Best Josh from Missouri Podcasts (2025)

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Learning the Language of the Mississippi River with John Ruskey 1:12:47

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4h ago1:12:47

1:12:47

Send us a text In this episode, I interview long-time river guide and Sage of the Lower Mississippi, John Ruskey. John has been guiding and living on the Mississippi for nearly 30 years, so I start by letting him describe the Lower Mississippi River that he knows. We talk about some of the river’s characteristics that make it a special place, inclu…

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The Mississippi’s Forgotten People: Life on Shantyboats and the Margins of American Society 1:20:32

28d ago1:20:32

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Send us a text A hundred years ago, shantyboat communities could be found along many rivers in the US. Historian Gregg Andrews went in-depth to research these communities, inspired in part by the discovery of a personal connection to them, which resulted in a book called “Shantyboats and Roustabouts: The River Poor of St. Louis, 1875 to 1930.” In t…

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Beyond Mark Twain: Faye Dant on Hannibal's African American Stories 1:08:10

2M ago1:08:10

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Send us a text You probably know a little bit about Hannibal, Missouri, because of the books written by a guy named Mark Twain, but I bet you don’t know much about the history of African Americans who’ve lived in Hannibal, even though Hannibal has had African American residents from its earliest days. I didn’t until I talked with Faye Dant, founder…

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Tips for Traveling the Great River Road, Part 2 1:04:27

3M ago1:04:27

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Send us a text Our summer road trip down the Great River Road continues in this episode. We start just after Lake Pepin and make our way to the Mississippi’s confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois. Along the way, I’ll comment on the following places: the Upper Mississippi River National Fish & Wildlife Refuge; Winona, Minnesota; in Wisco…

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Tips for Traveling the Great River Road, Part 1 1:04:27

3M ago1:04:27

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Send us a text It’s summer and many of y’all will be hitting the road to travel and see something new (or revisit places you enjoy). I haven’t done a travel-themed podcast in a while, so in the next couple of episodes, I’m going to go over the highlights of driving the Great River Road. In this episode, I start with an overview of what to expect fr…

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The Missouri River, Part 2: Channelization, Community, and Recreation 48:44

4M ago48:44

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Send us a text In this episode, we continue our detour along the Missouri River with part 2 of my conversation with Steve Schnarr from Missouri River Relief. In part two, Steve describes the process the Corps of Engineers used to channelize the river, how it changed the river, what we lost, and how some folks gained new land. He talks about a Misso…

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The Missouri River, Part 1: Geography, Ecology, and Human Impacts 58:01

4M ago58:01

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Send us a text In this episode, we detour off the main channel of the Mississippi River to get to know its longest tributary: the Missouri River. Our guide for this exploration is Steve Schnarr, Race Director for Missouri River Relief. We covered a lot of territory (like the Missouri River), so our conversation is split between two episodes. In thi…

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The First National Mississippi River Day: Building Community Around the Big River 47:08

4M ago47:08

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Send us a text February 1 is National Baked Alaska Day. April 14 is National Ex-Spouse Day, but April 22 marks Earth Day. We’ve had these (and more!) national days celebrating things silly and crucial, but we’ve never had a National Mississippi River Day. Until this year. It’s long overdue. On June 2, we’ll celebrate the first National Mississippi …

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River to Table: Josh Galliano on Campfire Cooking 1:02:46

5M ago1:02:46

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Send us a text In this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with accomplished chef and St. Louis area resident Josh Galliano. We talk about his path to becoming a chef and the family and cultural influences. He grew up in southern Louisiana near the Mississippi River, where he had regular access to fresh, seasonal products. Mostly, though, we ta…

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Murder on the Mississippi: Frank Dodge Explores Identity and Deception on the River 26:26

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Send us a text In 1964, four members of the Ku Klux Klan killed two African American men in Mississippi. The story of their murder and the following decades of stops and starts in the prosecution of their killers inspired my latest Frank Dodge mystery: Murder on the Mississippi. In this episode, I give some background on the murder of Dee and Moore…

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From Roots to Routes: Making the Leap to Full-Time RV Life 1:00:16

7M ago1:00:16

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Send us a text Living out of an RV or van seems more possible than ever before, and, based on what’s out there on social media, a lot of people have already taken the plunge. If you’re someone who is curious about what it takes to make the switch to full-time RV life, this episode is for you. I talk with Patti Hunt, host of the RV Life podcast, and…

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Holding Back the Waters: The Upper Mississippi Flood of 1965 36:40

7M ago36:40

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Send us a text In April 1965, the Upper Mississippi River surged to heights never before recorded, threatening to swallow entire towns whole. This episode plunges you into the chaos as the perfect storm—deep snowpack, torrential rain, and frozen ground—transformed America's greatest river into an unstoppable force. Journey from the imperiled bridge…

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Before MLK: Iowa's 19th-Century Civil Rights Pioneers 25:21

8M ago25:21

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Send us a text In this week's episode, we uncover the surprising story of Iowa's pivotal role in African American civil rights. From the groundbreaking 1839 court case that made Iowa a free territory to the remarkable story of Charlotta Pyles—a formerly enslaved woman who raised $3,000 through East Coast speaking tours to free her family members—we…

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Uncharted Currents: Jon Kukuk on Growing Up in a Small Town Next to the Mississippi River 1:14:20

8M ago1:14:20

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Send us a text You may never have heard of Dallas City, Illinois, but to the folks who grew up there, Dallas City was idyllic. The town had a small but diverse business community. Crime was rare and mostly petty stuff. The local streams, creeks, and woods fed a child’s curiosity. And the biggest playground, the Mississippi, challenged and calmed yo…

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Trash Talk: Inside America's Largest River Cleanup Organization, Living Lands & Waters 1:03:57

9M ago1:03:57

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Send us a text What started out as one guy with a jon boat picking up trash along the Mississippi in his hometown has since evolved into one of the largest, best known, most inspirational organizations in the country. In this episode, Educational Facilitator Mike Coyne-Logan describes how Living Lands & Waters (LLW) grew from the hands and mind of …

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River Songs & Gratitude: Wrapping up 2024 17:23

11M ago17:23

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Send us a text A busy year is coming to an end, so we’re going to ease our way out of 2024 with a short episode that features a note of thanks and bonus interview content. This year, I asked eight interviewees to pick a song that represents something about their experiences with the Mississippi River. I’ve spliced together their picks for this epis…

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What Can the Mississippi’s Past Tell Us About Its Future? A Conversation with Historian John Anfinson 1:11:02

11M ago1:11:02

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Send us a text Historian John Anfinson has spent much of his adult life working in jobs that keep him close to the Mississippi River, first with the US Army Corps of Engineers, then later with the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, a part of the National Park Service. In this episode, we have a wide-ranging discussion about his career …

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Traveling the Mississippi One Week at a Time: Anne Sherve-Ose's 13-Year Journey Down the River 50:29

12M ago50:29

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Send us a text Every year, dozens of people load up their canoes or kayaks and set out to travel the length of the Mississippi River. Anne Sherve-Ose and two friends took a different approach. Over the course of 13 years, they paddled the Mississippi River one week at a time. In this episode, I talk with Anne Sherve-Ose about those trips. She descr…

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The Dark Side of Steamboat Travel: The Disasters that Claimed Thousands of Lives on the Mississippi River 43:07

12M ago43:07

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Send us a text Steamboats revolutionized travel, dramatically shortening the time it took to get from place to place. When we think of the peak period of steamboat travel, we often picture images of tall boats with lacy trim and passengers dressed in finery relaxing in elegant lounges. But those steamboats were also prone to catastrophic failure th…

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Much More than Snakes: The Unexpected Beauty and Unique Ecology of Snake Road 1:13:07

1y ago1:13:07

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Send us a text In this episode, I talk with wildlife biologist Mark Vukovich about the unique area known as Snake Road. Located about 40 miles south of Chester, Illinois, Snake Road passes through the LaRue-Pine Hills and Otter Pond Research Natural Areas. It’s an area full of surprises any time of year, but it’s best known for a few weeks in sprin…

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Explorers, Egos, and the Search for the Elusive Mississippi River Headwaters 35:48

1y ago35:48

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Send us a text Today, we all know—assume—that the Mississippi River begins at Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota. How did we figure this out? Why does it matter? In this episode, I dig into the history of how European and American explorers searched the swamps and forests of Minnesota trying to figure out exactly where the Mississippi River springs …

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Winged Wonders: Unraveling the Mysteries of Dragonflies and Damselflies 43:15

1y ago43:15

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Send us a text Amy Janik has a passion for winged creatures, which is how her professional career shifted from birds to insects in the order Odonata—dragonflies and damselflies. In this episode, we go deep into their world. After Amy describes how she got interested in dragonflies and damselflies, she offers a few tips about how to tell them apart,…

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When Change is Possible: General John A. Logan’s Journey from Defending Slavery to Advocating for Equal Rights 1:06:03

1y ago1:06:03

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Send us a text John A. Logan grew up in a well-to-do household in Murphysboro, Illinois, in the years before the Civil War. He had political ambitions early, maybe even from the moment he took his first breath, but the trajectory of his career took some remarkable turns. In this episode, I talk with Betsy Brown and Laura Varner from the General Joh…

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Iron and Immigrants: The Mesabi Range Story with Aaron Brown 1:16:10

1y ago1:16:10

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Send us a text Aaron Brown is a writer, teacher, and lifelong resident of the Mesabi Iron Range, an area that has produced an enormous share of the iron ore that built America and won two world wars. In this episode, we take a look at the Iron Ranges of Minnesota with Aaron Brown as our guide. Aaron describes the geography of mining in Minnesota, t…

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Outdoor Enthusiasm: Will Collins' Irrepressible Spirit for Adventure 1:05:23

1+ y ago1:05:23

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Send us a text Some people have the outdoors in their blood. Will Collins is one of them. From the time he attended his first summer camp as a child, he felt drawn to the outdoors. In this episode, I talk with Will about his path from childhood summer camps in Wisconsin to multi-week expeditions in remote areas. In 2017, he paddled source-to-sea on…

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Mississippi River Monsters 45:50

1+ y ago45:50

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Send us a text Did a 70-foot-long river behemoth really lurk in the river’s channel in the 1870s? Are there monsters in the river’s depths that have eluded us so far? In this episode, we delve deep into the Mississippi’s murky waters and mystical swamps to uncover stories about the terrifying creatures that we have imagined prowl the river. We also…

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Boyce Upholt on the Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi River 1:09:58

1+ y ago1:09:58

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Send us a text Very few people today have any memory of a relatively free-flowing Mississippi River. The scale and persistence of river engineering is staggering, and for many of us, the engineered Mississippi is the only Mississippi we have known. That’s one reason journalist Boyce Upholt’s new book is so important. In The Great River: The Making …

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A Refuge for All: 100 Years of Conservation and Recreation at the Upper Mississippi Refuge 1:09:05

1+ y ago1:09:05

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Send us a text This year marks a major milestone, not just along the Mississippi but for conservation efforts across the United States. In June, the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge will celebrate its 100th anniversary. In this episode, I talk with Sabrina Chandler, Refuge Manager and Hallie Shulz, Visitor Services Manager about …

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Trouble in River City: Kevin Klinkenberg on Why So Many Communities Are Struggling 1:07:31

1+ y ago1:07:31

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Send us a text If you’re like me, as you’ve driven along the Mississippi River, or even around the country, you’ve noticed communities that aren’t doing too well. Many of these are older urban areas, but I see plenty of small towns struggling, too. What’s going on? Isn’t this just the free market at work? To dig into this issue, I invited my brothe…

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Introducing The Wild Mississippi: Your Guide to Understanding and Experiencing the Natural World of Old Man River 32:12

1+ y ago32:12

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Send us a text For years, I’ve been visiting the places along the Mississippi and writing guidebooks about the history and culture of the towns and people. Now I’ve got something new to add to the list: a guide to the natural history of the river itself. In my new book, The Wild Mississippi: A State-by-State Guide to the River’s Natural Wonders, I …

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Crooked Old River: Trapper Haskins' Mississippi River Voyage 1:14:00

1+ y ago1:14:00

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Send us a text In July 2002, Trapper and Mandy Haskins set out an epic trip to row a handcrafted boat down the Mississippi. The boat performed great, but the grind of dodging industrial traffic around Baton Rouge wore them down, so they ended the trip at New Orleans. That decision turned out to be hard for Trapper to live with, so a few years later…

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The Fight for the Upper Mississippi: Steven Marking on Will Dilg and the Birth of a Refuge 56:50

1+ y ago56:50

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Send us a text In 1924, Will Dilg and the newly formed Izaak Walton League of America fought the proposed drainage of the lush Winneshiek Bottoms near Lansing, Iowa by lobbying for the creation of a new, unprecedented-in-scope federal refuge. In less than a year, they succeeded, and the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge was …

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Flowing with Creativity: Sculptor Florence Bird and the Mississippi River 36:14

1+ y ago36:14

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Send us a text The Mississippi River has inspired artists of many stripes, including Prairie du Chien-based sculptor Florence Bird. In this episode, I talk with Bird about her path into a career as a professional artist, how she found inspiration from the Mississippi, and the details of how she goes from idea to a life-sized bronze statue. Bird is …

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Eclipse 2024: Getting the Most from the Experience in Missouri and Illinois 56:44

1+ y ago56:44

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Send us a text On April 8, 2024, a full solar eclipse will make is way across North America from Texas to the Northeast. It’ll cross the Mississippi River south of St. Louis. Much of southeast Missouri and all of southern Illinois will be in the path of totality, with some places experiencing the eclipse for just over four minutes, including Trail …

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Ripples Through Time: River Travelers Take Us to the Mississippi’s Past and Present 41:05

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Send us a text In The Log of the Easy Way, John Mathews wrote about a honeymoon trip he and his wife took in 1900. No, they didn’t relax at an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica; they traveled a couple thousand miles down the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers in a homemade shantyboat. Their book is just one of many written by people who have taken a lon…

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Steering Through the Currents: Lee Hendrix's Life Working on the Mississippi River 1:14:03

1+ y ago1:14:03

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Send us a text What’s it like to work on a riverboat? Lee Hendrix entered riverboat work in 1972 as a deckhand, worked his way up to mate, then into the pilothouse. He has spent most of his adult life as a pilot of riverboats big and small, from tows pushing barges to elegant overnight cruise ships. In his new book, Peep Light: Stories of a Mississ…

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The River Life: Five Women Discuss Their Paths and Passions as Mississippi River Guides 1:18:59

2y ago1:18:59

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Send us a text Men have dominated the world of outdoor adventuring and guiding for so long, that it’s easy to overlook the increasing presence of women in all spheres. More women now complete long-distance paddles on the Mississippi, as well as through hikes on the major trails. The world of guided paddling on the Mississippi reflects the trend. In…

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The Storm that Took the Midwest by Surprise: Armistice Day's Deadly Blizzard 35:08

2y ago35:08

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Send us a text It’s easy to take weather forecasting for granted, especially given the difficulties with producing accurate forecasts, but at least we almost never get surprised by big storms. That wasn’t true in 1940, when an unusually warm November day turned deadly. In this episode, I tell the story of the Armistice Day Blizzard, a massive storm…

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Understanding the True Costs and Real Risks of Levees with Nicholas Pinter 1:02:44

2y ago1:02:44

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Send us a text Drive anywhere along the Mississippi or most any other river and you’ll see a levee, an earthen wall that parallels the river to keep water in the main channel and out of the adjacent floodplain. In this episode, I talk with Nicholas Pinter about levees and the good and bad that has come with them. We discuss the evolution in respons…

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Wolves in Myth and Reality with Matt Fox 1:01:14

2y ago1:01:14

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Send us a text I don’t know if there’s another animal that has been simultaneously reviled and admired like wolves. We have a primal fear of them—their howls can make the bravest among us pick up their pace. But wolves also occupy a unique place in many cultural myths representing family, loyalty, and intelligence. In this episode, I talk with cons…

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Cruising the Culinary Mississippi: A Conversation with Chef Regina Charboneau 1:02:52

2y ago1:02:52

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Send us a text In this episode of the podcast, we wade into food traditions in the places along the Mississippi. Chef Regina Charboneau, a 7th generation Natchezian and author of Mississippi Current Cookbook: A Culinary Journey Down America’s Greatest River, is our guide as we talk about food traditions in places as different as Minnesota and Natch…

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Cafe Connections: Finding Community and Connection Along the Great River Road 37:02

2y ago37:02

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Send us a text Coffee shops, bars, diners, churches, bowling alleys—these are all important places in our social lives, so-called third places after home and work. When I’m traveling, I am drawn to them, whether I’m traveling for work or fun. They are not only great places to learn about the community, but I’ve also made new friends at many of them…

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Navigating Stormy Waters, Part 2: General Galloway on Flood Policy 30 Years after the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1993 46:43

2y ago46:43

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Send us a text Welcome back! Last week, I shared the first part of my conversation with General Gerry Galloway, the person chosen by President Clinton to lead a review what happened in 1993 and what could be done to prevent such extensive damage in the future. Because our discussion ran long, I split it into two episodes. Check out the previous epi…

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Navigating Stormy Waters: General Galloway on Flood Policy 30 Years after the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1993, Part 1 54:16

2y ago54:16

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Send us a text In 1993, the Great Mississippi River Flood upended lives throughout the Midwest, although the greatest damage was in the Mississippi River floodplain from the Quad Cities south to around Cairo, Illinois. Thousands of people were forced into temporary shelters, and 52 people. In the aftermath of the flooding, President Clinton establi…

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Swamp Whisperer: Going Deep into Honey Island with Guide Jessica Gauley 43:44

2y ago43:44

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Send us a text Louisiana is known for its swamps, and for good reason. In spite of some of the associations with have with the word swamp, I find them beautiful, mysterious, and magnetic. In this episode, I talk with Jessica Gauley about a section of swamp along the Pearl River known as Honey Island. Jessica grew up with the swamp and today runs Ho…

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Vanishing Giants: Looking Back at the Legacy of the Great Pine Forests of the North and the Loggers who Brought Them Down 35:00

2+ y ago35:00

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Send us a text Dense forests of white and red pine once ranged across northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. Tall, ancient trees that were part of a rich ecosystem well-adapted to the northern climate and one that had evolved to rely on periodic fires to stay healthy. Those trees were also highly desired by logging companies and builders who needed vast…

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From Ancient to Modern: Exploring the Timeless Legacy of Canoes in North America with Mark Neuzil 1:09:20

2+ y ago1:09:20

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Send us a text People in North America have been getting around in canoes for thousands of years. The basic design was so perfectly engineered that we’re still using it today. In this episode, I talk with Mark Neuzil, who co-wrote “Canoes: A Natural History in North America” with Norman Sims. We talk about the basic design, variations in materials …

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Michael Anderson on Celebrating the Mississippi with River Days of Action 2023 59:27

2+ y ago59:27

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Send us a text It’s summer, which means it’s a great time to get out on or along the Mississippi River, and this year’s version of River Days of Action is a great place to start. In this bonus episode, I talk with Michael Anderson, Director of Outreach and Education for the Mississippi River Network, about what’s happening for River Days of Action …

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Kimmswick Mayor Philip Stang on Living in and Managing the Historic Mississippi River Town 1:13:39

2+ y ago1:13:39

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Send us a text What are the challenges involved with managing a small rivertown? And how does a dyed-in-the-wool Northeasterner and international business consultant end up living in a small town on the Mississippi River in the middle of America? That’s the path Philip Stang has followed to Kimmswick, Missouri, where he has served multiple terms as…

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Revisiting the Legacy of the Marquette and Jolliet Expedition 350 Years On 1:15:31

2+ y ago1:15:31

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Send us a text On May 17, 1673—350 years ago—Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette began an epic trip from the Great Lakes through Wisconsin and down the Mississippi River, one that would prove to be enormously consequential for European colonial ambitions and for the lives of indigenous people in the region. In this episode, I talk with Micha…

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