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GETAWAY Podcast Goes on Journey Across the Country [1]

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Date: 2025-04-03

In GETAWAY, a five-episode podcast series from Rural Remix, Daily Yonder reporter Ilana Newman dives deep into what it means to be a rural recreation community.

The final episode, about balancing economies in a small coastal Washington town, releases today.

From planning and growth development to the housing crisis, to the effects of climate change, and the cultural shifts that happen when a town moves toward recreation and tourism, GETAWAY takes us on a cross-country road trip to visit small towns that are embracing and struggling with what it means to have a rural recreation economy.

Rural communities are often overlooked by people just looking to go for a hike or a bike ride, or visiting a National Park. They’re a destination, a stopover, a place to get a burger after a long adventure or purchase a souvenir, not seen as a place where real people live, work, and create community.

They are the getaway.

Sunrise over Long Beach, Washington in Pacific County, one of the communities featured in the final episode of GETAWAY. (Photo by Ilana Newman/The Daily Yonder)

What does this phenomenon do to a town and the people who live there? How can a town plan not only for visitors but for the people who make that place their home?

Rural communities have historically relied on industries like logging, mining, oil and gas, and agriculture to use the vast amounts of both public and private land that surround them. But for some rural communities that have natural amenities nearby, tourism and recreation have become increasingly attractive.

But how does a community begin to move away from extractive industries that may be going bust and toward outdoor recreation and tourism? And when do recreation and tourism become extractive in their own way?

GETAWAY dives into all of these questions and more by talking to experts and visiting communities dealing with these issues firsthand.

From the Pacific Northwest beaches to the Rocky Mountains and the deserts of the Colorado Plateau to the rivers and valleys of Appalachia and the mountains of New Hampshire, GETAWAY takes visitors all over the country to give a nuanced look at what it means to be a rural recreation economy.

Long Beach, Washington, was built to be a resort community, welcoming tourists to the small oceanside town. The contrast with the rest of Pacific County, which historically depended on fishing and logging to support its economy, is notable. This contrast is explored in the final episode of GETAWAY. (Photo by Ilana Newman/The Daily Yonder)

Episode Breakdown

Episode One: How to Build a Recreation Economy – In our first episode, we talk to a few people who study the recreation industry and how it intersects with rural communities. We start out in Montezuma County, Colorado, Ilana’s home in Southwest Colorado, and also visit Monte Vista, Colorado, another small town in Southern Colorado. These two communities are not necessarily known as tourism destinations, but the towns are invested in recreation development for locals and developing sustainable tourism along the way.

Episode Two: Can We Fix the Tourism Housing Crisis? – Housing is one of the biggest challenges for popular destination communities around the country. Second-home owners and vacation rentals drive up prices in our recreation communities, and locals get priced out. In this episode, we’re headed to Moab, Utah, to learn about the Community Land Trust and the work they’re doing to support affordable housing. We’ll also visit Taos, New Mexico, with Daily Yonder reporter Anya Petrone Slepyan to learn about the town’s housing challenges and potential solutions.

Episode Three: Inside the Newest National Park Community – National parks capture the imagination of many travelers and road trippers seeking the Great Outdoors. But what do national parks do for the communities that serve as their gateways? We take a trip to New River Gorge National Park, the newest national park in the national park system, with Daily Yonder reporter Sarah Melotte, to learn about what Fayetteville, West Virginia, is dealing with around the park designation.

Episode Four: Climate Change in Rural Recreation Economies – Low snowpack, drought, flooding, wildfires, warmer winters. Climate change is causing temperature shifts and natural disasters that affect outdoor recreation and the small town economies that depend on recreation. In this episode, we’re headed to New Hampshire ski towns with Daily Yonder reporter Julia Tilton and learning about how winter recreation economies in New England are changing because of warmer winters and less snow. We also learn why rural communities are more vulnerable to climate change with Daily Yonder data reporter Sarah Melotte.



Episode Five: Balancing Rural Economies with Recreation – How does a community balance historic extractive industries like logging, fishing, agriculture, and mining with tourism and recreation? It’s not as simple as wanting to move away from extraction and toward tourism. In this episode, we’re headed to Ilwaco, a small town on the coast of Southwest Washington. The communities of Pacific County have historically relied on fishing and logging, and the town of Ilwaco is currently working to balance these historic industries with recreation and tourism.

Listen to GETAWAY on Rural Remix, available now, wherever you get your podcasts.



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[1] Url: https://dailyyonder.com/getaway-podcast-releases-final-episode/2025/04/03/

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