Armchair Explorer: Travel and Adventure Inspiration
Award-winning podcast featuring interviews with the world’s greatest adventurers, immersive travel documentaries recorded on location, deep dives into cultures around the world, and inspiration for how to life to the fullest. Hailed as “inspiring storytelling” by the New York Times, and “Ear candy for listeners” by the Washington Post, past guests include Conrad Anker, Ed Stafford, Kristine Tompkins and many more legends of travel and adventure.
Episodes
May 9, 2025 • 43 mins
Every month on Pathways, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton crack open a few stories, play their favorite clips, and take you on a whirlwind preview of what’s coming up this month on Armchair Explorer. It’s part travel hangout, part behind-the-scenes, and a whole lot of part “wait, you did what?”
In this episode, we’re going from the dreamtime waters of the Great Barrier Reef to the quiet strength of Chief Joseph’s legacy ...
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May 1, 2025 • 37 mins
Today we are taking a journey to the arctic circle, in the far north of the American continent. This is a story about climbing, and surviving, one of the tallest mountains on Earth. It’s about paddling through the most remote national park in America, the Gates of the Arctic; and it’s about finding wonder and hope in places where that hope is nearly lost.
Taking us on this journey is mountaineer, writer and arctic explorer Jon W...
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April 14, 2025 • 43 mins
In this episode, we’re heading deep into the wilds of Tropical North Queensland, Australia—where the oldest rainforest in the world meets the greatest reef on the planet. We’ll be connecting with an Aboriginal guide to learn indigenous perspectives on the land; doing something called ‘River Drifting’ through the ancient forests of Daintree; seeing the Great Barrier Reef from the sky and under the waves, and lots more.
Our Discover...
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April 10, 2025 • 28 mins
This is your monthly guide to the world’s wildest travel stories – one adventure at a time.
Every month on Pathways, host Aaron Millar and producer Jason Paton crack open a few stories, play their favorite clips, and take you on a whirlwind preview of what’s coming up on Armchair Explorer. It’s part travel hangout, part behind-the-scenes, part “wait, you did what?”—and all of it is designed to help you find your next great escape....
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April 3, 2025 • 14 mins
"I've been guiding or working around whales now for almost over just about over a decade, and I still am in awe at all of the experiences that we have. It's just a wonder of a magnitude that people don't really get to experience anywhere else in urban life" – Nik Coutinho, Prince of Whales
In this Bucket List episode, produced in our immersive documentary style, whale watching guide Nik Coutinho shares some of his favorite experie...
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March 29, 2025 • 37 mins
In today’s episode, we’re joined by Rob Pope, the first person in the world to complete the legendary run made famous by one of Hollywood’s most beloved characters – Forrest Gump. Yes, you heard that right. Rob took on the challenge of following Forrest’s route mile by mile, crossing the country not once, but FIVE times. That’s like running from the North Pole to the South Pole, and then some.
But this story isn’t just about physic...
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Follow best-selling travel author Brian Thacker on a unique, mad-cap adventure to three of the remotest countries on Earth. Inspired by the intrepid spirit of explorers of old, Brian decided to tear up the guidebook, switch off the phone and turn up to a country knowing absolutely nothing about it in advance.
He picked three countries at random: the east African country of Togo, the South Pacific islands of Wallis & Futuna and the...
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March 12, 2025 • 31 mins
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.
MARCH EPISODES
ADVENTURE: No Guidebook, No Google, No Clue: ...
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March 6, 2025 • 43 mins
“I came face to face with grizzly bears. I had to befriend drug lords. I saw two people shot dead. I witnessed a guy trying to kill his wife with five gunshots. I crossed the tallest mountains in the world. I had to swim rivers with horses. I was lost in deserts and nothing, absolutely nothing, brought me more pain and heartache and stress than man made lines drawn across a map.” – Filipe Masetti
A Long Rider is someone who has r...
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February 25, 2025 • 29 mins
As soon as they walked into the barracks at Fort Sisseton, they were handed muskets - heavy Springfield 63s from the Civil war era - given a uniform and told to march.
Presenter Brian Thacker and producer Jason Paton thought they were just covering the annual Sisseton historical festival, in South Dakota, as spectators.
Turns out they were getting enlisted in the army. The Union Army that is.
Join us as we march back in ti...
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February 21, 2025 • 41 mins
Abdullah Zeinab’s epic Rhino Run adventure crossing South Africa and Namibia redefines what’s possible in endurance cycling. Unsupported and unforgiving, this grueling 1,700-mile ultra-cycling race put his mental strength, grit and resilience to the ultimate test through breathtaking but brutal landscapes – where a tiny detail, like a tiny screw, made a world of difference.
This special feed drop episode is taken from Red Bull’s ...
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February 17, 2025 • 38 mins
“Those are my heroes, those guys paved the way for me to be able to travel through this country, free, and they're almost superhuman to me.”
- Erick Cedeño, Bicycle Nomad
In 2013, Erick Cedeño, aka. Bicycle Nomad, came across an old photograph that changed his life. Taken in 1897, it showed 20 black soldiers riding bicycles across the American West. As he dug deeper, he learned that these were the Buffalo Soldiers, an al...
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February 13, 2025 • 22 mins
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.
February episodes:
ADVENTURE: Long Rider Filipe Masetti t...
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February 5, 2025 • 22 mins
In this episode, we dive into the soul of Ontario’s wild, tranquil landscapes alongside award-winning travel writer and photographer Alex Robinson.
From serene canoe journeys gliding through Algonquin Provincial Park to exhilarating white-water escapades on the Madawaska River, this journey is an invitation to immerse yourself in the pristine waterways of the Canadian wilderness, and discover the heritage of its first form of tra...
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February 1, 2025 • 54 mins
St. Patrick might be the most famous of the Irish saints...but he's far from the most interesting.
In 2023, St. Brigid’s Day was decreed a National Holiday in Ireland to honor Brigid. Over the millennia, this legendary woman has evolved into a figure encompassing myth, holy legend, pagan icon, and now modern feminist symbol.
But who was Brigid, really? To answer that question, travel writer Nicola Brady set off around Ireland to s...
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January 24, 2025 • 17 mins
In this Bucket List episode, Aaron Millar takes us to one of the most remote and breathtaking locations on Earth: Sheldon Chalet in Alaska. Perched on a rocky outcrop in the middle of the Ruth Glacier, 70-miles from civilization, with views of the east face of Denali out of your bedroom window, this is perhaps the most spectacular hotel in the world.
From helicopter rides over frozen wilderness to exploring untouched ice caves deep...
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January 21, 2025 • 61 mins
Before the modern city of Alula rose to prominence, its natural springs and water systems were at the heart of its existence. For centuries, Alula's oasis has been a critical stop on the Incense Road, connecting cultures and trading routes across the Arabian Peninsula. Water, both from the sky and the earth, has sustained life here, and its management has shaped both the landscape and the people.
In this episode, we step back in t...
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January 17, 2025 • 31 mins
Before the bustling streets of Chattanooga and the sounds of modern life, the blues were born from the struggles and stories of generations past. Deep in the heart of this city in Tennessee, the blues pulse through the air, enriching the soil, and infusing every corner of this musical mecca.
In this episode, we take you to the roots of this powerful genre, bringing you a live session with Rick Rushing, one of Chattanooga's finest ...
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January 14, 2025 • 33 mins
In this episode, we journey into the wild, rugged landscapes of Iceland through the eyes of renowned photographer and filmmaker, Chris Burkard. From an unplanned surfing adventure under the Northern Lights to his grueling exploration of Iceland's remote "Forgotten Coast," Chris takes us on a path of discovery and inspiration.
We explore the vast beauty of Iceland—from icy fjords and glacial rivers to volcanic black sand beaches—an...
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January 9, 2025 • 28 mins
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: Adventure filmmaker Chris Burka...
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