Rick Steves Wants to Set You Free
March 22, 2019 8:10 AM Subscribe
Rick Steves is absolutely American. He wears jeans every single day. He drinks frozen orange juice from a can. He likes his hash browns burned, his coffee extra hot... And yet: Rick Steves desperately wants you to leave America. Sam Anderson interviews Rick Steves ("one of the legendary PBS superdorks") for the New York Times Magazine.
Including Rick's travel history, his stealth politics, his investment in the local YWCA, why he's not running for office, the cost of mailing a DVD to every Lutheran congregation in America, and what he thinks about when he gets high ("Getting high is like roasting an English muffin").
Including Rick's travel history, his stealth politics, his investment in the local YWCA, why he's not running for office, the cost of mailing a DVD to every Lutheran congregation in America, and what he thinks about when he gets high ("Getting high is like roasting an English muffin").
From the link above:
"Twenty years ago, I devised a scheme where I could put my retirement savings not into a bank to get interest, but into cheap apartments to house struggling neighbors. I would retain my capital, my equity would grow as the apartment complex appreciated, and I would suffer none of the headaches that I would have if I had rented out the units as a landlord. Rather than collecting rent, my 'income' would be the joy of housing otherwise desperate people. I found this a creative, compassionate and more enlightened way to 'invest' while retaining my long-term security."
It gets even better, and I'd post even more quotes, but I feel like I should read the main article now.
posted by vverse23 at 8:26 AM on March 22, 2019 [45 favorites]
"Twenty years ago, I devised a scheme where I could put my retirement savings not into a bank to get interest, but into cheap apartments to house struggling neighbors. I would retain my capital, my equity would grow as the apartment complex appreciated, and I would suffer none of the headaches that I would have if I had rented out the units as a landlord. Rather than collecting rent, my 'income' would be the joy of housing otherwise desperate people. I found this a creative, compassionate and more enlightened way to 'invest' while retaining my long-term security."
It gets even better, and I'd post even more quotes, but I feel like I should read the main article now.
posted by vverse23 at 8:26 AM on March 22, 2019 [45 favorites]
His book "Europe 101: History and Art for the Traveler" helped me feel confident going abroad as a teenager.
I had been on a family trip to the U.K. before, but flying alone into Cold War Berlin to meet a friend & his dad was still daunting. Having already pored over the book, I felt like I could handle what I would feel as a traveler. (I had some art history under my belt so I knew what I would see, but the whole "being 8000 miles away from my family at 16" was still a bit first step.
Later, when I studied abroad, packing half a year's worth of stuff into two bags and flying away from everyone I knew was much easier with this other experience to look back on.
In the decades since, I have learned that the gift of confidence that he gave me is doubled and redoubled in a lot of different ways as he speaks and lives his principles. He seems like a good guy.
Thanks, Rick & Co.!
posted by wenestvedt at 8:32 AM on March 22, 2019 [8 favorites]
I had been on a family trip to the U.K. before, but flying alone into Cold War Berlin to meet a friend & his dad was still daunting. Having already pored over the book, I felt like I could handle what I would feel as a traveler. (I had some art history under my belt so I knew what I would see, but the whole "being 8000 miles away from my family at 16" was still a bit first step.
Later, when I studied abroad, packing half a year's worth of stuff into two bags and flying away from everyone I knew was much easier with this other experience to look back on.
In the decades since, I have learned that the gift of confidence that he gave me is doubled and redoubled in a lot of different ways as he speaks and lives his principles. He seems like a good guy.
Thanks, Rick & Co.!
posted by wenestvedt at 8:32 AM on March 22, 2019 [8 favorites]
I kind of love this:
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 8:35 AM on March 22, 2019 [75 favorites]
He entered looking like the kind of guy who would bring an acoustic guitar to every single church picnic within a two-hour radius of his favorite Applebee’sI'm probably not Rick Steves's prime audience, but I really appreciate him, and I think this article gets at why. He reassures his audience that they don't have to be rich or cool or sophisticated in order to be good travelers. If you are curious and respectful and open to experience, you will have a good time while traveling. That's honestly not a message that Americans hear very often, and he's really good at delivering it.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 8:35 AM on March 22, 2019 [75 favorites]
Wow...never heard of this guy before, but just reading this story makes me happier.
posted by Edgewise at 8:40 AM on March 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by Edgewise at 8:40 AM on March 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
Rick Steves is Vanta Beige.
posted by srboisvert at 8:42 AM on March 22, 2019 [14 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 8:42 AM on March 22, 2019 [14 favorites]
I love Rick Steves so much. He doesn't really tell me anything I don't already know as a relatively seasoned solo traveller, but stumbling across one of his shows on PBS is like putting on Bob Ross or Mr. Rogers as soothing, life-affirming, joy-sparking background noise. My husband used to lowkey make fun of me for my Rick Steves feelings until we both found out about his politics. Now I stan proudly.
posted by soren_lorensen at 9:00 AM on March 22, 2019 [39 favorites]
posted by soren_lorensen at 9:00 AM on March 22, 2019 [39 favorites]
I have grown to love Rick Steves over the years. In the beginning when I'd watch an episode of his show on wherever we would be travelling soon he made me groan because he's dorky! But then gradually I realised that Rick is just a good, earnest dude and there is nothing wrong with that. And he's actually also a totally GOOD dude who does good things.
He's kind of the same energy as Phil Rosenthal from (among other more well known things where he was the writer) Somebody Feed Phil and I can't get enough of that lately.
Mind you, I still wouldn't go to a specific place that he has recommended because it will be busy and probably not as good anymore. We tend to watch his stuff still to learn about where we're going and the places we probably want to avoid.
posted by urbanlenny at 9:00 AM on March 22, 2019 [6 favorites]
He's kind of the same energy as Phil Rosenthal from (among other more well known things where he was the writer) Somebody Feed Phil and I can't get enough of that lately.
Mind you, I still wouldn't go to a specific place that he has recommended because it will be busy and probably not as good anymore. We tend to watch his stuff still to learn about where we're going and the places we probably want to avoid.
posted by urbanlenny at 9:00 AM on March 22, 2019 [6 favorites]
Rick Steves is Vanta Beige.
Rick Steves is a drag queen???!?!
posted by Automocar at 9:00 AM on March 22, 2019 [8 favorites]
Rick Steves is a drag queen???!?!
posted by Automocar at 9:00 AM on March 22, 2019 [8 favorites]
> Rick Steves is Vanta Beige.
I think he only comes off as beige to us because he is so thoroughly american and doesn't really try to hide it, so when he's actually in the united states (or being watched by people from the united states) he sort of blends in with the metaphorical wallpaper. but really he's doing something quite fascinating/important: he's showing americans how to be both entirely american and also entirely decent.
he's a good egg. maybe he's a beige egg, but if he is, he's a good beige egg.
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 9:03 AM on March 22, 2019 [50 favorites]
I think he only comes off as beige to us because he is so thoroughly american and doesn't really try to hide it, so when he's actually in the united states (or being watched by people from the united states) he sort of blends in with the metaphorical wallpaper. but really he's doing something quite fascinating/important: he's showing americans how to be both entirely american and also entirely decent.
he's a good egg. maybe he's a beige egg, but if he is, he's a good beige egg.
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 9:03 AM on March 22, 2019 [50 favorites]
A while ago I misheard "I'm Rick Steves" on an NPR announcement as "Average Steves!" and so now whenever I hear him I think of hordes of generic white guys wandering around doing stuff. It's nice that he exists to push average Steves (and the rest of us) to go explore beyond themselves.
posted by ChuraChura at 9:09 AM on March 22, 2019 [23 favorites]
posted by ChuraChura at 9:09 AM on March 22, 2019 [23 favorites]
There's also something really endearing about the fact that he's a total stoner. He's Ned Flanders if Ned Flanders smoked a lot of pot and had been converted to Scandinavian-style social democracy.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 9:10 AM on March 22, 2019 [53 favorites]
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 9:10 AM on March 22, 2019 [53 favorites]
The author, Dan Anderson, also wrote a terrific piece on Michelangelo's David in 2016, which is linked at the base of the Steves story.
posted by mwhybark at 9:10 AM on March 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by mwhybark at 9:10 AM on March 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
> There's also something really endearing about the fact that he's a total stoner. He's Ned Flanders if Ned Flanders smoked a lot of pot and had been converted to Scandinavian-style social democracy.
so here's a thing about people from the top left corner of the united states:
they are high all the time. it's not a joke. they were quietly high all the time before legalization, and now they're openly high all the time. rick steves is basically "northwest everydad," and a key component of being northwest everydad is being, more often than not, so blazed.
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 9:15 AM on March 22, 2019 [34 favorites]
so here's a thing about people from the top left corner of the united states:
they are high all the time. it's not a joke. they were quietly high all the time before legalization, and now they're openly high all the time. rick steves is basically "northwest everydad," and a key component of being northwest everydad is being, more often than not, so blazed.
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 9:15 AM on March 22, 2019 [34 favorites]
I felt like such a dork carrying my Rick Steves guide book on my first trip to Paris, because of course I’m way cooler and more worldly than he is, but not knowing anyone in the city, I needed to start somewhere and I had to admit I knew he wouldn’t steer me wrong and goddamn he sure didn’t. Watching his show is so hypnotic and peaceful late at night — like yes, I would like to enjoy a beer on that sunny river bank along side all those happy Germans and you make it seem so easy Rick. All the fucking shitty shit of this timeline melts away when I’m in the Rick Steves world I just want to stay there.
Truth be told, he’s still sticking to the routes worth traveling in Europe and it’s its own sort of canned tourist artificial reality, though much more vivid and enjoyable than the tour bus version. You don’t see refugees or Roma or fascism or crime on Travels with Rick Steves and I think that’s at least part of what’s so appealing about it. When you watch, you can pretend there’s somewhere in the world that’s really that great.
By several accounts here in Seattle, Steves is sort of a prickly human to be around, temperamental and perfectionist. If you live in Edmonds, chances are you’ve seen him around. This might just be a thing with being a celebrity and in charge of a large operation that’s driven by your own personal vision. I’ve always thought he’s great, but I cut people a wide berth in the social skills department, particularly when they have big ideas and are doing great stuff. His donation of the housing and his marijuana activism are evidence that he has a big heart. His dope journal mentioned in this article is just the most delightfully dorky thing I have ever read. Keep on bakin’ Rick!
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:21 AM on March 22, 2019 [8 favorites]
Truth be told, he’s still sticking to the routes worth traveling in Europe and it’s its own sort of canned tourist artificial reality, though much more vivid and enjoyable than the tour bus version. You don’t see refugees or Roma or fascism or crime on Travels with Rick Steves and I think that’s at least part of what’s so appealing about it. When you watch, you can pretend there’s somewhere in the world that’s really that great.
By several accounts here in Seattle, Steves is sort of a prickly human to be around, temperamental and perfectionist. If you live in Edmonds, chances are you’ve seen him around. This might just be a thing with being a celebrity and in charge of a large operation that’s driven by your own personal vision. I’ve always thought he’s great, but I cut people a wide berth in the social skills department, particularly when they have big ideas and are doing great stuff. His donation of the housing and his marijuana activism are evidence that he has a big heart. His dope journal mentioned in this article is just the most delightfully dorky thing I have ever read. Keep on bakin’ Rick!
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:21 AM on March 22, 2019 [8 favorites]
Also. Rick Steves:PNW::Anthony Bourdain:NYC
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:26 AM on March 22, 2019 [13 favorites]
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:26 AM on March 22, 2019 [13 favorites]
Truth be told, he’s still sticking to the routes worth traveling in Europe and it’s its own sort of canned tourist artificial reality, though much more vivid and enjoyable than the tour bus version. You don’t see refugees or Roma or fascism or crime on Travels with Rick Steves and I think that’s at least part of what’s so appealing about it. When you watch, you can pretend there’s somewhere in the world that’s really that great.
There's a similarity here with a notion that I've been struggling lately (thanks for the post by the way! Love Rick Steves even more now.) But the struggle is with reconciling the harshness in the world with the beauty and goodness, of life, of people... both are true. I've been winding around to the notion that remembering the good stuff too is very important. Maybe that's our inspiration?
posted by emmet at 9:28 AM on March 22, 2019 [8 favorites]
There's a similarity here with a notion that I've been struggling lately (thanks for the post by the way! Love Rick Steves even more now.) But the struggle is with reconciling the harshness in the world with the beauty and goodness, of life, of people... both are true. I've been winding around to the notion that remembering the good stuff too is very important. Maybe that's our inspiration?
posted by emmet at 9:28 AM on March 22, 2019 [8 favorites]
Steves is sort of a prickly human to be around, temperamental and perfectionist.
I think they conveyed that impression, just at the edges, in the article itself. The bit of him dropping notes under his employees' doors at 2am and asking them in the morning what they thought, the bit where he had to check his Protestant sword at the door when visiting St. Basil's. All in all it sounds like he's probably a trying person to work for.
That said, I've worked with people who are difficult who are purely about their ego (even if they're in denial about it, there are tells), and people who are difficult sort of despite their ego, but driven by an honest-to-goodness perfectionist streak who don't really care WHO came up with the great idea, they will go to considerable lengths to see it succeed. I know who I'd rather work for, but at the same time, I'd only want to do that for a while, not a whole career.
I have a lot of respect for someone who is a bit obsessive but not self-obsessive, and from what I can tell, Rick Steves fits that bill.
posted by tclark at 9:49 AM on March 22, 2019 [18 favorites]
I think they conveyed that impression, just at the edges, in the article itself. The bit of him dropping notes under his employees' doors at 2am and asking them in the morning what they thought, the bit where he had to check his Protestant sword at the door when visiting St. Basil's. All in all it sounds like he's probably a trying person to work for.
That said, I've worked with people who are difficult who are purely about their ego (even if they're in denial about it, there are tells), and people who are difficult sort of despite their ego, but driven by an honest-to-goodness perfectionist streak who don't really care WHO came up with the great idea, they will go to considerable lengths to see it succeed. I know who I'd rather work for, but at the same time, I'd only want to do that for a while, not a whole career.
I have a lot of respect for someone who is a bit obsessive but not self-obsessive, and from what I can tell, Rick Steves fits that bill.
posted by tclark at 9:49 AM on March 22, 2019 [18 favorites]
Also. Rick Steves:PNW::Anthony Bourdain:NYC
Or, my own yardstick:
My parents favor Rick Steves. I prefer Anthony Bourdain.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:57 AM on March 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
Or, my own yardstick:
My parents favor Rick Steves. I prefer Anthony Bourdain.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:57 AM on March 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
Sometimes, I’m up early enough on Sunday mornings (not on purpose) to catch Steves’ public radio program, also about travel. As easy-going as his tv personna is, it’s almost manic compared to his radio voice. The show is so calm and quiet and, well, close and intimate. It’s often like listening in on two friends having a conversation in a very quiet room. It’s actually pretty appropriate for such an early radio timeslot.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:03 AM on March 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 10:03 AM on March 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
Great article. I have used his books all over Europe and they are very helpful. His video about Christmas in Europe is so much fun.
posted by gryphonlover at 10:04 AM on March 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by gryphonlover at 10:04 AM on March 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
The Rick Steves episode where he goes to Iran is some fascinating TV in itself, and well worth searching out.
posted by gimonca at 10:08 AM on March 22, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by gimonca at 10:08 AM on March 22, 2019 [10 favorites]
so here's a thing about people from the top left corner of the united states:
Quiet, you! I am not sitting on the porch in the sun with my pipe and mug of coffee looking at the birds.
Yet.
Shit. I forgot that I'm not supposed to talk about the sun. IT RAINS ALL THE TIME AND IT'S AWFUL AND THE WEED SUCKS AND YEAH DON'T MOVE HERE DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT WASHINGTON YEAH GO TO FLORIDA OR WHATEVER.
posted by loquacious at 10:10 AM on March 22, 2019 [23 favorites]
Quiet, you! I am not sitting on the porch in the sun with my pipe and mug of coffee looking at the birds.
Yet.
Shit. I forgot that I'm not supposed to talk about the sun. IT RAINS ALL THE TIME AND IT'S AWFUL AND THE WEED SUCKS AND YEAH DON'T MOVE HERE DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT WASHINGTON YEAH GO TO FLORIDA OR WHATEVER.
posted by loquacious at 10:10 AM on March 22, 2019 [23 favorites]
the bit where he had to check his Protestant sword at the door when visiting St. Basil's.Yeah, and combine that with the detail about how he wasn't a very present father, and one year when he was away in Europe, his kids converted to Catholicism. The writer clearly admires him, but he doesn't always convey the impression that Steves is an easy person to be close to.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 10:17 AM on March 22, 2019 [9 favorites]
Rick Steves as PNW Everydad checks out.
My pops, a kind, quietly nurturing, socks-with-sandals dude in his early 70s who's always been in the upper echelon of his bowling league, enjoys his mary jane. I can tell when he's been partaking because he's REALLY ANIMATED when providing running commentary on Star Trek episodes.
My pops is not all that unusual among older white dudes in the greater Seattle area for his quirks.
posted by duffell at 10:17 AM on March 22, 2019 [9 favorites]
My pops, a kind, quietly nurturing, socks-with-sandals dude in his early 70s who's always been in the upper echelon of his bowling league, enjoys his mary jane. I can tell when he's been partaking because he's REALLY ANIMATED when providing running commentary on Star Trek episodes.
My pops is not all that unusual among older white dudes in the greater Seattle area for his quirks.
posted by duffell at 10:17 AM on March 22, 2019 [9 favorites]
I think Steves is just like most other driven business types who have that way about them, it's just that he's not a self-absorbed asshole like Trump or Steve Jobs. He did a "how it's made" episode of his show a while back, and it's just him, his producer and an assistant doing the whole thing, but they showed him typing up script pages in the middle of the night and putting them under his producer's door. He's driven, and driven people can be prickly, but it's clear that his heart is in the right place.
posted by briank at 10:28 AM on March 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by briank at 10:28 AM on March 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
Also: I have a friend who works for/with Steves and he says he likes his job very much. Said friend is also possibly PNW hipster gen X everydad, but doesn't partake. Sadly. I make up for it, though.
I personally don't have any strong feelings about Steves or his travel media empire. He seems alright. The advice I've read in his books isn't horrible, but I'm a natural wanderer and traveler and I'm probably not his target demographic.
posted by loquacious at 10:30 AM on March 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
I personally don't have any strong feelings about Steves or his travel media empire. He seems alright. The advice I've read in his books isn't horrible, but I'm a natural wanderer and traveler and I'm probably not his target demographic.
posted by loquacious at 10:30 AM on March 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
TBH I don't know how I made it 2 years in the PNW without getting high.
posted by Automocar at 10:34 AM on March 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Automocar at 10:34 AM on March 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
GODDAMNIT IT LOQUACIOUS THE FIRST RULE OF PNW IS ALWAYS SAY ITS RAINING
Can confirm, every single person in my neighborhood is Rick Steves. Even the people of color, whitest looking black people you ever saw. Though nowadays, they are more likely grandparents not dads, but they are in fact stoned all the time.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 10:43 AM on March 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
Can confirm, every single person in my neighborhood is Rick Steves. Even the people of color, whitest looking black people you ever saw. Though nowadays, they are more likely grandparents not dads, but they are in fact stoned all the time.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 10:43 AM on March 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
I guess I and Mr. Roquette are outliers. We do not partake. Living in public housing means we must not until federal legalization. He doesn’t even drink. Mr. Roquette does not approve of weed. He voted against legalization. I voted for. I drink sometimes. More than I did in many years. ( Thanks Trump! )but still not a lot. I live in the part of the PNW which most resembles the Nortwest Frontier Province. Gun happy, full of contentious right -wing nut jobs and we have a homeless issue and a gang problem, as well as ever worsening wildfire seasons.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 11:12 AM on March 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 11:12 AM on March 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
I like Rick Steves, and also liked Bourdain. It’s possible to aporeciate both.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 11:13 AM on March 22, 2019 [16 favorites]
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 11:13 AM on March 22, 2019 [16 favorites]
I live in the part of the PNW which most resembles the Nortwest Frontier Province. Gun happy, full of contentious right -wing nut jobs and we have a homeless issue and a gang problem, as well as ever worsening wildfire seasons.
So, Everett?
posted by loquacious at 11:18 AM on March 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
So, Everett?
posted by loquacious at 11:18 AM on March 22, 2019 [4 favorites]
By several accounts here in Seattle, Steves is sort of a prickly human to be around, temperamental and perfectionist.
THIS guy???: "In my earliest days as a tour guide, I'd put people in terrible rooms just so they would better appreciate having a nice home as their norm. I'd intentionally not have a hotel reservation for my groups until late in the afternoon...just to put my tourists through the anxiety of not knowing if they'd have a roof over their heads tonight. The intended souvenir: more empathy for the homeless."
No way, that guy sounds totally chill and very accepting of anything short of total commitment and dedication, I'm sure he's very easy to be around, quite fun at parties, very relaxed.
(I'm joking, more or less; I'm a congenital grump and have lots of affection for others of my kind.)
posted by Snarl Furillo at 11:19 AM on March 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
THIS guy???: "In my earliest days as a tour guide, I'd put people in terrible rooms just so they would better appreciate having a nice home as their norm. I'd intentionally not have a hotel reservation for my groups until late in the afternoon...just to put my tourists through the anxiety of not knowing if they'd have a roof over their heads tonight. The intended souvenir: more empathy for the homeless."
No way, that guy sounds totally chill and very accepting of anything short of total commitment and dedication, I'm sure he's very easy to be around, quite fun at parties, very relaxed.
(I'm joking, more or less; I'm a congenital grump and have lots of affection for others of my kind.)
posted by Snarl Furillo at 11:19 AM on March 22, 2019 [5 favorites]
Rick Steves is really great for a typical American, too, because of how miserably short our vacations tend to be. Air travel has gotten a little cheaper over the last decade, but it's still expensive and time-consuming enough to overseas that a lot of people get stressed about wanting to "see everything" in 9 days. I think Rick Steves is appealing because a) his books compile a ton of information that help with the logistics of planning a trip to an unfamiliar area and b) he promotes a very friendly DON'T PANIC vibe. When I was planning a family vacation (all by myself! though I didn't have to pay for it, so that more than made up for the stress), where we had a bunch of different ages and interest levels and I wasn't very familiar with our destination, the Rick Steves country guide was a big help in narrowing my focus.
Re: Bourdain, he and Rick Steves definitely had the thought that travel could be instrumental to sparking empathy. I don't know that I entirely agree -- I know too many Trump voters who are perfectly lovely and adventurous on vacation -- but I do think that spending a bit of time frustrated and confused by new surroundings is as important as being awestruck in them.
posted by grandiloquiet at 11:31 AM on March 22, 2019 [7 favorites]
Re: Bourdain, he and Rick Steves definitely had the thought that travel could be instrumental to sparking empathy. I don't know that I entirely agree -- I know too many Trump voters who are perfectly lovely and adventurous on vacation -- but I do think that spending a bit of time frustrated and confused by new surroundings is as important as being awestruck in them.
posted by grandiloquiet at 11:31 AM on March 22, 2019 [7 favorites]
I’ve written before that I had a previous employment with John Muir Publications here in Santa Fe, NM (the same company that published How to Keep Your VW Alive). They were Rick’s first publishing company and I heard lots of stories about how Rick came to visit with his backpack and slept on the couch of the office.
I was hired as a fill in bookkeeper and warehouseman, basically the lowest spot in the office hierarchy. One of my jobs was to answer the telephone, which rang when an extension didn’t pick up. The best part of this was when Rick called. Most of the time, it was other authors who were angry about royalties or something they wanted for their book (which was probably why I got the call). Rick was always polite and chatty, asking about the weather or how things were going in Santa Fe.
I got old copies of his books and kept them for when we finally went overseas. We didn’t follow his advice on luggage and I still remember all the dirty looks we got on the London tube at rush hour as we tried to haul everything on to get to Gatwick. Now we travel light on all our trips.
posted by jabo at 11:33 AM on March 22, 2019 [7 favorites]
I was hired as a fill in bookkeeper and warehouseman, basically the lowest spot in the office hierarchy. One of my jobs was to answer the telephone, which rang when an extension didn’t pick up. The best part of this was when Rick called. Most of the time, it was other authors who were angry about royalties or something they wanted for their book (which was probably why I got the call). Rick was always polite and chatty, asking about the weather or how things were going in Santa Fe.
I got old copies of his books and kept them for when we finally went overseas. We didn’t follow his advice on luggage and I still remember all the dirty looks we got on the London tube at rush hour as we tried to haul everything on to get to Gatwick. Now we travel light on all our trips.
posted by jabo at 11:33 AM on March 22, 2019 [7 favorites]
One bit I remember from his TV show was his description of the soldiers in a cemetary, who "gave their lives for God and country, at the insistence of the latter"
posted by neutralmojo at 11:44 AM on March 22, 2019 [16 favorites]
posted by neutralmojo at 11:44 AM on March 22, 2019 [16 favorites]
As someone who grew up with European vacations being mostly off the table (one time work sent my dad to Germany and we came after), I couldn't ever turn down Rick Steves when his shows were on. I understand now that I was still relatively privileged, we got to travel after all, just in the US and Canada, but as a kid I wanted something more. Rick let me live that a little, vicariously, and I'll always think fondly of him for that.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 12:19 PM on March 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 12:19 PM on March 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
I've been wanting to do a post about Rick Steve's unscripted, cinéma vérité style YouTube channel which is just chock full of Rick Steves walking around Italian or Ethiopian churches whispering into his iPhone's selfie camera. Now's my chance!
Here he is alone on a ferry in Scotland: Alone with the Old Man of Hoy on the Orkney Ferry
Here he is with a surprisingly in-depth analysis of a statue (watch for his excellent and swinging camera entrance): Thoughtful Travel in Vienna
Getting Mellow — But Not High — With Swiss Weed
"Coming home at midnight after a great evening in Paris with no one to drunk dial, I shot this little video clip for you instead." Drunk in Paris
Riding the choo-choo train at tourist sites (a man after my own heart): Tacky, Touristy Choo-Choo Trains
I can't find it now, but there used to be a very touching, kind of sad clip in this style of him on a beach boardwalk or something like that having a little breakfast by himself. He was talking in his stream of conscious style about the last time he was eating at this spot with his family (he divorced not too long ago), and how the years just fly by... I wonder if he's deleted it.
But perhaps he has found love again, evidenced by this pillow fight with fellow travel host Samantha Brown!
Regardless, he is definitely baked in a lot of these.
posted by Corduroy at 12:27 PM on March 22, 2019 [19 favorites]
Here he is alone on a ferry in Scotland: Alone with the Old Man of Hoy on the Orkney Ferry
Here he is with a surprisingly in-depth analysis of a statue (watch for his excellent and swinging camera entrance): Thoughtful Travel in Vienna
Getting Mellow — But Not High — With Swiss Weed
"Coming home at midnight after a great evening in Paris with no one to drunk dial, I shot this little video clip for you instead." Drunk in Paris
Riding the choo-choo train at tourist sites (a man after my own heart): Tacky, Touristy Choo-Choo Trains
I can't find it now, but there used to be a very touching, kind of sad clip in this style of him on a beach boardwalk or something like that having a little breakfast by himself. He was talking in his stream of conscious style about the last time he was eating at this spot with his family (he divorced not too long ago), and how the years just fly by... I wonder if he's deleted it.
But perhaps he has found love again, evidenced by this pillow fight with fellow travel host Samantha Brown!
Regardless, he is definitely baked in a lot of these.
posted by Corduroy at 12:27 PM on March 22, 2019 [19 favorites]
Was in Rome a few years ago on our last night of ~14 days going around tuscany, and sitting in a restaurant a few blocks off of the Campo di Fiori...and watched Rick Steves and a couple of presumptive staffers walk in the front door. I was not a huge fan at the time [my position on this has largely changed for the positive] but I tensed up for a mob scene or some prima donna behavior or SOMETHING. But the crowd was largely nonresponsive (although I think they knew who he was), Rick and his crew were very chill, and while the restaurateur greeted them all warmly and solicitously there was really very little circus factor, he just sat with his peeps and appeared to enjoy his meal.
posted by hearthpig at 12:31 PM on March 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by hearthpig at 12:31 PM on March 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
Getting Mellow — But Not High — With Swiss Weed
fuck yeah stevie ricks, Bern that swiss weed
posted by duffell at 12:35 PM on March 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
fuck yeah stevie ricks, Bern that swiss weed
posted by duffell at 12:35 PM on March 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
What a delightful article! I went to Florence for a day last fall (when I was in Italy for something else) accompanied by one of his audio walking tours, and it made me terribly happy; one of the things he did for me was tell me what sights not to bother with. It was one of my best travel days ever.
posted by Peach at 1:28 PM on March 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by Peach at 1:28 PM on March 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
For every Ricknik out in the world, a large contingent of average people have no idea who he is.
The latter is me, at least insofar as not knowing who this guy is. Maybe it's not watching tv.
I do travel, a lot, but haven't run into his work yet.
So thanks to Hypatia for introducing me to him with this post!
posted by doctornemo at 1:39 PM on March 22, 2019
The latter is me, at least insofar as not knowing who this guy is. Maybe it's not watching tv.
I do travel, a lot, but haven't run into his work yet.
So thanks to Hypatia for introducing me to him with this post!
posted by doctornemo at 1:39 PM on March 22, 2019
I read the entire profile to find this delightful correction for an error whose initial plausibility depended entirely on quirkiness of the subject of the profile: An earlier version of this article misstated the size of a bus Steves used in his early tours through Europe. It was a nine-seat minibus, not a nine-foot minibus.
posted by hhc5 at 1:57 PM on March 22, 2019 [9 favorites]
posted by hhc5 at 1:57 PM on March 22, 2019 [9 favorites]
Once, while touring Ireland with a gaggle of my family, we ran into Rick. He was kind and generous with his time chatting to us all in the hotel lobby for a while about our experiences. Since we were more or less following his itinerary, it wasn’t all that surprising that we ran into him to his delight a few days later in a whole different town. Almost a week later, as we drank Guinness and listened to live music in yet another town, who should pop in around midnight. He clapped with joy when he saw us, pulled up a chair and we spent a happy hour or more reviewing our vacation and laughing and drinking. He’s a fine dude in the eyes of our family.
posted by Lame_username at 1:58 PM on March 22, 2019 [62 favorites]
posted by Lame_username at 1:58 PM on March 22, 2019 [62 favorites]
Crazy, I was just reading his book on Greece last night and watched his travel show about it. Never heard of him before a few weeks ago. He does seem like the most normal "Ned Flanders" kinda guy. Almost powerful in his normalcy but curious and adventurous. It's good to find out all these cool details about him.
posted by Liquidwolf at 2:04 PM on March 22, 2019
posted by Liquidwolf at 2:04 PM on March 22, 2019
the struggle is with reconciling the harshness in the world with the beauty and goodness, of life, of people... both are true
"To make injustice the only measure of our attention is to praise the Devil."
posted by praemunire at 2:05 PM on March 22, 2019 [16 favorites]
"To make injustice the only measure of our attention is to praise the Devil."
posted by praemunire at 2:05 PM on March 22, 2019 [16 favorites]
You don’t see refugees or Roma or fascism or crime on Travels with Rick Steves
Not sure about the Roma -- I may be remembering a Bourdain show, not Rick Steves -- but Rick Steves does do fascism. He did a whole one-hour show about it. It may be mentioned in TFA, but I've hit my monthly article limit: Rick Steves' The Story of Fascism in Europe.
posted by Novus at 3:57 PM on March 22, 2019 [8 favorites]
Not sure about the Roma -- I may be remembering a Bourdain show, not Rick Steves -- but Rick Steves does do fascism. He did a whole one-hour show about it. It may be mentioned in TFA, but I've hit my monthly article limit: Rick Steves' The Story of Fascism in Europe.
posted by Novus at 3:57 PM on March 22, 2019 [8 favorites]
I had no idea who Rick Steves was, but I bought this carry-on almost 10 years ago. I'm really happy with it (although the "airlines carry-on guidelines" seem to have changed a bit and I've ended up having to check it at the gate on some recent flights); it's still in great shape and it looks like it'll easily serve me for at least another 10 years.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:42 PM on March 22, 2019
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:42 PM on March 22, 2019
I used to think I was too cool for nerdy Rick Steves, like dude, I'm not gonna wash my undies in the sink every night while I travel. But: his books are actually really good. He does a great mix of history/background and practical directions about how to get places and when good times to go are. His suggested itineraries give you a good sense of how to apportion your time. I also appreciate that many of his books are small enough to be easily stashed in a purse for reference.
Also, once while in Bath my friends and I coincidentally would up at the bed-and-breakfast recommended in his England guide, which we realized when there was, like, a fancy plaque and a photo of him up. But the accomodations were absolutely lovely and the proprietors said repeatedly that he'd been a great guy and that the guests he "sent" were almost always great as well.
posted by TwoStride at 6:06 PM on March 22, 2019 [6 favorites]
Also, once while in Bath my friends and I coincidentally would up at the bed-and-breakfast recommended in his England guide, which we realized when there was, like, a fancy plaque and a photo of him up. But the accomodations were absolutely lovely and the proprietors said repeatedly that he'd been a great guy and that the guests he "sent" were almost always great as well.
posted by TwoStride at 6:06 PM on March 22, 2019 [6 favorites]
Courdoroy - oh, wow, thank you so much for pointing me to that Rick Steves Youtube channel! I was reading along in here and thinking, hmm, how can I watch a bunch of Rick Steves - and thanks to you, I now have access to a fabulous trove of stuff, including lots of nice short snippets for when I just want a little work break.
Thank you!
posted by kristi at 7:01 PM on March 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
Thank you!
posted by kristi at 7:01 PM on March 22, 2019 [2 favorites]
fwiw and way late on the social context deets, but yeah, errbody I have run into who has worked at one level or another of the Steves travel empire describes the experience as reasonably positive. People leave for better pay or better benefits but don't seem to feel otherwise abused or jerked around.
posted by mwhybark at 7:08 PM on March 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by mwhybark at 7:08 PM on March 22, 2019 [1 favorite]
I am glad to have done my post-college, cheap-hotel, everything-in-a-backpack, wash-undies-in-the-sink Europe trip. Definitely had at least one Rick Steves guide in that backpack at the time - Rome, maybe? He is definitely a character, but in the best sense of the word.
posted by potrzebie at 9:51 PM on March 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by potrzebie at 9:51 PM on March 22, 2019 [3 favorites]
RICK STEVES!
To a very nerdy kid growing up in the crappy, working-class kind of US suburb, Rick Steves' Europe was pure joy whenever it ran on KCTS. I never even knew he was from Washington until I was an adult, when he campaigned in favor of legalized weed.
The overall tone might be hokey and hopelessly middle-brow, but the latter at least is part of the point: it's a bridge--for people for whom European vacations are not already A Thing or even a realistic goal--towards an experience for which they might otherwise be totally unequipped, or might not even know exists. Which of course is the very first step towards being the sort of person/traveler/consumer who is NATURALLY too urbane and sophisticated to need RS and his dinky travel show. I personally trace a straight line from watching Rick Steves (ok, and Anthony Bourdain) in our run-down neighborhood to adult me, typing this in my run-down apartment in Paris 20 years later.
There's certainly a lot one can find grating or underwhelming about Steves' work; my mother refuses to watch his shows because "oh my God peakes his voice gives me a migraine please change the channel." That being said, I think there can be some really nasty classism behind certain objections to him. A friend's (old-money, widow-of-a-famous-attorney) grandmother once sniffed to me, "ever since that show started running, I've had to see fat people in baseball caps on all my London flights." Which, even assuming it's true, eff that attitude. (Not that I don't also find the louder and ruder of my countrymen embarrassing when they pop up.) One of the underlying premises of Steves' work is that DORKY BROKE PEOPLE DESERVE TO SEE CATHEDRALS AND EAT STRÜDEL TOO, OKAY, and a remarkable number of us seem uneasy about that (even while we criticize these same undesirables for "never having had a passport"). Steves might very well secretly think a chunk of his clientele are insular rubes, but at least he's trying to do something about it.
Though I will never forgive him for encouraging me to leave the PNW right before we legalized pot. Trying to keep all that bud for yourself eh Rick?
ETA: Before my very first solo European trip I bought one of his money belts, and not only is that fucker one of the most comfortable garments I own, I hear that nasal little voice saying "now your valuables are as safe and secure, as your underwear" every time I put it on. God bless.
posted by peakes at 3:14 AM on March 23, 2019 [12 favorites]
To a very nerdy kid growing up in the crappy, working-class kind of US suburb, Rick Steves' Europe was pure joy whenever it ran on KCTS. I never even knew he was from Washington until I was an adult, when he campaigned in favor of legalized weed.
The overall tone might be hokey and hopelessly middle-brow, but the latter at least is part of the point: it's a bridge--for people for whom European vacations are not already A Thing or even a realistic goal--towards an experience for which they might otherwise be totally unequipped, or might not even know exists. Which of course is the very first step towards being the sort of person/traveler/consumer who is NATURALLY too urbane and sophisticated to need RS and his dinky travel show. I personally trace a straight line from watching Rick Steves (ok, and Anthony Bourdain) in our run-down neighborhood to adult me, typing this in my run-down apartment in Paris 20 years later.
There's certainly a lot one can find grating or underwhelming about Steves' work; my mother refuses to watch his shows because "oh my God peakes his voice gives me a migraine please change the channel." That being said, I think there can be some really nasty classism behind certain objections to him. A friend's (old-money, widow-of-a-famous-attorney) grandmother once sniffed to me, "ever since that show started running, I've had to see fat people in baseball caps on all my London flights." Which, even assuming it's true, eff that attitude. (Not that I don't also find the louder and ruder of my countrymen embarrassing when they pop up.) One of the underlying premises of Steves' work is that DORKY BROKE PEOPLE DESERVE TO SEE CATHEDRALS AND EAT STRÜDEL TOO, OKAY, and a remarkable number of us seem uneasy about that (even while we criticize these same undesirables for "never having had a passport"). Steves might very well secretly think a chunk of his clientele are insular rubes, but at least he's trying to do something about it.
Though I will never forgive him for encouraging me to leave the PNW right before we legalized pot. Trying to keep all that bud for yourself eh Rick?
ETA: Before my very first solo European trip I bought one of his money belts, and not only is that fucker one of the most comfortable garments I own, I hear that nasal little voice saying "now your valuables are as safe and secure, as your underwear" every time I put it on. God bless.
posted by peakes at 3:14 AM on March 23, 2019 [12 favorites]
Gah, the part of my comment about my friend's grandmother is not meant to imply that a person's weight and/or headgear have any causative relationship whatever to their manners, I was just trying to acknowledge I also am sometimes annoyed by other Americans while abroad.
posted by peakes at 3:23 AM on March 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by peakes at 3:23 AM on March 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
Also, once while in Bath my friends and I coincidentally would up at the bed-and-breakfast recommended in his England guide, which we realized when there was, like, a fancy plaque and a photo of him up. But the accomodations were absolutely lovely and the proprietors said repeatedly that he'd been a great guy and that the guests he "sent" were almost always great as well.
TwoStride, we ended up at that B&B in 2009 on purpose, and yes! It was lovely and here is a picture I took of my daughter - she's in the bedroom window and I'm leaning out of the bathroom window!
posted by cooker girl at 10:50 AM on March 23, 2019 [7 favorites]
TwoStride, we ended up at that B&B in 2009 on purpose, and yes! It was lovely and here is a picture I took of my daughter - she's in the bedroom window and I'm leaning out of the bathroom window!
posted by cooker girl at 10:50 AM on March 23, 2019 [7 favorites]
That's awesome, cooker girl!
posted by TwoStride at 11:16 AM on March 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by TwoStride at 11:16 AM on March 23, 2019 [1 favorite]
I still wouldn't go to a specific place that he has recommended because it will be busy and probably not as good anymore. We tend to watch his stuff still to learn about where we're going and the places we probably want to avoid.
I've only used RS in two countries, but this doesn't match my experience. There is definitely a "Rick Steves" effect, according to the people we spoke to who live and work in various localities, but it isn't as though they've suddenly been inundated by the madding crowds. As popular as Steves' recommendations are, they still are not the main current of the mainstream. The well-worn tourist pathways are as they are for a multitude of reasons, and taste and money are only a couple of those reasons. Timing, transportation, and convenience still play a big role. Certainly, there are any number of wonderful things STeves doesn't cover in his books, and of course those should be explored by people with the time and money, who don't require additional structure. But he is especially helpful in calling out the primary features of a location for the culturally curious traveler, and for pointing out which things to avoid (tourist traps, stupid bars, attractions that are famous but not really worth it). When he says "skip this, see that instead," it's usually very good advice we're glad we took, and often when we did both we found ourselves staying "Rick Steves was right, we couldv'e skipped that."
Nowhere on his itineraries for Ireland or Italy did I find anything too crowded because of him, that wouldn't have been crowded anyway before he came along, but I avoided plenty of places that were too crowded due to the general run of tourism, thanks to him. And we were very glad we prioritized some things he recommended that no other guidebook really went into. I wouldn't work hard to avoid stuff he recommends, and didn't find anything ruined. I mean, when it comes to Europe, there have been guidebooks and videos and tourism boards for a hundred years. Things that are huge interntional cultural tent-poles don't need Rick Steves to drive people to or away from them. I'd sooner avoid things Fodor's recommends (high-end boutiques, fancy hotels and expensive restaurants are similar everywhere) than things Steves recommends. But he's really good at developing itineraries that are meaningful and low on dreck, particularly for shorter-duration, first-time trips for mid-budget travelers. Which is of course his industry niche.
posted by Miko at 12:00 PM on March 23, 2019 [7 favorites]
I've only used RS in two countries, but this doesn't match my experience. There is definitely a "Rick Steves" effect, according to the people we spoke to who live and work in various localities, but it isn't as though they've suddenly been inundated by the madding crowds. As popular as Steves' recommendations are, they still are not the main current of the mainstream. The well-worn tourist pathways are as they are for a multitude of reasons, and taste and money are only a couple of those reasons. Timing, transportation, and convenience still play a big role. Certainly, there are any number of wonderful things STeves doesn't cover in his books, and of course those should be explored by people with the time and money, who don't require additional structure. But he is especially helpful in calling out the primary features of a location for the culturally curious traveler, and for pointing out which things to avoid (tourist traps, stupid bars, attractions that are famous but not really worth it). When he says "skip this, see that instead," it's usually very good advice we're glad we took, and often when we did both we found ourselves staying "Rick Steves was right, we couldv'e skipped that."
Nowhere on his itineraries for Ireland or Italy did I find anything too crowded because of him, that wouldn't have been crowded anyway before he came along, but I avoided plenty of places that were too crowded due to the general run of tourism, thanks to him. And we were very glad we prioritized some things he recommended that no other guidebook really went into. I wouldn't work hard to avoid stuff he recommends, and didn't find anything ruined. I mean, when it comes to Europe, there have been guidebooks and videos and tourism boards for a hundred years. Things that are huge interntional cultural tent-poles don't need Rick Steves to drive people to or away from them. I'd sooner avoid things Fodor's recommends (high-end boutiques, fancy hotels and expensive restaurants are similar everywhere) than things Steves recommends. But he's really good at developing itineraries that are meaningful and low on dreck, particularly for shorter-duration, first-time trips for mid-budget travelers. Which is of course his industry niche.
posted by Miko at 12:00 PM on March 23, 2019 [7 favorites]
Yeah, his recommendations are great in smaller towns where he tells you the best supermarket and cheap restaurant.
posted by soelo at 4:11 PM on March 23, 2019
posted by soelo at 4:11 PM on March 23, 2019
His episode on Iran was extremely eye-opening for me as a high schooler in a post 9/11 world, and it was extremely beautiful, and combined with reading Persepolis, it helped me continue questioning US imperialism and propaganda.
posted by yueliang at 2:37 AM on March 24, 2019 [9 favorites]
posted by yueliang at 2:37 AM on March 24, 2019 [9 favorites]
I just got back to Massachusetts from three weeks in Arizona and am taking Rick Steves' anti-jetlag prescription of mild exercise and no naps today, especially since I return to work tomorrow. Next, I'm going to learn to pack the Steves way, since I'm going on an epic trip later this year.
I'm so glad to see he's a social democrat and a real Christian in practice. PBS sometimes makes public figures out of the best nerds.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 7:31 AM on March 24, 2019 [3 favorites]
I'm so glad to see he's a social democrat and a real Christian in practice. PBS sometimes makes public figures out of the best nerds.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 7:31 AM on March 24, 2019 [3 favorites]
Two sides of the Rick Steve tourism coin:
On the same trip, we went to Bruges and Salamanca.
Bruges wasn't much of a tourist stop for Americans until Rick said it's a good side trip from Brussels/Amsterdam. (Side note: I've been told Brussels is a boring city for Europeans, but as an American into beer and chocolate and disparate architecture it was great.)
By the time we got there, though, it was choked with tourists. I mean, not miles long lines to get into the Louvre, but you could barely see the town for the tourists. I'm sure In Bruges influenced some of this, but it was hot, flat, and crowded.
Meanwhile, our Spanish trip every single Rick Steves forum writer told us our Spain plan was trash. Madrid? Then drive up to Salamanca? YOU WILL ONLY GO ONCE YOU GO TO BARCELONA AND THEN YOU GO TO MADRID TO SEE THE PRADO THEN DAY TRIP TO TOLEDO. READ THE BOOK.
But Rick in the book had a lot of nice things to say about Salamanca. And I already thought (correctly) I was going to be travelled out by that point in the trip.
Turns out Salamanca is a little touristy, but it's cute, quaint, and everyone was EXCITED to see Americans, especially ones speaking our Latin American Spanish. (The university is very protective of the idea that Castillian Spanish spoken in Salamanca is the TRUE Spanish.) In the evening you'd go to the plaza, have dinner, and watch townsfolk promenade around the square until the lights came on. One of the best parts of the trip.
So in summary: Rick's a good tour guide. You just sometimes have to figure out what's still the back door.
posted by dw at 12:09 PM on March 24, 2019 [4 favorites]
On the same trip, we went to Bruges and Salamanca.
Bruges wasn't much of a tourist stop for Americans until Rick said it's a good side trip from Brussels/Amsterdam. (Side note: I've been told Brussels is a boring city for Europeans, but as an American into beer and chocolate and disparate architecture it was great.)
By the time we got there, though, it was choked with tourists. I mean, not miles long lines to get into the Louvre, but you could barely see the town for the tourists. I'm sure In Bruges influenced some of this, but it was hot, flat, and crowded.
Meanwhile, our Spanish trip every single Rick Steves forum writer told us our Spain plan was trash. Madrid? Then drive up to Salamanca? YOU WILL ONLY GO ONCE YOU GO TO BARCELONA AND THEN YOU GO TO MADRID TO SEE THE PRADO THEN DAY TRIP TO TOLEDO. READ THE BOOK.
But Rick in the book had a lot of nice things to say about Salamanca. And I already thought (correctly) I was going to be travelled out by that point in the trip.
Turns out Salamanca is a little touristy, but it's cute, quaint, and everyone was EXCITED to see Americans, especially ones speaking our Latin American Spanish. (The university is very protective of the idea that Castillian Spanish spoken in Salamanca is the TRUE Spanish.) In the evening you'd go to the plaza, have dinner, and watch townsfolk promenade around the square until the lights came on. One of the best parts of the trip.
So in summary: Rick's a good tour guide. You just sometimes have to figure out what's still the back door.
posted by dw at 12:09 PM on March 24, 2019 [4 favorites]
Rick also said Zagreb Croatia was really just worth a day trip and wasn't much to see but we vastly, vastly preferred it to the other places we went to in Croatia (Split and Dubrovnik) which were both overrun by tourists. Zagreb, by comparison, was an actual city with very interesting stuff going on.
He also directed us to Toledo, which we visited and detested and was also packed with tourists and pretty uninteresting with tons of tourist-focused stores and restaurants with terrible food. We were only there on the daytrip-from-Madrid dw refers to above, but we actually left Toledo proper and went to hang out at the train station until it was time to go home instead.
Between those two things - which happened in 2012 and 2013 respectively - we started to give the side-eye to Rick's recommendations, as he'd steered us wrong (for our travelling style) twice. There might, however, be a difference between what he suggests in his guidebooks (which I generally don't consult) and his TV series, which we'll usually watch before we go somewhere to get the lay of the land.
posted by urbanlenny at 6:16 PM on March 24, 2019
He also directed us to Toledo, which we visited and detested and was also packed with tourists and pretty uninteresting with tons of tourist-focused stores and restaurants with terrible food. We were only there on the daytrip-from-Madrid dw refers to above, but we actually left Toledo proper and went to hang out at the train station until it was time to go home instead.
Between those two things - which happened in 2012 and 2013 respectively - we started to give the side-eye to Rick's recommendations, as he'd steered us wrong (for our travelling style) twice. There might, however, be a difference between what he suggests in his guidebooks (which I generally don't consult) and his TV series, which we'll usually watch before we go somewhere to get the lay of the land.
posted by urbanlenny at 6:16 PM on March 24, 2019
I saw his commencement speech at Evergreen my first spring working here, and it was really lovely, especially as someone who had enjoyed his show when I was in college myself 15+ years before, and had enjoyed his book of essays on travel. So thoughtful, encouraging, and optimistic. (Ned Flanders on weed indeed.)
posted by epersonae at 2:02 PM on March 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by epersonae at 2:02 PM on March 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
Travel, Steves likes to say, “wallops your ethnocentricity” and “carbonates your experience” and “rearranges your cultural furniture.”
I really wish this was true, but like grandiloquiet, I've met entirely too many pompous racist dickheads who're only too happy to show you pictures of themselves on a boat in Halong Bay and then tell you how much they disliked most of the Vietnamese people they met, and how they're still, y'know, so hung up about the whole war thing. (I may be drawing directly from recent memory here.)
posted by protocoach at 9:00 PM on March 25, 2019 [2 favorites]
I really wish this was true, but like grandiloquiet, I've met entirely too many pompous racist dickheads who're only too happy to show you pictures of themselves on a boat in Halong Bay and then tell you how much they disliked most of the Vietnamese people they met, and how they're still, y'know, so hung up about the whole war thing. (I may be drawing directly from recent memory here.)
posted by protocoach at 9:00 PM on March 25, 2019 [2 favorites]
Ricks Steve
posted by persona at 9:30 PM on March 25, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by persona at 9:30 PM on March 25, 2019 [4 favorites]
I don’t always agree with Steves’ recommendations (I say as someone who has just spent the last chunk of time following them pretty closely), but I find he’s pretty good at explaining why he makes them and justifying them. Over time, I’ve learned how my traveling style differs from his (I’m a less “efficient” traveler and want more timewasting in big cities, including time just to be lazy, when he wants me to rent a car and drive across Greece) and adjust accordingly. Since the guides are written with a clear point of view, you can figure out how you’re different from him and apply your own compensation factor. But his triangle ratings are pretty spot on, to the extent I start to separate “Rick Steves countries” from everywhere else when planning trips, since the countries he covers are so much less work.
Another thing is that the guides and vendors he recommends are consistently excellent. It’s pretty clear that he’s instilled in them a certain amount of fear, and there’s a sense that bad experiences will get back to the Rick Steves staff and forum.
Also, his audio tour app is all free and excellent. Sometimes I read it instead of listening, but his tour routes are some of the most valuable parts of the books, and they’re all free for the taking.
Further pro-tip: if your library has ebooks, see if you can check out the relevant guidebooks for your trip. If the timing works out right, it’s a perfect arrangement, especially if you only need a country’s guide for a day or two.
posted by zachlipton at 1:03 AM on March 26, 2019 [2 favorites]
Another thing is that the guides and vendors he recommends are consistently excellent. It’s pretty clear that he’s instilled in them a certain amount of fear, and there’s a sense that bad experiences will get back to the Rick Steves staff and forum.
Also, his audio tour app is all free and excellent. Sometimes I read it instead of listening, but his tour routes are some of the most valuable parts of the books, and they’re all free for the taking.
Further pro-tip: if your library has ebooks, see if you can check out the relevant guidebooks for your trip. If the timing works out right, it’s a perfect arrangement, especially if you only need a country’s guide for a day or two.
posted by zachlipton at 1:03 AM on March 26, 2019 [2 favorites]
My husband and I went to Ireland with friends a number of years ago, and we brought the Rick Steves book but thought we were too cool and he was too dorky, so we treated it pretty tongue-in-cheek. We had a running joke about missing the Butter Museum in Cork even though Rick's book said it was surprisingly good and not to miss it (and we had a fairly miserable time in Cork, it probably would have really brightened that day). After that trip we started watching Rick's show and found it one of those gentle pleasant diversions that really grew on us, then we went to see him speak on one of his Travel as a Political Act speaking rounds, and it was really good. In these terrible Trumpian times we live in, it's been a genuine delight to see him Get Into It on Facebook with political posts. We've followed his guidebooks more often than not on subsequent trips across the pond, and he really hasn't steered us wrong, though we are also See It All travelers. Readers, we still regret missing the Butter Museum in Cork, I can only hope it's still there whenever we next make it to Ireland.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 5:24 AM on March 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 5:24 AM on March 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
We had a running joke about missing the Butter Museum in Cork even though Rick's book said it was surprisingly good and not to miss it
Lipstick Thespian and I beat feet to the Butter Museum two years ago and it was awesome. We were just talking about it over soda bread and Kerrygold at St. Patrick's Day dinner. It was one of the highlights of our trip and certainly a highlight of Cork (along with the English Market and the bar in the old Irish Market). It was homey and small-time DIY, but one of the best-told, most interesting stories of Irish culture we encountered there. I mean, they had a thousand-year-old keg of bog butter. They had witchy butter folklore from the 1930s. They had woodcut printing blocks from dozens of Irish butter brands. They had a cool little art souvenir book with art prints of butter labels and interesting quotations. Totally worth it!
I may be a food history nerd, so rate accordingly.
posted by Miko at 7:48 AM on March 26, 2019 [5 favorites]
Lipstick Thespian and I beat feet to the Butter Museum two years ago and it was awesome. We were just talking about it over soda bread and Kerrygold at St. Patrick's Day dinner. It was one of the highlights of our trip and certainly a highlight of Cork (along with the English Market and the bar in the old Irish Market). It was homey and small-time DIY, but one of the best-told, most interesting stories of Irish culture we encountered there. I mean, they had a thousand-year-old keg of bog butter. They had witchy butter folklore from the 1930s. They had woodcut printing blocks from dozens of Irish butter brands. They had a cool little art souvenir book with art prints of butter labels and interesting quotations. Totally worth it!
I may be a food history nerd, so rate accordingly.
posted by Miko at 7:48 AM on March 26, 2019 [5 favorites]
Lipstick Thespian and I beat feet to the Butter Museum two years ago and it was awesome.
It is absolutely amazing to hear this! We are definitely going to have to go back!
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 9:21 AM on March 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
It is absolutely amazing to hear this! We are definitely going to have to go back!
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 9:21 AM on March 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by aleatorictelevision at 8:18 AM on March 22, 2019 [35 favorites]