I doubt he finds that necessary. Either he has sources close to home, or he has many work-related excuses to visit Amsterdam . (Or maybe he just goes to Vancouver.)

I thought it was interesting that his son, who blogged his own independent trip to Europe, said that he himself wasn't at all interested in the pot scene in Amsterdam. Of course who knows what you will say when being scrutinized by thousands of people, but this might be another case of the son seeking to be different than the father.

If you've read Rick Steves' older recommendations versus the newer, he's gotten more upscale. He used to suggest eating off discarded cafeteria trays, but so far as I know, that suggestion has disappeared from the latest editions! Hotels in the 150 Euro range hardly seem budget to me, even if they are good value by various measures.