Take these lessons from a lifelong traveler

It’s fun to check in with other travel experts who keep their fingers on the pulse.

One fellow always pops up: Rick Steves. I pay special attention to his European tips for a couple of reasons. But one reason is we’re the same age.

It’s my birthday this week, while Steves will be 70 in May. Both of us hit the road right after high school, with sleeping bags and backpacks.

Along the way, I made lots and lots of travel mistakes. But in the meantime, there have been bits of inspiration and important lessons that may help travelers in the future.

My first cross-country airplane trip was from Portland to New York. I recall my parents telling me the story of our United Airlines flight on a DC-6. Back then, the planes flew through the weather instead of over the clouds. And it was rough. We dressed up to “Fly the Friendly Skies,” with my mom in a dress and my dad in a suit and tie.

I’m sure my parents dressed me in a snappy outfit. But it was rough going — and I got sick.

When we stopped in Billings, Montana, the captain saw me wearing my dinner and took pity on me. He went into the baggage compartment and pulled out my mom’s suitcase so I could continue across the country in style.

The lesson I learned was it’s always good to have some extra clothes in your carry-on. Just in case.

Alaska kids often get their first ride in a small plane at an early age. I was about 8. After church one Sunday, my dad took me to the local airport in Beaverton, Oregon, and hired a pilot to fly us around.

Knowing what I know now, I can recall that it probably was a Cessna 180, with room for four. My dad sat in front with the pilot and I was in the back seat. We were only up in the air for about 20 minutes.

The lesson: Small planes can go almost anywhere and the views are spectacular.

Our family did not go on airplanes. It wasn’t in our budget. But my grandparents traveled all the time. My grandfather was a newspaper executive for the William Randolph Hearst media empire. He was a million-miler on TWA in the 1950s. My grandmother was a writer and editor for Sunset Magazine and for Pacific Travel News.

While they couldn’t take me on their extensive trips, they sent letters and saved stamps from all of the countries they visited. I got to know my grandmother’s office manager, who saved stamps from correspondence around the Pacific Rim. My grandfather’s stamps were mostly from Europe.

The lesson: My stamp collection sparked curiosity about the countries where the letters were posted. That started a lifetime fascination with maps and geography — and later, with travel to those places.

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Because my family didn’t travel much, I sought an outlet for my wanderlust. In the 1970s, I hitchhiked all over the West Coast and as far east as Texas. It drove my parents crazy, but I was anxious to see my friends and relatives around the country. I would not recommend that method now. But that was then.

The lesson: Wear comfortable shoes, stay hydrated and don’t pack anything that you don’t want to carry for a long time.

As a senior in college, I made the snap decision to come to Alaska for the summer. Although I knew a little bit about buying tickets and flying, I had a classmate who was a travel agent. So I went to visit Amy at University Travel in Eugene. We talked and flirted a little bit. In about 15 minutes she had me booked on a Western Airlines nonstop flight between Portland and Anchorage.

The lesson: There are tricks to every trade. Until that point, I never even knew what a travel agent did. Things have changed since then, but a good travel agent still is worth their weight in gold.

We flew to many remote locations in Alaska to go fishing, hiking, rafting and hunting. Having just arrived from the Lower 48, I was amazed at the natural beauty of the place, but also the stark differences between Bush communities and urban Alaska. We flew to Dillingham, to Nome, to Dutch Harbor, to Prince of Wales Island and many places in between.

The lesson: Even though many Alaska destinations are less than two hours from Anchorage by air, much of the state has the qualities of a foreign country.

I flew to Europe in 1981 was on SAS Scandinavian Airlines from Anchorage to Copenhagen. My friend George and I were on a monthlong sales trip for several adventure companies offering fishing, rafting, skiing and scuba diving. Between the two of us, we had about five or six bags.

The lesson: We were lost in a haze of foreign currency, foreign languages and local customs. We lost two bags almost immediately, so it was easier to haul our stuff. Both of us were very curious about the people and their lives in Germany, France, Austria and Italy. They, in turn, were fascinated with Alaska. That mutual curiosity, plus a little bit of high school French, helped us a lot.

A friend and I packed up our bikes and flew to New Zealand. My boss at the travel agency asked if I wanted to pre-reserve any hotels. It never dawned on me. Instead, we asked the flight attendant on our Pan Am 747 where to stay in Auckland. She recommended a great B&B, right next to the Intercontinental Hotel. We had planned to camp the entire time, but the B&B was a welcome alternative — especially in the middle of the city.

The lesson: After three days on the bikes, we met some other travelers and decided to rent a sailboat. Be flexible — your plans can change in an instant. For the better.

A few years ago I traveled around the world in a month. I called it the “Rush Around the World Tour.” The whole concept was almost a dare — just to prove that it could be done on the cheap. The itinerary changed several times because of wars, visa requirements and the schedules of my friends and relatives. Stops included London, Barcelona, Cape Town, Kuala Lumpur, Makassar (Indonesia) and Hong Kong.

The lesson: Use your points wisely. On this trip, I bought a series of one-way tickets on Alaska, Norwegian, Emirates, Air Asia, Garuda and Delta. I was traveling in January, so the total bill was less than $2,000. The hotels were more expensive, so used credit card points to stay at Hyatt Regency Hotels. The points-for-hotel formula still is a winning strategy.

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In between these standout trips, we visited the far reaches of Europe, a little bit of Africa, quite a bit of Hawaii, lots of places in Mexico — and many destinations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Is it worth it to travel? I think so. When you travel, you’re likely to meet people who speak a different language and who eat different food. The people may not look like you — and they may worship differently from you. Perhaps they have different customs and celebrate different holidays.

Over the years, as I’ve navigated all of these changes and differences, it’s hard not to see the striking similarities all of us share: a smile and a warm greeting. A genuine interest and curiosity about where the other person is from. What about their family? Perhaps you’ll share a meal with people you just met (be careful with that hot sauce).

I know Rick Steves still is traveling to Europe — and he has volumes of great tips and tricks for almost any country.

I, too, am looking forward to more travel to distant locations, to see family members and friends across the miles. I hope travelers can learn some successful strategies from the mistakes that I’ve made. I also hope that you’re able to inspire other travelers with your stories of friends and experiences around the world.