Travel with Rick Steves

We'll hear about this year's Iditarod sled dog race across Alaska from a rookie racer, Rick's younger sister. A guide from Pamplona, Spain tells us about the big San Fermín festival they're celebrating this week, and what the running of the bulls is all about. We'll also explore the craze in crime fiction from Scandinavia, where author Steig Larsson used his novels as a way to critique Swedish society. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Guides from the Museum of American History prepare us for a patriotic pilgrimage to the historical attractions along the National Mall. Next, a novelist reveals how the overwhelming beauty of the Grand Canyon inspires her writing. Also, a geologist explains what you're really looking at from a window seat view on your next domestic flight. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Three of Rick's European friends share their impressions of being in America, and contrast it to life in their home turf in Italy, Ireland, and Slovenia. Plus, listeners recommend clever ways to connect with the locals when you travel overseas. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Before embarking on their college careers, the "Ballpark Boys," a group of lifelong friends from Seattle, planned an epic roadtrip across the USA, to attend a game at every major leage baseball stadium in the country. Hear how they did it and which ballparks were their favorites. Plus, Richard Cohen chased the sun around the world for seven years. He shares discoveries of the many curious ways the sun impacts life on planet Earth. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Adventure traveler and author Richard Grant describes the craziness he encountered on the island of Zanzibar. A native of small town Italy explains the uncrowded appeal of Abruzzo in the rugged Apennine mountains. Also, a tour guide to southeast Asia outlines the visitor scene from Vietnam to Burma. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Get tips for visiting evocative pre-Columbian sites. Learn how you can be a houseguest of today's Mayans, too. Plus, Rick joins a guide from Prague for a walking tour of the charmingly preserved "Golden City of 500 Spires," where sightseeing is fueled by some of Europe's best beer. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

We'll explore trendy Barcelona with the help of two expert guides to Spain. Viewing the works of modern artists such as Picasso, Gaudi, and Dali is a highlight of any visit. Also, travel blogger Angela Nickerson shares the highlights from researching her book "A Journey into Michelangelo's Rome." For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Rick plans a visit to the well-preserved ruins of Pompeii, near Naples, explores ancient monuments scattered across the countryside of England and learns how recent renovations have turned Glasgow into an energetic showpiece city in the center of Scotland. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Author Jennifer Wilson describes what it was like to relocate her family to the same mountain village in Croatia her great-grandparents emigrated from, an American who married a Frenchman explains what it's like raising her first child in Paris, plus, Rick shares how his mother influenced him as a traveler. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Italian food expert Fred Plotkin takes American visitors deeper into the culture of enjoying a good meal, and tour guide Jamie Blair Gould from Lucca helps listeners assemble ingredients for the perfect Tuscan picnic, complete with a picture postcard view. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.