A Belfast-based tour guide points out the places where native son Van Morrison found inspiration for his music and poetry. Then a Romani author tells us about the variety of communities within her culture, both on the continent and in the US. And an adventure traveler shares some of his favorite scenic hikes in Europe.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear why one writer chooses to invest the time in crossing America by train instead of hopping a quick flight. Then discover what taking high-definition photos of Earth from space revealed to a veteran astronaut. And get inspired to view the Renaissance treasures of Florence.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A master stonemason considers the great sites of Europe and shares what these enduring structures can teach us about permanence, craft, and human ambition. Then an Italian tour guide sheds light on the Dolomites, the spectacular setting where Italian, German, and Ladin traditions meet. Plus, an aficionado of American road trips tells us about efforts to revitalize historic Route 66 as a national heritage trail.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Celebrate Bastille Day with French guides. They'll explain the impressionist techniques perfected in the early 20th century, provide insider advice for designing the perfect Parisian itinerary, and help tackle the immense collection at the Louvre.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A chef and cookbook author takes a look at idioms that are shared across diverse languages. Then the head of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum updates us on what's happening this summer at Cleveland's top attraction. And the late historian David McCullough reflects on the Wright brothers and how their dream changed the world.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear about making family memories in western Canada along the historic Rocky Mountaineer train line. Explore the Gulf Islands in the Salish Sea. Learn more about confronting culture clashes in overseas travels. And discover the best local crafts in each of the 50 states.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Hear how the US Civil Rights Trail, with 100 stops across 14 states, was organized to help all Americans get an up-close look at the movement to dismantle Jim Crow laws across the South. And listen in as ecologist Chris Morgan describes changes he's observed on Norway's Svalbard archipelago — halfway between the mainland and the North Pole — which indicate how our warming climate is a threat to life in the Arctic.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Three American-born tour guides who have settled in Europe tell us what it's like to make a new home in a foreign country. Then, a lifelong resident of Italy's Veneto region helps us explore the Venice Lagoon as an ever-changing ecosystem shaped by climate change, local history, and the distinct cultures of its islands.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Join us for a special hour with American author and environmental activist Terry Tempest Williams as she invites us to consider the interconnectedness of the natural world, and discusses what we gain from recognizing and engaging with all that's around us — including a heightened appreciation of the good in our world.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

A pair of tour guides from Greece tell us how the island of Crete offers a natural experience unlike any other. Then travel writer Mark Adams describes his 3,000-mile voyage along the coasts of Alaska to follow what the Harriman Expedition saw in 1899. And a Dutch biologist explains how urban evolution is happening faster than we used to think all over the world.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

New York Times reporter John Branch tells us how one family in southern Utah keeps a cowboy tradition alive at rodeos across the West. Then an award-winning travel journalist recommends itineraries for scenic road trips and sites to explore across California. And an environmental history scholar pays tribute to the American bald eagle, whose recovery from the brink of extinction is an environmental success story that can inspire everyone.

For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.