October 13, 2025 • 32 mins
A city can whisper its story before anyone speaks—the curve of a bridge, the hum of a market, the glow of a fourth‑generation soda fountain. We sit down with PBS host and producer Darley Newman of 'Travels with Darley' to explore how travel becomes a public service when it lifts up people, preserves memory, and invites visitors to feel at home in places they’ve never been. From goat trekking in Galena and hand‑built treehouses off the Great River Road to the living history of Rock Island Arsenal, Darley shows how the Midwest’s quiet details reveal big character.
We also pull back the curtain on building a modern travel brand across PBS, Amazon Prime, YouTube, iHeart, and more. Darlie shares practical storytelling tactics—why you don’t need to be everywhere, how to pick the platform your audience actually uses, and how to craft tight, emotional reels that say more in 60 seconds than a brochure says in ten pages. Her lens on makers and small businesses—think Dot’s Pots, Navarro Canoe, Boetje's Mustard—highlights why hands‑on experiences anchor destination marketing: they turn curiosity into connection and visitors into champions.
The conversation stretches beyond leisure to moments that stay with you. Filming along Alabama’s Civil Rights Trail, Darley met women who lived the movement as children—stories that command attention and humility. In Santa Fe, a quiet session with horses reshaped what presence can feel like. Those experiences, and simple plans for Darley’s return to the Quad Cities—walking the bridge, meeting more entrepreneurs, tasting Quad City style pizza—underline a core belief: design for memory, not just metrics. If you care about authentic travel, community storytelling, and finding hidden gems along the Mississippi River and beyond, you’ll feel right at home here. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves regional road trips, and leave a review with your favorite local maker we should feature next.
QC, That's Where is a podcast powered by Visit Quad Cities. Through the people, partnerships, and personalities woven throughout the Quad Cities region, you'll meet real Quad Citizens and hear the untold stories of the region.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
In high school, I said I wanted to do a travel
show.
So I've uh like my friends laughbecause they're like, that's so
funny that you went on to do it.
But I I actually started workingas a teenager.
And when I was 16, I was workingat um Time Warner Cable in South
Carolina, and I was a contractcamera person, and I was filming
(00:20):
government meetings and a localtalk show.
So I started working in thebusiness a long time.
I mean, you know, when I wasyounger, I knew I wanted to be
in the creative field.
And I had a video camera when Iwas a kid, and I used to make
people do movies and shows in myneighborhood.
So I was a director before backin the day.
SPEAKER_00 (00:41):
Where do you find a family of communities connected
by the storied Mississippi Riverwhere young explorers, dreamers,
investors, entrepreneurs thrive?
Where can you connect with realpeople living and creating in a
place that's as genuine as it isquirky?
QC That's Where.
SPEAKER_02 (01:03):
Welcome to QC That's Where.
I'm Katrina, your host, and I'mso excited to have Darlie Newman
with Travels with Darley ontoday.
Darlie is a producer,entrepreneur, and a content
creator who's actually been inthe Quad Cities before.
She travels internationally forher show on PBS and Amazon
Prime.
And so, Darlie, hi, thank you somuch for coming.
SPEAKER_01 (01:24):
Thank you, Katrina, for having me.
SPEAKER_02 (01:27):
I'm pumped to talk to you.
I we were talking a little bitbefore we started recording the
podcast because you're justbringing in a whole new
perspective from your backgroundas a traveler, a content
creator, um, you know, a visitorto many, many places.
And so right now, I just want tomaybe kick it over to you to
talk a little bit about whatTravels with Darley is and its
(01:50):
origin story.
SPEAKER_01 (01:52):
So it's so funny because I now tell people that I
do a public service.
And that sounds weird, but Ibelieve that telling stories and
getting people to know moreabout places that they can
discover and the people thatlive on this planet is so
valuable because it connects usmore.
(02:13):
And I feel like the more we knowabout each other and the more we
know about different places, thebetter people we are.
So this is what I truly believebecause as we travel, I've been
traveling the world now actuallysince 2007.
I started another series calledEcho Trekking, the world's first
horseback riding travel series,where I went horseback riding
(02:34):
around the world for many years.
I wrote a book about it, createda brand out of it, um, and you
know, syndicated that show allover the world.
It was on PBS and then it went,it was on to Tokyo in France.
And it was interesting becausepeople were like, is it a horse
show?
And I said, no, it's a showabout people.
It is a show about our planetand animals, but it's all about
(02:56):
how we're connected and howwe've been connected over time.
And I think that people canreally start to learn more about
that through storytelling.
So in um 2016, I actuallylaunched Travels with Darley.
I had started it as a shortvideo short series in the early
days of video shorts.
So I had it syndicated out onHuffing and Post and AOL as
(03:17):
short videos.
And then I was like, I want tomake these into longer stories.
I mean, as you know, in thecontent world, we've seen this
evolution of we're watching longthings, short things, super
short things, we're on social,we're on, you know, it's been a
very interesting evolution.
But I've been kind of ridingthat wave with Travels with
Darley.
We now have filmed, we have 85half hours on PBS stations
(03:39):
across the nation.
They're on platforms like AmazonPrime, on Tubi, on Samsung, on
Plex.
You can find the series on myYouTube.
You can listen to the podcastversion on iHeart.
So it's it's it's really evolvedover time because there are so
many platforms and the medialandscapes evolved.
But the heart of it all has beenmeeting people in different
(03:59):
places, telling great stories,and showing people how they can
be inspired by what's going onin different communities.
And we are in a new season nowthat comes out next year,
actually.
So we're we're getting close toa hundred episodes with all the
content we're producing, ahundred and a half hours, and
there's so much more that we doon different platforms as well.
(04:20):
But I really love it.
Um, and we were so excited thatwe got to come down the Great
River Road for an episode andvisit you all in the quad
cities.
And that's just one example ofhow we will road trip through a
place and look to find thehistory, the culture, the food,
what makes those destinationstick.
SPEAKER_02 (04:38):
So you mentioned the Great River Road.
So that was kind of how we gotacquainted a little over a year
ago.
You were working with theIllinois Office of Tourism and
you made that track.
So did you have any likestandout moments on the Great
River Road?
Um, shout out Quad Cities aswell.
I know you visited the Arsenaland Lagos.
So yeah, what what stuck whatstuck out to you there?
SPEAKER_01 (05:00):
So south of you, we went to the um these tree houses
that you can stay in, and theguy built them all by hand,
which I thought was super cool.
Um, you know, there's windmills,you would, there's things you
wouldn't expect.
There's presidential history.
The Great River Road is isreally it's a gem.
It's it's such a diverse trek.
I went goat trekking up inGalena, which was unexpected.
(05:23):
Uh, when I was with you all inthe Quad Cities, I was having
ice cream at Lago Marcino's, andI thought, wow, this is so cool.
This is another great example ofstepping back in time at a
family-owned business.
It's it was fourth generation,and they're making this amazing
chocolate.
And I don't know, it's I lovethose places where it's
(05:45):
unexpected.
We went to Rock Island Arsenal,which was also unexpected.
I learned so much about uh thatthe role that it had in major,
you know, the Civil War andother world wars.
And that was really fascinatingbecause and why it was located
there in this central location.
And we've got the MississippiRiver.
(06:05):
So it was really a fascinatingdive into Illinois, but also a
microcosm of what makestraveling throughout America so
cool because you're findingthings from all over the world,
right, in your own backyard.
SPEAKER_02 (06:20):
It was so special to have you here with us for, I
mean, it was a short time and uma little preview to what's
coming.
Um, Darley will be with us forour annual event on November
13th.
So we'll be excited to have youback in the community with us
again.
Um, but it was so great to haveyou because, you know, you, like
I said before, you brought in adifferent perspective.
This is kind of this is what youdo.
(06:41):
And so for you to be able tohighlight the things that you
can share, tell the story, andreally just amplify um was
really great for us.
And um, we were able to shareyour reel that you made from the
arsenal and the snippets fromthe Great River Road.
Um, so we're just so proud to bepart of that cluster of
communities.
(07:02):
How interesting is it before youprobably even talk to somebody?
You're visiting a community,whether it's Midwest, you know,
Southeast, internationally,everything from the buildings to
how the infrastructure is andthe markets, like tells a little
story, gives a little glimpse ofjust what the people there
(07:23):
value.
I mean, what are your thoughtson just taking all that in
without even having you know hada conversation yet?
SPEAKER_01 (07:32):
It's interesting because every place is so
different.
And I think that's what makes ita good show and and a good a
good topic in general.
I often say it's a travel show,but it's not a travel show
because again, it's about peopleand communities and places.
Uh, but when you when my when Igo into different places, it is
really people open up to us.
(07:54):
We're just a small team, youknow, everybody, there's four of
us that travel together.
My photographer Greg Barna isawesome.
He's about to be honored with aSilver Circle Emmy Award in Los
Angeles in Pasadena, Los Angelesfor the daytime Emmys coming up,
um, for his lifetime of work,which um the last 15 years has
been on my shows.
That's so exciting.
(08:15):
Congratulations to him.
He's amazing.
And but all of us really docare.
I mean, that's the thing.
And I think when people meet us,they do open up about their
lives and what they value.
And you see that in the placeswhere we talk to them.
Because um, for instance, in thearea where we were looking at
the windmills, and we have thiswoman who was a docent, and
(08:38):
she's taking such great pride inthe fact that they're keeping
everything so intact.
They're working windmills thatyou can visit on the Great River
Road.
And I was thinking, I love thisthat that people have this value
of preservation and holding onto the past, but sharing it in a
way that is welcoming to peoplewho visit and are like, why is
(09:00):
this here?
And they tell the whole story.
So I thought things like thatare really great, but it's also
when you meet local smallbusiness owners, there's
artisans that we meet along ourtravels, hat makers and belt
makers, and they all and jewelrydesigners and people that uh own
really great restaurants, andthey're all sharing something
(09:21):
through their art, through theirfood.
And that really tells you thatthey care.
And I think that's somethingthat's really special about
getting to share these stories.
It just connects us further.
And I think that's reallyimportant, especially nowadays.
SPEAKER_02 (09:35):
So when you're with us in November as a speaker at
our annual event, we aredefinitely gonna hone in on the
power of storytelling.
Um, we we see you as just, youknow, one of the greatest minds
in that field.
And it's something that we wantyou to be able to help us um
push to people who maybe don'tstorytell for a living, but
(09:56):
we're all, you know, we're allstorytellers in some sense
because we all have a story totell.
SPEAKER_01 (10:01):
It's true.
And I actually love that aboutwhat's happening with social
media now and with contentcreation.
I talk to a lot of people whoare trying to start something
new.
You know, they have an idea fora business.
And I always say, if you have apassion for something, you
should, if you want to pursue itas a business, then you
definitely should.
(10:21):
Because, and it could beanything that you think of.
It doesn't have to be somethingmainstream.
In fact, it's probably better ifit's not.
As we've seen people blowing upwith their stuff on TikTok that
are or Instagram that arethey're making a craft or
they're doing something that youwould never think would be
popular.
And the beauty of it is when youhave a passion and you convey
(10:42):
that, it becomes interesting toother people because they see
that it resonates through.
So I do think that storytellingis so important, but that
anybody can share their storybecause when it is done with
authenticity and it's done fromthe heart, that's when it
resonates with people.
And they and they may say, Ididn't think I was interested in
that, but now I am.
(11:02):
And I think that's the beauty ofit.
And there's so many ways to tella story, and there's so many
ways to be creative about it aswell that people don't often
think about.
But there are little exercisesthat a lot of people can do to
kind of step out of their owncomfort zone and realize that
you know, all of us, whether welike it or not, if you're doing
something, it's your brand in away now.
(11:23):
You are a brand.
What you're doing is a brand,you're representing a brand.
And maybe you do or don't likethat word, but it's it's true.
It's a way that we conveyinformation.
And I think if you're authenticabout it, that is what
resonates.
SPEAKER_02 (11:37):
So you started out um, you know, short form video
and blossomed from there.
I mean, probably, you know,obviously by choice, but
probably also a little bit outof like necessity, because the
more years go by, the moreplatforms erupt and we have to
use them and adapt and figurethem out.
So, you know, how have you kindof um managed being a little bit
(12:00):
everywhere for everybody?
And do you have a favorite wayto tell your stories?
SPEAKER_01 (12:06):
It's it is hard to manage because there are so many
platforms and it's constantlyevolving.
Uh, I always say that and thinkthat you should go where your
audience is.
So you don't have to beeverywhere.
If you find that you have anaudience on YouTube or that you,
your website or your newsletteror your substack is doing well,
then you might want to hone inon that.
(12:27):
But I do believe that it's umit's fun to look at the platform
that resonates and then how youmanage that.
I really love doing reels.
I don't know.
I actually like love them.
I like that it's short and in aminute or maybe a little bit
more or less, you can tell apretty good story.
(12:49):
And I think it's a good exercisefor people too.
Often when I'm going tointerview people for longer
interviews now, I have them domy social media first.
I'm like, I want you to tell meabout your place or location and
try to keep it 30 seconds to aminute.
And you'll be surprised at howmuch of a great, concise story
you can get with that.
(13:10):
You know, a lot of people arereally good at it now, too.
You you'd also be surprised.
You think, oh, people getnervous.
They like the phones.
And I think it's wonderful.
Uh, I think it's a great way toconvey something.
And I love layering, I layervideo on my reels.
I think I use a program calledInShot that I really like.
It's outside of um the platformsof you, your your endemic
(13:32):
platform of Instagram orsomething like that.
But it's a great tool because Itry to make my even my short
reels, I try to make them reallycaptivating.
And I think people like to seevisuals.
So I I really love doing that.
And I I do like telling longerstories.
I'm working on my podcasts nowtoo, like this one, and I'm
doing audio only podcasts todifferentiate from the show.
(13:53):
And I found that to be really afun challenge because you have
to describe things more.
And I also believe that it'sgreat to have these different um
audio, video, short form, longform.
People want things in differentways, people digest things in
different ways, and people havemight have different challenges
(14:14):
where maybe they just can listento it, maybe they just want to
see it.
Whatever it is, if you presentit in different ways, it really
helps reach a lot more people.
SPEAKER_02 (14:23):
I think that speaks to you know, the longevity of
like what you're doing and howyou've been able to and how
brands have been able to stayrelevant and you know keep up
because even like myself, Ithink back to 10 years ago, the
way I consume content now isvastly different for no other
reason, other than like mylifestyle has changed a lot.
Like I have two little kids now,so podcasts are right up my
(14:45):
alley because I don't reallyhave a lot of time and you know,
just the bandwidth to sit andwatch something, but I can
listen while I clean or playwith somebody all day long, you
know?
And you know, 10 years ago, Imight have opted for that sit
down with my laptop and reallywatch something.
Um, so it's really great.
I mean, there's benefits too.
(15:05):
It's it can be hard to manage,but there's benefits to being a
little bit everywhere.
And like you said, it's great tosee that just people have
naturally kind of figured it outtoo.
You know, the phone isn't asscary as like a big old camera.
And so it's nice that we can getmore people into the sphere just
because the technology'schanging.
SPEAKER_01 (15:27):
I think it's great.
Yeah.
And I think however people wantto digest something, a lot of
people are listening to podcastson YouTube now.
I think that's also great.
And people are maybe they're noteven watching the video, they're
just listening to it, but theyhave it streaming.
So either, you know, howeverpeople want to consume things,
the as long as the I think theinformation gets out there and
(15:47):
they can learn, I think that'sgreat.
SPEAKER_02 (15:49):
So you started like traveling and doing the the
shorts um 2007.
Now, did that did everythingstart and just blossom in 2007,
or did you have any kind of likeinkling of travel prior?
SPEAKER_01 (16:04):
Oh no.
I mean, I want in high school Isaid I wanted to do a travel
show.
So I've uh like my friends laughbecause they were like, that's
so funny that you went on to doit.
But I I actually started workingas a teenager.
And when I was 16, I was workingat um Time Warner Cable in South
Carolina, and I was a contractcamera person, and I was filming
(16:26):
government meetings and a localtalk show.
So I started working in thebusiness a long time.
I mean, you know, when I wasyounger, I knew I wanted to be
in the creative field.
And I had a video camera when Iwas a kid, and I used to make
people do movies and and showsin my neighborhood.
So I was a director before backin the day.
(16:47):
But I went on to work in youknow, radio and television, and
I worked at CBS and on frontlinedocumentaries and talk radio
news service.
So I really did all aspects ofproduction, which is why I feel
um, you know, it's been sohelpful in running my own
company because I actually likea lot of people watch my show
and they don't understand that Iactually, you know, I host the
(17:09):
shows, but I I write them, Iproduce them, and I am the one
who's like helping figure outwhere we're going next and
actually leading the team.
So it's um it's a lot to do, butI feel like starting out and
getting to do things from theground up, I learned a lot.
And I talked to a lot of peoplewho again are starting something
(17:29):
new, and I say, well, maybe youwant to go work in the similar
field or you know, figure outhow other people are doing
things and get ideas and getexperience, things you didn't
think you'd want to do.
You might find that you likethem or you might find that you
hate them, but you need to knowthat information.
SPEAKER_02 (17:44):
So how do you even make the decision to decide,
okay, I'm going to X, Y, and Zplaces, and then we gotta move
on through.
SPEAKER_01 (17:53):
It's interesting because so I loved being in your
area because we made alast-minute decision to go to
Lago Marcino's.
Like it, you know, no, it wasn'ton our list.
We didn't have it in ourpurview, but we heard about it
the day before, I think.
And we said, oh my gosh, we haveto go there.
Because not only are we all onour team big ice cream lovers,
(18:14):
but we also just love the storyof the multiple generations.
So sometimes things just come upnaturally.
We obviously do research and wewant to try to get the heartbeat
of a place and the people, andwe we don't want to miss
something that people will watchand say, oh, they should they
should have gone there.
But often we do have to pick andchoose because we just don't
have a lot of time when we'retraveling.
(18:34):
Uh, and we try to cover a lot ofthings so that people watch the
show and they get a sense of it,but then they say, Oh, that's
something that I didn't knowabout.
Maybe I want to go there on mynext trip, which is great
because we found that peopleactually are following the
itineraries and looking at theshows and listening to the
podcast too, and and going tothose locations, which I think
(18:54):
is awesome.
And we have you know seen thatover many years.
And I think it opens uppeople's, you know, minds and
hearts to things they justdidn't know existed in our in
the US and around the world.
So we really do look for hiddengems, though, and again, places
that are unexpected.
So my producing team with Evelynand this and Janice as well, who
(19:18):
works with me, we're alwayslooking and saying, okay, what
should we cover?
What do we not want to miss?
And then what are the hiddengems that would really shine
through and might be unusualbecause those unusual places
often stand out too.
Again, like the tree houses thatthis man has hand built in the
woods that you can go and stayin.
I thought that was so cool.
So we try to look for thosethings and the goat trucking
(19:41):
that would be unexpected.
SPEAKER_02 (19:44):
It's so interesting.
Your process, you know, it's umit has to be so organized.
And yeah, I'm hearing like areflective element of just like
an average traveler because yougo in with a plan, you know a
handful of things you want todo, but then the best moments
are when you go in with a littlebit of an open heart and not
(20:04):
everything planned out to a T.
And then you can just kind oflisten and absorb and then hear
about those great things thatmaybe just didn't pop up on
Google or somebody, you know,who recommended the place
initially, like just didn'tshare for whatever reason.
SPEAKER_01 (20:21):
That's the beauty of travel.
I often say that I think youshould research a place if
you're going there and youshould have an itinerary, but
you should also leave time toexplore because there are things
that will resonate with you thatsomeone else didn't have on
their list or didn't resonatewith them.
So I think discovery is a great,is a great aspect of travel.
(20:42):
And it really is exciting whenyou think about yourself as an
explorer in a sense.
And I, you know, I don't lovethe word tourists.
I try not to use it.
I like traveler and I like tothink of us all as explorers and
people discovering new things.
SPEAKER_02 (20:57):
I love that.
And and the more you explore ortravel and just get to see
different people in differentelements, I mean, the more you
can build on your own dreams,the more you see what's out
there that maybe you hadn'tthought of before.
Um, you know, and and I like tothink, you know, dreams can can
build like the tourism businessbecause if we get people to
(21:18):
just, it starts with a visit,right?
And so if we get someone to comeand visit, maybe they'll want to
come and visit again, or maybethey'll want to come and see if
they want to live here.
Um, and so inspiring people tojust, you know, build their
dreams, um, build upon what theywhat they think they want for
their life and just be open toit.
Um, that's kind of that's whatwe're all about.
(21:39):
And we want to help usher that,you know, through.
Um, thinking about all of yourtravels, okay.
2007, beyond, whatever.
Do you have like a favoritemoment either from the show or
just personally that you drawback to from time to time?
SPEAKER_01 (21:55):
I do have a ton, honestly.
Again, we've been so manyplaces, and I always tell people
that I loved Botswana Africa, itwas one of my favorite locations
because I was just so amazed bythe wildlife.
It was so exciting to, I wenthorseback riding on different
safaris.
There was an elephant that did amock charge while I was on
(22:16):
horseback, which was scary.
It was crazy.
And we have just like reallyamazing, the best stargazing
I've ever seen out on one of theworld's largest salt pans there
in Botswana, Africa.
But when we were finishingCOVID, when we were at the tail
end of COVID, the vaccine had,you know, come out already.
(22:37):
We were hitting the road totravel, but it was still quite
difficult.
I got to film along the CivilRights Trail in Alabama, and I
interviewed uh women who hadlived through the movement as
children.
So these are amazing women.
I had a protege of Rosa Parkswho grew up sleeping on her
couch in her house, which is nowa national park site.
(22:58):
And I had Joanne Bland on cameraand interviewed her at the foot
of the Edmund Pettus Bridge inSelma.
And she was in the Selma toMontgomery March as a child and
had a lot of challenges to facewith that.
And her story isheart-wrenching, and it really,
it really affected me.
But I again, I think there'spower to hearing someone's
(23:22):
story, and the authenticitycomes when they tell it.
So those things have allresonated with me, and it's kind
of why I've continued to do whatI do, you know, amid all the
changes in the industry and theneed to evolve and innovate, and
which is definitely there allthe time.
I really think it's special whenyou get to hear from someone
(23:45):
who's lived through history andhas firsthand information.
SPEAKER_02 (23:48):
I got chills when you were talking about that.
That's, I mean, that's gotta bea highlight of your, you know,
of your career, but also justlike as a human, being able to
be the, you know, the person tohelp push that story out to the
masses and let people hear whatthey had to say about, you know,
living through that time andjust, you know, how they how
they persevered.
(24:08):
Um, those are those are somethings that it's gotta be a
little bit tough to stumble uponwhen you're doing your work.
Um, you know, but you have topair the those real moments and
these really like great learningexperiences with then the you
know, the the fun highlights andand everything.
So there's so much that'sencompassed with your job, and
(24:29):
I'm just like absolutelyfascinated.
Um, and another thing I've beenwanting to know is like what
makes you want to go back to aplace?
SPEAKER_01 (24:38):
Oh, so that's a great question.
Because I've done a number ofproductions in Santa Fe, New
Mexico.
It's a place that I really love.
I've had some really I seriouslyhave had transformative
experiences there.
It's I tell people they need tovisit because it is a place that
the landscapes, the history, thefood, there's so much there.
(25:00):
There's so many rich textures.
But I did this Equus experiencethere, which is commuting with
horses when horses are just onthe ground.
And I'm a big horse person.
So I went into it, I wasskeptical because I was like,
I've done so much with horses.
A lot of times horse whispering,I don't, I don't believe it's
gonna work, you know, or it'sgonna be a hoax or something.
(25:21):
And I sat there with thesehorses that day, and I was like
tearing up as I left and feltlike I had learned so much.
It was an unbelievableexperience.
And so I think, again, thosekind of experiences, it's all
about experiences.
Experiences make you want to goback to a place.
People make you want to go backto a place.
(25:43):
But I love that so manydestinations, so many people are
offering experiences now.
You know, I'm the kind of personwho doesn't love like things.
I don't collect a lot.
I could have filled my housewith so many things as I've
traveled all around the world,but I don't because I don't
necessarily value those thingsas much as I value the time, the
(26:07):
experiences, the connection, andwhat it is when you when you
have something that is a specialexperience.
I was just in Alabama and I dida painting class with this woman
who has her own art studio andshe does workshops on soris.
So, you know, what is a sorry?
And she's collected all thesesoris from her family's history,
(26:29):
and you really learned so much.
I'm not good at painting at all,but just sitting there and the
meditative aspects of doingthat, but then getting to chat
with her while I did it, I feltagain like it was another really
interesting experience oflearning about culture and
someone's personal history thatteaches you a lot about their
past, where they came from, andthe area where they live in now.
(26:51):
So I think those experiences arereally valuable.
SPEAKER_02 (26:54):
I love that.
You're a collector ofexperiences.
I think that's I think that'sfantastic.
It's something that you can likehang your hat on and not have to
worry about putting in storage,right?
You can just rem have thememories and you know, the
photos and share those.
And I think that's wonderful.
Um, one thing that you touchedon was um the, you know, kind of
(27:15):
sitting and experiencing the themaking of something with
somebody and kind of abackstory.
So, like like the state ofIllinois has the Illinois Made
Makers program where you knowcommunities throughout the state
can nominate their local makers.
And Quad Cities has a handful,we're so proud of.
Um, Dots Pots being one, NavarroCanoe, um, Bochie's mustard.
(27:38):
And so those are like placesthat you can you can go, you
can, you know, you can buythings, obviously, but the
makers are right there and youcan actually interface with
them.
And like Dot's a wonderful lady,she's been.
Um, you know, she's done photosand videos with us and told us
about her store.
And, you know, the the Boche'smustard family, they have a gift
(28:02):
shop.
When you go in, you know, youcan kind of see the awards
they've won through the years umand talk with them and you know,
and bring home a jar of mustardif you want to.
And so it's really cool thatlike in our own communities, you
know, quad cities I can speakfor, but in in all these
communities, there are thesepeople who um, you know, who
(28:22):
have the interest and the thegusto, I guess if you will, to
like make something and tell youabout it and let you do it with
them.
I love that.
SPEAKER_01 (28:34):
I think it's great, but a lot of people are
searching for those experiencesnow when they travel.
I mean, travelers want to haveinteresting experiences.
They do.
So I think that it's somethingthat a lot of communities and
people are offering up that isso beneficial for everybody.
And again, it makes people wantto go to those places that they
didn't think that might be aplace that doesn't maybe have as
(28:56):
much going on, but they havethese cool experiences.
So then you want to go andvisit.
I think it's really special.
SPEAKER_02 (29:02):
Well, we're so excited to have you back in the
Quad Cities coming soon.
So um November 13th at ourannual event, it's called
Destination QC.
You will be a speaker.
Um, we're gonna highlight, youknow, the power of storytelling,
quality of life in place, andjust how that all comes into
play together.
Um, you know, storytelling isjust really the crux of the
(29:23):
tourism industry, and it's thecrux of a community because
that's how you start to buildthat emotional connection with
people.
And I think that's what inspirespeople to make a decision.
Yes, I want to go there, I wantto live there.
Um, you know, I want to exploretheir experience there.
So we're pumped to have youcome.
Do you have any like items onyour list when you come here
that you know you you want to dothis time?
SPEAKER_01 (29:45):
Who I well, you know, I actually want to do the
full walk over the bridgebecause I didn't do that last
time because I didn't have timeand it was very hot that day.
So when I come back in the fall,I think it's gonna be really
nice.
So That's gonna be great.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And um, you know, again, I lovegetting on my own two feet and
(30:06):
exploring.
So if I were back down by umLago Marcino's, for instance, I
kind of wanted to walk morearound that area and just see
what I spotted.
So I think there's gonna be alot, and and if I can meet some
more um entrepreneurs and smallbusinesses, I love that.
And of course the food, becausepeople are traveling for food a
hundred percent.
(30:26):
And I've the food sceneeverywhere has gotten much more
diverse and interesting as asI've been traveling for the past
few years, and I love that.
So, you know, trying somethingthat's truly local will
definitely be on my list.
SPEAKER_02 (30:40):
We will definitely hook you up with some Quad City
style pizza while you're intown.
And you can add that to yourlist.
So um, I will have you at thispoint now, Darlie, fill in the
blank, QC, that's where you getreally good ice cream.
That's so true.
And you experience LagoMarcinos, but we've also got
country style and whitey's likefan favorites, people people
(31:04):
travel far and wide to come tothese joints.
SPEAKER_01 (31:06):
So I love that.
Well, and I was gonna say, I,you know, you should ask me
again after this visit because Iprobably will have something
completely different.
But from what I've seen so far,it's from in in from even
corresponding with you, it seemslike it's very
community-centric, which I thinkis awesome.
Um, because when communitiescome together, it really just
(31:29):
helps everybody rise and growand feel feel connected.
SPEAKER_02 (31:33):
I love that.
Yes.
Rising tides, rise all ships,sentiment.
Yeah, 100%.
And that's definitely the quadcities feel too.
Everybody, there's room foreverybody, and everybody like
helps lift each other and helpeach other out.
Um, and so I'm very blessed tolive here.
We're so excited to have youback here.
And before I let you go, wherecan people find your content,
(31:54):
watch you, and and interact withyou?
SPEAKER_01 (31:57):
Yeah, so you can look for Travels with Darley on
your local PBS station.
We have a YouTube, we're onAmazon Prime Tubi.
The podcast is on iHeart andSpotify, Apple, all those
places, all called Travels withDarley.
And you can follow me on socialat Darlie Newman and Facebook
Travels with Darley.
SPEAKER_02 (32:15):
Looking forward to having you back, Darlie.
Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_00 (32:18):
Thanks for listening to QC That's Where, a podcast
powered by Visit Quad Cities.
Text VisitQC to 38314 forinsider events, activities, and
updates sent straight to yourphone.
That's V I S I T Q C one word tothree eight three one four.
(32:39):
Message and data rates mayapply.
In high school, I said I wanted to do a travel
show.
So I've uh like my friends laughbecause they're like, that's so
funny that you went on to do it.
But I I actually started workingas a teenager.
And when I was 16, I was workingat um Time Warner Cable in South
Carolina, and I was a contractcamera person, and I was filming
(00:20):
government meetings and a localtalk show.
So I started working in thebusiness a long time.
I mean, you know, when I wasyounger, I knew I wanted to be
in the creative field.
And I had a video camera when Iwas a kid, and I used to make
people do movies and shows in myneighborhood.
So I was a director before backin the day.
SPEAKER_00 (00:41):
Where do you find a family of communities connected
by the storied Mississippi Riverwhere young explorers, dreamers,
investors, entrepreneurs thrive?
Where can you connect with realpeople living and creating in a
place that's as genuine as it isquirky?
QC That's Where.
SPEAKER_02 (01:03):
Welcome to QC That's Where.
I'm Katrina, your host, and I'mso excited to have Darlie Newman
with Travels with Darley ontoday.
Darlie is a producer,entrepreneur, and a content
creator who's actually been inthe Quad Cities before.
She travels internationally forher show on PBS and Amazon
Prime.
And so, Darlie, hi, thank you somuch for coming.
SPEAKER_01 (01:24):
Thank you, Katrina, for having me.
SPEAKER_02 (01:27):
I'm pumped to talk to you.
I we were talking a little bitbefore we started recording the
podcast because you're justbringing in a whole new
perspective from your backgroundas a traveler, a content
creator, um, you know, a visitorto many, many places.
And so right now, I just want tomaybe kick it over to you to
talk a little bit about whatTravels with Darley is and its
(01:50):
origin story.
SPEAKER_01 (01:52):
So it's so funny because I now tell people that I
do a public service.
And that sounds weird, but Ibelieve that telling stories and
getting people to know moreabout places that they can
discover and the people thatlive on this planet is so
valuable because it connects usmore.
(02:13):
And I feel like the more we knowabout each other and the more we
know about different places, thebetter people we are.
So this is what I truly believebecause as we travel, I've been
traveling the world now actuallysince 2007.
I started another series calledEcho Trekking, the world's first
horseback riding travel series,where I went horseback riding
(02:34):
around the world for many years.
I wrote a book about it, createda brand out of it, um, and you
know, syndicated that show allover the world.
It was on PBS and then it went,it was on to Tokyo in France.
And it was interesting becausepeople were like, is it a horse
show?
And I said, no, it's a showabout people.
It is a show about our planetand animals, but it's all about
(02:56):
how we're connected and howwe've been connected over time.
And I think that people canreally start to learn more about
that through storytelling.
So in um 2016, I actuallylaunched Travels with Darley.
I had started it as a shortvideo short series in the early
days of video shorts.
So I had it syndicated out onHuffing and Post and AOL as
(03:17):
short videos.
And then I was like, I want tomake these into longer stories.
I mean, as you know, in thecontent world, we've seen this
evolution of we're watching longthings, short things, super
short things, we're on social,we're on, you know, it's been a
very interesting evolution.
But I've been kind of ridingthat wave with Travels with
Darley.
We now have filmed, we have 85half hours on PBS stations
(03:39):
across the nation.
They're on platforms like AmazonPrime, on Tubi, on Samsung, on
Plex.
You can find the series on myYouTube.
You can listen to the podcastversion on iHeart.
So it's it's it's really evolvedover time because there are so
many platforms and the medialandscapes evolved.
But the heart of it all has beenmeeting people in different
(03:59):
places, telling great stories,and showing people how they can
be inspired by what's going onin different communities.
And we are in a new season nowthat comes out next year,
actually.
So we're we're getting close toa hundred episodes with all the
content we're producing, ahundred and a half hours, and
there's so much more that we doon different platforms as well.
(04:20):
But I really love it.
Um, and we were so excited thatwe got to come down the Great
River Road for an episode andvisit you all in the quad
cities.
And that's just one example ofhow we will road trip through a
place and look to find thehistory, the culture, the food,
what makes those destinationstick.
SPEAKER_02 (04:38):
So you mentioned the Great River Road.
So that was kind of how we gotacquainted a little over a year
ago.
You were working with theIllinois Office of Tourism and
you made that track.
So did you have any likestandout moments on the Great
River Road?
Um, shout out Quad Cities aswell.
I know you visited the Arsenaland Lagos.
So yeah, what what stuck whatstuck out to you there?
SPEAKER_01 (05:00):
So south of you, we went to the um these tree houses
that you can stay in, and theguy built them all by hand,
which I thought was super cool.
Um, you know, there's windmills,you would, there's things you
wouldn't expect.
There's presidential history.
The Great River Road is isreally it's a gem.
It's it's such a diverse trek.
I went goat trekking up inGalena, which was unexpected.
(05:23):
Uh, when I was with you all inthe Quad Cities, I was having
ice cream at Lago Marcino's, andI thought, wow, this is so cool.
This is another great example ofstepping back in time at a
family-owned business.
It's it was fourth generation,and they're making this amazing
chocolate.
And I don't know, it's I lovethose places where it's
(05:45):
unexpected.
We went to Rock Island Arsenal,which was also unexpected.
I learned so much about uh thatthe role that it had in major,
you know, the Civil War andother world wars.
And that was really fascinatingbecause and why it was located
there in this central location.
And we've got the MississippiRiver.
(06:05):
So it was really a fascinatingdive into Illinois, but also a
microcosm of what makestraveling throughout America so
cool because you're findingthings from all over the world,
right, in your own backyard.
SPEAKER_02 (06:20):
It was so special to have you here with us for, I
mean, it was a short time and uma little preview to what's
coming.
Um, Darley will be with us forour annual event on November
13th.
So we'll be excited to have youback in the community with us
again.
Um, but it was so great to haveyou because, you know, you, like
I said before, you brought in adifferent perspective.
This is kind of this is what youdo.
(06:41):
And so for you to be able tohighlight the things that you
can share, tell the story, andreally just amplify um was
really great for us.
And um, we were able to shareyour reel that you made from the
arsenal and the snippets fromthe Great River Road.
Um, so we're just so proud to bepart of that cluster of
communities.
(07:02):
How interesting is it before youprobably even talk to somebody?
You're visiting a community,whether it's Midwest, you know,
Southeast, internationally,everything from the buildings to
how the infrastructure is andthe markets, like tells a little
story, gives a little glimpse ofjust what the people there
(07:23):
value.
I mean, what are your thoughtson just taking all that in
without even having you know hada conversation yet?
SPEAKER_01 (07:32):
It's interesting because every place is so
different.
And I think that's what makes ita good show and and a good a
good topic in general.
I often say it's a travel show,but it's not a travel show
because again, it's about peopleand communities and places.
Uh, but when you when my when Igo into different places, it is
really people open up to us.
(07:54):
We're just a small team, youknow, everybody, there's four of
us that travel together.
My photographer Greg Barna isawesome.
He's about to be honored with aSilver Circle Emmy Award in Los
Angeles in Pasadena, Los Angelesfor the daytime Emmys coming up,
um, for his lifetime of work,which um the last 15 years has
been on my shows.
That's so exciting.
(08:15):
Congratulations to him.
He's amazing.
And but all of us really docare.
I mean, that's the thing.
And I think when people meet us,they do open up about their
lives and what they value.
And you see that in the placeswhere we talk to them.
Because um, for instance, in thearea where we were looking at
the windmills, and we have thiswoman who was a docent, and
(08:38):
she's taking such great pride inthe fact that they're keeping
everything so intact.
They're working windmills thatyou can visit on the Great River
Road.
And I was thinking, I love thisthat that people have this value
of preservation and holding onto the past, but sharing it in a
way that is welcoming to peoplewho visit and are like, why is
(09:00):
this here?
And they tell the whole story.
So I thought things like thatare really great, but it's also
when you meet local smallbusiness owners, there's
artisans that we meet along ourtravels, hat makers and belt
makers, and they all and jewelrydesigners and people that uh own
really great restaurants, andthey're all sharing something
(09:21):
through their art, through theirfood.
And that really tells you thatthey care.
And I think that's somethingthat's really special about
getting to share these stories.
It just connects us further.
And I think that's reallyimportant, especially nowadays.
SPEAKER_02 (09:35):
So when you're with us in November as a speaker at
our annual event, we aredefinitely gonna hone in on the
power of storytelling.
Um, we we see you as just, youknow, one of the greatest minds
in that field.
And it's something that we wantyou to be able to help us um
push to people who maybe don'tstorytell for a living, but
(09:56):
we're all, you know, we're allstorytellers in some sense
because we all have a story totell.
SPEAKER_01 (10:01):
It's true.
And I actually love that aboutwhat's happening with social
media now and with contentcreation.
I talk to a lot of people whoare trying to start something
new.
You know, they have an idea fora business.
And I always say, if you have apassion for something, you
should, if you want to pursue itas a business, then you
definitely should.
(10:21):
Because, and it could beanything that you think of.
It doesn't have to be somethingmainstream.
In fact, it's probably better ifit's not.
As we've seen people blowing upwith their stuff on TikTok that
are or Instagram that arethey're making a craft or
they're doing something that youwould never think would be
popular.
And the beauty of it is when youhave a passion and you convey
(10:42):
that, it becomes interesting toother people because they see
that it resonates through.
So I do think that storytellingis so important, but that
anybody can share their storybecause when it is done with
authenticity and it's done fromthe heart, that's when it
resonates with people.
And they and they may say, Ididn't think I was interested in
that, but now I am.
(11:02):
And I think that's the beauty ofit.
And there's so many ways to tella story, and there's so many
ways to be creative about it aswell that people don't often
think about.
But there are little exercisesthat a lot of people can do to
kind of step out of their owncomfort zone and realize that
you know, all of us, whether welike it or not, if you're doing
something, it's your brand in away now.
(11:23):
You are a brand.
What you're doing is a brand,you're representing a brand.
And maybe you do or don't likethat word, but it's it's true.
It's a way that we conveyinformation.
And I think if you're authenticabout it, that is what
resonates.
SPEAKER_02 (11:37):
So you started out um, you know, short form video
and blossomed from there.
I mean, probably, you know,obviously by choice, but
probably also a little bit outof like necessity, because the
more years go by, the moreplatforms erupt and we have to
use them and adapt and figurethem out.
So, you know, how have you kindof um managed being a little bit
(12:00):
everywhere for everybody?
And do you have a favorite wayto tell your stories?
SPEAKER_01 (12:06):
It's it is hard to manage because there are so many
platforms and it's constantlyevolving.
Uh, I always say that and thinkthat you should go where your
audience is.
So you don't have to beeverywhere.
If you find that you have anaudience on YouTube or that you,
your website or your newsletteror your substack is doing well,
then you might want to hone inon that.
(12:27):
But I do believe that it's umit's fun to look at the platform
that resonates and then how youmanage that.
I really love doing reels.
I don't know.
I actually like love them.
I like that it's short and in aminute or maybe a little bit
more or less, you can tell apretty good story.
(12:49):
And I think it's a good exercisefor people too.
Often when I'm going tointerview people for longer
interviews now, I have them domy social media first.
I'm like, I want you to tell meabout your place or location and
try to keep it 30 seconds to aminute.
And you'll be surprised at howmuch of a great, concise story
you can get with that.
(13:10):
You know, a lot of people arereally good at it now, too.
You you'd also be surprised.
You think, oh, people getnervous.
They like the phones.
And I think it's wonderful.
Uh, I think it's a great way toconvey something.
And I love layering, I layervideo on my reels.
I think I use a program calledInShot that I really like.
It's outside of um the platformsof you, your your endemic
(13:32):
platform of Instagram orsomething like that.
But it's a great tool because Itry to make my even my short
reels, I try to make them reallycaptivating.
And I think people like to seevisuals.
So I I really love doing that.
And I I do like telling longerstories.
I'm working on my podcasts nowtoo, like this one, and I'm
doing audio only podcasts todifferentiate from the show.
(13:53):
And I found that to be really afun challenge because you have
to describe things more.
And I also believe that it'sgreat to have these different um
audio, video, short form, longform.
People want things in differentways, people digest things in
different ways, and people havemight have different challenges
(14:14):
where maybe they just can listento it, maybe they just want to
see it.
Whatever it is, if you presentit in different ways, it really
helps reach a lot more people.
SPEAKER_02 (14:23):
I think that speaks to you know, the longevity of
like what you're doing and howyou've been able to and how
brands have been able to stayrelevant and you know keep up
because even like myself, Ithink back to 10 years ago, the
way I consume content now isvastly different for no other
reason, other than like mylifestyle has changed a lot.
Like I have two little kids now,so podcasts are right up my
(14:45):
alley because I don't reallyhave a lot of time and you know,
just the bandwidth to sit andwatch something, but I can
listen while I clean or playwith somebody all day long, you
know?
And you know, 10 years ago, Imight have opted for that sit
down with my laptop and reallywatch something.
Um, so it's really great.
I mean, there's benefits too.
(15:05):
It's it can be hard to manage,but there's benefits to being a
little bit everywhere.
And like you said, it's great tosee that just people have
naturally kind of figured it outtoo.
You know, the phone isn't asscary as like a big old camera.
And so it's nice that we can getmore people into the sphere just
because the technology'schanging.
SPEAKER_01 (15:27):
I think it's great.
Yeah.
And I think however people wantto digest something, a lot of
people are listening to podcastson YouTube now.
I think that's also great.
And people are maybe they're noteven watching the video, they're
just listening to it, but theyhave it streaming.
So either, you know, howeverpeople want to consume things,
the as long as the I think theinformation gets out there and
(15:47):
they can learn, I think that'sgreat.
SPEAKER_02 (15:49):
So you started like traveling and doing the the
shorts um 2007.
Now, did that did everythingstart and just blossom in 2007,
or did you have any kind of likeinkling of travel prior?
SPEAKER_01 (16:04):
Oh no.
I mean, I want in high school Isaid I wanted to do a travel
show.
So I've uh like my friends laughbecause they were like, that's
so funny that you went on to doit.
But I I actually started workingas a teenager.
And when I was 16, I was workingat um Time Warner Cable in South
Carolina, and I was a contractcamera person, and I was filming
(16:26):
government meetings and a localtalk show.
So I started working in thebusiness a long time.
I mean, you know, when I wasyounger, I knew I wanted to be
in the creative field.
And I had a video camera when Iwas a kid, and I used to make
people do movies and and showsin my neighborhood.
So I was a director before backin the day.
(16:47):
But I went on to work in youknow, radio and television, and
I worked at CBS and on frontlinedocumentaries and talk radio
news service.
So I really did all aspects ofproduction, which is why I feel
um, you know, it's been sohelpful in running my own
company because I actually likea lot of people watch my show
and they don't understand that Iactually, you know, I host the
(17:09):
shows, but I I write them, Iproduce them, and I am the one
who's like helping figure outwhere we're going next and
actually leading the team.
So it's um it's a lot to do, butI feel like starting out and
getting to do things from theground up, I learned a lot.
And I talked to a lot of peoplewho again are starting something
(17:29):
new, and I say, well, maybe youwant to go work in the similar
field or you know, figure outhow other people are doing
things and get ideas and getexperience, things you didn't
think you'd want to do.
You might find that you likethem or you might find that you
hate them, but you need to knowthat information.
SPEAKER_02 (17:44):
So how do you even make the decision to decide,
okay, I'm going to X, Y, and Zplaces, and then we gotta move
on through.
SPEAKER_01 (17:53):
It's interesting because so I loved being in your
area because we made alast-minute decision to go to
Lago Marcino's.
Like it, you know, no, it wasn'ton our list.
We didn't have it in ourpurview, but we heard about it
the day before, I think.
And we said, oh my gosh, we haveto go there.
Because not only are we all onour team big ice cream lovers,
(18:14):
but we also just love the storyof the multiple generations.
So sometimes things just come upnaturally.
We obviously do research and wewant to try to get the heartbeat
of a place and the people, andwe we don't want to miss
something that people will watchand say, oh, they should they
should have gone there.
But often we do have to pick andchoose because we just don't
have a lot of time when we'retraveling.
(18:34):
Uh, and we try to cover a lot ofthings so that people watch the
show and they get a sense of it,but then they say, Oh, that's
something that I didn't knowabout.
Maybe I want to go there on mynext trip, which is great
because we found that peopleactually are following the
itineraries and looking at theshows and listening to the
podcast too, and and going tothose locations, which I think
(18:54):
is awesome.
And we have you know seen thatover many years.
And I think it opens uppeople's, you know, minds and
hearts to things they justdidn't know existed in our in
the US and around the world.
So we really do look for hiddengems, though, and again, places
that are unexpected.
So my producing team with Evelynand this and Janice as well, who
(19:18):
works with me, we're alwayslooking and saying, okay, what
should we cover?
What do we not want to miss?
And then what are the hiddengems that would really shine
through and might be unusualbecause those unusual places
often stand out too.
Again, like the tree houses thatthis man has hand built in the
woods that you can go and stayin.
I thought that was so cool.
So we try to look for thosethings and the goat trucking
(19:41):
that would be unexpected.
SPEAKER_02 (19:44):
It's so interesting.
Your process, you know, it's umit has to be so organized.
And yeah, I'm hearing like areflective element of just like
an average traveler because yougo in with a plan, you know a
handful of things you want todo, but then the best moments
are when you go in with a littlebit of an open heart and not
(20:04):
everything planned out to a T.
And then you can just kind oflisten and absorb and then hear
about those great things thatmaybe just didn't pop up on
Google or somebody, you know,who recommended the place
initially, like just didn'tshare for whatever reason.
SPEAKER_01 (20:21):
That's the beauty of travel.
I often say that I think youshould research a place if
you're going there and youshould have an itinerary, but
you should also leave time toexplore because there are things
that will resonate with you thatsomeone else didn't have on
their list or didn't resonatewith them.
So I think discovery is a great,is a great aspect of travel.
(20:42):
And it really is exciting whenyou think about yourself as an
explorer in a sense.
And I, you know, I don't lovethe word tourists.
I try not to use it.
I like traveler and I like tothink of us all as explorers and
people discovering new things.
SPEAKER_02 (20:57):
I love that.
And and the more you explore ortravel and just get to see
different people in differentelements, I mean, the more you
can build on your own dreams,the more you see what's out
there that maybe you hadn'tthought of before.
Um, you know, and and I like tothink, you know, dreams can can
build like the tourism businessbecause if we get people to
(21:18):
just, it starts with a visit,right?
And so if we get someone to comeand visit, maybe they'll want to
come and visit again, or maybethey'll want to come and see if
they want to live here.
Um, and so inspiring people tojust, you know, build their
dreams, um, build upon what theywhat they think they want for
their life and just be open toit.
Um, that's kind of that's whatwe're all about.
(21:39):
And we want to help usher that,you know, through.
Um, thinking about all of yourtravels, okay.
2007, beyond, whatever.
Do you have like a favoritemoment either from the show or
just personally that you drawback to from time to time?
SPEAKER_01 (21:55):
I do have a ton, honestly.
Again, we've been so manyplaces, and I always tell people
that I loved Botswana Africa, itwas one of my favorite locations
because I was just so amazed bythe wildlife.
It was so exciting to, I wenthorseback riding on different
safaris.
There was an elephant that did amock charge while I was on
(22:16):
horseback, which was scary.
It was crazy.
And we have just like reallyamazing, the best stargazing
I've ever seen out on one of theworld's largest salt pans there
in Botswana, Africa.
But when we were finishingCOVID, when we were at the tail
end of COVID, the vaccine had,you know, come out already.
(22:37):
We were hitting the road totravel, but it was still quite
difficult.
I got to film along the CivilRights Trail in Alabama, and I
interviewed uh women who hadlived through the movement as
children.
So these are amazing women.
I had a protege of Rosa Parkswho grew up sleeping on her
couch in her house, which is nowa national park site.
(22:58):
And I had Joanne Bland on cameraand interviewed her at the foot
of the Edmund Pettus Bridge inSelma.
And she was in the Selma toMontgomery March as a child and
had a lot of challenges to facewith that.
And her story isheart-wrenching, and it really,
it really affected me.
But I again, I think there'spower to hearing someone's
(23:22):
story, and the authenticitycomes when they tell it.
So those things have allresonated with me, and it's kind
of why I've continued to do whatI do, you know, amid all the
changes in the industry and theneed to evolve and innovate, and
which is definitely there allthe time.
I really think it's special whenyou get to hear from someone
(23:45):
who's lived through history andhas firsthand information.
SPEAKER_02 (23:48):
I got chills when you were talking about that.
That's, I mean, that's gotta bea highlight of your, you know,
of your career, but also justlike as a human, being able to
be the, you know, the person tohelp push that story out to the
masses and let people hear whatthey had to say about, you know,
living through that time andjust, you know, how they how
they persevered.
(24:08):
Um, those are those are somethings that it's gotta be a
little bit tough to stumble uponwhen you're doing your work.
Um, you know, but you have topair the those real moments and
these really like great learningexperiences with then the you
know, the the fun highlights andand everything.
So there's so much that'sencompassed with your job, and
(24:29):
I'm just like absolutelyfascinated.
Um, and another thing I've beenwanting to know is like what
makes you want to go back to aplace?
SPEAKER_01 (24:38):
Oh, so that's a great question.
Because I've done a number ofproductions in Santa Fe, New
Mexico.
It's a place that I really love.
I've had some really I seriouslyhave had transformative
experiences there.
It's I tell people they need tovisit because it is a place that
the landscapes, the history, thefood, there's so much there.
(25:00):
There's so many rich textures.
But I did this Equus experiencethere, which is commuting with
horses when horses are just onthe ground.
And I'm a big horse person.
So I went into it, I wasskeptical because I was like,
I've done so much with horses.
A lot of times horse whispering,I don't, I don't believe it's
gonna work, you know, or it'sgonna be a hoax or something.
(25:21):
And I sat there with thesehorses that day, and I was like
tearing up as I left and feltlike I had learned so much.
It was an unbelievableexperience.
And so I think, again, thosekind of experiences, it's all
about experiences.
Experiences make you want to goback to a place.
People make you want to go backto a place.
(25:43):
But I love that so manydestinations, so many people are
offering experiences now.
You know, I'm the kind of personwho doesn't love like things.
I don't collect a lot.
I could have filled my housewith so many things as I've
traveled all around the world,but I don't because I don't
necessarily value those thingsas much as I value the time, the
(26:07):
experiences, the connection, andwhat it is when you when you
have something that is a specialexperience.
I was just in Alabama and I dida painting class with this woman
who has her own art studio andshe does workshops on soris.
So, you know, what is a sorry?
And she's collected all thesesoris from her family's history,
(26:29):
and you really learned so much.
I'm not good at painting at all,but just sitting there and the
meditative aspects of doingthat, but then getting to chat
with her while I did it, I feltagain like it was another really
interesting experience oflearning about culture and
someone's personal history thatteaches you a lot about their
past, where they came from, andthe area where they live in now.
(26:51):
So I think those experiences arereally valuable.
SPEAKER_02 (26:54):
I love that.
You're a collector ofexperiences.
I think that's I think that'sfantastic.
It's something that you can likehang your hat on and not have to
worry about putting in storage,right?
You can just rem have thememories and you know, the
photos and share those.
And I think that's wonderful.
Um, one thing that you touchedon was um the, you know, kind of
(27:15):
sitting and experiencing the themaking of something with
somebody and kind of abackstory.
So, like like the state ofIllinois has the Illinois Made
Makers program where you knowcommunities throughout the state
can nominate their local makers.
And Quad Cities has a handful,we're so proud of.
Um, Dots Pots being one, NavarroCanoe, um, Bochie's mustard.
(27:38):
And so those are like placesthat you can you can go, you
can, you know, you can buythings, obviously, but the
makers are right there and youcan actually interface with
them.
And like Dot's a wonderful lady,she's been.
Um, you know, she's done photosand videos with us and told us
about her store.
And, you know, the the Boche'smustard family, they have a gift
(28:02):
shop.
When you go in, you know, youcan kind of see the awards
they've won through the years umand talk with them and you know,
and bring home a jar of mustardif you want to.
And so it's really cool thatlike in our own communities, you
know, quad cities I can speakfor, but in in all these
communities, there are thesepeople who um, you know, who
(28:22):
have the interest and the thegusto, I guess if you will, to
like make something and tell youabout it and let you do it with
them.
I love that.
SPEAKER_01 (28:34):
I think it's great, but a lot of people are
searching for those experiencesnow when they travel.
I mean, travelers want to haveinteresting experiences.
They do.
So I think that it's somethingthat a lot of communities and
people are offering up that isso beneficial for everybody.
And again, it makes people wantto go to those places that they
didn't think that might be aplace that doesn't maybe have as
(28:56):
much going on, but they havethese cool experiences.
So then you want to go andvisit.
I think it's really special.
SPEAKER_02 (29:02):
Well, we're so excited to have you back in the
Quad Cities coming soon.
So um November 13th at ourannual event, it's called
Destination QC.
You will be a speaker.
Um, we're gonna highlight, youknow, the power of storytelling,
quality of life in place, andjust how that all comes into
play together.
Um, you know, storytelling isjust really the crux of the
(29:23):
tourism industry, and it's thecrux of a community because
that's how you start to buildthat emotional connection with
people.
And I think that's what inspirespeople to make a decision.
Yes, I want to go there, I wantto live there.
Um, you know, I want to exploretheir experience there.
So we're pumped to have youcome.
Do you have any like items onyour list when you come here
that you know you you want to dothis time?
SPEAKER_01 (29:45):
Who I well, you know, I actually want to do the
full walk over the bridgebecause I didn't do that last
time because I didn't have timeand it was very hot that day.
So when I come back in the fall,I think it's gonna be really
nice.
So That's gonna be great.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And um, you know, again, I lovegetting on my own two feet and
(30:06):
exploring.
So if I were back down by umLago Marcino's, for instance, I
kind of wanted to walk morearound that area and just see
what I spotted.
So I think there's gonna be alot, and and if I can meet some
more um entrepreneurs and smallbusinesses, I love that.
And of course the food, becausepeople are traveling for food a
hundred percent.
(30:26):
And I've the food sceneeverywhere has gotten much more
diverse and interesting as asI've been traveling for the past
few years, and I love that.
So, you know, trying somethingthat's truly local will
definitely be on my list.
SPEAKER_02 (30:40):
We will definitely hook you up with some Quad City
style pizza while you're intown.
And you can add that to yourlist.
So um, I will have you at thispoint now, Darlie, fill in the
blank, QC, that's where you getreally good ice cream.
That's so true.
And you experience LagoMarcinos, but we've also got
country style and whitey's likefan favorites, people people
(31:04):
travel far and wide to come tothese joints.
SPEAKER_01 (31:06):
So I love that.
Well, and I was gonna say, I,you know, you should ask me
again after this visit because Iprobably will have something
completely different.
But from what I've seen so far,it's from in in from even
corresponding with you, it seemslike it's very
community-centric, which I thinkis awesome.
Um, because when communitiescome together, it really just
(31:29):
helps everybody rise and growand feel feel connected.
SPEAKER_02 (31:33):
I love that.
Yes.
Rising tides, rise all ships,sentiment.
Yeah, 100%.
And that's definitely the quadcities feel too.
Everybody, there's room foreverybody, and everybody like
helps lift each other and helpeach other out.
Um, and so I'm very blessed tolive here.
We're so excited to have youback here.
And before I let you go, wherecan people find your content,
(31:54):
watch you, and and interact withyou?
SPEAKER_01 (31:57):
Yeah, so you can look for Travels with Darley on
your local PBS station.
We have a YouTube, we're onAmazon Prime Tubi.
The podcast is on iHeart andSpotify, Apple, all those
places, all called Travels withDarley.
And you can follow me on socialat Darlie Newman and Facebook
Travels with Darley.
SPEAKER_02 (32:15):
Looking forward to having you back, Darlie.
Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_00 (32:18):
Thanks for listening to QC That's Where, a podcast
powered by Visit Quad Cities.
Text VisitQC to 38314 forinsider events, activities, and
updates sent straight to yourphone.
That's V I S I T Q C one word tothree eight three one four.
(32:39):
Message and data rates mayapply.
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