Rick Steves: “I’m Just a Travel Writer Trying to Get More Horse Power”

Travel Blog • Michael Yessis • 03.08.06 | 1:56 PM ET

He’s already got a lot of it, of course. An AP profile of Rick Steves this week covers his publishing business and television shows, and details the success and future plans for his new hour-long radio show. Steves says he hopes it will be the travel equivalent of Car Talk. He’s apparently well on the way. The show set a new record for Saturday afternoon listeners during its public radio debut in Seattle, and is now in 17 markets and counting.

Among other tidbits from the profile: Steves said he “passed on a deal with Visa because they wanted him to only recommend restaurants that exclusively accepted their credit cards.” Another deal fell through, he said, because the sponsor was afraid of Steves’ liberal politics—Steves has spoken out against current U.S. foreign policy and promotes legal marijuana use. “I have a responsibility to be a good citizen and to be outspoken,” he said. “And not to worry about someone who doesn’t want to use my guidebooks.”