“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, Stony Acres Farm Here’s to those who Wisconsin … that’s what they say in this part of the world.  Because traveling here is not so much about exploring a place as discovering a mindset.  In this two-part documentary series, recorded on location, we’ll be searching for tha ..read more

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 episode, we’re going to visit Frank Sinatra (or his house and favorite restaurant at least), tour the Shag House with Shag himself, meet Barbie and Elvis for dinner and craft cocktails with Palm Springs very ..read more

“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, Kanab The Western is as finely layered as the red rock deserts and dusty towns that serve as their backdrop. Ever since they first appeared on the silver screen, Westerns have been rife with opposing viewpoints, contradictions and complexities as varied as the people who watched them ..read more

“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 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 ..read more

“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 just excitement. But it was an awesome, eerie, and strangely wonderful experience.” - Jamie Dutcher Before the arrival of European settlers, it is estimated as many as 500,000 wolves roamed freely across the continental United States. By the 1970s, after decades of systematic eradication, there were fewer than 1000 left. And despite the fact that our best friends, the dog, are descended from them to this day they are oft ..read more

“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 just excitement. But it was an awesome, eerie, and strangely wonderful experience.” - Jamie Dutcher Before the arrival of European settlers, it is estimated as many as 500,000 wolves roamed freely across the continental United States. By the 1970s, after decades of systematic eradication, there were fewer than 1000 left. And despite the fact that our best friends, the dog, are descended from them to this day they are oft ..read more

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: ADVENTURE: Wildlife film makers Jim and Jamie Dutcher spend six years living with a pack of wolves in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. IMMERSION: We go on location to the Arabian deserts of AlUla in search of a ..read more

“I was lying in a coffin in the catacombs beneath London Bridge while a clairvoyant called to the spirits around me to make themselves known. To say this was not a normal Saturday night would be to grossly understate the point.” And so begins, the second of our Halloween specials – a bucket list ghost hunt in the London Tombs. When these ancient catacombs were being excavated in 2007, they were found to house the remains of plague victims who had been buried there centuries before. The builders working at the time reported numerous strange goings on and insisted on working in pairs for fear of ..read more

They called it the ‘End of the Line’. For over a century, Brushy Mountain prison held some of the most violent murderers, rapists and serial killers in the country. If you wore out your welcome at another prison or your crime was among the most unspeakable committed, this was where you ended up. And once you walked through the doors, almost no one walked out.  Located in the remote hills of Eastern Tennessee, the prison was closed in 2009. But the ghosts of the brutality that was committed there still remain. Today, the grounds hold the world’s first (legal) prison whisky distillery, and ..read more

When Alastair Humphreys was young, he craved something unknowable. That something - adventure, excitement, wisdom, whatever it was - was close. But he suspected that in order to find it, he'd have to step outside of the familiar shapes of his routines. He'd have to break free from the expectations of his friends and family, of advanced degrees and office jobs and apartment living. In his search for something, he moved to a rural village in Africa at 18. And after university, he cycled across 6 continents and pedaled the circumference of the globe. But he still hadn't quite found that something ..read more