Rick Steves

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American traveler, guide book author, and travel TV show series, the boyish, enthusiastic face is seen on the PBS series, Rick Steves Europe. Steves is the son of a piano tuner and importer. As a young teen he would travel to Europe with his father for his dad's piano store and he hasn't stopped traveling since. Although he began his career as a piano teacher, his love for travel led him to establish his company "Europe Through the Back Door" in 1976. That venture led to the publication of his first guide book, "Europe Through the Back Door" in 1980. The success of his book led him to his PBS travel series that began in 1991. An advocate for do-it-yourself travel, his company now leads tours, publishes many travel books and has expanded to sales of travel necessities like luggage, backpacks etc. He is host of a weekly radio show, writes columns for newspapers and lectures to groups interested in travel. His travel business has proven to be a huge success. His guidebooks are bestsellers and one report estimated his empire to be worth $20 million in 2003. Rick married Anne Jenkins in the early 1980s. Together they often traveled to Europe with their young children who were featured on some of the Steves' travel episodes. They have a boy and a girl who in their teens and early 20s are traveling without their easily recognized parents. The couple was divorced in March 2010. A devout Lutheran whose travels have formed his worldly views, Steves is a strong believer in the value of travel to understanding and accepting differences in culture, food, and ideas. He is an advocate for the homeless, a member of the board of Bread for the World, and landlord to a 24-unit apartment that he has given to his local YWCA for homeless single mothers. In addition to his TV shows, his radio broadcasts, his travel business and supply company, he acts as host for Lutheran videos. He is outspoken about his belief that marijuana should be decriminalized and that health care should be available to all citizens. Link to Wikipedia biography