Globalization in the Developing World—Lessons from My Travels in Guatemala  Smart modern aid programs (many of which were once supported by USAID) recognize that small farmers in the developing world can be empowered to join the free market. Guatemala's sugar & coffee industries are good examples:

“Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey” hits the road! I’m packing my shiny black shoes for an exciting ten-concerts-in-five-cities road trip, and I’m eager to take music lovers in Raleigh, Portland, Columbia, Charleston, and Phoenix on a symphonic journey they’ll never forget.

You deserve a little joy in your timeline.

🧵 Happy Halloween — and Happy Reformation Day! Today is the anniversary of the day Martin Luther challenged Roman Catholic doctrine by posting his 95 Theses on a church door.

Yet one more example of an industry impacted by climate change: England's hottest summer on record produced unusually sweet apples, which bumped up the alcohol content of scrumpy (hard cider). Now, it's classified as “wine”...taxed at a higher rate...and too expensive for producers to sell to pubs.

Conflict Derails Development: Lessons from My Travels in Guatemala In this clip, we learn how wars, drug trade, gangs, and sectarian violence all push people deeper into poverty. When there's conflict, it's the poorest who suffer most.

🧵: It's almost time for...Rick or Treat! (Thanks to all the happy travelers who've sent in fun Halloween shots over the years. I’d love to see your own travelin’ costumes here on Bluesky!)

Lessons from My Travels in Guatemala: Nutrition in the 1st 1000 days of life is critical. With a little education & access to nutritious food, mothers in the developing world can raise children who, instead of being “stunted,” become adults fully capable of contributing to their society’s economy.

Fellow Americans! I’m happy to announce that, thanks to you, I’m sending $100,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union (@aclu.org) to help them defend something that truly Makes America Great: our civil liberties. 🧵

More than 6,000 people joined @aclu.org's Anthony Romero and me live on Monday Night Travel last night for a timely discussion on the importance and fragility of civil liberties — both at home and abroad. Missed it? Watch the recording now:

Fans of #travel and #CivilRights! Join a (free) Zoom call with @ricksteves.bsky.social and the ACLU's Anthony Romero about freedom and civil liberties us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Civil liberties are under attack in the USA like never before. It’s scary, it’s real — and that’s why I hope to raise $100,000 this week to empower the American Civil Liberties Union (@aclu.org). But I’ll need your help. 🧵

Anthony Romero, Executive Director of @aclu.org, is joining me on the next Monday Night Travel (Oct. 20, 6pm PT/9pm ET) for a live virtual discussion on travel, freedom, and our rights — and you’re invited! Register now for this important and timely event at www.ricksteves.com/mnt.

Women Spearhead Development: Lessons from My Travels in Guatemala Aid workers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the developing world report that women tend to be more responsible than men when it comes to making development projects successful. 🧵

🧵: Last June, more than 5 million Americans joined #NoKings rallies across the country, protesting President Trump's authoritarianism. And this Saturday, with your help, it's going to be even bigger and better.

Planning a trip to Italy? My newest guidebook, "Rick Steves Rome, Florence & Venice," hits the shelves today: store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/rome-... I've spent a lifetime exploring these cities, and this book includes all my favorite tips and discoveries. Happy travels!

🧵: The world’s extremely poor are also often extremely remote, with limited access to healthcare & health education. In many developing countries, the government—often with the help of the UN and, until this year, USAID—maintains health posts that bring these services to people living off the grid.

✋ raise your hand if your life has been saved by medical research.

Thread: A year ago yesterday was a very happy day for me. I had lost my prostate. It was good riddance, as it was riddled with cancer. I’m now cancer-free — and thankful for the tax-funded technology that saved my life.

Nearly 8% of the people on our planet are farmers who produce more than a third of the world’s food on small plots of land...just an acre or two each. These farmers want to work, produce, feed their families, sell what’s left, and stay on their farms (cont.)

@ricksteves.bsky.social teaches: Many don’t realize that the 1st people Hitler sent to concentration camps weren’t Jewish citizens, but political opponents. When Trump rants about retribution, locking up his opponents, giving them “long sentences” – take him seriously. VOTE against fascism.

Nearly 10% of humanity (~800M people in 2025) struggles to live on less than $3 a day. It’s important for Americans to appreciate that reality — and the growing gap between the extremely poor & the extremely privileged — because, as USAID demonstrated, our nation has the power to change it. 🧵 1/8

In a speech before the United Nations General Assembly today, President Trump said climate change is a “con job” and climate scientists are “stupid people” — and he called green energy and immigration a “double-tailed monster” that is destroying Europe. 🧵 1/5

In my public television special “The Story of Fascism in Europe” (www.ricksteves.com/fascism), we learn from Europeans whose families lived through fascism that a strong democracy requires vigilant and engaged citizens. We are all participants, we are all responsible, and freedom isn’t guaranteed.

Happy travels!

For years, I've supported @sojo.net because they take my values into the political arena in a way that's true to my faith—emphasizing not power and nationalism, but God's call to justice. Starting today, I'll match every donation at www.sojo.net/ricksteves, dollar for dollar, up to $50,000 total.

I enjoyed a great interview with Ryan Knutson, host of @wsj.com's “The Journal” podcast, at this year's @cascadepbs.bsky.social Ideas Festival in Seattle. If you'd like a peek into my travelin' brain in these complicated days, check out the video here: www.cascadepbs.org/show/cascade...

5,000 travelers joined me live on Monday Night Travel this week as I shared photos & stories from my summer vacation in Italy with my favorite travel partner, Shelley. We were surrounded by Italian beauty: Venice, the dramatic Dolomites & my beloved Cinque Terre. Missed it? BYO wine & watch now:

Join me next Monday (Sept. 15, 6pm PT/9pm ET) for photos, stories & lessons learned from my two-week vacation surrounded by Italian beauty: Venice, the city they call “La Serenissima” (“The Most Serene”)...the dramatic Dolomites...and my beloved Cinque Terre. Register now at www.ricksteves.com/mnt

There is absolutely NOTHING like 🍃 and learning from @ricksteves.bsky.social. youtu.be/nxOrDbtdtDg

My family been fan of @ricksteves.bsky.social forever; I got his Travel as a Political Act book & DVD in a PBS pledge drive. I think it's a great time to check out his talk from last year if you haven't.. still highly relevant. I hope more people in USA travel more & learn more about the world

I lost my step dad Ian to prostate cancer and I deeply encourage everyone who has a prostate to get regularly checked, thanks for the important reminder Rick <3

Ever wonder how our guidebooks are updated? Rick and a team of researchers spend over 300 days a year in Europe living out book recommendations, scouting new ones, and chatting with locals to make sure our coverage is accurate, up to date, and helpful for travelers like you.

‪It's Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and I’m asking our community of travelers to help me spread the word: the earlier prostate cancer is found, the better your chances are of beating it. Visit cancer.org/getscreened to learn more from @acscan.bsky.social & find a screening location near you.

Listening to this episode of the “This is Love” podcast was such a palate cleanser. Such a wholesome way of looking at travel we should all hold space for.

Omg l can vouch for this. Met up with Rick a couple of years ago to show him around Sevilla and we ended up going to SIXTEEN TAPAS BARS in one evening 😅

I’m a big fan of @nataliecompton.bsky.social, and she did a great job capturing the challenges and joys we have making our TV shows. Check out her @washingtonpost.com article at wapo.st/4oKkUTl — and join us behind the scenes as my crew and I film our London special, coming soon to public TV!

Do you know that good feeling you get, after you’ve shared a deep yet relaxing conversation that goes places you didn’t expect to go and connects you with memories and experiences that had fallen out of your world, but shouldn’t have? Phoebe Judge had me on her podcast, and she did just that.

A reminder from Rick Steves: funding for public broadcasting amounted to $1.60 per American every year — but Republicans cut it, gutting local NPR and PBS stations. Listen to more of our conversation about public media cuts here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFl0...

Traveling is intensified living with moments that are transformative experiences — we call them “wow" moments.   If you're ready for your own wow moment but aren't sure if a Rick Steves' Europe tour is right for you, watch Tours 101 on Aug. 20 at 6pm, PT. Register: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Hey, teachers and everyone, fantastic learning tool. Rick Steves is the bestest! The videos come will full transcripts btw.

@ricksteves.bsky.social has been to and studied countless countries that fell into fascism, and he says that Trump is consolidating power and taking from an autocrat’s playbook. Watch our full conversation at the link below or listen wherever you get your podcasts. www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFl0...

Awesome to see my local PBS stations (shout out to Cascade PBS) showing Rick Steve's "The Story of Fascism in Europe". Linking to Rick's @ricksteves.bsky.social site, where it is available for free: www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-l...

As we head into the school year, I’m as grateful as ever for our nation’s hard-working educators. If you agree, please let the teachers & homeschoolers in your life know about Rick Steves Classroom Europe—a free & ad-free library of 600 video clips covering history, art, music, culture & geography.

A great episode! @ricksteves.bsky.social

NEW POD: I talked with my good friend and travel writer @ricksteves.bsky.social about what Americans can learn from traveling around the world, cuts to foreign assistance and public broadcasting, and more. Watch below or listen wherever you get your podcasts! www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFl0...

I spent much of last weekend catching up on recent letters from fans. Kathleen included a link to a video she created that shows the joy of travel (from my often-goofy POV), and I just had to share it with all of you. It reminds me how much we travelers have to be thankful for. Happy travels!

PBS passport is the absolute best! When my son was born, I would get up in the early morning with him, and on the weekends, he would sleep in my arms while I sipped coffee and binged watch @ricksteves.bsky.social.

Also, if you need celebrity endorsements to encourage you, local legend @ricksteves.bsky.social (!) donated $30K. Thanks for sharing and especially for donating. I truly do appreciate it.

I’ve performed "A Symphonic Journey" with great orchestras across the country — and next, I’m bringing the show to North & South Carolina, Maine, Arizona, Michigan & Virginia. Ticket info is at www.ricksteves.com/where — or stream the concert for free on the @pbs.org app or at www.ricksteves.com/tv