By Jae-Ha Kim
Los Angeles Times
January 15, 2019
The Feldman brothers are on a hunt for more than treasure. In their new Travel Channel series, “Lost Gold,” Josh, 39, and Jesse, 44, seek to find forgotten gold mines and other pieces of history throughout America. The Arizona natives say that getting to see the world is a big perk of their job. “From my travels, I have learned to appreciate different cultures and to be open to new experiences,” says Josh. “I believe where we are from influences who we are. I think this is a beautiful thing and it should be celebrated.” You may follow the siblings’ adventures on their Facebook page.
Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?
Jesse: Iceland. It’s alive with volcanic activity. You can visit Iceland and see how mountains are formed. It’s the very beginning geologic stages of how gold later becomes deposited in rock. Most of Iceland is untouched by man and the people who live there have a great story of downright perseverance.
Q: Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
Josh: The best weekend getaway for me is San Diego. I can be there in less than six hours driving from my house. San Diego has great food, especially Mexican food, plenty of entertainment and the Pacific Ocean. What more can you ask for? Yes, San Diego is a big city and I usually prefer more remote areas, but San Diego has a great vibe to it that is hard to resist.
Q: What untapped destination should people know about?
Jesse: When I think about untapped destinations, I think of the public lands right here in the western United States. Land in the West is hardly populated. The bubble of a city makes you think that it is the sum total of your environment. That simply is not true and if you spend part of your lifetime in the wilderness exploring, it will give you an education beyond anything you can learn in a classroom.
Josh: Greenland is one of the most uniquely beautiful places I have ever visited. It’s not super easy to get there, but it is well worth the effort. Once there, you will have opportunities to see nature at its finest. The Arctic is a mysterious place, full of secrets that can only be discovered and understood by living it yourself. It is not a vacation to Greenland. It is a journey of a lifetime.
Q: What was the first trip you took as a child?
Josh: The first big trip I remember was to Japan. I was about 12 years old and was more excited about flying on a plane than actually going to Japan. It’s weird to think about nowadays, but back then people were allowed to smoke on airplanes for international flights, so the plane ride went from exciting to miserable very quickly. However, once I arrived in Japan, the trip became an eye-opening experience. It was the first time I was able to visit another culture and to understand that the world was much bigger than I could have imagined. I will never forget the graciousness of the Japanese people and their time-honored traditions. I grew so much from that trip. Not only was it one of the best trips of my life, but it was also a milestone in my life.
Jesse: The first trip I remember well was to Downieville, California. My dad dredged the Yuba River for gold and I learned for the first time what I would be doing the rest of my life — looking for gold. I caught on to the adventure of it all very quickly.
Q: What would be your dream trip?
Josh: Start off in Australia where I would scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef. I would then do a pack trip into the Outback on horseback for a few days. The trip would continue on to New Zealand, where I would hike across the wilderness exploring the wilds. From there, I would go to Antarctica on a ship. I am not exactly sure what I would do in Antarctica, but I believe I would figure it out. I think just getting the chance to step foot in Antarctica would be a privilege in itself.
Q: If you could only pick one place to eat, would you choose a street cart or fine dining?
Josh: There is something about a street cart that specializes in one or two items that intrigues me. I figure they probably make the best of whatever it is. Eating like that has more of a family feel to it for me. I guess that’s why they call it comfort food. So, the street cart or food truck is going to win over fine dining every time.
Jesse: I would choose fine dining over a casual meal at a food truck every time. There is an art to good food. I will not argue that I have not had great food at a food truck, but I don’t like my napkins flying off the table or flies on the ketchup dispenser. Who can relax when that’s going on?
© 2019 JAE-HA KIM
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