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200 Posts by One of My Favorite Travel Writers, Cameron Hewitt

rick steves and cameron hewitt with lenin statue
Me, Vladimir, Cameron

When people ask me about my favorite travel writers, I don’t need to look far. When I read the words of my most prolific co-author, Cameron Hewitt, I’m inspired to dig deeper into complex cultures, to experience the ups and downs of travel more intimately, and to share that essence of good travel more vividly.

Over the last few years, I’ve really been enjoying Cameron’s travel blog. Of course, I’m biased — since he works for me. Cameron is a great traveler and one of my favorite collaborators for big projects, from writing new guidebooks on Scotland, Berlin, or Iceland, to producing TV shows, to creating other travel content. I see Cameron as the “next generation” of my style of travel. And, while I enjoy taking credit for a lot of what Cameron does, his blog is the place where his own personality can really shine through.

Cameron’s blog is an entertaining, informative, often funny behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to be a travel writer. He shares his infectious love of travel, mixed with savvy insights on how to do it better. If you love good travel writing and haven’t started reading Cameron’s blog yet, start now…I never miss it.

Cameron is celebrating his 200th blog post this week with a roundup of his favorite posts — from his tips for finding Italy’s best gelato or saving money in Iceland, to stories from his family Thanksgiving at a Tuscan agriturismo, to the time he took two Sound of Music tours in Salzburg, back to back, even though he’s not a fan of the movie. Cameron’s also looking back at his “origin story” — one of those wonderful just-out-of-college backpacker trips with long night-train journeys in crowded compartments and scary border crossings in the wee hours.

What’s your travel origin story? (You share yours here…and then I’ll share mine.)

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My New ‘Travel as a Political Act’ Talk — I Dare You to Watch Just 10 Minutes

With so much discussion about how travel and politics mix here on this page (two million people saw Wednesday’s post about KGB prisons, Putin, and Trump on Facebook), I’d like to share the newest version of my most important talk, produced by KCET. You’ll either love or hate this one-hour lecture. In it, I share the most important lessons learned from a lifetime of traveling out of my comfort zone. I’ll explain how, when we travel thoughtfully, we gain an empathy for the other 96 percent of humanity and come home with the greatest of all souvenirs: a broader perspective. Watch just the first 10 minutes. I dare you.

You can read the new edition of my Travel as a Political Act book — or how about if I read it to you?

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Video: Bye, Bye Beard

For the last month, I’ve been impressed by how much my beard has stolen the show on many of my posts. Thanks for all the comments — both pro and con. This little clip, which I call “The Slow Death of a Doomed Beard,” or “Faces of Rick You’ll Never See Again,” goes out to all of you who weighed in.

BTW, I’m home for a few days — and then off again for part two of my 2018 travels. Coming up: Guidebook research in the great cities of Central Europe, filming three episodes of Rick Steves’ Europe in Scotland, and a week in a destination that’s very hot these days — Iceland! Keep on travelin’!

Special thanks to Steven Crago, the man I’ve trusted my hair to for three decades.

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A Stop in Porto, Portugal’s Second City

 

The city of Porto (about three hours north of Lisbon) is well worth working into your Portugal itinerary. The cityscape is amazingly well-preserved. I like the way that something built in a fleeting-yet-elegant style 100 or 150 years ago can grow old and run-down over a generation or two of neglect and economic doldrums — and then be burnished with a modern love of heritage and affluence. The result is a city twinkling with crusty and fun-loving facades that are filled with an inviting world of shops, cafés, and happening eateries. Just walking the streets of Porto (especially like I get to — with a great local guide at my side, to give everything meaning) is a travel treat.

Porto has its own very strong culture. The local gut-bomb is the Francesinha, a Portuguese multi-layer patty melt smothered in a special gravy. I have to admit, it sounds horrible to me, and I’m trying to eat healthily, so I’ve never actually tried one…until this trip. Sitting at the bar in a popular diner, I snapped a photo of two locals with Francesinhas, who appeared to not be totally enjoying the sandwiches they were choking down.

 

In Portugal, local food traditions are so strong, they can bend a McDonald’s menu. My guide explained that Portugal is a soupy culture — so soupy that McDonald’s would not survive without including basic Portuguese soups in its menu.

 

Flying home reminded me of the wisdom that even smaller cities can have efficient airports. While many American travelers in Porto might assume they’d need to return to Lisbon to fly home, remember to take full advantage of “open-jaw” flying from wherever you end up. Returning to Seattle was a breeze: Just a quick hop from Porto’s delightful little airport to Amsterdam, and then the big transatlantic flight back home.

 

I’m home now for a short break — and to figure out what I’m doing with my beard. (What do you think? Should I keep it?) Stay tuned for part two of my 100-day trip to Europe, beginning with Day 61 in Budapest — and then heading to Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Scotland (where I’m filming three new episodes of Rick Steves’ Europe), and Iceland.

Thanks for traveling with me — and stay around for more travel fun!

 

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