Our Women of Destination Truth!

Welcome Destination Truth Fans!

I hope you enjoy my special, and consider this a New Years present from me to all of you!

Well #Truthies, it has been a few months and I do not know about you, but I have been starving for some Destination Truth! Syfy gives us the occasional tidbit, a Marathon or two, and I truly thank them for those wonderful days of DT!

Myself, I have been thinking about this article for a few months.  It began as a light bulb idea, even said it out-loud to a few Tweeps that I know can keep their cans shut!  My editor, Kenn of WormholeRiders, said run with it!

So, here we are, I am not a mind reader and have no idea if Destination Truth is coming back for a 6th season, I keep hoping and getting my rope ready, but alas the powers that be have not confided in me, at least not yet!

We must not forget the Mandt Brothers, Michael and Neil, who came up with the idea of Destination Truth and pulled the original concept together, then came  Brad Kuhlman  and the involvement of Ping-Pong Productions!  We thank you all!  But this story is about the strong women and the impact they have had on us, the viewers!

So, #GetTheRope , and the #Spa-Yeti at hand, we are going on a little adventure of our own. We are going to meet quite a few of the Women of Destination Truth, the woman that acted as Team Mom for Team Truth for the 5 years of scouring the globe for Monsters, mayhem, spirits and artifacts!

June 6, 2007 –  The Beginnings of Team Truth!

The first season of Destination Truth began in 2007 and was but 6 episodes, but it gave all #Truthies a taste of what was to come!  Personally, I was hooked immediately and never missed a night! 

My family would have to fend for themselves because I was not to be disturbed or talked to during my Destination Truth hour!

The first woman that was associated with Destination Truth was our fair Lindsay Gillette,  and what a job she had on her hands!

During that first season they traveled to Papua New Guinea in search of the Iguanadon, then they got wet while looking for a mermaid creature called the Ri in the waters off New Ireland.  They began their paranormal investigations in Thailand’s Khon Kean province chasing ghosts and then traversed to the Mekong River, near the Laos border in search of a serpent locals called the Naga. 

They then returned to Papua New Guinea looking upward for a Pterodactyl creature called the RoOpen then to Chili following up reports of the Chupacabra.  We followed them to Malaysia to the Endau Rompin National Park in search of the elusive Bigfoot.

We hiked along as Team Truth traveled the globe to Argentina, South Africa and Lesotho, we searched for werewolves, Nessie, and a dwarf like creature called the El Pombero.  Those were fun and fast moving episodes and just enough to keep us wanting more!

We had a season packed full of adventure and travel with a dose of  Team Truth humor on the side!  This we would find throughout the year’s as a much needed band-aide at times and all #Truthies came to expect from future expeditions! 

Lindsay was the Team’s Production Assistant! Season 1 of Destination Truth, and the success that has followed could not have happened without the involvement of  women in the forefront and background! 

Thank you Lindsay for setting the groundwork for Season 2!

Season Two began and #Truthies united to jump on board for the journey, through jungles and forests, up treacherous slopes and muddy trails! 

And again we had a woman on Team Truth, the producer of the show was yes, a woman!  Her name is Araceli Halderman.  In all she produced 6 of the 2008 episodes!  Thank You Araceli!

Season 2 took us again around the globe as we traveled with the Team to such exotic places as Mount Everest in Nepal, where Josh and Team Truth found their first Yeti Footprint!

Every week it was new destinations and I for one, always had my passport and bags packed on Destination Truth night!

We went along with Araceli and Team Truth as they investigated tortured spirits of former slaves in Africa, and Traversed the sands of the Gobi Desert to hunt for the Mongolian Death Worm. 

In Cambodia we went in search of an Ape-man who held a local girl hostage for 18 years!  Then on to Zambia to investigate a dinosaur called the Mokele-Mbembe. 

Then to Vietnam, and back to Zanzibar, Africa looking for the Popobawa a bat creature that locals were reporting attacks people at night.  We were allowed to follow along, take in their jokes, and their famous Destination Truth vehicle choices!  As they lugged through the mud, traversed mountains and jumped gorges, we were right there with them! 

Season 2 had 13 episodes in all, all of which took us all along as they investigated foreign locations and to places many of us had never heard of but would not soon forget!  Thank you Araceli for being a part of this awesome show!

On April 8 of 2008 our Destination Truth screens were graced for the first time with our beloved Erin Ryder! 

Her credits for Destination Truth include (co-executive producer – 5 episodes, 2011) (supervising field producer – 5 episodes, 2010 (producer – 4 episodes, 2008) (supervising producer – 4 episodes, 2008-2010).

These credits for Erin Ryder do not include Destination Truth Season 5 or her new show Chasing UFO’s. 

Erin Ryder soon became a Force all by herself as we soon found out!  Her drive and determination to get the Team where they were headed, through broken down vehicles, sleeping in cold forbidding forests or simply hiding the snacks from the boys became legendary!

If not for her, I am sure the team would have starved, gotten eaten by wild animals or stuck on a mountain in many circumstances!

Anyone who has watched the show knows their Ryder Facts:

Ryder can outrun many wild animals.

Ryder can jump vast distances by clearly taking flight during her jump.

Ryder has the ability to sing in foreign languages at a moments notice.

Ryder know when to Get The Rope! 

Ryder has abilities to recreate scenes from various movies, and does a fine job doing them!

We watched as Ryder and Team Truth traveled to Zambia, the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, Australia and the Malaysian jun

gle in search of paranormal activity!  She was there at the ruins of Masada as Josh Gates and Team Truth searched for spirits, in Petra, on the Great Wall of China, and in Philippines to investigate reports of paranormal activity at the hanging coffins. 

In no way can I account, in this small article all the joy, worry, humor or love we as #Truthies feel for this woman.  She is #Badassary at it’s Very Best! Thank You Ryder!

The moments we were allowed to tag along with Ryder and the team were some of the most enjoyable moments of television viewing I can remember and I will carry those experiences with me forever! #GetTheRope

Be sure and catch Erin Ryder’s latest venture on the National Geographic Channel, called Chasing UFO’s and any #Truthies out there be sure and tune in to see what was going on with our Ryder!  The show debuted on June 29, 2012!

In 2009 we were introduced to Jael De Pardo! As Jael became a part of Team Truth we were again engaged immediately with this strong woman!  Through freezing temperatures, snow drifts, radiation, and negotiating rivers in a box on a rope! 

We quickly learned that this extremely girly girl was as tough as they come!  Jael and Ryder shared Josh Gates side-kick position for a couple of seasons and the switch off became seamless for us, the viewing audience!  Thanks Jael! 

Jael was there when Team Truth traveled to Chernobyl to follow-up on reports of haunting shadows and voices in the dark deserted nuclear power plant, she ventured to a Mexican island with the team to check out some haunted dolls, she was there in Romania, on Team Truths first visit there, and in search of the Banshee Ghost on the Live from Ireland special, along with Ryder!

There were several episodes where Josh Gates would bring more than one of our favorite women along for the investigation!  Those were special, exciting episodes and thank the gods for Netflix where we can continue to enjoy them on demand! 

Jael DePardo has returned to Destination Truth for Special Appearances as well as continued her career as the Co-Host on Syfy’s Fact or Faked  !

Another member of Team Truth during 2009 was Sharra Jenkins, Tech Specialist for 9 episodes during the 2009 season. 

Sharra was there for the investigation of King Tut’s tomb, the Island of the Haunted Dolls, Alien Mummies in northern Chili and the Bermuda Triangle. 

She traveled to Peru to investigate a lost Incan city with ghostly activity and was there for the Bhutan Yeti investigation. 

Sharra was a great asset to the team and showed courage beyond words at times of peril!  Thank you Sharra!

In  September 2010 Destination Truth’s season premiere opened with Team Truth searching for the spirits of the 79 AD Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Pompeii.

We were all introduced to Ali Zubik!

As we soon discovered Ali had her own style and soon became an integral part of the team.  Ali was field producer for eight episodes! 

That season Team Truth investigated Zombies in Guam, a Moroccan Succubus, the Siberian Snowman where the team was surrounded by wolves! In Japan they produced the very first ever underwater EVP session while investigating a Haunted Ghost Fleet. 

Ali traveled with the team as they searched for the Spirits of Angkor Wat and a Canadian Lake Monster!  Thank you Ali for your contribution to Team Truth and good luck in your career!

Another Destination Truth favorite and woman of interest is Vanessa Smith.  Vanessa resided at base-camp on most episodes but through her eagle eyes and quick snap of humor we felt like Team Truth was in good hands.

With Season 5 airing on Syfy July 10, 2012.  It had been over a year since the 4th Season concluded.  Josh Gates and Team Truth did not disappoint! 

Season 5 Episode 1 opened with Team Truth traveling to Vietnam in search of BigFoot!  For Season 5 Ryder was back with Team Truth and in rare form as they traversed the globe with backpacks in hand!

Season 5 took us once again around the globe with Ryder and the team to such places as Fiji to investigate the spirits of Cannibal Village, Kazakhstan in search of UFO’s, to Sweden searching for a lake monster!

Team Truth traveled to Guatemala looking into local reports of Restless Spirits at the Mayan ruins, they returned to the Haunted Forest in Belize, visited Echo Valley in the Philippines where mysterious voices were being reported near The Hanging Coffins!

Ryder, Thank you being apart of our lives for these past 6 years, for being a strong role model for young women everywhere, thank you for being my friend and of course the #badassary!

Thanks girl, love ya!

Season 5 also introduced us to Katy Murakami, Field investigator!  Katy seemed to fit right in and jumped right on the crazy train! Katy led EVP sessions, played as translator and was an important cog in the wheel of what kept Team Truth on track for Season 5! 

Thank you Katy! 

I am sure there are and were more women, behind the scenes, in the offices and in the trenches.  I thank each of them. All for being apart of the Destination Truth Team and for making this show the success it is and has been for Syfy, Ping-Pong Productions and for us, the viewers.

I personally love this show; I have traveled the world with these friends for years now. 

I hope to make more trips abroad with them in the future, but if not, I will never forget the laughter, the special moments that we were allowed to witness and feel apart of!

Thanks for dropping by Wormholeriders! I invite you to follow me on Twitter, follow along on my journey through the world of television, science fiction and my real life!  Granted it is through my eyes but maybe you will get the urge, the urge to watch or write or travel or explore, even if it is just through your own television, in your own living room!

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I and Team WHR look forward to Seeing You on The Other Side“!

Thank you.

Regards,

HWilson2009 (Holly)