Today on The Storied Outdoors, we sit down with Jason Varnadoe, Chief Marketing Officer of OutdoorX4, lifelong fisherman, habitual tinkerer, pilot, mentor, and—perhaps most fittingly—a pathfinder.

Jason’s story stretches from the coastal marshes and diverse landscapes of South Carolina to the canyon creeks and desert washes of Arizona. Along the way, a lifetime of fishing, camping, flying, tinkering, and exploring has shaped the way he sees both the outdoors and the stories we tell about it. We talk about the places that formed him, his next adventure chasing small streams with a fly rod, and how a serious heart surgery became an unexpected chapter in his own story of finding a way forward.

Jason also pulls back the curtain on OutdoorX4, an immersive media platform built around the idea that vehicles can be gateways to meaningful outdoor experiences. We explore the explosion of overlanding and the funny reality that much of what is now marketed as “overlanding gear” used to be what we simply called camping. More importantly, we dig into what happens when the gear, the marketing, and the adventure become secondary to the experience itself.

That leads to a deeper conversation about storytelling and authenticity. Jason shares how OutdoorX4 chooses the stories it tells, how he balances marketing strategy with genuine storytelling, and why he believes people are far more discerning than the internet sometimes gives them credit for. We talk about the loss of community stories, the importance of reclaiming the “real” in our lives, and the ordinary stories—bartering over the price of crickets, earning free coffee by sweeping a parking lot, and the small moments around a campfire—that often become the stories that make us.

We also explore the power of a fire in the wilderness: how, in the darkness, a distant light can mean something far greater than warmth or cooking. A fire is greater than the sum of its parts. It signals presence. It offers hope. And perhaps that is what good stories do, too.

Ultimately, this conversation moves beyond adventure and marketing into something much more foundational: community, presence, and the people who shape us. Jason reflects on mentoring the next generation and lands on a simple truth every parent and adventurer should remember—the most important thing you can give a child is your presence.

It’s a conversation about finding your way, telling better stories, and remembering that the best adventures aren’t always the most spectacular ones. Sometimes they’re the ones that bring us back to what—and who—matters most.

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Bryan and Brad sit down and stoke the embers of thier conversation with Howard Schaap and his Memior Brooding over the Waters.

Today on The Storied Outdoors, we sit down with writer Howard Schaap, author of Brooding Upon the Waters: A Memoir of Farming, Fishing, and Failure in America’s Lost Landscape. Howard’s writing carries the weight of place—the smell of river water, the ache of family stories, and the long memory of the American landscape.

Growing up in rural Minnesota during the farm crisis of the 1980s, Howard learned early that the places we inhabit become part of who we are. In this conversation, he reflects on his childhood creek, the farms and small towns that shaped him, and the pull that eventually brought him back to the landscapes he had left behind. We talk about what happens when rural communities are hollowed out, what is lost when we become disconnected from land and tradition, and what it might look like to recover a deeper sense of rootedness.

Howard also speaks candidly about failure—failed fishing trips, struggling farms, family wounds, and the ways failure can shape our understanding of grace. Drawing on Tom McGuane’s The Longest Silence, he reflects on those long, unproductive stretches on the water and how they can become a picture of the long silences we sometimes experience in our relationship with God.

From fishing and fly fishing to Wendell Berry, Charles Ingalls, and Little House on the Prairie, the conversation explores the connection between story, landscape, faith, and memory. Howard offers a beautiful vision of what it means to imagine the new heavens and the new earth not in abstract terms, but through the particular places we have loved—the very waters where our fathers fished, the landscapes where our stories unfolded, and even the shores where Christ might meet us with a breakfast of fish.

At the heart of this conversation is a simple but profound idea: our faith, our stories, and our lives happen somewhere.We are creatures of place, and learning to love the particular places we have been given may be part of learning to see God’s grace more clearly.

Join us as we sit with Howard Schaap and brood upon the waters—considering failure and grace, fishing and prayer, memory and place, and what it means to hope for a restored creation through the local pictures of the landscapes we know and love.

Howard Schaap, author of Brooding Over the Water: A Memoir of Farming, Fishing, and Failure in America's Lost Landscape

Today on The Storied Outdoors, we sit down with writer Howard Schaap, author of Brooding Upon the Waters: A Memoir of Farming, Fishing, and Failure in America’s Lost Landscape. Howard’s writing carries the weight of place—the smell of river water, the ache of family stories, and the long memory of the American landscape.

Growing up in rural Minnesota during the farm crisis of the 1980s, Howard learned early that the places we inhabit become part of who we are. In this conversation, he reflects on his childhood creek, the farms and small towns that shaped him, and the pull that eventually brought him back to the landscapes he had left behind. We talk about what happens when rural communities are hollowed out, what is lost when we become disconnected from land and tradition, and what it might look like to recover a deeper sense of rootedness.

Howard also speaks candidly about failure—failed fishing trips, struggling farms, family wounds, and the ways failure can shape our understanding of grace. Drawing on Tom McGuane’s The Longest Silence, he reflects on those long, unproductive stretches on the water and how they can become a picture of the long silences we sometimes experience in our relationship with God.

From fishing and fly fishing to Wendell Berry, Charles Ingalls, and Little House on the Prairie, the conversation explores the connection between story, landscape, faith, and memory. Howard offers a beautiful vision of what it means to imagine the new heavens and the new earth not in abstract terms, but through the particular places we have loved—the very waters where our fathers fished, the landscapes where our stories unfolded, and even the shores where Christ might meet us with a breakfast of fish.

At the heart of this conversation is a simple but profound idea: our faith, our stories, and our lives happen somewhere.We are creatures of place, and learning to love the particular places we have been given may be part of learning to see God’s grace more clearly.

Join us as we sit with Howard Schaap and brood upon the waters—considering failure and grace, fishing and prayer, memory and place, and what it means to hope for a restored creation through the local pictures of the landscapes we know and love.

A New Era for The Storied Outdoors

At the onset of what would normally be the beginning of season 12, The Storied Outdoors enters into a new era of “the last season.” But don’t fret, we’re not ending, we’re just beginning. Starting with this introduction episode, The Storied Outdoors will begin dropping weekly episodes for the entire year.

This episode recaps a summer full of adventures from the Hill and Gill families. We also look back at our origin story that took place along the banks of the Toccoa River in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the spring of 2020. We also foreshadow the upcoming guests for the fall. As always, thank you for listening and for following along with us in this journey. The best is yet to come!

Ep. 182: Season 11 Stoking Embers and the End of an Era

In this episode of the Storied Outdoors, Brad and Bryan recap their quail hunting adventure at Turkey Creek Outdoors Lodge. Bryan recalls his first quail hunt, and they reflect on several stories of their day with Ben and Al Bracewell. They also look back at season 11 highlights and the guests who joined them this season. In the final segment of this episode, Brad and Bryan say goodbye to an era as the last season of the Storied Outdoors ends. Be sure to tune in for news of what is next for the podcast.

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Quail Hunting in Alabama: A Conversation with Al & Ben Bracewell of Turkey Creek Outdoors

In this episode of The Storied Outdoors, we sit down with Al and Ben Bracewell, the father-and-son team behind Turkey Creek Outdoors—a premier hunting lodge located in Eldridge, Alabama. Spanning more than 2,000 acres of diverse terrain, Turkey Creek has become a sought-after destination for those looking for an authentic quail hunting experience in Alabama, along with unforgettable outdoor adventure.

Built as a family-owned and operated retreat, Turkey Creek Outdoors was created with a clear mission: to offer a place where guests can find rest, connection, and meaningful experiences in the outdoors. Today, the property hosts everything from guided quail hunts and Continental pheasant shoots to sporting clays, corporate retreats, and group gatherings—all set against the quiet beauty of Alabama’s countryside.

Bryan and Brad had the privilege of experiencing a traditional quail hunt firsthand, and it delivered in every way. But what stood out most began the night before—gathered around a roaring fire pit, swapping stories under the open sky. That evening captured the heart of Turkey Creek: genuine hospitality, unhurried conversation, and the kind of moments that stay with you long after you leave.

This episode is a continuation of that fireside conversation.

We hear how Turkey Creek Outdoors grew from hosting sawmill customers into a full-scale destination for hunters, families, and organizations seeking quail hunting in Alabama and beyond. Al and Ben share their story of building something rooted in legacy, faith, and a deep love for people.

Recorded inside the lodge’s main hall—overlooking a peaceful lake and framed by wide windows and rolling hills—this conversation reflects the setting itself: open, thoughtful, and rich with perspective. It’s more than a hunting story. It’s about fatherhood, stewardship, and creating spaces where people can reconnect with what matters most.

As the Bracewells put it:
"We strive to ensure that every visitor leaves feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the challenges of the world."

From wild coveys rising in the field to quiet moments by the fire, this episode captures the spirit of Turkey Creek Outdoors—an Alabama hunting lodge where adventure and story meet.

If you’ve ever searched for the best quail hunts in Alabama, or longed for a place where the pace slows and the stories deepen, this conversation is for you.

Visit https://www.turkeycreekoutdoors.com

Email us thestoriedoutdoors@gmail.com

In this reflective episode, Bryan and Brad sit back down after their conversation with Kevin Burrell, author of Considering Sparrows, to linger a little longer in the world of birds, beauty, and attention.

From the everyday entertainment of backyard bird feeders to the surge of birding during COVID, they explore how these small, winged moments invite us to notice something deeper. Bryan shares how even a simple sighting can offer a glimpse into the Creator’s design, while Brad recalls a memorable duck hunt in the rice fields of Arkansas—rich with species, history, and the echoes of early birders who once hunted as their only means of close observation.

The conversation drifts offshore as Bryan tells the story of spotting a Magnificent Frigatebird in the Caribbean—a “lifer” moment made possible with a little help from the Merlin app and a downloaded regional guide.

Along the way, Brad and Bryan reflect on birding as a mindful practice—one that slows us down, pulls us into the present, and gently shifts our focus away from ourselves. Whether it’s spotting birds along the roadside in winter when the trees are bare or giving full attention to a fleeting moment of movement, they consider how this often-overlooked hobby can be both restful and eye-opening.

They also celebrate the encouraging return of bald eagles to their region—something rarely seen in their younger years, but now a shared joy they get to experience with their children.

Rooted in their conversation with Kevin, the episode weaves together nature’s metaphors and spiritual insight—from the persistence of a kingfisher to the care God shows even to sparrows—reminding us that time outdoors can lead us not just to observation, but to worship.

In a world that keeps our eyes down, birding invites us to look up—and in doing so, draws us out of ourselves and back into wonder.

In this episode of The Storied Outdoors, Bryan and Brad explore the rich connection between birdwatching and the Book of Philippians, inspired by a recent conversation with author Kevin and his beautifully illustrated new book on birds and faith.

We had a wonderful discussion about backyard bird feeders — complete with mischievous squirrels, bold woodpeckers, and hovering hummingbirds — unfolds into a thoughtful reflection on how observing birds invites us to slow down, pay attention, and rediscover wonder.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, birding surged in popularity as people searched for meaningful outdoor hobbies. Bryan and Brad reflect on that cultural moment and share their own birdwatching experiences, from spotting winter bald eagles to studying the vibrant detail of pintail drakes and hen mallards.

These encounters remind them that birding is more than a hobby for retirees; it is a mindful practice that pulls attention away from self and toward the Creator.

Drawing from themes in Philippians and Kevin’s bird-centered reflections, Bryan and Brad discuss how creation points beyond itself. The persistence of a kingfisher, the care of sparrows, and the elegance of a soaring eagle become living metaphors of provision, humility, endurance, and joy.

As always, The Storied Outdoors sits somewhere between Lewis and Tolkien and Lewis and Clark — finding clarity in the stories we tell and the adventures that shape us. This episode invites listeners to step outside, lift their eyes, and rediscover worship in the wild.

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