jeff wilson travel guide

Real Road Adventures

Hosted by Jeff Wilson, Real Road Adventures is the latest series from Small World Productions, creators of multiple Emmy and Gold Telly Award-winning travel documentaries for public television. Cascade Public Media/KCTS Seattle is co-producer and presenting station to APT, the national distributor. Major corporate support for the series is provided by Volkswagen.

More and more people want to travel sustainably. They want to find creative ways to balance the benefits of travel with the needs of the environment, and to discover how other countries are innovating in the face of global climate change. Switzerland and Liechtenstein, with their stunning natural beauty, cultural riches, and cutting-edge environmental practices, make ideal destinations for modern explorers.

Anyone who’s watched Jeff on public television knows he loves train travel. But there are times when travelers may want to avoid crowds (pandemic anyone?) and take advantage of the freedom a car can offer. So this time, Jeff picks up a battery-powered electric vehicle at the Zurich airport and embarks on a series of car trips based on the Grand Tour of Switzerland. It’s a thousand-mile circular route through the country and a mapping of the very best Switzerland has to offer. Today, hundreds of new car charging stations make it the E-Grand Tour of Switzerland: the world's first road trip for electric vehicles. Jeff also makes a side-trip to Liechtenstein, a tiny country known for its scenic splendor and earth-friendly practices.

In Real Road Adventures: Switzerland and Liechtenstein , Jeff cruises through the most breathtaking landscapes on Earth - from jagged, snow-white Alps to the rolling countryside of the Entlebuch Valley. Things get supercharged when he hops off the road for more electric adventures: e-bike tours, exhilarating rides on solar-powered cable cars, and lake cruises on eco-friendly ferries. Throughout the series, Jeff maximizes his travel fun, while at the same time reducing his carbon footprint.

Spectacular Switzerland and remarkable Liechtenstein command superlatives. With triumphant mountain peaks, stunning glacial lakes, thunderous waterfalls, and idyllic pastures, they have a magical quality found nowhere else on Earth. Switzerland has been dubbed the “Crossroads of a Continent” and “Europe’s Alpine Playground.” Discerning travelers extol the gourmet cuisine, exuberant art, and thrilling outdoor activities of Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

In Real Road Adventures , Jeff takes it all in as he discovers the freedom, safety, and convenience of European travel via electric car. He marvels at how Switzerland and Liechtenstein are conserving their natural beauty and fragile ecosystems. He plunges into the great outdoors and discovers intoxicating, eco-friendly sports: kayaking, e-biking, white-water rafting and more.  Jeff checks out environmentally friendly accommodations – from rustic country inns to award-winning luxury hotels with sustainable practices. And he seeks out opportunities for retreat and self-discovery, as he takes the road less traveled, visiting hidden villages and befriending locals who have discovered the secrets to work-life balance.

Real Road Adventures celebrates the scenic wonders, multicultural heritage, and world-class tourism resources of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It promotes thoughtful, responsible travel and good global citizenship. Emmy and Telly Gold Award-winning photographers immerse viewers in virtual adventures. Real Road Adventures is a six-part documentary series – a follow-on to Small World’s Gold Telly Award-winning public television series Real Rail Adventures .

Real Road Adventures visits sophisticated, culture-rich cities, including Zurich, Geneva, and Lucerne for innovative art, leading-edge eco-practices, and gastronomic delights. Jeff explores the very best of natural Switzerland in its national and local parks, biospheres, and UNESCO world heritage sites. And he visits small, under-the-radar, Alpine villages to meet the very soul of Switzerland - its people.

In Real Road Adventures host Jeff Wilson:

• Heads to rarified mountain peaks, including the iconic Jungfrau, for outdoor sports and heart-pounding views.
• Goes white water rafting, panning for gold, and hiking with llamas.
• Indulges in the Swiss passion for fresh, organic foods and outstanding local wines.
• Gets insight on sustainably harvested produce and feasts on cheese fondue while exploring mountain trails.
• Journeys through time to a medieval knight's hall in an ancient castle perched between ethereal mountain and icy blue lake.
• Inhales the scent of spruce wood while watching a master Alphorn-maker carve this ultra-Swiss creation, from tree trunk to ready-to-play instrument.
• Savors gourmet chocolate and gets hands-on experience making decadently delicious masterpieces.
• E-bikes the Liechtenstein Trail, a 47-mile path that highlights the best of this tiny European nation.

Host | Author | Traveler

EXPLORE MORE WITH JEFF

From touring some of the world's most scenic wonders to off-the-beaten-path curiosities to travel tips and behind-the-scenes stories, this is the place to venture beyond the award-winning TV shows.

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Jeff Wilson details adventures behind “Real Rail Adventures: Swiss International Hubs,” airing, Sunday, Nov. 19 at 3 pm

By: Emily Votaw Posted on: Monday, November 13, 2023

Real Rail Adventures: Swiss International Hubs

Sunday, November 19 at 3:oo pm

While watching travel programs on WOUB-TV, it’s easy to think folks like Jeff Wilson , host of Small World Productions and KCTS/Seattle ‘s Telly-Award winning and Emmy nominated travel series “Real Rail Adventures,” must live somewhere exotic, since that’s the kind of place he takes us to on television. But Wilson doesn’t.

In fact, he could be your neighbor.

Wilson and his family have called Athens, OH home for over 20 years.

Wilson’s “Real Rail Adventures: Swiss International Hubs,” will air on WOUB-TV this Sunday, November 19 at 3 p.m.  The program brings viewers along for a Swiss rail adventure. Swiss rail networks are lauded all around the globe for their beauty, utility, and punctuality. The dense public transportation infrastructure allows riders equal access to both rustic, far-flung mountaintop villages nestled in the Swiss Alps as well as bustling, sprawling cities like Paris or Milan. Wilson and his crew took the trip in September 2019, and it focused on five Swiss rail hub cities (Basel, Bellinzona, Geneva, Interlaken and Zurich).

The breathtaking adventure Wilson and the crew of the hour-long documentary undertook while filming showcases a wide variety of activities – from the adrenaline-pumping experience of rappelling 150 feet into a river chasm at Grimsel Canyon to admiring works by the likes of Van Gogh and Rembrandt in Basel to touring medieval castles in Bellinzona. All throughout, Wilson models how easily one can access international centers throughout Europe all from the Swiss rail system.

Wilson said he and his wife, Sherri James (who has been an active part of Wilson’s career on television, working as a videographer and editor) traveled extensively in their youth, and figured out early on that if they were to establish a “home base,” they wanted it to be in a college town.

“When we had our first daughter, Winter, we decided it might be time to find a place where we wanted to raise our family, so we began actively searching for such a place. We’d spend weekends in prospective towns, usually camping nearby and checking out restaurants, farmers’ markets, and neighborhoods,” Wilson said. “Athens pretty quickly rose to the top of the list.”

Wilson said there are many things about Athens that immediately appealed to his family.

“Athens was just a great ‘fit’ for us. It’s affordable — compared with many other college towns — and beautiful, of course, but it also has a strong sense of community. That helps to build things like the well-supported farmers’ market and the small but vibrant restaurant/brewery community. OU brings the cultural events that you’d normally only find in a bigger town and helps keep the public schools strong. It’s not perfect, but it’s the place where we really feel at home,” said Wilson. “Being in Athens has made building our own, unique life, possible. I’m grateful for that every day.”

When “Real Rail Adventures: Swiss International Hubs” first debuted on air in April 2020, Wilson and his family were here in Athens. It’s worth noting, however, just like so many of us, at that time they were sticking pretty close to home due to shelter in place orders, which had been in place for just a few weeks at the time of the documentary’s broadcast.

“Our daily lives weren’t completely different at first,” said Wilson, referring to those early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Since we’ve worked from home for years, it didn’t seem all that different until a couple of months went by and travel didn’t come back.”

Even in those first few weeks of travel being banned, Wilson worried that folks would not tune into programming such as “Real Rail Adventures: Swiss International Hubs.” After all, those who were able to travel at the time were few and far between. However, Wilson found himself pleasantly surprised at the response to the documentary.

“We did get a huge response because I think people were really hungry for the travel experience. But we weren’t just stuck inside – in many places, especially in bigger cities, people couldn’t even go outdoors in their own neighborhoods,” said Wilson. “So I think it was just a really good release for people.”

Given the pressures of that moment in time, it’s no surprise that Wilson did find himself on the receiving end of some disgruntled emails regarding the documentary.

“I knew we were going to have some trouble because I knew people were not going to appreciate how it looks like we’re out there travelling unmasked during a pandemic,” said Wilson. “And I did get a lot of emails from people who were like ‘what are you doing?’ I’d have to patiently explain to them that we actually shot the episode back in September and it just usually takes a good six months to complete production on an episode.”

“We did get a huge response (from “Real Rail Adventures: Swiss International Hubs”) because I think people were really hungry for the travel experience. But we weren’t just stuck inside – in many places, especially in bigger cities, people couldn’t even go outdoors in their own neighborhoods. So I think it was just a really good release for people.” – Jeff Wilson

All the time spent in post-production was well worth it – the episode went on to win Gold Telly Awards in both the Videography/Cinematography and Television Travel/Tourism categories – thanks in part to the more film-like cinematography approach taken by camera person Sherri James – who, as noted previously, also happens to be Wilson’s wife.

One can’t help but wonder: what’s it like to travel internationally with one’s spouse to the sorts of dazzling locations showcased on a program like “Real Rail Adventures: Swiss International Hubs”?

“(Sherri) and I have worked together for as we’ve been married – for almost 25 years! We’ve known each other for about 30 years, and we’ve always worked together in capacities where it is necessary to travel. It is a challenge, at times – I don’t recommend it for everyone,” said Wilson. “Being together 24 hours a day, working together, and then trying to be a married couple together, that’s a challenge. There’s no doubt about it. I will say, however, that last September we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary – and we have really been able to make it work. And it’s been fun – Sherri is a very creative person and she brings a lot to the production – so it’s great to have her along.”

A theme of “Real Rail Adventures: Swiss International Hubs” is the life-enriching potential of international travel, coupled with the great possibilities that come alongside embracing public transportation. Although Wilson considers both of those aspects of the program to be important, he emphasized how sustainability for the sake of our planet’s health is also of utmost importance to him.

“Travel has a allowed me to see the negative effects of our energy use and our consumerism on the environment. I’ve seen receding glaciers everywhere I’ve gone. The air quality in some places is horrific. We’ve watched seasons just shift — summer comes earlier and this disrupts all kinds of patterns in nature, which then disrupts all kinds of patterns in human life, and travel is a major contributor to global warming and pollution in general,” said Wilson.

However, Wilson has hope. For example, public transportation, especially such as the largely hydroelectric public transportation showcased by “Real Rail Adventures: Swiss International Hubs” is less destructive to the environment than depending on individual transportation via a vehicle that depends on fossil fuels.

In addition, Real Rail Adventures consulted with myclimate.org to purchase carbon offsets to compensate for the air travel utilized throughout filming. Importantly, Wilson said it is also always a priority for the series to highlight stories that exemplify ways we can all contribute to a more sustainable way of living. One such instance in the “Swiss International Hubs” episode of “Real Rail Adventures” is a profile of Climeworks , a Swiss company that utilizes direct air capture technology to permanently remove excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

“Travel has a allowed me to see the negative effects of our energy use and our consumerism on the environment. I’ve seen receding glaciers everywhere I’ve gone. The air quality in some places is horrific. We’ve watched seasons just shift — summer comes earlier and this disrupts all kinds of patterns in nature, which then disrupts all kinds of patterns in human life, and travel is a major contributor to global warming and pollution in general.” – Jeff Wilson

Moreover, Wilson has already taken part in the production of a series focusing more specifically on the utilization of sustainable travel methods, a series entitled “Real Road Adventures.” The series, which will broadcast later this year, showcases possibilities of traveling via electric vehicles.

“The question is this: how do we get the travel experience for people so that we open our minds up to other cultures, other people, other ways of life? And how do we do it sustainably?” said Wilson. “There’s no easy answer to that, but there are lots of ways to go about trying.”

Listen to WOUB’s interview with Jeff Wilson, embedded above. 

Bratsk Tourism

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Jeff Wilson

Host Jeff Wilson fits the bill perfectly for Real Rail Adventures . Jeff is an avid lifelong traveler and train buff. He has hosted national ‘how-to’ TV programs for more than a decade.  Jeff’s on-cameras and world-class narration convey passion, savvy and respect for adventure. Warm, good-natured and curious, Jeff is an ideal virtual travel companion. Trailers featuring Jeff are online at RealRailTV.com .

Jeff and Small World producers fill each show with key points of interest, relevant history, and up-to-date advice.  Jeff models how to create authentic, memorable adventures through first-person experiences.  His 'can-do' attitude connects with viewers of all ages—younger travelers and baby boomers alike.

After replacing Bob Vila as host of Restore America, Jeff hosted eight national TV series and several prime-time specials, many for HGTV and DIY Network.  His top-notch narration is heard on more than a dozen films on extreme skiing and in scores of national documentaries and commercials.  Toyota, McDonalds, Opryland and Bell South are a few of Jeff's clients.  His production credits include hundreds of online ‘how-to’ presentations for HGTV and Thompson’s Water Seal Company.

An ardent traveler, Jeff has perfected his travel skills through yearly adventures with his family.  He believes that firsthand knowledge of diverse cultures is key to individual growth.

He sees engaging with locals as a sure-fire way to better understand remarkable destinations.

Jeff delights in investigating grand historic sites, lively urban neighborhoods, quiet traditional villages, off-the-beaten-track surprises and more.

Always ready for nature breaks and outdoor adventures, Jeff is an enthusiastic hiker, mountain biker, kayaker, and accomplished horseman.

A social media enthusiast, Jeff regularly files dispatches and video clips on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and at jeffwilsonregularguy.com . He shoots, edits, writes and narrates online clips that sometime feature his teenaged daughters, Winter and Sylvie.  He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1992, and now lives with his wife and daughters in a small Ohio college town where he prepares for his next adventure.

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Krasnoyarsk (region)

• 2 Other destinations
• 3 Understand
• 6 Get around
• 11 Stay safe

Krasnoyarsk (region) is a region within Krasnoyarsk Krai . This region borders Taymyria to the north, Evenkia to the northeast, Irkutsk Oblast to the southeast, Tuva to the south, Khakassia , Kemerovo Oblast and Tomsk Oblast to the southwest, Khantia-Mansia to the west and Yamalia to the northwest.

Cities [ edit ]

• 56.008889 92.871944 1 Krasnoyarsk — the administrative capital and Siberia 's third largest city
• 67.466667 86.566667 2 Igarka — has a useful airport, located in the extreme north of the region, near Taymyria
• 56.2 95.7 3 Kansk — Krasnoyarsk Krai's second most important city
• 58.466667 92.133333 6 Yeniseysk — one of the first cities of Siberia and a proposed Unesco World Heritage site
• 56.25 93.533333 8 Zheleznogorsk — another closed city

Other destinations [ edit ]

Understand [ edit ].

Before Taymyria and Evenkia were assimilated into the greater region, the Krasnoyarsk region was known simply as Krasnoyarsk Krai . It is the population and cultural center of the Krai

Talk [ edit ]

Brush up on your Russian or otherwise you will need a guide for any extensive travel in this region.

Get in [ edit ]

Most arrive via the Trans-Siberian Railway ; the major stops are, from west to east, Minusinsk , Krasnoyarsk , and Kansk .

Krasnoyarsk International Airport ( KJA  IATA ), Igarka Airport ( IAA  IATA ).

Get around [ edit ]

The Trans-Siberian Railway and its spokes are the fastest way to move around the southern part of the region, although there is also a cheap and extensive bus network. Going to the northern panhandle, however, is a long enough journey where it would be foolish not to fly to Igarka from Krasnoyarsk .

See [ edit ]

Do [ edit ].

• Skiing/Snowboarding
• Snowmobiling
• Hiking/Biking

Eat [ edit ]

Drink [ edit ], stay safe [ edit ], go next [ edit ].

The next major stops on the Trans-Siberian Railway are Novosibirsk to the west and Irkutsk to the east. The Baikal-Amur Mainline will take you east to Bratsk .

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