Each year, I spend several weekends at big travel shows around the country. This year, it’s been the Travel and Adventure Show in Chicago, LA, and the Bay Area — with Denver still to come this weekend.
I generally give three talks at these shows. This year, in addition to my basic travel skills talk, I’m also giving a talk that compares cruising, bus tours, and independent travel. Talking in a noisy hall is much harder than talking in a real theater, but the crowd is enthusiastic and fun.
We always have a Rick Steves’ Europe Tours booth at these shows. Our tireless staff talks to people one-on-one about travel all day long.
It’s a thrill to be with so many enthusiastic travelers under one roof. And it seems that, at every travel show, I meet someone who is known among his traveling friends as a Rick Steves look-alike. Someday, all the Rick Steves look-alikes should have a convention. Not only are these folks good-looking…they’re friendly, too.
A big part of the fun for me at these shows is seeing friends like Pauline Frommer (the daughter of my mentor, Arthur Frommer — Mr. “Europe on $5 a Day”) and Samantha Brown. This is an exciting time for Sam, as she’s made the jump from the Travel Channel to public television. Now, she can get away from the gimmicks of cable TV and just be herself — and her infectious love of travel can really shine. Her new series, Samantha Brown’s Places to Love, is her best yet. Check it out.
Next time the Travel and Adventure Show comes to your neck of the woods, be sure to say hello.
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