Guiding for Rick in 1991

Thanks Philip this was a delightful read.

Sandy

Thanks Philip this was a delightful read.

Agree!

Loved this article, thanks! I still fondly remember my first tour in 2005, complete with a bathroom down the hall in one place and no a/c anywhere. I actually really miss those older, funky places with no elevator, kitschy rooms. I loved my attic room on the top floor in Bacharach. And, yes, I was thankful that I was told it was a good idea to take a shower early as later in the morning there would be little water up that high! And it was true! But the view of the Rhine through those little windows. Oh! Yes, I like a comfortable bed, but there was a sense of adventure that is not always there these days. Yes, a/c and lovely bathrooms are nice, but sometimes I feel like it's more cookie cutter nowadays. Still, whatever Rick offers is good for me. It will be so interesting to see what a Rick Steves tour looks like in the next few years. No matter what, I'm there with you Rick!

Philip, thank you for sharing. Indeed what a delightful piece Margaret has written! Funny to think how different things were then — the phone cards, the currency exchange, and WASHING THE TOUR MEMBERS’ LAUNDRY??!!!

Maybe someone from Rick’s staff will see your post and encourage him to act on your idea of reproducing part of one of his early brochures in one of his monthly posts. It’s a wonderful idea and I am sure everyone would get a kick out of seeing that!

On doing members' laundry. I am in favor of that but I am not sure about it all being done together and then having to find your laundry mixed in with everyone else's. In the Navy, we stenciled our service number on all our clothing so it could be separated in the laundry. Would we have to do this??

Thanks for sharing this, Philip!

My first trip to Europe was a 4-H People-to-People Ambassador 40-day trip in 1975. Many of her experiences sounded very familiar, bringing back memories!

Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed reading it. To think guides used to do the laundry for tour members!

Jean, my first trip was a People-to-People tour in 1969. It was a good student tour program. But we sure had a lot of luggage without wheels!
I still keep in touch with my Swedish homestay family. The highlight of the trip was being in Moscow when Armstrong and crew landed on the moon and in West Berlin when he walked on the moon.

Now that's a great story, horsewoofie!

I first met Rick Steves at a Seattle Travel show where he was the only one staffing a very small booth and he was giving away old guide books. I enjoyed talking with him and after that went to numerous of his talks at the UW. I finally figured that I was on the same page as he was and finally took my first trip to Europe in 2001 on a RS tour. I have now taken 16 RS tours and look forward to taking the one that was canceled due to the virus. I am lucky to be in Seattle about 6 months of the year and live in NE Seattle and only have about a 30 minute drive to his Edmonds, WA, headquarters to which I go often. His organization is a real class act.

Wow, that’s a great story, Horsewoofie!

Our requirements were just one suitcase and their logo small block travel bag (that held next to nothing) like the old Pan Am ones. I had received a small American Tourister suitcase for graduation, so that was my suitcase. I was traveling light before ever knowing about Rick Steves - LOL!

I have kept in touch with the family I stayed with for a few days in The Netherlands. Their daughter & husband visited us, she also came to my daughter’s wedding, and my husband and I stayed with them five days before our first RS trip, celebrating our 25th anniversary. Her parents’ home was exactly the same as when I stayed there back in ‘75! P-t-P is such a great program!