Hey, I am Rick Steves and I love to travel.

Whether enjoying the wonders of Europe or the local sites right here in my hometown of Edmonds, Washington.

Getting out and exploring brings me so much joy, and you'd be surprised how many cool places and activities are right here in our own neighborhood and how easily you can get around these days using public transportation where I live.

Community Transit.

The local transit provider is better than ever at getting riders where they want to go.

Throughout Snohomish County and beyond, whether you're traveling for work, school, shopping, dining, or just exploring, it's efficient, affordable, and a great way to experience our community.

I've partnered with Community Transit for a special series about the joy of travel right here in our own backyard.

Together we'll explore our region and see how when you take public transit, the journey can be part of the fun.

Thanks for joining us for this Community Transit Destination series With Link Light Rail expanding throughout our region.

Car Free Travel around Puget Sound has never been easier and it's getting better all the time.

Taking Light Rail can get you farther, but you still need a connection close to home to get you to the train.

And taking the bus to the light rail station can save you some traffic and parking headaches.

Community Transits Network of Swift Rapid Transit buses provides fast and frequent service around town and will connect you to Light Rail as well.

The new Swift orange line will take you to the light rail at Linwood City Center Station and Swift Blue will extend to reach Shoreline Station.

Swift buses stop at every station and are so frequent you don't need a schedule.

Now with easier connections to light rail, getting downtown is a breeze.

With several stops through the downtown area, you can access events at Benaroya Hall, the Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center Performances by the Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Seattle Opera.

You can visit museums and much more.

Light rail connects to the monorail and you can pay for your bus, light rail and monorail fair with an Orca card.

The Orca card is a convenient way to pay for rides on buses, light rail, sounder trains, and ferries across seven major transportation agencies in our region.

It functions like cash or a pass, automatically tracking fares and transfers.

You can seamlessly continue your journey on another bus or light rail receiving credit for the fair you've already paid.

Orca transfers are valid for two hours after tapping your card and any fair difference is automatically adjusted by the card.

It's easy, efficient, and cost effective.

Additionally, discounted fares are available for low income households, seniors and riders with disabilities and youth 18 and younger.

Ride free with Orca Light Rail also takes you to the Seattle Chinatown International District Dine on Dim Sum in Chinatown.

See the historic Japan town and get a legendary bowl of f**k or delicious bon mi in Little Saigon fans.

Avoid the hassle and expense of traffic and parking at major sport events by taking light rail to Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park.

Or if your travel plans are even further afield.

Transit connections to local airports make journeying beyond our region easier than ever.

Light rail drops you off at SeaTac Airport and Swift takes you to Seattle Paine Field International Airport in Everett.

Community Transit buses also have connections to the Sounder trains Endline.

The Endline spans four train stations with stops in Everett, MTE, Edmonds and Seattle enjoy scenic waterfront views of the sound while you get there.

In style, Community transit buses can also take you to two ferry terminals, the Edmunds, Kingston Ferry, and the Muckle deal, Clinton Ferry.

You can use your ORCA card to pay for all Washington state ferries and walk on passengers pay less than people taking cars on the ferry.

And who doesn't love a scenic ride on the water?

Whether you're traveling to Seattle for an exciting event, going to SeaTac or Seattle Payne Field Airports for a fun getaway or discovering the great destinations accessible by bus, train, or ferry.

The Orca card is your passport for regional travel and boundless adventure.

Thanks for joining me as we explore the different ways to take advantage of public transportation here in our region.

And if you haven't taken a ride on community transit, now's the perfect time to give it a whirl.

To learn more, head on over to ct goat.org/ride.

Now.

Until next time, I'm Rick Steves, thanks for watching and keep on traveling.