Program 680: The Last Cowboys; Perfect Day California; American Bald Eagle

New York Times reporter John Branch tells us how one family in southern Utah keeps a cowboy tradition alive at rodeos across the West. Chris Baker recommends itineraries for scenic road trips and sites to explore across California. Plus, Jack Davis pays tribute to the American bald eagle, whose recovery from the brink of extinction is an environmental success story that can inspire everyone.

• New York Times sports journalist John Branch, author of "The Last Cowboys" (W. W. Norton)
• Tour guide and writer Christopher P. Baker, author of “Perfect Day California” (Reedy Press) 
• University of Florida history professor Jack E. Davis, author of “The Bald Eagle” (Liveright)

• John Branch writes about sports for the New York Times, and wrote "The Last Cowboys" about a family of saddle-bronc champions in Southern Utah.
• CBS "60 Minutes" also did a profile on the Wright family in 2019.
• John also wrote "Sidecountry: Tales of Death and Life from the Back Roads of Sports," which features 20 of his favorite feature articles about athletes of many stripes.
• Christopher P. Baker is the author of the roadtrip guide "Perfect Day California: Daily Itineraries for the Discerning Traveler."
• Chris' website includes links to his travel writing, photography, and information about his upcoming tour guiding in Cuba and Colombia.
• Jack E. Davis teaches history at the University of Florida in Gainesville. His latest book is "The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America's Bird."
• Sites that Jack mentions as reliable places to view bald eagles include the Chilkat Bald Eagle Reserve in Hanes, Alaska; the Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge, near the Mississippi River in Tennessee; The North Platte National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska; Lochloosa Lake Park in Hawthorn, Florida; Conowingo Dam in Darlington, Maryland; and the Klamath River Basin in Oregon and California. 
• The Cornell Lab of Ornithology provides a map of eagle habitats in North America.
• Photographer Bill O'Brian with the US Fish and Wildlife Service posts American bald eagle photos from roosts across the country.