Rick Steves facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rick Steves
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Steves in 2013
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| Born | May 10, 1955 Barstow, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Washington |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1979–present |
| Known for | Travel guides |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Anne Steves
(m. 1984; div. 2010) |
| Children | 2 |
Richard John Steves Jr. (born May 10, 1955) is an American travel writer, activist, and television personality. He is famous for helping people explore Europe in a unique way. His travel idea encourages people to visit less-known places and truly experience the local way of life. Since 2000, he has hosted Rick Steves' Europe, a popular travel show on public television. Rick also has a radio show called Travel with Rick Steves and has written many travel guidebooks. His first popular book was Europe Through the Back Door. In 2010, his company launched a mobile app called "Rick Steves’ Audio Europe" with self-guided walking tours.
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Rick Steves' Early Life and Travel Adventures
Richard John Steves Jr. was born in Barstow, California. His father was a high school band director and piano technician, and his mother was June Erna Steves. His mother's parents were immigrants from Norway. Rick has two sisters, Jan and Linda. His family moved to Edmonds, Washington in 1967.
When Rick was 14, he went on a trip to Europe with his parents. They visited factories that made pianos because his family owned a piano store. Rick wrote down everything he saw and felt on postcards, which he still keeps today. During this trip, while visiting relatives in Norway, Rick had an important realization: "This planet must be home to billions of equally lovable children of God." This idea has guided him throughout his life. When he turned 18, he traveled to Europe again, this time by himself, and kept detailed journals.
Rick later attended the University of Washington. He studied European history and business administration, graduating in 1978.
Starting a Career in Travel
In his 20s, Rick began teaching travel classes at the University of Washington. He also worked as a tour guide during the summers. At the same time, he taught piano lessons. In 1979, based on his travel classes, he wrote his first book, Europe Through the Back Door (ETBD). This book was a guide on how to travel smartly in Europe. Rick published the first edition of his book himself in 1980.
Unlike many guidebook writers, he opened a physical store. At first, it was both a travel center and a piano teaching studio. He held travel classes, showed slide presentations, offered travel advice, and organized a few group tours each year. He also updated his books. His business, "Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door," is still based in his hometown of Edmonds, near Seattle.
Rick's first television show, Travels in Europe with Rick Steves, started in 1991. His second show, Rick Steves' Europe, began in 2000. This show has aired many episodes over 11 seasons through 2020.
Rick Steves' Current Travel Work
Rick Steves believes in independent travel. His books and shows mostly focus on Europe and are made for people in North America. As the host, writer, and producer of Rick Steves' Europe, he encourages Americans to become "temporary locals." This means he wants his readers and viewers to visit not just big cities but also small, cozy villages away from the usual tourist spots. Rick's TV series, guidebooks, radio shows, and tours have many fans, sometimes called "Rickniks."
Rick's work with public television began in 1991. Since then, he has helped public TV stations raise millions of dollars each year. He writes and produces his TV programs through his own company, Back Door Productions.
Since publishing his first book in 1980, Rick has written many guidebooks for different countries, cities, and regions. He has also written phrasebooks and a book called Europe 101: History and Art for Travelers. His guidebook to Italy is the most popular international guidebook in the U.S. In 1999, he wrote Postcards from Europe, sharing his favorite travel memories. His books are published by Avalon Travel Publishing. In 2009, Rick published Travel as a Political Act, a book about traveling more thoughtfully.
Besides his books and TV shows, Rick has also expanded into radio, newspapers, and mobile apps. In 2005, he started a weekly public radio show, Travel with Rick Steves. This show focuses on world travel, especially Europe and North America. Each program features a guest travel expert and takes calls from listeners. In 2006, Rick started writing a newspaper column. In 2010, he launched the mobile app Rick Steves' Audio Europe. This app has many audio guides, including self-guided walking tours, for different places.
Rick Steves' Community Involvement
Rick Steves is a member of the Democratic Party. He has supported presidential campaigns for Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. He also supported Kamala Harris for president in 2024.
Rick cares about helping people who are experiencing homelessness. In 2005, he built a 24-unit apartment complex in Lynnwood, Washington, called Trinity Place. This building is managed by the local YWCA and provides temporary homes for mothers and their children who need a place to stay. In 2017, Rick donated this $4 million apartment complex to the YWCA. Local volunteers help maintain the buildings and grounds. They also raised money to build a playground for the children living there.
Rick also donates money from one of his books to Bread for the World, a group working to end hunger. He is also a supporter of the arts. In 2011, he gave US$1 million to the Edmonds Center for the Arts and the Cascade Symphony Orchestra.
As someone who travels a lot, Rick believes that terrorism is something Americans should understand. He thinks it's a part of the United States' role as a powerful country in the world. He has said that losing some people to terrorism shouldn't change who we are as a society. He compares it to other risks people accept in life. When he visited Iran, he noticed that people there, like Americans, sometimes give up freedoms to feel safer.
In his book Travel as a Political Act, Rick wrote that displaying the American flag on car antennas might make people more fearful and could lead to future international problems.
In 2017, on the day Donald Trump became president, Rick matched all the money spent on his website that day and donated it to the American Civil Liberties Union. He donated $50,000 to the ACLU.
In 2019, Rick recognized that travel can harm the environment. He announced that his tour company would donate $1 million a year to environmental groups. This money helps make up for the carbon emissions from the 30,000 travelers who use his tours each year. Rick hopes that if travelers choose his company because of these efforts, other travel companies will do the same.
Rick Steves' Personal Life
Rick Steves is an active Lutheran. He has created educational videos about topics like Martin Luther and the European Reformation. He supports liberation theology, which connects faith with helping people who are poor or treated unfairly. He has also spoken at the Lutheran Peace Fellowship. He received the Wittenberg Award for his "outstanding service to church and society."
Rick has Norwegian family roots. His sister is an Iditarod racer, which is a long dog sled race. Rick spends about one-third of every year in Europe. During this time, he researches his guidebooks and films his TV shows. His home is still in Edmonds, Washington, where he has lived since 1967.
Rick was married to Anne Steves until they divorced in 2010. They have two children. Their son, Andy, also started his own travel company called Weekend Student Adventures Europe. He also wrote a book called Andy Steves' Europe: City-Hopping on a Budget. In December 2019, Rick began dating Reverend Shelley Bryan Wee.
In August 2024, Rick announced that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had surgery in October. After his cancer diagnosis, Rick talked about his life in an interview in December 2024. He shared that his career in travel has been a mission for him, helping people travel in a positive way. He understands that this choice has come with some personal costs, but he believes it has been very productive.
See also
In Spanish: Rick Steves para niños
