Listening and Learning
What could be better than going for a walk on a beautiful day? Doing it with a furry or two-footed friend, perhaps. How about taking an expert along to describe the surroundings?
Recently, the Izi.Travel app – for both Apple and Android smartphones – has made made it possible to combine deep historical research with storytelling and geofencing. Geofencing uses phone location, satellites, and Google Maps to begin automatically playing stories when you’re close a “geographic target” set by the tour builder.
Rose Murphy and I first teamed up to produce a Nevada County Historical Society (NCHS) Bulletin article. That project blossomed and expanded into stories about volunteerism in Nevada County and a spotlight on the buildings of the Grass Valley Museum in dire need of attention. Co-producing Izi.Travel walking tours came next. Part of our process includes interviewing guests.
Three of our tours follow a widely used walking path (see links below). Each one offers something different from old newspaper articles focused on a specific area to community experts covering mining, beneficial fire, and botany.
“Uncovering the stories of the past has completely transformed how I see our town. It’s like viewing a familiar place through a brand new lens. These tours blend the joy of walking with the excitement of historical discovery,” says Rose Murphy.
Comments from Izi tour reviewers:
“Thank you for your efforts and skills, and important contribution to public history. People who live here especially, and visitors, too, will feel a greater sense of belonging because of the creative work you are doing.” – Gage McKinney, author of When Miners Sang: The Grass Valley Carol Choir
Verra Cleveland, whose ancestors are highlighted in the Historic Rough and Ready Cemetery tour says, “I learned more about (the truth) of my family than I knew for all the seventy-odd years of my life.”
“It [the tour] is SO awesome and amazing. Long time coming. Beyond exciting.” – Jeffrey Boylan, Director of North Star Powerhouse Mining Museum
Tour research and story arc plotting are similar to writing a book, but the production timeline is much shorter! When I was reviewing phone app platforms, I noticed many tours are created with artificial voices. Ours are 100% human. This adds charm and soothing qualities to the audio experience. Working with NCHS and producing tours for the community is a lot of fun. Best of all is watching expressions cross the faces of walking tourists as they’re listening and learning.
Since beginning to build tours, Rose and I have produced seven. Four of which are on and around the Wolf Creek Trail. After a summer break, we plan to resume production in the fall.
View Nevada County Historical Society, Rose Murphy, and Lisa Redfern produced walking tours at the links below.
Boston Ravine: Wolf Creek Trail with Rose Murphy
Downtown Grass Valley Foot Patrol with Officer Vince Seck
Hard Rock Mining & Good Fire: Wolf Creek Trail with Alex Keeble-Toll
Historic Rough & Ready Cemetery
North Star Powerhouse Mining Museum & Empire Hotel
Mill & Chapel Streets: Women, Saints, and Sinners
Wolf Creek Community Alliance: Wolf Creek Trail with Gary Griffith
Additional Nevada County Walking Tours produced by –
Grass Valley – Nevada City Cultural District Nevada City Tours
Mural Tour of Nevada County
Nevada City Walking Tour
Haunted Nevada City Ghost Tour