So after you guys published that book and the next one about Southeast Asia, did How long into the development of Lonely Planet before you and Maureen started hiring additional staff to work with you? When did it actually start to grow as a

company? We did the first book across Asia, which we did in Sydney, and we both had full-time jobs because we were saving up money.

We lived on one salary and saved the other, saving up money to travel some more.

Um, so that first book was done, you know, as a, as a sideline, uh, the, after the nine to five life, then we worked on that lonely planet guide and then we traveled for a year.

The year around Southeast Asia, which was 1974, was researching Southeast Asia on a shoestring.

And then we published that guide in 75.

So at this point, we had two guides.

So sometime after that, I think I got my first laptop 2006 or 2007 or something, and then started using the internet more regularly.

California State Route 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, or Route 66, which is 100 years old this year?

Well, Route 66 isn't really a route anymore.

You know, it's, there's, there's various historical elements you can go to and stand in front of the Route 66 shop or restaurant or something or other, but it's not a route anymore.

But r- uh, Highway 1 down the coast of California, as long as there aren't any landslides wiping the road out, it's terrific.

You've got Monterey and Steinbeck and the aquarium.

You've got Big Sur.

You've got a fair amount of sort of hippie stuff.

What's the future of, of the guidebook? Are people still going to be traveling with a printed book in their backpack in 10, 20 years from now?