797 Kayaking Manhattan; The Wild Mississippi; Happy Travels

21:25And they trap sediment behind them. So a lot of the backwater areas now are filling in with sediment. They serve no function for flood control. That's a misconception. They're only there to provide a deep enough channel for barges. It's a whole other issue whether it's a good idea to be doing it this way. I've written pieces about that too, but those are the dams that we have on the Mississippi.

21:46Rick Steves:Okay. Now you see the Mississippi as a recreational paradise, I think, and there's lots of parks and forests and wildlife refuges along the river. Tell us a little bit about paddling adventures in the upper stretches of the Mississippi above the Twin Cities. That's probably where the most paddlers enter the river is on the upper, you know, that stretch, particularly up in Minnesota. So you have a 500-mile stretch above the Twin Cities that there's no commercial traffic, which is nice, but there are some dams there and some other things you have to navigate around that area. But for the most part, it's lightly populated.

22:21You pass through prairies and forests. The stream is pretty narrow. It's a very manageable river to paddle on. And you can go to areas where there is an abundance of wildlife. still.

22:33Rick Steves:I guess you can picture two Mississippis. There's that paddle-friendly Mississippi, and then there's the big, wide, industrial Mississippi. From a recreational point of view, to be honest, where is it more interesting for you? Generally, above St. Louis is the best, but I have been in canoes on the entire river for the most part. There are people who paddle even through the wide, more industrial parts of the Mississippi. Every year, we have a few dozen people who decide they want to paddle the whole river from source to sea, and that takes about three months on average. So if you're looking for an adventure sometime, a bucket list kind of item, Rick, you know, you can always put that on the bucket list.

23:09Rick Steves:It's a very different river south, though. How is it different in the south? It's interesting. Even though there are levees that constrain the river in the southern part of the river and some very big levees, you get these areas where the river is surprisingly wild. So there's a stretch of 60, 70 miles between bridges where there are no communities of any kind next to the river, no bridges. You can be out there by yourself camping on islands, and it's just you and the birds and the turtles, and that's it. Wow, that sounds nice. Now, I've been in Arkansas where people are just crazy about mountain biking and enjoying trails on their bikes.

23:45Rick Steves:And looking through your book, The Wild Mississippi, clearly there's a real priority for biking trails. Tell us a little bit about biking and hiking opportunities along the Mississippi. Biking trails are becoming a pretty big deal up and down the river now. Even down in Arkansas, there's a trail on top of a levee that starts around Memphis and goes south. There's the Mississippi River Trail that runs on both sides of the river. Some of it's on the sides of highways, but there are some dedicated trails as well. But a lot of states like Wisconsin have dedicated bike trails that run right next to the Mississippi, and they're fantastic places to get out there right next to the river without worrying about cars.

24:23Occasionally you may have to deal with a train, but that's about it. We're wandering down the Mississippi River

24:28Rick Steves:with Dean Klinkenberg as our guide right now on Travel with Rick Steves. Dean lives in St. Louis and has written a handy guide to hiking, biking, paddling, wildlife, refuges, and attractions along the river's corridor. It's called The Wild Mississippi, a state-by-state guide to the river's natural wonders. Dean also hosts the Mississippi Valley Traveler podcast and writes an updated guide to the upper Mississippi called Road Tripping the Great River Road, Volume 1. You'll find web links to his work at ricksteves.com slash radio. So, Dean, if we're thinking about the Mississippi as a travel destination, give us a little bit of advice on specific things we might see or specific experiences we might enjoy along the river.

25:13Rick Steves:What about historical sites, early forts, indigenous sites, prehistoric mounds, those kind of things. People have lived next to the Mississippi for some 10 ,000 years, so you can explore a lot of that history in different places along the river. And there are a couple of sites that I think are especially great spots to visit to learn about indigenous culture. In Iowa, of all places, there's an Effigy Mounds National Monument, which is almost 100 mounds along the bluffs next to the Mississippi River there. Some of them are simple conical or round mounds, and some of them were built in the shapes of animals like bears, and they're really impressive to see in person.

25:50Rick Steves:And still pretty mysterious, huh? We don't know exactly why those were built. That's right. How old are they? Those are as old as 1 ,400 years. There are much older mounds further south. Down in Louisiana, there's a place called Poverty Point where the mounds are about 3 ,700 years old. 3 ,700 years old. 1 ,700 B.C. Wow. Hey, we always think it through the lens maybe of 21st century vacationers, but what was the importance of the Mississippi River to Native Americans two, three, four hundred years ago? I think this is one of the areas, I think, where it's very different from modern culture. I think for them, the Mississippi probably meant three fundamental things.

26:31It was a source of sustenance. They were able to live off the plants and animals that the river sustained. They did use the river for transportation, to travel. There's plenty of evidence that even 2 ,000, 3 ,000 years ago, Native American communities were trading with each other, and it was almost certainly on rivers. But the rivers also had a deep spiritual meaning from my limited understanding of indigenous theology. They built their homes next to it. They built their mounds and spiritual sites next to the river. Clearly, it was something that was central to their lives.

27:04Rick Steves:And then here come the Europeans. And you've got trappers and that kind of thing. But down in the south, you've got New Orleans and Memphis and a little bit farther north, St. Louis. I would imagine it was important from trade. And with trade comes movement of cultures and cuisines and even music. I understand from your book that the jazz and the Delta blues, that Mississippi was a corridor which I would imagine helped it spread. The steamboats were important ways of transmitting a lot of cultural aspects. They were important moving immigrants to communities away from New Orleans and to the Midwest, a little part of the country.

27:39Music was a part of that. I think we probably overstayed a little bit the rivers as the primary or only way that that spread, but it was certainly one important way. I know the story, for example, of Jazz Cornetis Bix Beiderbeck, who grew up in the Davenport, Iowa area, heard jazz from a steamboat, and that was one of the reasons he decided to go into jazz himself. So it did happen.

28:01Rick Steves:Well, you know, when we think back into the 1800s, the arrival of the trains was really important for moving things around people and goods. And even before trains, things went on rivers. Tell us about the historic ports. We think of St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans. What can we see today if we were to build a vacation around that? Maybe home basing in some of these towns and then side tripping out from there to enjoy the Mississippi. I think probably the port of New Orleans is the most interesting and the most rewarding to visit. New Orleans now has built out so many parks and walks along the river that you can easily stroll there to places that even 20 years ago were inaccessible.

28:43And you can walk along the riverfront and you can see those giant ocean-going cargo ships coming and going and cruise ships coming and going. That's probably the most interesting spot to do that. St. Louis' port is pretty industrial, and I wouldn't say you'd want to spend a lot of time looking at it.

28:57Rick Steves:Okay, that's good advice. Now, I don't do well in the heat and the mugginess of New Orleans in the summer, and I don't do well of the cold of Twin Cities in the winter. I would think you should be mindful of the climate when you're going to be visiting the Mississippi. What's your advice? Yeah, there are people who enjoy winter, I understand, and I think if you do enjoy that, you should definitely go to northern Minnesota and visit the headwaters that time of year. But generally speaking, like in Minnesota, the peak season is going to be probably May to September, October. And that's a very pleasant time of year to visit.

29:29You will have to deal with mosquitoes out there, but we can all find ways to do that. New Orleans, probably best to stay away from in those months, unless you're hardy and don't mind the heat.

29:39Rick Steves:And I love this. You wrote in your book, From Northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, I have immersed myself in the river's waters. Every sunset soothes my mind. Every morning on a sandbar renews my spirit. Talk a little bit more about that, just to close our conversation. You know, your favorite state park, your favorite kind of perch, something that just charms you about the Mississippi. I'll share one experience I had just a couple of years ago, because I think this sort of encapsulates what I love about spending time on the Mississippi. It was late fall, and I wanted to get one more night of camping in, so I went to this place on the river just a couple hours north of my home.

30:16And it was a miserable night, as it turned out. I had noisy neighbors, and it got far colder than I was expecting. So when I woke up, I was grumpy. I stepped outside the tent, and the first thing I see is the light is starting to break over the bluffs to my east, yellows mostly at that point. And I knew I was going to be in for a good show. So I pulled up a chair and I made myself some coffee and I sat and I watched as the sun rose above the horizon and filled the sky with yellows and reds and oranges. In front of me, a fog hung over the river. It smelled a little musty because it's fall. So you have the leaves and that earthiness in the air.

30:54A flock of geese flew over and honked at me as they went by. And as that fog dissipated, I noticed that it was flowing down with the current. And I just thought to myself, well, maybe those are the river spirits heading south for the winter. Erase that mood.

31:10Rick Steves:And with a nice cup of coffee to top it off. That sounds just great. Hey, Dean Klinkenberg, thank you so much for joining us. And thanks for writing The Wild Mississippi, a state-by-state guide to the river's natural wonders. Happy paddling. Thank you, Rick. I appreciate it.

31:32Rick Steves:Dean's website is MississippiValleyTraveler.com If planning a getaway is starting to feel like a lot of work as you try to anticipate what could go wrong Samantha Brown has advice to help keep us light on our feet She joins us next on Travel with Rick Steves Our email address is radio at ricksteves.com As a self-proclaimed airport geek, there's hardly an aspect of travel that Samantha Brown doesn't love. Over the last 20 years, she's visited more than 250 cities in 60 countries. She's learned plenty along the way. Her travel tips are aimed not only to ensure a smooth journey, but to help you find the heart of the places you visit.

32:14Rick Steves:Samantha hosts the public television series Places to Love, and she joins us now on Travel with Rick Steves to share her best travel tips and strategies. Samantha, thanks for joining us. Hey, thanks for having me, Rick. Boy, you know, it's so fun to get together because you and I spend a lot of time on the road and everybody's got their own school of hard knocks, and I think you and I both enjoy learning from that. I'm always impressed when people say travel is just too much trouble. It's exhausting, flying is a drag, and then I think we see it differently. You know, we can talk about basic travel tips later, but let's start out with just a broad question.

32:49Rick Steves:how do you replace the, quote, trouble of travel with the joy of travel? Oh, boy. I mean, I would say for me the trouble of travel is planning it. I'm not a planner. I just get bogged down by the details and the reviews and all these things I should know. And so I think to really tap into the joy of travel is just generally get to a place and let the day take you where it wants to. And just let that spontaneity of travel, of being somewhere new, kind of revitalize you and bring you back. But I understand the drudgery of sometimes of just planning all the minutia of travel. But the joy of it is just being in a new place and having a different perspective and just letting that day take you where it should go.

33:32Rick Steves:I think people do overthink it a lot of times. I remember when I was in my very early days, I would start my lecture by saying, you know, a lot of people, they're at home before their trip, just in the kitchen, just thinking, what can I be worried about next about the trip? You know, it's going to be OK. Just get over there. It's like you're not going to war here. It's just a vacation. You know, I've got phrases and philosophies that I just love in my writing and my teaching. And I'm just going to throw a couple of phrases at you. And I'd love to just get your take on it, if it resonates with you or whatever.

34:02Rick Steves:But I like to say when it comes to travel, if it's not to your liking, change your liking. Yeah, that's a very good, you know, shift your perspective. That's what it's about. And I always love to just the newness of travel, how it opens up other things in your life. So go with it. So, yes, change your liking. That comes from a tour guide's point of view because I can take one group to a spot and they're having a great time. The next group goes to the same spot and they're not having a great time. And a lot of it is the attitude you bring to it. Also, a lot of people are really afraid to make a mistake.

34:34Rick Steves:I say celebrate your mistakes. That's a great one right there. Yeah, I think the goal of travel is never that it's perfect, right? It never goes perfectly. And I think people have this mindset of just everything has to go right. And no, it doesn't. In fact, a lot of times if there's a plan A and that gets shoved to the side, plan B was the better choice and you're just going to go with it. Well, I guess we should have done this. I remember when I was in Japan, Samantha, I was so befuddled. And I just – people could look at me and go, there's a big tall white guy who's lost. And they would come out and help me just right out of the – they would just think, this guy is hopeless.

35:13Rick Steves:And I just laughed at myself in Japan. I was fumbling around Japan. I didn't know the language. I didn't know the characters. I didn't know the culture. And I just enjoyed being befuddled. Yeah, I think that's – you know, it's interesting. When I was in Europe, I felt like I really had to know my stuff because I was an American. and where I'm from, we're kind of of Europe and New England. And that's why I love Asia is because you just have no idea what's going on. And so you just let all of that expectation you think you have of yourself and just have fun. You're five years old. You're a kid. This is all new.

35:50And as long as you're not disrespectful, you're going to be fine.

35:54Rick Steves:One of my new themes is to be a cultural chameleon. Are you a chameleon when you travel? Yes, definitely, in terms of even dress. How so in dress? Well, I always tell people, you know, never wear like Lily Pulitzer orange and pink when you're in Europe. You're just going to stand out. As Americans, we dress brightly. And if you go to Europe, I notice it's much more earth tones. And so there is just an assimilation that you want. Or in Italy, they dress so lovely. So I don't like to look like I'm just schlepping around. I like to really inhabit a place in how they dress. So that is more of a chameleon attitude just in terms of my physical appearance.

36:32Rick Steves:Yeah. Yeah, and you nailed it there. I mean, if you're on a bus in Europe and you look, everybody seems to be dressing in these sort of similar tones, and it's nice to be that chameleon. And I've noticed, too, because sometimes I'm just slumming around backpacker. I'll sit on the floor and gnaw on a sandwich, you know, and I realize I'm not fitting in here. This country takes pride in how they look, and I should get my act together a little bit. When we're traveling, we're always sort of looking to stir up experiences, And I find there's a very fundamental philosophy of if an opportunity presents itself, the answer is yes.

37:08Rick Steves:In so many cases, you're tired, you had something else planned, but here's something really surprising. And you can say yes or no. It seems kind of obvious, but say yes. Yeah. My background is actually acting. And a huge part of that was improvisation. And the rule, one rule of improvisation is you always say yes and. Ha! Yeah, that's improvisation. You never drop the ball. It's yes and. And then that's how you build upon that. So what works for improvisation works for travel. And travel is one big improvisation. You just go with the flow. So, yes. Samantha Brown is the host of the public television series Places to Love.

37:50Rick Steves:And she's joining us now as we talk travel tips. And Samantha invites viewers to discover the emotional heart of travel in her series as she visits destinations all over the world. You can find past episodes of Samantha's program at samantha-brown.com. Our email address is radio at ricksteves.com, and Christine in Shawnee, Kansas, has emailed us, and Christine writes, I love to extend my group trips by a few solo days on each end. Samantha Brown helps me envision what a mature single woman might do in the location. She helps me be a bit more adventurous and bold. After watching Samantha wander around Paris, I set off exploring.

38:34Rick Steves:Stumbling across the same boule players she met near the Eiffel Tower, I struck up a conversation I might have never had and enjoyed some shared laughter over strategies. Thank you, Samantha, for inspiring me to go solo, even if it's just for a few days, on the beginning or the end of a tour that I'll be taking. Wow. Isn't that cool? That's great. Yeah. Yeah, I love when people are inspired. Absolutely. That's what we want. And I also love the fact that the definition of independent traveler has changed. It has evolved. It's not just you are totally on your own backpacking across Europe. Yeah, you can do it.

39:09So you're doing a hybrid model of maybe you're getting comfortable with a group tour, really knowing the sights, and then you feel confident to go out on your own for just two days. That's such freedom, and that's just really using that time worthwhile, making it worthwhile.

39:22Rick Steves:And I encourage that. With our tours, we like it when people go over a couple days early. Of course, they get over jet lag and they're settled by the time the tour starts, but they also get their sea legs or whatever you call it, get their bearings of just not of that country, but of just being away from home in general. And then at the end of the trip, they're eager to have some time on their own. And if you can afford the time, I think that's a great idea. So thanks, Christine, for the email. Stephen in Cudahy, Wisconsin, has emailed us. And Stephen writes, I love travel but hate airports. What are your tips to make time at airports more enjoyable?

39:54Rick Steves:And Samantha, you are a self-described airport geek. So how are you an airport geek and what would you say to Stephen? Stephen, for me, the airport is like a teenage girl mall. For me, I love airports. I just love them. I hate the security line. I hate getting through that. But I feel that while the airplane experience has just gone downhill in terms of treating us not as human beings, The airport experience has gotten better and better in that now airports are bringing in more of the local goods that you would find or even restaurants that you would find, you know, downtown. So you can have a local experience.

40:33You can get a massage. I just like to walk and wander. And I also like to go by gates to see where everyone's going. You know, I think that's really exciting. So I guess that's where the geek comes in. But I think the first thing you need to do to really enjoy an airport is to get there in plenty of time. A lot of times we hate the airport because we haven't allowed enough time to feel, you know, that anxiety comes up. And believe it or not, 22 years of travel, I still feel anxiety to get to the airport and get through. So it never ends. And it's not, you know, it's not because you're not an expert or don't travel as much as we do.

41:07I still have that anxiety. So I always base getting to the airport on the boarding time of my flight, not on the flight departure, because that's 45 minutes before, and that gives me plenty of time when I have that time in mind, not the departure time of my flight.

41:22Rick Steves:I bring stuff to do at the airport and get there early because I don't want to start all stressed out, and I don't want to risk missing the flight, obviously. Yeah. They've got Wi-Fi. They've got seating. They've got great food now. I mean, yeah, you go there, and you do work, and you just get settled, so you're prepared for anything. One of my splurges, it's not very inexpensive, but if I've got a lot of time at an airport, I will pay for the business lounge. And I don't have frequent flyer miles or anything like that, but I can just pay for it. I can make the airport a very relaxing and comfortable and productive and enjoyable time.

41:56Rick Steves:Hey, just quickly to go through flying, how do you prepare for a long flight? I walk a lot. I actually, sometimes I do have access to those lounges and I don't use the lounge. I walk and walk and walk so that when I finally get to my seat, I'm exhausted. But then I have like a tiered approach to I have the serious work that I need to conquer on the flight because I've got dedicated time to do it, which is great. And then I move on to a fun novel, so I'll bring that. And then I have like fashion magazine, you know, candy that needs no brain power whatsoever just to get me through. And that's it.

42:32But I do love long flights because I have time, and I've always found them to be actually quite relaxing.

42:38Rick Steves:Yeah, I like it. Me time. It's rare me time. And the main thing is just to be comfortable and to be busy. Again, I'm going to just go through a whole bunch of tips because we're running out of time here. But window or aisle? Aisle. Why? I hate being trapped. Trapped in. I agree. Feeling trapped. I'm the same. I've migrated from the window to the aisle for that same reason. You're tall, too. Yeah, you need that extra space, Rick. What's your most valued carry-on? What do you be sure to carry on with you? A notebook and pen. Notebook and pen. Okay. Meanderings. My noise reduction headphones, I just...

43:09Oh, true. Nice.

43:11Rick Steves:They help me get some private time, too, because when I'm wearing that, people don't interrupt me. What are your tips for dealing with airline regulations that are frustrating to you? Just like baggage, like how big my bag is, that kind of thing. Yeah, just know what they are and then print them, because I have found that a lot of those airlines, they'll change that now your carry-on has to fit in that, you know, sizer, right? And it has to fit the exact dimensions. But if you're online, it just says something like 44 linear inches. So you could have a bag that's 44 linear inches, but it's not that exact shape.

43:44But they haven't changed the language, and that's not fair. So if you don't have that perfect size bag, but you have 44 linear inches, you have a carry-on bag, bring that, print it, and say, this is what it says on your website. This is 44 linear inches. But yeah, know what the regulations are. Print them just so you have them. And because they're all different and it is frustrating.

44:03Rick Steves:Give me a couple of itinerary tips. How do you plan a smart schedule? Oh, boy, direct when I can. Absolutely. That is the goal. I don't care if it's first class or I'm back by the bathroom. Exactly. I'm the same way. Direct. Exactly. Direct. I think it's worth the money. It's certainly worth your time. Two flights is just that much more frustration. Am I going to make the next flight? What if there's an issue? Will my bags make it? All of that ends when it's a direct flight. Our guest on Travel with Rick Steves is Samantha Brown, the host of the Places to Love travel series on public TV. She streams episodes from her adventures on her website, where she includes notes from filming in Tulsa and in summer mountain getaways in the U.S., Europe, Cuba, and Vietnam.

44:49Rick Steves:That's at Samantha-Brown.com. And Michael in Houston emailed us and asks, What are your tips for handling jet lag? When I arrive early in the morning in Europe, I spend as much time as possible outside walking. Any other tips? I've got a good one. So three days before I leave, I refrain from all caffeine. So it totally leaves my body. Then when I arrive in Europe, and you're usually arriving like what around, like 6 a.m., isn't it, like 7 a.m.? And you're tired and you smell that coffee in the airport, don't get the coffee. Then you get to your hotel and you smell the coffee in your hotel, don't reach for a coffee.

45:23get outside, walk around, and I wait. And I wait until like the muscles in my body have solidified to cement I'm so tired because jet lag can affect you that, you know, drastically. And then and only then will I have a double espresso. And I'll shoot that thing back and man, it hits my system like 10 horses and I go the entire rest of the day. 9 p.m. I'm in bed. I'm asleep. And I have reset my clock.

45:48Rick Steves:That is the most unique, clever approach to jet lag. I don't know if I could go that long without coffee, but I'm... Yeah, it's all the manipulation of coffee. That's right there. Samantha, Eric in Denver emailed us and he says, don't be afraid to book a long layover. On my way back from Scandinavia years ago, I opted for an eight-hour layover in Frankfurt and it allowed me to hit the city and have the best abroad rest of my life. Have you ever thought about long layovers and how you use your time between flights on the way home? Yeah, and depending on the flight, yeah, layovers are good. If you're going to Asia especially, a layover is good because those are long, long flights.

46:23And it's good just to stretch your legs. But it's never an hour and a half. It's always at least three hours. But for the longer ones, yeah, like Sheephole, if you're flying into – if you're going to Europe and you're flying through Sheephole, you can quickly get to Amsterdam, no problem. That's what I did, and that's how I enjoyed that city for the very first time in my 20s, and I loved it.

46:42Rick Steves:If you've never been to Amsterdam and you're flying and you happen to be randomly stopping with six hours at Schiphol, you could do that. I've really never done it because I don't know. Oh, my problem is I never check a bag. So I've always got all my luggage with me. That's why I don't do those. I suppose there's a way to lock it at the airport, but I've never done that. Well, I don't think so. After 9-11, I think those lockers went away. So this was pre-9-11. But if you check your bag, you could do that. But people do it. I think it's a very clever idea. And I'm usually the ballsy one, I think.

47:13Rick Steves:But in this case, I couldn't really relax on the streets of the city knowing I've got a flight in four hours. That's why I did it in my 20s. I don't do it anymore either. That's right. But I think – but if you're doing like a three-hour – like if you're going through these big airports, they're actually really enjoyable. Like if you're in Changi. So spend some time. Enjoy that you really will benefit from that quick, quick connecting flight. Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it. Right. Don't do it. Let's see. Just really quickly, when you move into a hotel room, how do you settle into a hotel room?

47:45Rick Steves:Because you spend a lot of nights alone on the road, and your hotel is your home. Oh, yeah. I have a whole system there, too. So every tchotchke that a hotel puts out, sometimes they have those. They're called table tents, those plastic things that put, like, I don't know, drink specials on. Like, I don't care about that. All that stuff goes away. And then this is the thing. I learn how to use the shower because this is my pet peeve of travel. One of them is there are probably four million different combinations of how to turn a shower on in the world. And you will encounter all of them. And it will take you sometimes, especially in Europe, seven minutes just to figure out how to get hot water.

48:22And so I never rely on that the morning of our, you know, like a shoot. So you have to be somewhere. People are counting on you and you're just trying to take a shower. So I do a run through.

48:33Rick Steves:Well, I'm just – it's so much fun, Samantha, to be with you. And one thing is we can laugh about our mistakes and we can enjoy the school of hard knocks as part of the joy of travel. And travel teaches us lessons about how to travel better. But it also teaches us lessons about life, I think. And for me, that could be a good souvenir. Let's wrap up our conversation with what's an important life experience that travel has taught you? Oh, boy. And it's still teaching me is patience. And not everything has to be perfect. It is how you interpret it and approach it and just enjoy it. Go with the flow.

49:13And I feel like you and I are similar. We're perfectionists, especially because this is our profession. But there are times when it really teaches me it's OK. You can just let this happen how it's happening. I think we try to control things, especially Americans, because we come from a really big country with amazing travels within it. But we know the language. We know the currency. We understand a lot of the culture. And we try to bring that same sense of control and certainty to travel. And that's where we make the mistake. And so just to let that go and to trust that that is going to be an amazing experience in itself.

49:50Rick Steves:In itself. You summed it up right there. That's going to be an amazing experience in itself. And if you don't get out there and risk, you know, stumbling, you won't have those experiences. And your trip will come home. Everything worked out fine. And I saw all those sites and I checked off my bucket list. But you didn't have that magic. You didn't make that place a place to love. Samantha Brown, thanks for joining us. Thank you. Travel with Rick Steves is produced by Tim Tatton with Kazma Hall and Donna Bardsley at Rick Steves Europe in Edmonds, Washington. Andrew Wakeling and Sherry Korp upload the shows to our website.

50:25Sheila Gerzoff handles affiliate promotions. Our theme music is by Jerry Frank. Take a look at Rick's list for what to pack in your suitcase and share tips with fellow travelers. It's part of our online travel forum.

50:38Rick Steves:It's at ricksteves.com. We'll see you next week with more Travel with Rick Steves.

51:10Rick Steves:and look into the eyes of the virgin goddess as you stow away with me on the legendary hippie trail. My book, On the Hippie Trail, is available wherever books are sold.