• The American Countryside is truly a slice of Americana. It might be a well-known music or TV star or just someone with an interesting story that lives down the street. From Iditarod sled dog mushers, to NASA scientists... from the Rooster Crowing Championships to NFL greats...The American Countryside is sure to be of interest. Click the button above to listen to the latest show, or visit the American Countryside archives.
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The Rendezvous Theatre

beavercreekWhen hunters and trappers would gather once each season, it was often called a rendezvous. In Alaska and the Yukon Territory, there is still a rendezvous, although the types of people it draws are more varied and widespread than a century ago…

Alaska’s Salmon

alaskasalmonTo many of us, salmon are just another type of fish we might eat. But to the people of Alaska, this is a fish that may have even a spiritual meaning…

Alaskan Riverboats

alaskariverboat2When the city of Fairbanks swelled with the Klondike gold rush in the late 1800s, a fleet of riverboats began to sail the river waters hauling supplies. When the riverboats came, something else began to change…

Alaska’s Riverboat Discovery

Discovery III and Trading PostWhen you think of a riverboat captain, you probably think of life on the Mississippi, Ohio or Missouri. Instead, we’ll ride a river in Alaska…

An Alaskan Highway

alaskahighwayIt’s a chore for most states to build and repair roads and bridges. Mary Carey fought with her state for ten years to simply get a road…

North to Alaska

JeanRichardson1Jean Richardson’s mother had always dreamed of moving to Alaska and teaching school there. When she did move north, the opportunity she was given was one most people would not accept, but it still turned out to be a place she put down roots…

Glaciers and Icebergs

alaskaglaciers2If there is such a thing as a famous iceberg, it would probably be the chuck of ice that sunk the Titanic. If there is such a thing as an expert on icebergs, it would probably be Mary Bloom…

Alaska’s Magnificent Glaciers

alaskaglaciers1Alaska has plenty to offer visitors when it comes to natural beauty. One of the most popular attractions for tourists is to board a ship and see the ice that the state is famous for…

Music At the Gold Mine

eldoradogold2Alaska has had its share of gold rushes and although the stampede of prospectors may be long gone, there is still mining taking place today. We’ll head to one of the state’s gold fields…

A Wisconsin Dairy Farmer and an Alaska Gold Mine

eldoradogold1When Dexter Clark decided that the life of a Wisconsin dairy farmer was not for him, he took up a new career that he says farming helped prepare him for–a career as a gold miner…

The Wildlife of Denali National Park

Denali2Denali National Park is home to North America’s tallest peak and many types of wildlife. Today we venture there for a look at one of the animals people most like to see as long as they are in a bus…

A Mountain Called Denali

Denali1Denali National Park is home to a peak for which the park is named…Denali…which means The Great One. Many people know it as Mt. McKinley…a name applied when William McKinley ran for president. Whether it’s McKinley or Denai, it’s today’s edition of the American Countryside…

Dawson Dolly

DawsonDollySkagway, Alaska has a wealth of history from its gold mining days. One of the personalities who shares that story is a lady named Dolly. Her life is a unique blend of history and reality rolled into one very enthusiastic Alaskan…

Dawson Dolly

DawsonDollySkagway, Alaska has a wealth of history from its gold mining days. One of the personalities who shares that story is a lady named Dolly. Her life is a unique blend of history and reality rolled into one very enthusiastic Alaskan…

Preparing for the Iditarod

Sunrise over Iditarod RacerSome sports not only require thousands of hours of training, they also require a hefty financial investment. For those who run Alaska’s famous Iditarod, it is a part of their life. We visit with one of the Alaska most well known mushing families…

1156 Miles on a Sled

iditarod2Some athletes train for a marathon–a race just over 26 miles in length. This athlete’s family trains for an event that covers over 1100 miles. What kind of work goes into that race?

Family Ties and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

iditarod1For the next three features here on the American Countryside you’re in for a real treat as we discover what it takes to compete in one of the most grueling and storied sporting events in the nation–the famous Iditarod sled dog race…

The Palmer, Alaska Farmer’s Market

giantcabbageWhen you think of fertile farmland, you perhaps think of a location with deep rich soil in the Midwest. But to find the land growing the largest vegetables in the nation, you have to travel far to the north…