World Footprints – Details, episodes & analysis

’Tis the season—and this year, we’re traveling the world through sound.

The World Footprints Holiday Music Special is our musical thank-you to listeners who have journeyed with us over the years. Holiday music has a way of crossing borders effortlessly. Long before playlists and streaming, seasonal songs carried stories, faith, resistance, joy, and memory from one generation to the next—often shaped by local languages, rhythms, and traditions. What we call “Christmas music” in one place sounds entirely different somewhere else, and that’s the beauty of it.

Just as travel changes how we see the world, music transports us without a passport. These selections from around the globe are meant to stir memory—family gatherings, winter streets, candlelit churches, sun-soaked celebrations in the Southern Hemisphere—and to remind us that the season is observed in many ways, across cultures and continents.

This special also reflects what World Footprints has always stood for: celebrating our planet’s diversity, honoring cultural expression, and finding common humanity in shared experiences. Music, like travel, helps us listen more closely—to one another and to the world around us.

Thank you for inviting us into your homes, your cars, and your quiet moments. We’re grateful for your continued support and for being part of the World Footprints community. Wishing you peace, love, joy—and plenty of travel inspiration—as we look ahead to new journeys and conversations in the year to come.

“The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness. It illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than in things.”

          –Thomas S. Monson

...and to all...a good night.

The biographer James Parton once called Pittsburgh “hell with the lid off.” That description fit the 19th-century steel town he visited, but it couldn’t be further from the Pittsburgh we explored. Today’s city is vibrant, creative, and surprisingly colorful — a place that has rewritten its narrative while still honoring the chapters that built it.

In this episode, we travel beyond Pittsburgh’s industrial mythology to meet the people and places shaping Western Pennsylvania’s modern identity.

The Senator John Heinz History Center: Western Pennsylvania’s Storykeeper

The Senator John Heinz History Center has been documenting life in Western Pennsylvania since 1879, making it the region’s oldest cultural institution. This Smithsonian-affiliated museum brings more than 250 years of local history into focus — from frontier life and immigration waves to the rise of labor movements, sports culture, innovation, and the industries that put Pittsburgh on the world map.

During our visit, we sat down with Brady Smith, who walked us through how Western Pennsylvania helped author some of America’s most compelling historical moments. The History Center’s work isn’t only about cataloging artifacts. It is about amplifying overlooked stories and elevating the contributions of everyday residents whose experiences shaped the region.

The Hill District: A Cultural Landscape Shaped by the Great Migration

Pittsburgh became a major stop during the Great Migration, and the people who moved north built one of the country’s most influential Black neighborhoods: the Hill District.

From the 1920s to the 1940s, the Hill thrived as a center of music, journalism, business, and community life. It became the creative incubator for playwright August Wilson and the backdrop that inspired the television series Hill Street Blues. Jazz legends played here. Writers and photographers shaped national conversations from here. And newcomers found a sense of belonging that didn’t exist in the Jim Crow South.

We spoke with Marimba Milliones of the Hill Community Development Corporation, who helped us see how the neighborhood’s cultural layers remain visible today. Former synagogues and other houses of worship speak to the Hill’s diverse immigrant past, and historic architecture stands as a physical record of a community that once pulsed with artistic and civic life.

Carrie Furnaces: A Rare Look at America’s Industrial Backbone

Built in 1907 along the Monongahela River, Carrie Furnaces 6 and 7 are among the last surviving examples of early 20th-century blast furnace technology in the United States. When Pittsburgh’s steel industry collapsed in the 1980s, nearly all of the region’s furnaces were dismantled. Carrie is the exception.

Standing beneath these massive structures gives you a visceral sense of what industrial labor looked and felt like. Heat, noise, grit — and a workforce made up of immigrants, African Americans, and residents who built the backbone of America’s manufacturing power.

Today, the furnaces are part of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, offering tours and programs that help visitors understand a world that no longer exists but continues to shape Pittsburgh’s identity.

Episode Takeaway

Pittsburgh’s strength has never been limited to steel. It has always been its people — the communities who migrated here, the workers who built its industries, and the innovators who continue to remake the city. This episode offers a look at the layered Pittsburgh behind the stereotypes: creative, resilient, culturally rich, and very much alive.

Shalom Y'all! In this World Footprints episode, Kenneth Hoffman, Executive Director at the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience (MSJE), gives us a guided tour and explains in depth how Jews in the American South influenced and were influenced by the cultural heritage of their local communities. Tune in to learn more about the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, why it was founded, its significance beyond the Jewish community, and the collection of all the artifacts in the museum.

North Carolina’s Outer Banks offers everything from open-sea beaches, theatre, wildlife preserves and popular shipwreck diving sites to down home cooking and history. On today’s show we explore these barrier islands and put a spotlight on Thailand and Indonesia. The Outer Bank’s Roanoke Island was the site of the first English settlement in the New World. A local popular theatrical production called “The Lost Colony” celebrates the birth of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America. The Lost Colony is America’s longest running outdoor symphonic drama. We’re given a behind the scenes look at this epic drama that has drawn theatre goers every year since 1937. Before the farm-to-table and locally-source movement in food there was Owens Restaurant leading the way. An Outer Banks institution, Owens is North Carolina’s oldest family-owned restaurant having been owned and operated by the same family since 1946. During a visit, we met Clara “Peaches” Woodard, a member of the fourth generation of Owens restaurateurs. Peaches treated us to tastings of some popular family recipes while she shared the restaurant’s history and art collections. A 1937 Act of Congress established Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge as a place for wildlife and waterfowl conservation. Pea Island is located on the Outer Bank’s Hatteras Island and is surrounded by sand dunes, marshes, ponds and creeks. The Wildlife Refuge is home to migratory birds, sea turtles and more. We joined Cindy Heffley of the US Fish and Wildlife Service on a nature walk through the Refuge. Before the U.S. Coast Guard there was the U.S. Life-Saving Service protecting the shores. One of the most comprehensive Life-Saving station sites still in existence, the Chicamoacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site and Museum, is a unique living history attraction. The only one of its kind in North Carolina, this Outer Bank’s museum houses artifacts and teaches the history of the predecessor to today’s U.S. Coast Guard. The museum’s John Griffin shares some of the inspiring stories that made Chicamoacomico legendary.

We explore points around the globe from London and the Jewish contributions to British society to America as we explore it’s history on the back of a Harley Davidson. We’ll stop at places in between and we’ll remember Anthony Bourdain. When most people think of London their first thoughts are of the iconic attractions. Few, however, realize the influences that other cultures have made to British society. Author and tour guide, Rachel Kolsky, takes us on an in-depth tour of Jewish London. We also welcome back three old friends. Darley Newman, host of the Emmy winning show Equitrekking takes us on new adventures with her Amazon Prime show, Travels with Darley. Bestselling author James Rollins uncovers new secrets in his latest Sigma Force thriller, The Demon Crown. He also shares a great scuba diving location. Our good friend and favorite historian, Stan Ellsworth takes us along on his Harley Davidson to uncover more of America’s rich history. Finally, we’ll remember a travel giant, Anthony Bourdain as we reflect on his thoughts about travel. Join us as we discover thrilling secrets, adventures and cultural heritage, and as we learn about Cabo San Lucas and Saint Martin on World Footprints with Ian and Tonya Fitzpatrick. Additional resources can be found on World Footprints.

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” -Gustave Flaubert Sandwiched between its Amish countryside and hip food scene, Lancaster Pennsylvania combines the old and new in awe-inspiring ways. Join World Footprints as we explore the area’s rich history, including President James Buchanan’s Wheatland home, and Lancaster’s contemporary offerings. Our first stop is the Hans Herr House. This structure traces its Germanic roots to 1719 and stands as the oldest homestead in Lancaster County. We learn what life was like for early settlers as our guide David Shrock takes us on a tour of the 1892 farmhouse. As we finished our tour of the Hans Herr House and grounds, we made our way to the Long House just across the street. The Long House commemorates the Native American people who once called the Lancaster County region their home—the Conoy, Lenape, Susquehannock and others. A visit to the Long House offers insight into the lives of the indigenous people well before the first Europeans set foot in the area. In another part of Lancaster County sits the Rock Ford Plantation that once served as the home of medical doctor and Military General to George Washington—General Edward Hand. One of the finest examples of Georgian architecture with 18th century origins that remains standing in Pennsylvania, Rock Ford’s elegance shines in the simplicity of its light and airy design. Finally, as theatre lovers we discovered a performance gem in Lancaster—the Sight and Sound Theatre. This Broadway-style theatre started in 1976 as the vision of Lancaster locals Glen and Shirley Eshelman to bring Bible stories to life on the stage. With the mantle has passed to the next generation, granddaughter Katie Miller shares her family’s journey of faith and the genesis behind making Bible stories theatrical and entertaining for families of all faiths.

Join us as we explore Lynchburg’s history on an art and architectural tour including spotlight stops at the Point of Honor historic home and the Riverview Artspace. Located in the center of Virginia, Lynchburg is within a day’s drive of most major east coast cities and it's a perfect place to begin an exploration of Central Virginia. But historic Lynchburg, the city on the hill, is undergoing an incredible revival. From new outdoor spaces, visual and performing arts to culinary arts and architectural restoration, Lynchburg offers iconic attractions within its vibrant borders. Lynchburg is divided into several historic districts. We began our tour of Lynchburg in The Carriage House Inn Bed and Breakfast—a beautifully restored 1878 Italianate mansion that’s located in the historic Daniel Hill district. Owners, Mike and Kathy Bedsworth take us on a historic tour of the property and area. Then, we’ve all heard the story of Old Mother Hubbard who lived in a shoe. Lynchburg’s Craddock Terry Hotel takes living in a shoe one step further. Once the world’s fifth largest show manufacturer, Craddock Terry celebrates shoes daily in its shoe motif rooms. General Manager, Todd Swindell, tells us how Craddock Terry opens its laces and buckles to thousands of guests every year. Next, Lynchburg is a city that remembers its past but keeps an eye on its future. Another important move towards the city’s future is the rehabilitation of the historic Virginian Hotel that, once completed, will be part of the Hilton’s Curio Collection. Developer Danny George tells us why this project ties in with the rehabilitation of the Academy Center of Arts and how it will transform downtown. Finally, the restoration of Lynchburg’s Academy Center of Arts, also known as the Jewel of Main Street, is leading the arts revolution in the downtown. The Academy complex, anchored by the Academy of Fine Arts Music Theatre, also includes a studio theatre and the historic theatre that showcases an array of performances ranging from musical and theatrical performances to variety shows. Originally built in 1905, the Academy Center of Arts promises to be a regional centerpiece for the arts once restoration is complete. Dorie Smiley, Director of Operations, shared the Academy’s treasured past and looked towards its promising future. Links to attractions can be found on this show page at WorldFootprints.com.

Today on World Footprints we celebrate Canada’s Francophone roots in the Quebec region as we walk in the footsteps of history at the New France Festival in Quebec City. Plus, we’ll visit an Augustinian Monastery turned holistic spa and we’ll talk to an Old World wine merchant. The walled fortifications in Old Quebec make Quebec City one of the most romantic and picturesque places to explore on foot. We explore the heart and soul of the city with Marc Duchesne of Cicerone Tours. For five days every August, Quebec City celebrates its connection to France with the New France Festival. The actors and festival-goers enjoy food and folly in their period costumes representing the peasant, bourgeois and royalty classes. (Our costumes represented the bourgeois class.) Melanie Raymond, the festival’s Executive Director, shares the essence of one of North America’s best festivals. The New France Festival has its share of ingenious characters like historian and outdoorsman Billy Rioux, aka “Billy the Adventurer”. He displayed the canoe that he carved from a spruce bark and entertained visitors with stories about early settlers and their interaction with the indigenous population. Then, we took a detour to the Charlevoix Region and visited Domaine de la Vallee du Bras where we did some wine tasting—tomato wine. The vineyard is the first in the world to make this unique wine under the Omerto label. Pascal Miche and his wife Stephanie Hott told us the story about how they started this unique wine in between sips. Spoiler alert: The wine is very tasty—surprisingly tasty. Finally, we shined a spotlight on le Monastere des Augustines. The home of the Augustinian Sisters has found a new mission as a center for holistic health, healing and hospitality in the heart of Quebec City. We also enjoyed a conversation with the Merchant de Boisson at the New France Festival. He delighted us with tales of the challenges he had importing wines from the Old World to New France at the urging of the noblesse oblige. Links to additional resources are available on WorldFootprints.com.

Rio de Janeiro is a city of vibrant neighborhoods and districts. We wanted to experience the city’s culture and history up close so we embarked on an exploration of Rio by foot. Historian Dr. Luciana Fagundes led our walking tour, which began in the historic central district of Lapa—an area known as the cradle of bohemian Rio. We discovered Rio’s rich history as we passed historical monuments like the Carioca Aqueduct and it’s famous arches. Our walking tour ended in the sweetest of ways at the century-old Confeitaria Colombo and enjoyed some of the chocolate and pastries they’ve been serving up over 120 years. Then, Rio is a tale of many cities. Favela shantytowns surround affluent neighborhoods with luxury high-rises. Because favelas are informal urban areas that came into being when scatters occupied vacant land those neighborhoods have a reputation for being unsafe. We visited a favela known as Vidigal and met with an American ex-pat, Adam Newman of the Favela Experience hostel. We’ll ask him about the awards Favela Experience received from Trip Advisor and Booking.com. Finally, we’ll talk to Vinicius Lummertz, President of Embrateur, the inbound tourism promotion agency for Brazil. Vinicius, who also shares a name with an Olympic mascot, will talk about Brazil’s abundant natural resources, rich culture and beautiful people and why just one visit to Brazil will never be enough. Visit WorldFootprints.com for additional resources.

Today on World Footprints we’ll visit one of the largest churches in the world in Washington DC, examine efforts to save cheetahs in Namibia and head off on a Caribbean pirate treasure hunt with the latest generation of Cousteaus. First, The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception may not be the most iconic building in Washington, DC, but it looms large in other ways. Louise DuFresne of the Basilica takes us inside this beautiful building in northeast DC to share its remarkable history. From the awe-inspiring domes, mosaics and statues that define the Basilica and much of the ornamentation, words can hardly express the grandeur and artistry on display. One of the most amazing attractions is the 3,600 square foot mosaic of Christ, which is believed to be the largest mosaic of Jesus in the world. Then, the country of Namibia is replete with natural physical beauty and abundant wildlife. The world’s fastest cat—the Cheetah roams the beautiful landscape but is faced with man-made and natural threats to its existence. For more than three decades, rescuing cheetahs and returning them to the wild has been the focus of Namibia’s Cheetah Conservation Fund. During a trip to Namibia, we visited CCF for a closer look at the efforts to save this endangered cat. CCF’s Eli Walker took us behind the scenes during feeding time as we learned of the challenges facing the cheetah in Namibia. Finally, Philippe Cousteau Jr. came to undersea exploration and conservation thanks to a legacy left by his famous grandfather Jacques and his father. Now, Philippe and his wife Ashlan, who made her mark as an on-air entertainment reporter for E-news, combine their personal and professional passions in their new Travel Channel show Caribbean Pirate Treasure—crisscrossing the Caribbean to share stories of pirates and lost treasures of yesteryear. Also, Washington, DC is filled with many well-know attractions drawing millions of visitors every year. But venturing off the beaten path, DC’s unique neighborhoods reveal historic homes with of stories of their own connected to America’s history. We’ll shine a “spotlight” on two of them in the Nation’s Capital—Tudor Place and Heurich House. For links to additional resources visit this show page at World Footprints.