Rick Steves Blogs About his Travels in Iran

European travel expert Rick Steves is blogging about a new and unlikely travel destination "“ Iran . A well-know advocate of "close-to-the-ground" travel broadening perspectives and destroying ethnocentricity, Steves blogs about his experience filming a new public television show entitled "Iran: Its People and Culture, Yesterday and Today". Although the show will be "no politics, just travel" his motivations are quite political.

Steves writes in his blog, "I remember when the bombs first fell on Baghdad, thinking I’d missed an opportunity to make a travel show that could humanize Baghdad and give 'collateral damage' a face. I didn't want to miss an opportunity to do this for Iran ." He continues, "I figure this adventure will cost me roughly what each household in the U.S. is already paying for Iraq . If I can help avert an extra war "” even just a little bit "” this will be a brilliant personal investment "” and lots of people will owe me big-time."