There are many reasons besides the scenery to consider stopping at a historic lighthouse on your next road trip.

Coming up today on Travel with Rick Steves, we'll hear stories behind some of the great lighthouses that you can visit along the American coasts.

Lighthouses where tales of Pirate Booty, Civil War shenanigans, and tragedy come as part of their history.

There are also many stories of lighthouses where the keeper and his family were washed

away in the storm.

We'll also take a look at a transcontinental pilot's view of Sky Ferry.

That's his term for the thrill he feels every time he takes off on another

international flight.

You know, we raise the wheels and when we lower them it's going to be in a different day, in a different

hemisphere coming into a city that perhaps none of us had been to before.

Learn how important one simple weapon was in shaping the world.

I don't think you can overstate the impression that the Longville had on and on our medieval history.

Plus listeners tell us about their remarkable trips to Europe.

It's all in the hour ahead on Travel with Rick Steves.

One great way to connect with the locals is to speak the language or at least some of it.

Rosetta Stone is a fast fun way to learn.

It's got helpful tools like online video chats with native speaking teachers.

You can take the Rosetta Stone demo or purchase the program at a special discount at

Rosetta Stone.com.

slash Rick Steves. If you spent your last plane flight staring at movies on a screen the whole time,

then we've got someone we'd like you to meet coming up in the hour ahead.

Hi I'm Rick Steve's. Pilot Mark Van Honaker has won high praise for the poetic way he writes

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