He calls himself the "training wheels for adventure travel" and in many people's opinion is more akin to Mr. Rogers than Martha Stewart. He certainly has some of Martha's drive for success, but he acts with considerably more ethical methods - he's a big donor in support of homeless shelters here in the Seattle area, and does nonstop work on behalf of nonprofits and church groups around the region and country.

I sometimes find his style a little off-putting, but there really is substance there, in his very Lutheran, Seattle, straight arrow approach to travel and the world.

Look here for an interesting article: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pac...020/cover.html

I love this post...hilarious! Can I join the bandwagon? I too love Rick Steves. Sure, I don't agree with all of his travel approaches, but I think he gives terrific advice, especially for first-timers to Europe. I've followed his advice on several different trips, including where to stay and places to eat, and haven't been dissapointed. I honestly don't understand all the Rick-bashing that takes place on these boards. If you don't like his style, don't read his books! I for one am completely jealous. If only I could find a job that involves traveling to Europe to write a tour book, I'd be living in bliss!

Tracy

Since half Seattle must be on-line, what's the latest on the frugal Jeff Smith? Any travel in his future?

MaiTaiTom, I toast to your comment!

Pretty funny (really.)

Jealousy is often an inspiration for satire.

"I would love to see a movie about Rick and Martha being forced to plan and execute a one month trip to Europe together."

Gauging the personalities of our two intrepid heros, I believe there would be a much better chance that they would executue each other first.

http://www.nizkor.org/features/falla...d-hominem.html

Sue_xx_yy, nice site. Thanks for passing it on.

Now we can keep score on the Talking Heads we see on TV and in Congress.

It's interesting that on an earlier post many people hated Rick Steve's but if you look on a post about what guide book to use it's Rick Steve's!
I like Rick Steve's, he's not my travel guru but I admire a success story. He certainly is that.
Now that he's a such a huge success I wonder what he does when he wants to eat at a really nice place. Or does he register under an alias if he wants to enjoy a posh hotel? After all, there comes a time in life when it's fun to treat ourselves.

He does have some more-expensive hotels listed in at least some of his books.

Treesa - I'm just greeeeeeeen with envy amp;, you actually got to meet him. I'll bet he's even more gorgeous in person. He looks like he smells really good too, like a combination of Herbal Essence shampoo and Brut aftershave. Mmmmmmmmmmm.................

Ginn - I didn't really care for the reversible skirt, it really looks as if it was specifically designed for tourists. When wearing the black side, you can still see the beige, as if the black skirt had a beige lining and vice versa. I didn't mind spending the $50 though, because it all goes to Steve!

For the record I AM genuinely fond of Mr Steves. The only thing I'm jealous of is his wife. I don't know if it's my hormones or if it's just because Steve is so darn attractive but at work today I found myself daydreaming about Rick wearing a peasant type outfit while plowing a field. He was wearing a loose white "poets" shirt with soft baggy brown trousers and black boots. Kind of like what the guys from Duran Duran wore circa 1982. I imagined him with slightly longer hair, so it would move in the gentle breeze. Right now a typhoon couldn't move a single hair of his out of place. Then I (dressed in my dirndle) approched him with his lunch. Lunch consisted of bread, hax'n mit brot, risotto with grilled meats, stewed prune compote, a couple of Wispa bars and a 6 pack of Kronenbourg. Sigh...

Keep that shark Martha Stewart away from sweet guppy Rick, she'll eat him alive and then spit him out.


Rick if you're reading this, email me!!!!!!!! I don't want to get married, I just want 45 minutes Je t'aime mon amour XOXO

Your outfits would make Christian green with sickness. Mr. Steves write that his wife only wears What he buys.

Miss Dior, Your outfits would make Christian green with sickness. Mr. Steves write that his wife only wears What he buys.

Rick Steves buys his wife's clothes!?
Oh well, there are odder marital arrangements.

Miss Dior, the way Rick races through things, 45 minutes would be 44 minutes too much. He would be long gone by then, his smiling face stuck out of a train as it roared toward new adventures.

POT-RICKS NOWheard in A'dam cafe)
Hey you don't talk to (Rick), you listen to him. The man's enlarged my mind...he's a poet-(travel)warrior in the classic sense. Sometimes you'll say hello to him and he'll walk right by you and won't even notice you, then suddenly he'll pull you into a corner and tell you do you know that "if" is the middle word in life? If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you..If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you...I mean...I'm a little man... I'm a little man...he's a great man...I should have been a pair of ragged claws scuttling across floors of silent seas...
(my apology to Dennis Hopper and Francis Coppola)

Oops, I meant to hit the goofy, smiley face button instead of the frowning one.

You forgot Rudyard Kimpling:

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!


--Rudyard Kipling

The Rick and Martha tour idea cracked me up...

Martha: Rick, what did you do with that gelati cup? Oh, and you dripped on that ahem.. plaid... shirt.
Rick: I dunno. I think it blew out of the train when I leaned out.
Martha (peeved): Do you know what we could have made from that cup? What a waste. This is NOT a good thing... and furthermore...
Rick (impatient): C'mon, we got to get off the train. Oooo... look, melons!

oh, Blacktie- I swear, you're becoming indispensable to me! "unkempt phenomenon" "frugal Jeff Smith"...definite tear-inducers! More to the point, excellent question! Didn't our frugal Jeff just miss getting a free vacation to the Big House? He'd sure have a captive audience there for his latest vintage find, now, wouldn't he? (hmmm....come to think of it, that may well be HIS dream vacation!) luv ya, Blacktie!