What kind of Christmas lights do you like best? How about the kind that light up the towering tree in the middle of St. Peter's Square?

Maybe you prefer the quiet flicker of the luminaries that outline the Adobe's of Santa Fe.

Or how about the high-tech light show on the Las Vegas Strip or watching the

Eiffel Tower turn into a giant sparkler?

We're starting today's travel with Rick Steves with a look at Christmas traditions in Rome

and Santa Fe from people who grew up there.

Then we'll find out how radio actually saved the Eiffel Tower as Jill Jones explains how the

tower became a hit at the dawn of the modern age.

When Thomas Edison came to Paris, he goes off the Eiffel Tower and who does he encounter

at the very top but Buffalo Bill sue Indians who were there visiting the tower like everyone else.

And Pauline Frommer suggests some of the fun things you can do away from the busy strip in Las Vegas.

I loved indoor skydiving.

Of all the experiences, that was my favorite.

From the American Southwest to Paris and Rome, it's all just ahead on Travel with Rick Steve's.

Just over 120 years ago, the critics who panned the futuristic tower dominating the Paris skyline

were silenced by the throngs of people from all around the world who wanted to see it.

Today, that tower is the world's most visited monument. I'm Rick Steeves and author Jill Jones joins us in a bit to tell stories of the early years of the Eiffel Tower.

Later in the hour, we'll get tips from Pauline Frommer about fun things to do even with the entire family in Las Vegas, Nevada.

We're starting off today's travel with Rick St.

St. Nicholas Day holiday inspiration as we check in on One City's Christmas observances in the old world,

as well as the distinctive holiday traditions you'll find in America's oldest capital, Santa Fe.

We're thinking about Christmas, and I'm joined by two friends and fellow tour guides

...