Stories

Debra Hurt never saw herself as the adventure-travel type.

When Regina signed up for a Backroads trip through Utah’s National Parks in 1988, she expected fun rides, beautiful views, and great company. She didn’t expect to meet Bob, or that a single week of riding would turn into a lifetime together.

From Picking Grapes to Sipping Wines: Daniel Rodriguez’s path from working in the vineyards as a migrant farmworker to cycling past them as a Backroads guest.

Guest Raman Pfaff on taking ten trips in one year.

Guests on Backroads trips to Ireland explore their family history and connect with the land and culture. Alison traced her great-great-grandfather's roots in Schull, feeling a deep connection despite finding no physical evidence. Sean, with a name like O'Shea, felt drawn to Ireland, especially after discovering his father's childhood village. Both guests experienced the warmth of Irish hospitality and the beauty of the countryside, creating lasting memories on their ancestral journeys.

We just got back from Mallorca and Menorca, where, as you can see in these photos shot by Liz, I had a smile on my face for the whole week.

When my husband asked me how I’d like to mark my 40th birthday, my answer was to go on an action-packed adventure with him and our three kids. A vacation where there is something for everyone seemed like the ultimate challenge.

When Marty Perlmutter's good friend Roy passed away from multiple myeloma, Marty decided to bike across the USA from coast to coast to raise awareness of the disease in honor of Roy.

Here’s a riddle: three people go out on a bike ride. One of them is me, a lifelong runner and fairly avid cyclist. The other two are my daughter Avery and her boyfriend Matt, both casual bike-riders. Avery and I ride side-by-side, chatting for most of the climb, while Matt zips ahead. Somehow we’re all able to have a great ride despite our different backgrounds in biking, and no one thinks the ride is too challenging or too easy. How is this possible?

In honor of Mother's Day and all the inspirational, kind and strong moms who keep things running smoothly (both at Backroads and in life!), we wanted to shine a spotlight on one of our favorite moms in our Backroads community. Meet Alison Iles, a former Trip Leader and current mom of two champion mountain-bikers in Canada.