Travel with Rick Steves

Historian Sarah Vowell revisits how the Hawaiian Islands became an American territory in the 19th century, then journalist David Wolman tells us how three cowboys from Hawaii's Big Island redefined the American West when they competed at the world's greatest rodeo championship. And writer Michael Scott Moore explores how surfing spread from Polynesia to the rest of the world. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

The president of the social-justice nonprofit Sojourners joins Rick to discuss places you can visit to better appreciate the life and civil-rights accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr. Travel writer Tim Neville describes how a homegrown ski slope had brought a bit of joy — at least for a few years — to the young people of Bamyan, Afghanistan. And listeners share their favorite travel memories as they anticipate embarking on new adventures before too long. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We hear from a young traveler who, having graduated from college amid the pandemic, used the opportunity to set out on an epic hike from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail. Then Rick and the author of the "Frommer's London" guidebook share what makes them eager to return to London, and what post-pandemic changes they expect to see there. And a pair of British tour guides recommend important historical sites to explore in the south of England. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Two Scottish friends explain the Scots-dialect lyrics to "Auld Lang Syne," and a Parisian sommelier shares his expert tips for selecting — and enjoying — French wines. Then an author with Atlas Obscura describes some of the unusual things people eat and drink to ring in the New Year in different parts of the world. And two experts on Roman history discuss the ornate fountains sprinkled around the Eternal City. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Learn about holiday traditions observed in France, Norway, Greece, London, the Spanish Basque Country, and small-town Italy. From festively decorated Greek boats to dishes of fresh oysters and fermented trout, and Santas who live not on the North Pole but on a farm or in the woods, Christmas is a little different across the pond. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear about what Europeans are looking forward to at this time of year, from Saint Nicholas Day through Boxing Day, in Germany, England, Belgium, Hungary, Portugal, and the Czech Republic — perhaps it's some of grandma's special potato salad to go with the fish stew and figgy pudding! For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick talks with author Paul Theroux about the advantages of traveling solo, and swaps some travel-writing tricks, then TV host Samantha Brown joins us to describe how the pandemic has affected her love of exploratory travel. We'll also hear what's special about Paris in winter, and how the people of Dingle celebrate the Irish tradition of Wren's Day on December 26. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A pair of French tour guides tell us why Lyon is one of their favorite places in France. Then the president of the social-justice nonprofit Sojourners describes how the example set by Martin Luther King, Jr., inspires his work within religious communities in America. And a journalist from Iceland points out his country's surprising degree of influence on the world stage. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A Greece-based tour guide describes the elevated role of godparents in her adopted country, where godparents become a lifelong part of the child's family. Then TV chef Lidia Bastianich shares the story of her family's flight from Yugoslavia, and the successful family business they were able to start in America. And former NBC Middle East correspondent Martin Fletcher explains how his latest novel, set in Israel during its early years as a modern state, evokes the extraordinary drama of Israeli life in that era. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

British travel writer Richard Grant discusses the sporting sense of humor he's observed (and appreciated) behind the distinctly American talent for over-the-top bragging. Then tour guides from Madrid let us in on their favorite places to take visitors in the Spanish capital. And we ponder our place in the planet's history with author Robert Macfarlane, who shares insights gained from a decade of investigating, from a perspective of geologic time, humanity's relationship with our landscape. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.