By Rich Fisher
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kwgs/local-kwgs-826606.mp3
Tulsa, Oklahoma – On today's show, a conversation with the popular travel expert Rick Steves. Steves was in town last week to speak about "smart travel" at the Tulsa Town Hall (in the PAC). We spoke with him backstage at this event. With various TV shows, radio programs, and guidebooks to his credit, Steves has long been seen as one of America's leading travel gurus. Since 1973, he has spent 120 days a year in Europe --- and for nearly 30 years now, as an author, TV host, and radio commentator, he's been sharing his especially well-informed, off-the-beaten-path travel tips with the masses. His classic guidebook, "Europe through the Back Door," was first published in 1980. (You can learn more about Steves, and about his many jaunts both far and near, at ricksteves.com.) Also on today's StudioTulsa, we have commentaries by Ian Shoales and Barry Friedman. Shoales has odd news to share with us about visitors to the home of British novelist Jane Austen; Friedman has a few candid reflections on fighting --- and re-fighting --- the key battles that make up life's victories.