Overview
Seeing the USA is a travel documentary series by host Brandy Yanchyk exploring iconic experiences in the United States of America.
Brandy Yanchyk’s travel documentary series, Seeing the USA will connect viewers to iconic experiences that the USA has to offer. Viewers will experience the USA’s iconic nature, thrilling adventures and unique, varied culture through Brandy’s eyes.
These experiences are adventurous in nature, making for great television! Rather than focus on current events, Seeing the USA will focus on the vibrant cities, culinary delights, world-class attractions, unique characters and natural wonders of the USA.
Through Brandy’s charm, sense of humor and curiosity, the audience will have the chance to learn something new about even the most familiar of destinations. Through her bold, adventurous spirit, we will be inspired to take an adventure ourselves. Through her compassion and sensitivity, we will see all the strands that make the USA worth seeing.
YEAR:
2019/2020
Format:
4K and HD
BroadcasterS:
PBS STATIONS, Aer Lingus, Amazon prime video (Canada, UK, Australia,New Zealand),
crackle (USA), CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL (USA), DOOYA (USA), SPORTS CHANNEL NETWORK LTD. (UK).
Duration:
7 X 26’46 (more in production)
Genre:
travel/USA
Episode Descriptions
1. Alaska
Brandy Yanchyk starts her journey of Alaska in Anchorage where she visits the Alaska Native Heritage Centre. She then sees Alaska from the sky in a floatplane from Lake Hood. Next she travels by train to Denali National Park and Preserve to see it’s iconic nature and famous mountain Denali. In Seward, Brandy boards a cruise and explores Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Haines and Ketchikan.
2. oregon
Brandy Yanchyk starts her journey in Oregon in Portland where she learns about the Maker movement and craft beer. Then she travels to Albany to ride and carve at Albany's Historic Carousel Museum. Next she goes on an ATV excursion through Deschutes National Forest and learns to be a cattle rancher in Fossil. She finishes her trip in Pendleton where she learns how to make cowboy boots and visits the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute.
3. utah
Brandy Yanchyk starts her journey of Utah in Salt Lake City, where she learns about the history of the state at This Is The Place Heritage Park. Going deeper into Utah’s natural history, Brandy discovers the paleontological wonders at Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry at the Jurassic National Monument. Next, she tries canyoneering at Goblin Valley State Park, followed by an Indigenous experience with Navajo Guides at the iconic Monument Valley. Last up is an adrenaline-fuelled ride in a side-by-side and sand boarding at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.
4. Nevada
Brandy Yanchyk starts her journey of Nevada exploring the extraordinary Cathedral Gorge State Park. Then she travels to the city of Ely to learn how to drive a diesel locomotive at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum and discover garnets at the Garnet Hill Recreation Area. Outside Fallon, Brandy meets Mike Williams, a Paiute-Shoshone artisan who makes tule duck decoys. Brandy finishes her journey in the Carson Valley to learn about the local Basque culture and see wild horses.
5. Arizona
Brandy Yanchyk starts her journey of Arizona in Phoenix where she visits the Desert Botanical Garden. Next, in Scottsdale, she learns to cook a delicious dish with Chef Jeremy Pacheco at Lon’s restaurant. In Flagstaff, she tries glass blowing with local Glass Artist George Averbeck. In Sedona she explores the town in a jeep tour. Brandy then learns how to bake bread with Don Guerra of Barrio Bread in Tucson and tries beekeeping.
6. Hawaii
Brandy Yanchyk starts her island-hopping adventure on the island of Molokai. In the Halawa Valley, she has an Indigenous experience with Hawaiian Cultural Practitioner Greg Solatorio, followed by a tour of a Macadamia Nut Farm. Next, Brandy takes to the seas on a small expedition vessel. First stop is the island of Lanai, where Brandy learns about native Hawaiian culture at the Lanai Culture and Heritage Center. Next is Maui, where she visits the Kohola Brewery and learns about the state’s craft brewing industry. Finally, she travels to the island of Hawaii and explores the Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park and mingles with local birds at the Hawaii Wildlife Center
7. Louisiana
Brandy Yanchyk starts her Louisiana journey in New Orleans where she makes a po' boy sandwich, meets the Mardi Gras Indians and samples the famous Sazerac cocktail. In St. John the Baptist Parish, she visits the Whitney Plantation, the only plantation museum in Louisiana with an exclusive focus on the lives of enslaved people. Next, Brandy learns how to make pralines at Fee-Fo-Lay Café. In Lafayette, she tries gumbo at the Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folk Life Park and learns about cajun and creole music at Sola Violins. Her trip ends in Houma where she learns about the United Houma Nation through master palmetto basket weaver Janie Verret Luster and on a swamp tour with R.J. Molinere.