Historic, Picturesque and Unique Hotels of Norway
Unique welcoming hotels in Norway are one of the highlights of traveling with Backroads to this fascinating Nordic country.
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Five Reasons to Visit Costa Rica
It seems word has officially gotten out about this adventurer's playground, and globe-trotters from near and far want to experience firsthand why it's such a unique and sought after tropical destination. From hiking incredible landscapes to sipping a cup of locally grown coffee, it's easy to see why Costa Rica is one of the most popular holiday destinations Backroads offers.
100 Years Old and Biking!
This year I had the honor of attending my first 100th birthday party. Actually, my Great Uncle Mike is the only 100-year-old I've ever met. But age is only half of this story... Uncle Mike's 100th birthday party was a bike ride! 100 years of age is a crazy thing to wrap your head around. But can you imagine being 100 and balancing on a bike, managing traffic, flying down hills?!
Tuscany's Montalcino
Montalcino, famous for its spectacular Brunello wine, is a lovely hilltop town we visit on many of our Tuscany Biking trips. The medieval town dates back to the beginning of the 10th century, famous mainly for its tanneries and as a stop for pilgrims on their way to Rome along the Via Francigena. Nowadays Montalcino is a popular tourist destination, with people coming from all over the world to taste its wines: authentic Brunello wine cannot be produced anywhere but within its city limits.
Six Must-Stay Hotels in Mallorca
Not only does Spain’s Mallorca have incredible natural beauty, history and culture, but it also boasts an incredible number of hotels that take hospitality and service to the next level. After a long day of biking or hiking, there’s nothing better than a dip in the pool, a well-crafted cocktail or a trip to the sauna at a one-of-a-kind property.
Staff Ride Love
It's not often in life you get an opportunity to see how loved you are. The opportunity to be reminded just how lucky you are. There are birthdays, but then those are almost obligatory. Random moments caught in time when someone tells you how much you mean to them…
Backroads: Adventures in Bicycle Diplomacy
When my kids were small, I poured over Backroads catalogs while they slept. I dreamed of exotic vacations where I’d bike through amazing scenery and eat better food than the boxed macaroni and cheese my children liked. But those were just pleasant daydreams.
A Backroads Trip Leader on the Road
It’s pretty wild that last year, between the end of April and the first week of December, I didn’t sleep in the same bed for more than three consecutive nights. Somehow seven months flew by since that spring day when I packed up my temporary home in Marin County, California, as did my time in about ten states, four countries and who knows how many cities. And at the end of it, I was just weeks away from going to South Africa— my first time in any African country! This year is already just as action-packed.
Bite-Sized Backroads Trip: Yosemite
With so many of us home and unable to travel at the moment, we thought it would be nice to bring a bit of the magic of travel (and one of our favorite national parks!) right to you and your family. So we asked Trip Leader Russell Grange to take us on a "Bite-Sized Backroads Trip" to California's epic Yosemite National Park
Cyclists Hosting Cyclists
After finishing a Backroads' trip, do you crave more hours in the saddle? More time on your bike? More adventures?! One of my favorite ways to spend time cycling in between leading Backroads' trips is on "bike tour." What is this? It's when you head out on your bike for overnight adventures.
Alaska's Iditarod: "The Last Great Race"
The Iditarod is one of the most epic dogsledding races in the world, but outside of Alaska, few even know what it is. How long is it? Why is it known as "the last great race"? And do they really race with dogs? As a man who has mushed a few teams myself, I like to start with a brief history, dispel some common misconceptions, and then relate some of my favorite facts about the race.
Hiking in Germany and Austria: Tyrolean Alps and Bavarian Beauty
According to a local saying in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, "Those loved by God are brought here"--a sentiment easy to understand as the Bavarian Alps can seem like heaven on earth. For my family (myself, my Backroads husband and our toddler), it's our favorite place in the world to play and relax.
Life is Beautiful in Arezzo
The best known town in Tuscany is surely Florence, but have you been to Arezzo? The city center itself is gorgeous, the people are still genuine and the town looks so authentic that Roberto Benigni chose it as the setting for his Oscar-winning movie, Life is Beautiful. From bottom to top (it's a hilltop town!), here is the perfect tour of Arezzo.
How a Backroads Mom Raised Two Champion Cyclists
In honor of Mother's Day and all the inspirational, kind and strong moms who keep things running behind the scenes (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...
Tom Hale: My Year with Backroads
As the founder and owner of Backroads, people often expect me to have some special insight into how our trips run. It's true that I was a Trip Leader in the earliest days of Backroads, but nowadays I'm busy running the company from Berkeley and every chance I get to visit the field is precious. Ah, for the footloose days of being a leader.
A Romance with Port Wine
Whether it's swapping stories with a friend or traveling with a group of Backroads guests on our Douro Valley River Cruise, I can't help but share all the fascination and stories about port wine production and the country of Portugal. It's all just so darn good.
Back to my Tuscan Roots
We always think of traveling as a way to discover the world and to learn about different cultures. For me, travelling is also about returning to my roots and rediscovering who I am. Leading the Active Gourmet trip in Tuscany is a chance to see my homeland through the eyes of our guests and to learn new things about myself. After all, food and wine are just catalysts. In Italy it's all about sharing. And talking. Very loudly!
Moose Tracks
I saw a moose. It was the best day of my life. Where did I see the moose, you may ask? We were on a Backroads family trip!
The Most Scenic European River Cruises
At Backroads, we believe travel should be active, engaging and unforgettable.
Cherimoya
Imagine a fruit so creamy it might be considered a part of the custard family. And so key to survival that it might be grouped with the apple. And there you have my favorite fruit, the cherimoya. I’ve loved cherimoya since I first laid taste buds on it in Costa Rica in November of 2005 (yes, I remember the date-this fruit is that impactful). I drank it in batidos (delicious Costa Rican fruit smoothies), I ate it fresh from the market and I made sure that it took part in every picnic I prepared. You might say I was obsessed.
Beautiful Balsamic
Before heading out to lead Backroads trips in Italy, I had already gathered that Italians have an ongoing love affair with olive oil. However, I was almost completely ignorant of the pepper to this salt: balsamic vinegar. "Italian dressing" in my household was a mix of spices shaken with olive oil and white vinegar--no balsamic included--and I wouldn't consider putting the bitter stuff on ice cream. Not even in my dreams would I suppose that some balsamic vinegars cost hundreds of dollars for just a few ounces. I had a lot to learn.
Books That Inspire Adventure
These books, along with an insatiable desire to explore, led me down an unconventional path to world travel, exciting (and sometimes insane) adventures and an active lifestyle that I parlayed into a career as a Backroads Trip Leader. So which stories have inspired me to explore, seek adventure, change the world for the better and do so confidently? Here are my top five.
Biking in Laos - Immersed in an Ancient World
The mother of two children clinging to her long, woven skirt encourages her two-year-old son to wave to you by grabbing his wrist and saying “sabaidee,” which means “hello” in Lao. When you pass by on your bike, waving back, the woman's daughter calls out, “Bye-bye!,” a phrase she probably learned at an early age to use to address passing bike tourists. If you’ve ever wanted to feel like a celebrity, try biking in Laos. Laotians in remote villages don't see many Westerners rolling through their homeland.
E-biking in California: Lessons from a Ride with my Daughter
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?
Kids on Bikes
I do know a thing or two about getting kids on bikes, and doing so at the earliest possible juncture. Also into baby joggers, backpacks and the like, but that's a whole other story. It started 19 years ago with my oldest child, now a college sophomore who has recently emerged from what I would call "my parents dragging me around the world" stage into a delightful appreciation for all things travel. What a wonderful metamorphosis. Have faith ye of teen children!