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Private Notes
It’s big, it’s empty and it’s in a relatively unexplored area of northwestern Arizona. Known affectionately as the “Arizona Strip,” this topographically rough area is free of paved roads and other amenities, but has a rich geological and natural history. Host David Yetman, ecologist Yar Petryszyn and archeologist Jock Favour trek through the “Big Empty” to examine evidence of early settlements, investigate high desert plants and learn about a project helping to increase the population of a rare and magnificent creature. The California Condor Restoration Project increases the number of condors in the wild by using GPS technology to track the birds via satellite. This trip ends at the southern limit of the Arizona Strip at the steepest and most isolated ledge of the Grand Canyon, which overlooks a 3,000-foot drop to the Colorado River below.
Host David Yetman, Mexican ecologist Alberto Búrquez and premiere agave expert Ana Valenzuela travel to the state of Jalisco, Mexico, to inspect the history, production process – and even taste – of one of Mexico’s most famous exports – tequila. The trip begins in Tequila, the city named after the famous beverage. The city has profited economically and developed a strong sense of cultural identity around the production of this distilled liquor. The climate, soil and landscape combine for the perfect place to grow the agave plants used to produce the distinct Tequila taste. Join the crew as they encounter jimadores harvesting agave using a “coa,” a long, machete-like, round-ended knife. From there, it’s on to see how the agave is steamed, fermented and distilled. Finally, Yetman and guests sample a portion of the finished product.
Travel with host David Yetman and Mexican ecologist Alberto Búrquez to an area southwest of Guadalajara, Mexico where locals celebrate an annual festival dedicated to tasty Pitaya cactus fruit. Once used as a source of water for natives, the Pitaya has now become a reason to celebrate. In this episode, Yetman journeys to the city of Techaluta to watch workers harvest Pitayas by lamplight, where he places a bet on a midday horserace, and participates in a Pitaya-eating contest. Then visit Infiernillo “Little Hell,” where the dry, hot temperature is ideal for the cultivation of a distinct type of Pitaya. The travelers also visit a local carpenter who produces furniture from various types of columnar cactus wood.
Host David Yetman and Mexican ecologist Alberto Búrquez travel into and around the state of Michoacán, Mexico, to explore its rugged coast, diverse habitats and local traditions. On the coast, the travelers visit a banana plantation to see how the fruit is cleaned and kept free of insect damage before exportation. Further inland, a stop in one of Michoacán’s tropical deciduous forests reveals some interesting vegetation, including the Sandbox Tree, which bears explosive fruit, and the malicious Mala Mujer shrub with its sharp, stinging hairs. Then it’s on to Paracho, the famous guitar-making capital of Mexico. Watch the construction of beautiful instruments and examine some of the guitars that have been aged for as many as 35 years to create the perfect tone.
Palm trees have long been a symbol of the desert and, more importantly, a sign of water to a weary desert traveler. In this episode, ecologist Jim Cornett joins host David Yetman for a look around California's Coachella Valley, the lowest and hottest inhabited place in the Northern Hemisphere. After a walk around Palm Springs to examine the area's most famous residents, Yetman heads for the largest undisturbed palm oasis on Earth, Palm Canyon. Yetman shows how to jump across the fault line that allows subterranean water to seep from the nearby mountains and helps the palms thrive in a seemingly dry area. This episode also features a trip to the Oasis Date Gardens, where the non-native date palms require constant human attention in order to produce their luscious fruits.
Host David Yetman and expert architect Bob Vint travel around Tucson, Arizona, to see how adobe – the perfect desert building material – was used in the past and is still used today. Adobe not only has a remarkable period of longevity, but also has thermal capabilities, making it ideal for the hot dry desert. Yetman and Vint spend time at the San Xavier Mission to watch a restoration crew use new adobe to repair and restore the existing adobe exterior. Near Marana, Yetman visits a commercial brickyard to see how these "desert building blocks" are created from start to finish. They also travel to the Tucson Mountains to observe masons constructing adobe walls and visit a completed adobe home to see the finished results.
Life along the Rio San Miguel has remained relatively unchanged for the last 300 years. David Yetman and Mexican ecologist Alberto Búrquez trace the river through Sonora, Mexico, to see how life has adapted to its unpredictable flow. The trip begins in Magdalena de Kino, with a stop at Father Kino's monument, before heading south to the city of Cucurpe. With the assistance of local resident Don Beto Cruz, Yetman surveys the local river vegetation thriving during the summer monsoon. Further south the landscape becomes more modern as local farms give way to sprawling cities.
In this episode, host David Yetman and Argentine archeologist Maria Jose Figuerero make their way through the arid, desolate and windswept Patagonia landscape. The travelers make part of the trip on horseback along the Chilean/Argentine border, taking time to observe the glorious flight of the graceful Andean condor. They also stop in the city of Calafate, the gateway to Glacier National Park, and observe a local folklore performance group dancing and making music. The highlight of the trip is a close up look at the park's magnificent glaciers. Yetman and Figuerero also examine evidence of glacial movement over the landscape, inspect an ice cave and spy some glacial calving.
Host David Yetman and Argentine archeologist Maria Jose Figuerero journey through the gorgeously diverse Patagonia landscape for a look at the Patagonian people from ancient to modern times. The travelers stop at the Cuerva de los Manos ("Cave of the Hands"), which features a lasting glimpse into the lives of early residents. The famous stenciled handprints were created by blowing through a straw-like instrument filled with paint, while the images of lizards, people and the hunting of huanacos (a relative of the llama) were painted by hand. The episode includes a visit to "Cierro de los Indios," a site currently being excavated and offering evidence that people inhabited Patagonia possibly as long as 12,000 years ago. The trip also includes a visit to the some of the little ranches, "estancias," that spot the sparse landscape, and a visit with some modern day sheep herding gauchos.
