Big Blend’s Spirit of America Tour comes to Tombstone & Southeast Arizona

TOMBSTONE, Ariz. - July 2, 2013 - PRLog -- Mother-daughter team Nancy J. Reid and Lisa D. Smith - publishers of BigBlendMagazines.com and co-hosts of Big Blend Radio, along with travel mascot “Priscilla,” have officially embarked on their SPIRIT OF AMERICA TOUR in an effort to promote the full funding and protection of America's 401 National Park units, and showcase the park gateway communities as ideal destinations.

Nancy and Lisa's goal is to visit each of the National Parks by the end of the National Parks Centennial, on August 25, 2017. They started the tour on April 26, 2012 during National Parks Week when they visited Cabrillo National Monument, in San Diego. Determined to reach their goal, they have been hard at work making arrangements to travel full time, starting this June 2013, when they visited Silver City and the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. They have also visited Triangle T Guest Ranch and Chiricahua NM, and are currently in Willcox where they will visit Ft. Bowie NHS and area attractions / activities. Nancy and Lisa will be in the Tombstone area from July 11-15, where they will visit Coronado National Memorial, and are looking to experience and cover local attractions and activities, restaurants, museums, galleries, art and entertainment.From each National Park gateway community they visit, Nancy & Lisa host live-on-location radio shows, produce videos and photo features, as well as editorial pieces for each of Big Blend's 10 Online Radio & Video Magazines. Showcasing the parks and places they visit, as well as the people they meet, they also post travel information on BigBlendSpiritofAmericaTour.com and their National Park Travel Planner, and keep audiences and followers updated through their Spirit of America Tour Blog (Priscilla's Banana Blog), Twitter and Facebook, and their Big Blend e-News subscribers.
"It is our intention to showcase not only the beauty and historic heritage of America’s Best Idea, but to show how they add to America's quality of life, as well as the economic and environmental benefits of fully funding, staffing, protecting and expanding our National Park system, especially for the gateway communities,” says Nancy & Lisa. “Our parks and public lands bring individuals and families together through educational and recreational opportunities, as well as the chance to experience our natural world in a clean and safe environment."“Big Blend has been a tremendous supporter of both NPCA and our national parks,” says National Parks Conservation Association Senior Vice President of Policy and frequent Big Blend Radio guest Ron Tipton. “Their passion to protect and preserve our national parks is reflected by their continuous coverage of park issues. We're delighted that they plan to visit all 401 parks to raise awareness of the key issues they face, in advance of the Park Service centennial in 2016. I wish them the best of luck on their journey.”
As they travel, Nancy and Lisa gather local recipes from chefs and cooking enthusiasts. These recipes will be featured in the 3 different 'Big Blend Spirit of America Road Trip Recipes' e-Book series, with all proceeds benefiting select non-profits including the National Parks Conservation Association, Learning Forum International, and Born Free USA.
Passionate about National Parks, travel and responsible tourism, Nancy and Lisa look forward to visiting Tombstone from July 11-15, 2013. They will air their Big Blend Radio show live from the Landmark Lookout Lodge from 11am-2pm, on July 14.  You can get show details and listen to the shows online by visiting www.BigBlendRadio.com .

To showcase the greater Tombstone region as a destination that offers a variety of experiences, they will be doing features and interviews for their National Park Travel Planner, Magazines and Radio Shows, focusing on: local history, attractions and activities, art and entertainment, museums and galleries, family-friendly places, nature and parks, lodging and dining, recipes, farms and gardens. If you would like to participate in their coverage please contact Lisa Smith directly at (760) 475-3308 or lisa@bigblendmagazines.com . Learn more about their tour at www.BigBlendSpiritofAmericaTour.com