Test Drive a Tour Guide event draws hundreds to Edmonds
Posted: January 14, 2017 2886
Veronica Contin, part of the permanent Edmonds-based staff, stands ready to assist visitors with information on the range of offerings from Rick Steves Europe.
A throng of visitors, some having traveled here from hundreds of miles away to attend the event, packs the lobby at Edmonds Center for the Arts during Rick Steves’ annual Test Drive a Tour Guide event.
Tour guide Stefan Bozadzhiev, who specializes in tours of Slovenia and Croatia, talks with Ted Krieger who traveled here from Boulder, Colorado to learn more about taking a tour to Romania. Stefan is holding a blessing stick, a traditional piece of folk art used to help celebrate the Julian Calendar New Year, which coincidentally fell on Saturday.
The Tour Alum event drew past Rick Steves customers (L to R seated at the table) Brenda Moore and Kay Wright from San Diego, Louie and Kristi Pagano from Woodinville, Mike Bracco and Nancy Garabedian of Phoenix, Dale and Ingrid Larson from Hoquaim, and Ben Cameron, a member of the Rick Steves Europe Edmonds staff.
Trish Feaster of Rick Steves Edmonds stands with tour alums Mike Bracco and Nancy Garabedian, who took honors this year among the Alumns group for having taken the most Rick Steves tours. They have completed six so far, and are looking forward to number seven this year.
In addition to meeting and talking with guides and staff individually, participants attended a series of talks focusing on destinations, what to expect on tours, and what makes Rick Steves Europe tours different from other company’s offerings. Here Rick himself presents information on his various Italy tours.
For one week each year, Edmonds becomes an international destination as more than 100 Rick Steves Europe guides and past tour customers descend on the town for Steves’ annual Tour Alum Reunion and tour guide training/seminar events.
This year, it all culminated on Saturday with the traditional gala “Test Drive a Tour Guide” event ,where potential travelers get to meet guides, attend informational talks, and learn first-hand about seeing Europe the Rick Steves way. As in the past, Saturday’s event drew hundreds of interested travelers and traveler wannabes to a full day of talks and events at the Edmonds Center for the Arts and the Edmonds Theater, and the chance to meet and interact with guides, tour staff and Rick Steves himself.
— Photos by Larry Vogel
This was a great event. We are so fortunate to have Rick in this community.
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This was a great event. We are so fortunate to have Rick in this community.