Before the guidebooks, the PBS show, and 60 published titles, there was a 23-year-old piano teacher with a hard-bound journal, a Pentax camera, and a one-way ticket to Istanbul. In 1978, Rick Steves  traveled the old overland route  from Istanbul to Kathmandu. The notes and photos he brought home  became the seed  of  a career  spent showing Americans a smarter way to see the world. 

In this episode, host Angie Orth sits down with legendary travel writer and TV host Rick Steves to discuss his newest book, On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer. Rick shares the stories and lessons from that trip, and what they still have to offer travelers today.

You'll hear Rick's take on the difference between a tourist, a traveler, and a pilgrim; why culture shock is something to seek out rather than avoid; and how the world has changed since the days of money belts and bus tickets from bucket shops. He'll also point you toward the destinations where that original spirit of adventure is still very much intact.

What You’ll Learn:

1:24 Rick's life before the guidebooks, and the trip that set everything in motion 

7:26 Tourist, traveler, or pilgrim: how to raise the bar on any trip

9:29 Istanbul then and now and why it's still one of the world's most underrated cities

13:45 The travel lesson from 1978 that Rick still teaches today

21:54 Where to find that hippie trail spirit in the modern world

Connect with Rick Steves:

Website: https://www.ricksteves.com/

Monday Night Travel free webinars (archived + live): https://www.ricksteves.com 

On the Hippie Trail (book): https://www.ricksteves.com/about-rick/hippie-trail-book

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ricksteveseurope/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ricksteves

LinkedIn:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ricksteves

X: https://twitter.com/RickStevesEur

What’s the most profound travel experience you’ve had? Tell us about it in the comments!

Connect with AAA:

Book travel: https://aaa-text.co/travelingwithaaa 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AAAAutoClubEnterprises

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AAAAutoClubEnterprises