Dark Sky Parks

Dark Sky Parks

Have you ever actually seen the Milky Way with your own eyes? Not a photo — the real thing, overhead, arching across a pitch-black sky? If not, this episode is for you. Susan and Monica dive into the world of Dark Sky Parks — what they are, how places earn that designation, and what it actually takes to visit one and see something that will genuinely blow your mind. 🌠 IN THIS EPISODE: • What a Dark Sky Park actually is (and why 99% of Americans have never seen a truly dark sky) • The 5 types of Dark Sky designations — parks, reserves, sanctuaries, communities & urban night sky places • How a park becomes certified — the 1-3 year process, the Bortle Scale, and what it all means • How many dark sky places exist in the US and worldwide • Why 70% of wildlife species are nocturnal — and why protecting dark skies matters for animals too • The visitor protocol: moon phases, red lights, dark adaptation, what to pack & what NOT to do (Susan's headlight story 😬) • McDonald Observatory's Star Party near Alpine, TX — a great local option! • Book recommendation: "Stikky Night Skies" by Laurence Holt — a beginner-friendly star guide we loved • App recommendation: Stellarium Mobile • Plus: telescope farms, buying a star, and a book giveaway coming soon! ⏱️ CHAPTERS: See below ↓ 📚 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: → Stikky Night Skies by Laurence Holt (part of a series of books) → Stellarium Mobile Star App (free) → McDonald Observatory Star Party — Fort Davis, TX (~$25/person) → DarkSky International: darksky.org 🏕️ NOTABLE US DARK SKY PARKS: Joshua Tree · Arches · Bryce Canyon · Death Valley · Big Bend · Zion · Great Basin · Mammoth Cave 🎙️ Two Chicks with Hiking Sticks covers the cultural, historical, and natural wonders of the world around us. New episodes regularly — subscribe so you don't miss one! Don't forget to check out the Stikky Night Skies https://stikky.com/ #DarkSkyParks #Stargazing #NationalParks #MilkyWay #NightSky #Astronomy #HikingPodcast #TwoChicksWithHikingSticks #BigBend #McDonaldObservatory ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Texas' Only Natural Lake Has a WILD History

Texas has one natural lake — and most people have never heard of it. 🌿 Caddo Lake State Park in East Texas is unlike anywhere else in the Lone Star State. We're talking 400-year-old bald cypress trees draped in Spanish moss, a swamp full of alligators, 12,000 years of human history, and a founding father of the Republic of Texas who was shot dead in the water on Independence Day. Yeah. It's THAT kind of place. In this episode we cover everything you need to know: 🏹 HISTORY - 10,000 BC – The first humans settle the Caddo Lake area - The Caddo Nation — their origin story, culture, and forced removal - The CCC cabins built in the 1930s that you can still stay in today 🌊 THE LAKE - Texas' ONLY natural lake — formed by a massive log jam called the "Great Raft" - Home to the largest flooded bald cypress forest in the United States - Internationally protected under the Ramsar Wetlands Convention 🎣 THINGS TO DO - Kayaking & canoeing through an ancient cypress maze - World-class fishing — 71 species including largemouth bass and crappie - Hiking, birdwatching (200+ species!), and wildlife photography - Staying in the historic 1930s CCC log cabins 📍 Caddo Lake State Park | Near Karnack, TX | ~150 miles east of Dallas 🔔 Subscribe for more Texas travel, state parks, and hidden history episodes. ——————————————————————— LINKS & RESOURCES - Reserve campsites & cabins: https://texasstateparks.reserveamerica.com - Park info: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/caddo-lake - Texas State Parks Pass (free entry to all 89 parks): https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/park-pass ——————————————————————— #CaddoLake #TexasStatePark #EastTexas #TexasHistory #HiddenGem #TexasTravel #OutdoorTexas #CypressForest #Kayaking #Fishing #TexasIndependence #NativeAmerican #CaddoNation #TexasPodcast #StateParks #NaturePodcast #TexasNature #SwampLife #WildlifeTexas ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Arches National Park Guide

Welcome back to Two Chicks with Hiking Sticks! 🏜️ In this episode, we're heading to one of the most jaw-dropping places on Earth — Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. Home to over 2,000 natural sandstone arches (yes, TWO THOUSAND!), this park is a bucket-list destination for a reason — and we're breaking down everything you need to know before you visit. In this episode we cover: •      The fascinating history of how Arches went from a cattle ranch to a National Park •      The geology behind those incredible arches — and why they're still forming (and falling!) today •      The best easy-to-moderate hikes for the 50+ crowd — including Landscape Arch, the Windows Loop, and the iconic Delicate Arch trail •      A complete first-timer's itinerary so you don't waste a single minute •      Cultural history including ancient petroglyphs and Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire Whether you're planning your first trip or returning to see it through fresh eyes, this episode is your go-to guide for Arches National Park. 📍 Location: Moab, Utah | Arches National Park 🎙️ Two Chicks with Hiking Sticks explores the intersections of culture, history, and the natural world — one trail at a time. 🔔 Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode! #ArchesNationalPark #NationalParks #MoabUtah #HikingOver50 #WomenWhoHike #NationalParkService #DelicateArch #UtahHiking #TwoChicksWithHikingSticks #DesertHiking #BucketList #OutdoorWomen #HikingLife #ExploreMore #NPSParks #ActiveOver50 #AdventureTravel #VisitUtah #RedRockCountry #LandscapeArch ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

She Freed 700 people in One Night

She escaped slavery alone at night. Then went back. Thirteen times. In this episode, we dive deep into the full, extraordinary life of Harriet Tubman — from her brutal childhood on Maryland's Eastern Shore, to her daring escapes on the Underground Railroad, to her secret career as a Union Army spy who led the most successful military liberation raid in American history — freeing over 700 people in a single night. We cover: ✅ Her complete biography — the real story, not the sanitized version ✅ How the Underground Railroad actually worked ✅ Her role as spy, scout & the first woman to lead a U.S. military raid ✅ The Harriet Tubman National Historic Sites — Maryland & Auburn, NY ✅ Where you can actually HIKE the Underground Railroad routes today ✅ The 2019 film "Harriet" ✅ Fascinating lesser-known facts that will leave you speechless This is the Harriet Tubman most history books were too afraid to show you. It's about a woman who carried a pistol, ran a spy network entirely from memory, fought for women's suffrage into her 80s, and built a home for the elderly while living in poverty herself. She was, in every sense, extraordinary. 🗺️ PLAN YOUR VISIT: Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park (MD): nps.gov/hatu Harriet Tubman National Historical Park (Auburn, NY): nps.gov/hart Full Byway Guide: harriettubmanbyway.org 👍 Like, subscribe, and share if this story moved you — because it should. #HarrietTubman #UndergroundRailroad #BlackHistory #AmericanHistory #HarrietTubmanMovie #CivilWarHistory #WomensHistory #MosesOfHerPeople #HistoryPodcast #BlackAmericanHistory #HarrietTubmanNationalPark #UndergroundRailroadHistory #CombaheeRiverRaid #Abolitionist #TrueHistory #HistoryFacts #BlackHistoryMonth #AmericanHeroes #HiddenHistory #WomensRights #SuffragistHistory #MilitaryHistory #SpyHistory #NationalParks #HikingHistory #HarrietTubmanByway #HarrietMovie #CynthiaErivo #HistoryLovers #UntoldHistory ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How FDR's Depression-Era 'Tree Army' Built America's National Parks

In 1933, with 25% of Americans out of work and the land itself in crisis, FDR launched one of the most ambitious — and successful — programs in American history: the Civilian Conservation Corps. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the CCC — how it was created in just 10 days, how 3 million young men were put to work across America's most iconic landscapes, and how the structures they built with their own hands still stand in our national parks today. We cover: → The twin crises of the Great Depression and environmental collapse that forced FDR's hand → How Congress approved the CCC in just 10 days — the fastest peacetime mobilization in U.S. history → What daily life was really like in CCC camps: $30/month wages, Army discipline, and raging homesickness → The monumental work done in Shenandoah, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Zion, and beyond → The "NPS Rustic" architectural style the CCC spread to hundreds of parks nationwide → The complicated story of race, segregation, and the 250,000 Black men who served → The stories, poems, and personal accounts left behind by the men themselves If you've ever hiked a trail, crossed a stone bridge, or stood at an overlook in a national park — you've likely seen the work of the CCC. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.