cook something or spend time finding and going to a sit down restaurant.  Having said all that what are the menu options and recommendations if a KFC crosses your path when you are in the need for something quick.

Obviously chicken is what is on the menu.  There are three varieties to choose from original recipe, extra crispy and grilled.  I personally prefer the original recipe as I believe it has the most flavor with its cliché 11 herbs and spices. It is a tasty coating and gives the chicken a distinctive flavor.  The chicken is pressure cooked and comes out soft and not crunchy.  If you prefer something more southern fried chicken style try the extra crispy.  The chicken is very crispy but not as flavor-able.  The grilled chicken is too dry to my liking. Whether you get the extras crispy or the original recipe the legs and thighs will always be very moist and juicy.  Unfortunately the breasts and wings can be very dry depending on what location you go to.  This can even vary within the same location depending on the batch.

There are some other options to sample as well.  The popcorn chicken is very dry and really not worth it.  The chicken strips are meaty and although not super moist a good alternative to the bone in chicken.  The hot wings are mildly spicy and tasty but are reminiscent of something you would get in the supermarket frozen food section.  There is also a chicken pot pie or chicken sandwich option.

Dinner options come with buttermilk type southern biscuits which are flaky and crumbly in texture. The side dishes that are available vary in type and quality,  The potato wedges are well spiced and good when hot.  As soon as they get cold they become unpalatable.  The mashed potato and gravy are very good and I know people who will go to KFC for just that.  The cole slaw is also quite unique and a favorite for many.  Other options are green beans, corn (either whole kernel or corn on the cob) and mac and cheese.

Desert brings several options one of which is exceptional.  The cake and cookies are very standard and unremarkable.  The hot apple pie is something else altogether.  Definitely a fast food item but the crispy crust and the piping hot soft apple filling is very tasty.

Even with all of its faults KFC is at the pinnacle of the major fast food options.

The Seven Pillars of a Homestead Lifestyle – How To

I have dabbled with a homestead or off the grid lifestyle for years practicing some of the skills needed but was never able to give up the amenities I was used to or willing to put in the work and effort necessary to make the transition.  My love for travel has also been at odds with this type of lifestyle.

New photo by Wanderlust Family Adventure / Google Photos
New photo by Wanderlust Family Adventure / Google Photos

Far from being an expert and with limited first hand experience take my advise for what it is, musings of a dreamer.  In my estimation there are seven skills that must be mastered to fulfill the reality of living self sufficiently.  I will not go into how to become efficient in any of these categories.  There are so many resources for all of these skills from canning to gardening to hunting and fishing. My goal is to let you know what skills you will need to master to attempt this lifestyle.

  1. Agriculture                                                                                                                                                  The first of these skills and perhaps the most obvious is the ability to grow a sizable portion of the produce for your family’s personal consumption and to provide fodder for whatever animals you may have.  You will need to think beyond the vegetable garden and think of hay fields and growing mangels (fodder beats) or pumpkins as animal feed.  Fast growing prolific vegetables that you can can, pickle, freeze or otherwise preserve should be a priority.  A lot of this will depend on the amount of land you have.  Do you have enough land to plant corn, wheat or some other grain?  Can you provide pasture or hay production?  Work with what you have, it is amazing how much you can grow even in a small backyard setting.  Another example of agriculture that is overlooked is to take advantage of wooded areas or fields around you. “Forest farming” can be a way to extend your productive land.  Is there an area with a good berry patch, a wild mushroom tree, or some wild asparagus?  See if you can help out these areas so that these wild additions to your “garden” can spread and propagate.  A little helping hand may reap benefits in years to come.
  2. New photo by Wanderlust Family Adventure / Google Photos
    New photo by Wanderlust Family Adventure / Google Photos
  3. Animal Husbandry                                                                                                                                    This can be as wide ranging and varied as the gardening options discussed above.  Animal husbandry can provide you with meat (protein and fat), eggs, honey, fiber, leather and dairy products.  If you dreamed of owning your own dairy cow remember an average cow will yield ~ 8 gallons of milk per day during her lactating period whereas a dairy goat will yield about 1/5 of that amount. You will have to learn about ways to utilize this excess milk.  Think about butter production, yogurt, buttermilk, ice cream or simply animal feed.  Meat animals can be cows, sheep, goats or pigs.  Think about purchasing suckling pigs and raising them for slaughter.  A better feed to meat conversion can be had with smaller animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs or rats.  Do not be meat prejudiced, millions of people in the world eat rat as a main part of their diet.  Fiber and leather can be a useful side product.  Poultry can provide both meat and eggs.  I have raised turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea hens and chickens and the eggs are all similar in taste if not size.  The taste of fresh eggs however cannot be beat. Do not overlook insects not just bees for honey but worms for bait or other insect species for added protein sources.
  4. Hunting/Fishing/Trapping                                                                                                                   Keep in mind that you are hunting for the pot and fishing for the pan.  A big game animal will provide you with a lot of meat but remember that that is your purpose and not a trophy.  Smaller game animals such as rabbit and squirrel or birds can be a greater return for the effort.  The same can be said for fishing remember you are fishing to eat so forego any catch and release species.  Twenty bluegill are better than one bass.  If you are a trapper the animal does not have to be only for fur it can be meat as well.
  5. Foraging                                                                                                                                                      This is the most important area to make sure you get proper training before you go out and try sampling any wild edible.  Mushroom collecting can be especially dangerous but there are also many poisonous plants that must be avoided.  In addition to obtaining food for your own use do not forget to gather nuts such as acorns or other tree nuts mast for animals.  There are certainly some crops such as wild berries and some tree nuts that can be utilized in quantity as well as just providing supplemental ingredients.  Do not forget to find some maple or birch trees where sap can be gathered for sugar production.
  6. Gleaning                                                                                                                                                               Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops from farmers’ fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable. This is a great way to obtain large quantities of produce for your personal use.  The best items I have been able to glean are potatoes and winter squash.  Sometimes some of the produce will be damaged by the mechanical harvester and these should be processed or used immediately.  Often however whole vegetables can be obtained from the field perfect for the root cellar.  Always be sure you ask permission of the farmer prior to gleaning the field.  A different type of gleaning is to utilize the discarded produce and other foodstuffs from the green grocer, supermarket or restaurant.  This product is perfect for animal feed and can greatly supplement the food cost for your livestock.  Again talk to the establishment and enquire about the possibility of utilizing this material.  Make sure you make it clear that it is for livestock feed to avoid any liability concerns they might have.  Another option for gathering some unwanted food is to befriend the local commercial fisherman.  Quite often when they are fishing for a certain species they will get a quantity of “bycatch.” this is the so-called “trash” fish which is not commercially viable.  Many of these species are delicious and vastly under-appreciated.  With a little creativity in the kitchen wonderful meals can be had.  Just by talking and befriending the local fisherman my father would get bags of herring recently brought in from the weirs.  We would pickle and can this herring and have a year’s supply of pickled fish in our pantry.
  7. Scavanging                                                                                                                                               It is important to keep your eyes open.  Any number of useful items are free for the taking as they are being discarded by their owners.  Used equipment that may only require minor repairs or could supply parts is one example. Don’t overlook anything, used pallets can be firewood, fencing for the pig pen or construction material.
  8. Tinkering                                                                                                                                                    Mechanical aptitude is important.  The ability to maintain or repair small engines or create something out of scrap parts can be invaluable. Skills such as carpentry, plumbing, etc. will all come in handy.

These are the skills you will need. There is nothing like first hand experience do some research and get started.

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