Sofia Michelen has a passport that any wanderlust would envy.
A photojournalist from upstate New York, he has visited over 70 countries and lived on three different continents. But Michelen said he never explored the United States extensively, except for a few favorite spots in the Empire State, where he grew up.
Now, that is changing in a big way and in public.
Michelen co-stars in a new PBS show that explores hidden corners of the United States, as captured in the 19th century travelogue “Picturesque America,” which is considered one of America's first travel guides. This book is filled with beautiful sculptures and stories of magical places across Reconstruction-era America.
On the PBS show “America: The Land We Live In,” Michelen and co-host Scott “Doc” Byrne visit spots featured in the 150-year-old book. They stand in the exact locations where the carvings were made and try to observe how each location has changed.
“It's like a bridge from the past to the present. That's the hook,” Michelen said. “But what I love most are the people we meet.”
Viewers can watch “America: The Land We Live in” on PBS.org, the PBS app, or their local PBS station. The show will air on PBS stations across New York on Sunday, April 28th.
The first episode of the “travel, adventure and history show” took place in North Carolina and South Carolina, with Mikelen and Vern exploring cities, heading into the mountains, hiking, rafting and talking while being captured in the century Follow the path to a hidden location. – Travel guide from a year and a half ago.
But the experience that sparked this series happened two years ago in the Catskills.
Michelen, who lives in New York City, said she met Vern while hiking at Kaaterskill Falls with mutual friends. Kaaterskill Falls is a popular two-tiered waterfall in Greene County that was featured in Picturesque America. During the walk, the group discovered the exact location where the sculpture included in the travel guide was sketched.
Growing up in Troy, Michelen was familiar with Kaaterskill Falls. But thanks to her hiking and sculpting, she was able to see this famous place in a new light.
“We went to this trail in the Catskills, I've been going all my life. I knew the area,” she said. “But when you actually stood there, it was like you had never seen it before.”
This experience forged a bond between Michelen and Vern that led to the PBS show.
In the first episode, the co-hosts search for towering oak trees east of the Mississippi River and visit coastal waterways with Gullah-Geechee fishermen. According to PBS, the pair will visit a “mysterious” old farm and a hard-to-find island.
Michelen hopes to eventually return to New York to film new episodes of the show.
“The book features gun batteries in New York City, but it also features Carterskill Falls, Rochester and Buffalo,” she said. “It’s like the best of New York state.”
The Upstate is widely featured in vintage travelogues, including the National Capital Region and parts of the Adirondacks. Michelen has visited several spots with her family and friends, and she said she hopes to take PBS with her in the future.
That included a trip to Troy, the city mentioned in “America the Beautiful,” where Michelen's parents still live.
She explored the Troy she had called home for years through the lens of a nearly forgotten book. But she said explorers don't need a travel guide to see the Upstate differently.
“You don't need a book to guide you to see these places in a new light. You can do it yourself,” she said. “It's a journey. It's a history lesson you learn along the way.”
