Tour Tale: Sassy Then, Grateful Now

"As I get older I can only hope I can be just like my grandma who has been pretty much everywhere..."

We love to share funny, offbeat or inspiring travel anecdotes (videos, too)! If you have a true tale to tell, send it to stories@ricksteves.com. If you have a photo that illustrates it, please attach it. Don't forget to tell us which city and state you live in. We'd love to hear from you, just like we did from Linda...

Dear Rick,

I have taken two of your family tours. One with a very-easy-to-get-along-with grandson, and another with a sassy teenage granddaughter (each 14 at the time). I never really knew if the granddaughter appreciated the opportunity she had until she recently wrote this on Facebook:

"Honestly, when I truly think about it, I really am blessed that I get to experience things that people can only dream of. I got to travel Europe for 3 weeks. At the age of 14 I had already been to 5 different countries and I plan on traveling many more. As I get older I can only hope I can be just like my grandma who has been pretty much everywhere..." 

She went on with other observations of our times together. The point of this note is to affirm we must expose our children, our grandchildren and ourselves to other countries and areas of the U.S. (I have been to all of the states). Please put the word out strongly that it is important even in these tough economic times (we are Illinois farmers and have just experienced the worst drought ever in the 44 years we have farmed) to explore, learn and share. Her grammar may not be the best, but it comes from her heart.

— Linda in Stockton, IL

Fine print: We reserve the right to edit and post all Tour Tales submissions. Please provide us with your full name and city/state. We will not print your last name or email address in Tour News.