land of oz

Palmer McIntyre, Director for the North Carolina Year of the Trail, shares how the celebration of outdoor recreation in NC showcases the state’s beautiful landscapes, provides healthy recreation, and stimulates local economies. She also works for the Piedmont Land Conservancy, a regional land trust in the Triad area.

Palmer explains why and how the 2023 NC Year of the Trail was created by an effort led by the Great Trails State Coalition and supported by the NC General Assembly. Today, the NC Year of the Trail is the largest statewide celebration of trails and outdoor recreation in North Carolina history. Discover how and where to experience trails and why it is important to spend more time outdoors.

Also on Speaking of Travel, there is one particular trail in NC found way up on top of Beech Mountain you will not want to miss. Travel over the rainbow to the yellow brick road and celebrate Land of Oz's annual Autumn at Oz Festival - one of the world’s largest Wonderful Wizard of Oz events. Sean Barrett, artistic director at Land of Oz, fills us in on this annual tradition still going strong today.

Stay tuned! Only on Speaking of Travel!

Thanks for listening to Speaking of Travel! Visit speakingoftravel.net for travel tips, travel stories, and ways you can become a more savvy traveler.

DTYBP Patreons have voted and the episode they asked for is HERE! Tara and EmKay continue their deep dive into Disney's "Rainbow Road to Oz," a 1957 proposed live-action film centered around the Land of Oz. Rabbit holes include a deep dive into the history of Disney's "Rainbow Road to Oz," the proposed Disneyland ride Rock Candy Mountain, and the Oz Disneyland Records.

Show Notes:

• "Walt Disney and the Rainbow Road to Oz" by David R. Smith
• "Walt's Journey to Oz" by Jim Korkis
• The Official Mickey Mouse Club Book by Lorraine Santoli
• Ravensburger
• The Disney Oz Connection - Eric Shanower
• Disneyland Oz Records
• Down the YBP Etsy Shop
• Patreon - DTYBP

Instagram:
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Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/downtheyellowbrickpod
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Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

DTYBP Patreons have voted and the episode they asked for is HERE! Tara and EmKay begin their deep dive into Disney's "Rainbow Road to Oz," a 1957 proposed live-action film centered around the Land of Oz. Rabbit holes include a brief history of Walt Disney's involvement with Oz properties, a breakdown of the evolution of The Mickey Mouse Club, and a special shoutout to Patreon Mitchell with some very thorough "Return to Oz" Glinda theories!!!
Stay tuned for Part 2 dropping this Wednesday, where Tara and EmKay dive more into Disney's "Rainbow Road to Oz," the proposed Disneyland ride Rock Candy Mountain, and the Oz Disneyland Records.

Show Notes:

• "Walt Disney and the Rainbow Road to Oz" by David R. Smith
• Yesterland: The Wizard of Brahs at Disneyland
• "Walt's Journey to Oz" by Jim Korkis
• You Must Remember This Podcast - Six Degrees of Song of the South
• Peculiar Penguins by Ruth Plumly Thompson
• The Official Mickey Mouse Club Book by Lorraine Santoli
• Down the YBP Etsy Shop
• Patreon - DTYBP

Instagram:
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Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
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Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

Friend of the pod Andrew Kolb, creator of OZ: A Fantasy Role-Playing Game joins the Slipperhood! Andrew shares his creative process in designing games, breaks down the basics of role-playing games, reflects upon his childhood love of Peter Pan and Oz, and more!

Show Notes:

• OZ: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Amazon)
• OZ: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (IndieBound)
• OZ: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Barnes & Noble)
• Andrew Kolb
• Lee Wiley Art
• Down the YBP Etsy Shop
• Patreon - DTYBP

Instagram:
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#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/downtheyellowbrickpod
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Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

Friend of the pod and Artistic Director of North Carolina's Land of Oz Theme Park, Sean Barrett, joins the Slipperhood! Sean recounts performing as the Scarecrow at Land of Oz since his teenage years, shares behind the scenes of Broadway's The Oz Project, and answers all your burning Land of Oz Theme Park questions!

Show Notes:

• Land of Oz Theme Park
• Broadway's THE OZ PROJECT: A Tribute to The Wizard of Oz & The Wiz
• Slipperhood Series: Brynn Williams (Broadway's The Oz Project!)
• Slipperhood Series: Steph Twomey (Dorothy at Land of Oz Theme Park!)
• Lee Wiley Art
• Ravensburger
• Down the YBP Etsy Shop
• Patreon - DTYBP

Instagram:
@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/downtheyellowbrickpod
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/down_the_yellow_brick_pod

Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

Brynn joins the Slipperhood to share her memories playing Dorothy in Broadway's The Oz Project: A Tribute to The Wizard of Oz & The Wiz, waiting for her Grandpa's name in the credits of "The Wiz" film as a part of the music department and the personal growth she has experienced on her yellow brick road in the past year.

Show Notes:

• Broadway's THE OZ PROJECT: A Tribute to The Wizard of Oz & The Wiz
• Instagram: @brynnwill
• Brynn's website

Instagram: 

@downtheyellowbrickpod
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Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: @emshray

Original music by Shane Chapman

Instagram:
@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/downtheyellowbrickpod
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/down_the_yellow_brick_pod

Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

Today Tara and EmKay are ELATED to kick off a brand new series: The Slipperhood! New episodes will be dropped on Fridays throughout the summer as a space for conversation and celebration to honor those who feel a kindred connection with Dorothy in their own unique way. Our first guest is the incredible Tiffany Sutton (@followtheyellowbrickgirl), an actress living in Los Angeles who shares her passion for the ruby slippers (you're not ready, ya'll!!), memories from her visit to The Land of Oz, Disney bounding on her instagram and her dreams for the future as she roller-skates down her yellow brick road.

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Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

The time has come, ya'll. Tara and EmKay are BACK and unpacking the wacky, zany, "girls girls girls" extravaganza that was the hit of Broadway: 1903's The Wizard of Oz musical! They  deep dive into how this musical came about after L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel, discuss conflict amongst the creative team, do their best to explain the plot (buckle up), and even shamelessly give their best dramatic reading of a scene straight from the script for your enjoyment! It's a hanky panky nightmare you don't want to miss. Stay tuned for Part 2!

Show Notes:

• Oz Before the Rainbow: L. Frank Baum's the Wonderful Wizard of Oz on Stage and Screen to 1939  by Mark Evan Schwartz

Instagram: 

@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: @emshray

Original music by Shane Chapman

Instagram:
@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/downtheyellowbrickpod
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/down_the_yellow_brick_pod

Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

Surely not, and we're definitely not broadcasting from Kansas! This week, we go back in time, venturing over the rainbow as we travel the yellow brick road on our way to the merry ol land of Oz, that is one of the most beloved and THE most watched movie of all time, Victor Flemming's 1939 family classic, Th!e Wizard Of Oz!

But all was not so merry and colorful in bringing the cherished classic to life. Wrought with production troubles and snafus, like many of cinema's best, The Wizard Of Oz was no exception.

So join us as we find out if all the trouble was worth it, what Miss Gulch should've done in seizing poor Toto, what the yellow brick road means to us, bust most importantly, if 1939's The Wizard Of Oz still deserves to be the most watched movie of all time! 

To Oz? To Oz! We're off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz!!!"

Welcome to Part 2 of our second to last chapter down the yellow brick road! Glinda reveals the true nature of the Silver Shoes as Dorothy bids her new friends farewell and claps her heels together to find herself on the plains of Kansas once more. Tara and EmKay unpack the history of mourning in the United States, question the use of the Golden Cap, share more Good Witch of the North theories, and reflect on their top second favorite moment of the season. Stay tuned for next week's final chapter, ya'll! Thank you for being here.

Show Notes

• National Museum of Funeral History
• The Wizard of Oz Invented the Good Witch - Pam Grossman

Instagram: 

@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: @emshray

Original music by Shane Chapman

Instagram:
@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/downtheyellowbrickpod
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/down_the_yellow_brick_pod

Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

Our journey down the yellow brick road is approaching its end as Dorothy and friends finally meet the glorious, glamorous, Good Witch of the South, Glinda, who has secrets to reveal and loose ends to tie up in Dorothy's adventure. Tara and EmKay start feeling the feels as they kick off the Yuletide Season and reflect on their time in the original sacred text of Oz. Childhood memories of Billie Burke's bubbly portrayal in the MGM film, revelations about the Golden Cap, and theories about the inspiration behind Glinda abound in Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 2 dropping Wednesday!

Show Notes:

• Meaning of Rubies
• Matilda Joslyn Gage - The Unlikely Inspiration for the Wizard of Oz
• Glinda - Oz Wiki
• Immigrant Nation (2020)

Instagram: 

@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: @emshray

Original music by Shane Chapman

Instagram:
@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/downtheyellowbrickpod
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/down_the_yellow_brick_pod

Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

Welcome to November's Yellow Brick Crossroads, a monthly bonus episode where Tara and EmKay interact with the incredible snail mail, social media reach-outs, reviews, corrections, and Oz memories you fine listeners share! November's YBC includes listener responses to unpacking L. Frank Baum racist writings, celebrating our first giveaway, a special message from PJ over at Hit the Bricks, a deep dive into an Oz Thanksgiving cartoon, Dorothy in the Land of Oz, and so much more! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your day and sacred Oz memories with us.

Show Notes:

• Kali Barnett
• The Wisdom of Oz: Reflections of a Jungian Sandplay Therapist - Gita Dorothy Moreno
• An Indigenous People’s History of the United States - Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz
• Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation
• Wizard of Oz Documentary: Ozsessed 
• Readdressing L. Frank Baum and Racism - Jay Davis
• Hit the Bricks
• The Circlehood - Society6
  
  

Instagram: 

@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: @emshray

Original music by Shane Chapman

Instagram:
@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
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Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/down_the_yellow_brick_pod

Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

As our friends journey through muck and mud to stumble upon a large meeting of animals (Hungry Tiger included, perhaps?..), the Lion finally gets his starring moment as he slays a terrifying (and sleeping) spider! Tara and EmKay question if this spider is the Great-Great-Great Grandfather of Aragog/the Stranger Things monster, share what feels like home, the need to normalize menstruation, and small tips to combat climate change. It's Survivor edition here in Oz, ya'll. Pros and cons of eating bugs included.

Show Notes:

• Do We Really Swallow Spiders in Our Sleep?
• Hungry Tiger
• The Crown (2016)
• Biden Plans to Move Fast With a ‘Climate Administration.’ Here’s How. - New York Times

Instagram: 

@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: @emshray

Original music by Shane Chapman

Instagram:
@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/downtheyellowbrickpod
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/down_the_yellow_brick_pod

Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

Picking back up in the Dainty China Country, our friends encounter a milkmaid, a clown, and a Princess, who all shed light on the lifestyle of the land's inhabitants. Tara and EmKay unpack what contributes to fragility, complicated U.S./China relations history, and ultimately are reminded of the idea of "sonder" - the realization that everyone we encounter has their own unique, complex, internal life separate from our own, and that is something to be honored.


Show Notes:

• Terracotta Army
• Money and Politics in the Land of Oz by Quentin P. Taylor
• Boxer Rebellion
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Holiday Train Show

Instagram: 

@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: @emshray

Original music by Shane Chapman

Instagram:
@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/downtheyellowbrickpod
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/down_the_yellow_brick_pod

Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

Tara and EmKay were elated to sit down with photographer, fellow Oz lover, and new friend, Curtis Brown to hear all the behind the scenes details of 2019's Broadway Celebrates Oz photoshoot! Curtis spilled some of his favorite secrets of collaborating on the shoot with costume designer Beck Jones, bringing out themes of LGBTQIA+ celebration within the characters, and several hidden makeup/costume details you definitely want to hear about. Ultimately, Curtis reminds us all of the unifying power of Oz and its never-ending ability to bring people together. Be prepared for lots of squeals at the sight of a Swarovski crystal-studded 6-inch stiletto ruby slipper. Still not over it.

Show Notes:

• Broadway Celebrates Oz, a Salute to 80 Years of MGM's The Wizard of Oz
• Curtis Brown Photography 
• Curtis Brown's Instagram
• Beck Jones
• Wicked the Musical

Instagram: 

@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: @emshray

Original music by Shane Chapman

Instagram:
@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/downtheyellowbrickpod
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/down_the_yellow_brick_pod

Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

In part one of this two-parter episode (get ready ya'll), Tara and EmKay question the first few sentences of Dorothy and friends looking up at the wall surrounding the Dainty China Country. After recalling childhood memories of delicately handling dolls made of china and admiring miniature models, Tara guides us through comparing the wall of the Dainty China Country to the U.S./Mexico border wall constructed during the current administration, leading to more questions than answers. Stay tuned for part two dropping on Friday.

Show Notes:

• The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
• Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)
• Jingdezhen: Why China is called China
• The ecological disaster that is Trump’s border wall: a visual guide - Vox
• "Why We Build the Wall" - Hadestown
• Hadestown: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Instagram: 

@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: @emshray

Original music by Shane Chapman

Instagram:
@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/downtheyellowbrickpod
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/down_the_yellow_brick_pod

Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

As our friends journey to the South to visit Glinda, they are met by a grove of trees who may or may not be "fighting trees" (we'll leave it up to you to decide). Tara and EmKay reminisce about bidding farewell to places and experiences they had before the pandemic hit, share thoughts on virtue signaling, and start mentally preparing for next week's chapter (The Dainty China Country) in the midst of the 2020 Presidential Election (we're here for you).

Show Notes:

• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
• Maltz Jupiter Theatre
• Become a Pollworker
• Hair (2009)
• The Soul of America
• Inventing Latinos: A New Story of American Racism by Laura E. Gómez

Instagram: 

@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: @emshray

Original music by Shane Chapman

Instagram:
@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/downtheyellowbrickpod
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/down_the_yellow_brick_pod

Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

Welcome to October's Yellow Brick Crossroads, a monthly bonus episode where Tara and EmKay interact with the incredible snail mail, social media reach-outs, reviews, corrections, and Oz memories you fine listeners share! October's YBC include Tara's trip to Matilda Joslyn Gage's house, EmKay's thoughts on Judy (2019), listener reactions to recent episodes regarding L. Frank Baum's comments on race, and SO much more! This one is jam packed ya'll. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your day and sacred Oz memories with us.


Show Notes:

• Sympathy or Racism? L. Frank Baum on Native Americans by Hunter Liguore
• Future Islands - "Tin Man" by Lee Lynch
• Dehumanization in Oz: The Scarecrow and Tin Man Mimics, the Lion Cannibal by Heather Foster
• 'Oz': Neither Great Nor Powerful - NPR
• Yellow Brick Road Apartment - Airbnb
• All Things Oz Museum
• Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation
• The Wisdom of Oz: Reflections of a Jungian Sandplay Therapist by Gita Dorothy Morena
• The Baby Snooks Show
• 'Gone with the Wind' pulled from HBO Max until it can return with 'historical context' by Frank Pallotta
• Judy (2019)
• Cinema Classics: The Wizard of Oz - SNL
• Letters from Felix: A Little Rabbit on a World Tour with Envelope by Annette Langen
• Song of Dewey Beard: Last Survivor of the Little Bighorn by Philip Burnham

Instagram: 

@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: @emshray

Original music by Shane Chapm

Instagram:
@downtheyellowbrickpod
#DownTheYBP
Tara: @taratagtickles
EmKay: www.emilykayshrader.net
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/downtheyellowbrickpod
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/market/down_the_yellow_brick_pod

Music by: Shane Chapman
Edited by: Emily Kay Shrader

In this episode we continue our discussion from last week of Charlotte, NC artist Jack Pentes and his wife, Ruth.