Trip Leader Kimberly Johnson describes herself as a “happy nomad” who loves to travel all over the world whether it’s Myanmar, Mexico or Martha’s Vineyard.  ”Each region fills every one of my senses and never disappoints in the adventures and experiences,” says Kimberly.

Now in her fourth year as a Backroads Trip Leader, Kimberly loves to share the joy of active travel with others and has led trips to many different regions across the globe. One of her favorite travel quotes from Miriam Beard says, “Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” It’s a sentiment she heartily agrees with.

In April, Kimberly will be leading a Singles-Solos biking trip to Bali. Backroads’ Singles-Solos program groups individuals traveling alone for a social travel experience. Trip Leaders are essential in setting tone and fostering a chemistry between travelers. It’s a task Kimberly loves and our travelers attest to it!

The Bali Biking Trip takes guests through lush rice fields, exotic temples, local villages, busy markets, rough rivers and more to discover this artistic and devout Hindu culture. Highlights include seeing lava flows at Mount Agung, snorkeling the wreckage of the U.S.S. Liberty, preparing local cuisine and rafting the Ayung River.

Have you ever traveled with Kimberly? Share your experience! Want to travel with Kimberly? Give us a call from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848 to book her Singles-Solos Bali bike tour or to find out what other trips she’ll be leading this year.

Wow, can you imagine receiving a trip or money toward a trip as your wedding gift? We think that’s one of the best gifts that you can give a newlywed couple and so today we wanted to tackle a question we’re asked frequently: Does Backroads offer a honeymoon registry?

Yes, we do and here’s how it works!

Couples interested in taking a Backroads hiking trip or biking trip for their honeymoon or a later vacation need to first call Backroads to make their reservation. We ask for a $600 deposit per person to hold the reservation.

Then, simply invite friends and family to contribute to this ultimate wedding gift of an active honeymoon getaway. You can have them call Backroads directly at 800-462-2848 to make the contribution to your account, and each contributor will receive a gift card to present to you.

We know you’re going to want to write thank you notes for all the contributions, so at the time of the trip’s departure, we’ll provide you with a final list of all contributors and the amounts of their gifts. May we suggest knocking out those thank you notes on the plane ride to your honeymoon? Then you can mail them from your destination so they’ll see the postmark of the amazing locale they helped you to reach. You might even consider sending “thank you” post cards for a more unique approach!

We do require that all payments are made by the final payment date, which is usually 95-125 days prior to departure (so start asking early!). Any remaining balance will be due at that time. If Grandma or Aunt Susie decides to contribute after that date, we’ll credit you back, no problem!

So where should you choose to travel for your honeymoon? Should you take a honeymoon by bike or a hiking honeymoon? Here are a few of our top active honeymoon selections, ranging from European bike tours to Asian multisport adventures:

France: Dordogne & Bordeaux Biking, Loire Valley Biking, Provence Walking

Italy: Amalfi Coast Walking, Tuscany Biking, Italian Lakes Walking

Africa, Asia & the Pacific: Bali Biking, South Africa/Botswana Active Multisport, Morocco Multisport

Latin America: Costa Rice Multisport, Patagonia Hiking

US & Canada: Vermont Biking, Canadian Rockies Multisport, Martha’s Vineyard Biking, Wine Country Biking

Got questions about our honeymoon travel registry or are you ready to set up your dream honeymoon? Call us 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848.

Traveling to Cuba is a rare opportunity, but Backroads has worked with the US government to open the doors to this mysterious country. Thanks to a recently approved People-to-People license, we’re excited to offer confirmed trips to Cuba in May and June of 2013, as well as opportunities December 2013 through February 2014.

On this eight-day tour of Cuba, you’ll get to delve deeply into Cuban culture and interact with locals, a hallmark of Backroads’ tours. The itinerary will include visits to museums, art studios, coffee plantations, farms and national parks.

The highlights of our trip to Cuba include:

• Delving into Hemingway’s Cuba during a visit to the Museo Ernest Hemingway
• Discussing Cuba’s rich arts heritage with artists at private studios and a community art project
• Learning about Cuban enterprise from budding entrepreneurs, including owners of private restaurants (paladares) and private room rentals (casa particulares)
• Chatting with local farmers, cowboys and coffee plantation workers
• Talking conservation with local naturalists
• Learning about Afro-Cuban religious traditions with a Santeria priest
• Meeting musicians, dancers and performers from such groups as the Yoruba Association of Cuba and the Spanish Ballet of Cuba

As the primary focus of this Cuba tour is education and an exchange of information about cultures, it will not be nearly as active as the typical Backroads hiking tour or biking tour. There will be opportunities for some walking, however. Additionally, accommodations and food will be simpler than Backroads’ Premiere Inn tours and Classic Inn tours.

To reserve a spot or for more information, please call us at 800-462-2848 daily from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific time. We anticipate demand will exceed capacity, so don’t wait too long to experience this once-in-a-lifetime travel opportunity! Visit the Backroads’ website at www.backroads.com/trips/ACUQ for a more detailed itinerary and departure dates.

We love kids here at Backroads! It’s a joy to see them biking through the rolling hills of Tuscany with their parents, hiking around a volcano in Hawaii and ziplining through the jungles of Costa Rica. Since we see so many families on our active family vacations each year, it’s only natural that we have a few tips for active travel with kids. We want you and your family to have the best vacation possible and a little preparation can make sure it’s a trip your children will remember for the rest of their lives.

Here are our top 5 tips for the best active travel experience with kids:

1)      Getting home and back can be the least fun parts of your family biking tour or family hiking tour. Make flying fun by bringing games, books, favorite snacks and a surprise for after the flight. Be sure to ask the flight attendant if they have any special packets for kids. Select pre and post hotels that cater to families and offer kid activities and amenities—our Travel Planners can help you with that. Research activities in your gateway city that the whole family can enjoy: aquariums, zoos, parks, children’s museums and theatres.

2)      When packing for kids on an active family trip, be sure to include plastic bags for sticky and dirty clothes, a nightlight to brighten unfamiliar rooms, pediatrician contact information, medications, a comforting toy and addresses of their friends so they can send postcards.

3)      Staying at a hotel can be an exciting experience for children. To make your family’s stay more enjoyable, give kids a tour of the property when you arrive and explain the rules regarding the minibar, in-room movies and telephone.

4)      Practice hiking and biking with your kids before you arrive on your family bike tour or family walking tour. The additional time together on training rides and hikes can make great family bonding days.  And not only that, the kids became familiar with what gear they need, how to layer clothing properly, and what snacks and food they like most on the trail and on the bike.

5)      Have a meeting before your family adventure and agree to rules regarding the use of electronics during your trip. Consider allowing electronics during travel to and from only; a camera as the only electronic item for kids during the tour; or simply leaving phones and Gameboys at home.  If parents also agree to unplug, they’ll likely get more buy-in from the kids. The rewards of real family bonding, full immersion into the culture or nature of a place, disconnecting from the distractions of daily life and home, and creating more opportunity for incredible memories far outweighs the hardship of giving up the electronics.

Come explore the world with your family on a Backroads family adventure vacation. We’re pretty sure the kids will forget about the PlayStation quickly and be ready to send off postcard after postcard to their buddies as they enjoy all our trips have to offer.

For more information about Backroads Family Trips, please visit www.Backroads.com or call us 7 a.m.-5 p.m. daily at 800-462-2848. You can also check out our online Family Trip Advisor to get help finding the perfect adventure for your family.

Sometime in your life, you’ve got to see the American West whether it’s the canyons of Utah or the mountains and hot springs in Wyoming. We happen to think the best way to see this region is on a bike tour or hiking tour of the American West.

Backroads offers active tours to Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and more, giving you the opportunity to see these glorious vistas in the open air as you pedal through each state or hike on your own two feet. Smell the wildflowers, see the mountains unobstructed and drink in the fresh alpine air.

Here are a few of our top Western vacations that we think you should consider this year:

New Mexico Biking: Santa Fe & Taos – This 6-day, 5-night New Mexico bike tour takes you through the land that inspired artist Georgia O’Keefe, across the fifth highest bridge in the US, a chance to bike the Enchanted Circle around Wheeler Peak and through Spanish and Indian ruins. Runs May, June, September & October.

Wyoming: Yellowstone and Tetons Multisport – This is your chance to see mud pots, spouting geysers and steaming vents, along with the beautiful peaks of the Tetons and the Snake River as you white-water raft  down it. This 6-day 5-night tour screams adventure! Get ready to bike Wyoming, hike Grand Teton National Park and kayak Yellowstone Lake. This Wyoming adventure is offered as a Classic Tour June-September, for Singles-Solos  in July, for families June-August and as a deluxe camping experience June-August.

Montana Biking – Right next door to Wyoming is beautiful Montana where you’ll get to bike the Going-to-the-Sun Road and take in the true alpine beauty of the American West. As you bike Montana, pedal past Lake McDonald, sparkling waterfalls, through glacier-carved valleys and even take a trek into Canada and visit a National Park. As the finale, raft down the Flathead River. This is a 6-day, 5-night trip that runs July-August as a classic tour and June and August for Singles-Solos.

Utah: Bryce & Zion Biking – Red rocks galore are what you’ll find on this bike trip through Utah. You’ll see rocks of all shapes and sizes from whimsically-shaped formations to towers and arches. Get ready to be amazed at what Mother Nature creates! On this Utah bike tour, you’ll also work your way through many canyons, bike through Zion National Park with its colored pinnacles, spires and hoodoos, as well as marvel at Mount Carmel’s white sandstone Elkhard Cliffs. This bike tour of Utah runs 6 days and 5 nights June-September and is also available for Singles and Solos in July.

Where have you always dreamed of heading out West? Don’t forget to bring your cowboy boots and cowboy hat – oh yeah, and your sense of adventure!

To book any of our active trips to the American West, please call us daily 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific time at 800-462-2848.

Backroads offers active travel experiences for single travelers and solo travelers and this is a question we hear quite a lot: Are singles trips and solos trips just for unmarried travelers?

Let us just say we are not the Match.com of travel; however, if you happen to find a love interest on one of our trips, all the better!

The answer to the question is no, our active trips are not just for unmarried travelers. However, many of our singles-solos travelers are unmarried. Those who travel with us who are married sometimes are simply traveling alone without their spouse or with a friend or sibling.

We strive on our active singles trips to put together an engaging group of individuals – married or not – who will make for an interesting active travel experience.  We often hear from our solo travelers that we know how to ignite an amazing chemistry in a comfortable, easygoing atmosphere. Our Trip Leaders are skilled not only in knowledge of their country but in how to encourage a camaraderie and interactive group dynamic.

Wine tastings, meals and other social opportunities we create help everyone to get to know one another, making your bike trip or walking trip about more than just the destination. The people you travel with can be just as wonderful!

You’ll often find that those who choose our bike tours and walking tours are individuals who share a sense of fun and passion for exploring the world and drinking in as many experiences as they can.  That instantly gives you something in common.

Bottom line: We welcome all!

In this series of blog posts, we thought we’d tackle some of the most common questions we hear from guests who are considering taking a Backroads active bike tour or walking tour.

Many of our guests worry and wonder if they will be in the right physical condition to enjoy a bike trip or walking trip. So we’ll answer this common question: What kind of shape do I need to be in for the best bike tour or best walking tour experience?

We’ve got good news! Backroads’ active trips are designed for all levels of fitness. There are some trips that are more challenging than others, however, so be sure to check the Activity Level of the trip on our website or ask our Backroads’ Trip Consultants when you call.

We categorize bike trips and hiking trips from levels 1-5. A level 1 activity level on any given leg or day means an average time of 2-3 hours, 10-20 miles on a road bike, 10-15 miles on a mountain bike or 2-5 miles walking or hiking. Contrast that with a level 5 activity level which means 5-7+ hours, 56-75+ miles on a road bike, 31+ miles on a mountain bike or 11-13 miles walking or hiking.

Also, keep in mind that our Trip Leaders are often able to customize a trip for guests. So if you’d prefer to get in more activity, they may be able to provide you with a longer route. Or if you’re more tired than you expected after a leg, hop on one of our two support vans that accompany most trips and head back to the hotel for a rest.

To prepare for a Backroads trip, we recommend following an exercise regimen to improve your fitness and enhance your experience prior to your trip. Try working up to biking or hiking the distances you’ll be covering on your trip. We also recommend cross training, which combines different aerobic activities with weight training and stretching exercises. This is the exercise of choice for many of our Trip Leaders. The better conditioned you are, the more fun you’ll have!

Got questions? Our Trip Planners are happy to answer them 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific time at 800-462-2848.

Are you a mountain kind of person? Do babbling creeks, snow-capped peaks and evergreens abounding put you at peace? Then the Canadian Rockies are for you, and Backroads offers plentiful ways to see what we believe is one of the most beautiful expanses of wilderness in the world. Choose to get to know the Canadian Rockies by bike, by foot or even by white-water raft!

Canadian Rockies Biking Tour

Get ready to hop on your bike for some amazing outdoor fun. Riding in the open air, you’ll see the majestic beauty of the Canadian Rockies from gorgeous peaks, beautiful blue lakes to massive glaciers – not to mention the fresh mountain air you’ll breathe all the way. On our bike tour of the Canadian Rockies, you’ll visit the jewel blue Lake Louise, bike Banff National Park, pedal past dramatic waterfalls, ride the Icefields Parkway and pass by wildlife in their natural habitat. Our Canadian Rockies bike tour is available June-September.

Canadian Rockies Walking Tour & Hiking Tour

Another wonderful way to explore the Canadian Rockies is by foot. On our Canadian Rockies walking tour, you get to meander past blue-green streams, walk through valleys, see the second highest waterfall in the country, view a glacier and hike three Canada national parks. Because we travel during the summer months of June through September, be sure to stop and smell the buttercups and the fragrant evergreen meadows and gaze at fields of wildflowers. At the end of your days, relax in our local lodgings, including a log cabin, a lake lodge and a European-style chalet with spa.

Canadian Rockies Multisport Tour

On our multisport tour, you get to combine both biking the Canadian Rockies and hiking the Canadian Rockies into one tour with some extra fun thrown in. On this Canadian tour, you’ll hike a slot canyon, raft a glacier-fed river, bike among crystalline lakes and see wildlife galore from moose to black bears. Also, included on this tour is the lovely Lake Louise, a World Heritage Site. Our multisport tour is available in classic format during July and August, for Singles + Solos in August, and for families June-August. We also offer a deluxe camping of the Canadian Rockies option for families June-August, as well.

Now is the time to plan your summer getaway to the mountains and we can’t think of a better vacation than an adventure to the Canadian Rockies. To book your Canadian Rockies tour, please call us 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848.

Part of what makes Backroads so special is our emphasis on introducing our guests to the local culture of the region where they’re traveling. We often employ local guides who live in the area to give you an authentic look at what it’s like to live there and our Trip Leaders are also incredibly knowledgeable about the areas where they travel.

From the design of the trip to our Trip Leaders, we’ll guide you along the way to explore the local culture, but here are a few tips in advance to help you get the most out of your active trip.

• Stop – You are on a bike tour or walking tour, after all, so you have the option to stop and take in the world around you. Hop off the bike and browse the local food market or walk into a café and strike up a conversation. You’ll be amazed at the rich interactions you’ll remember for years to come.
• Know Your No-No’s – Following the proper etiquette in other countries can be an important way to demonstrate respect for another culture and increase the likelihood of engaging interactions.  For specific regional customs, ask your Trip Planner before you leave or check with your culturally-savvy Trip Leader as to the correct “do’s” and “don’ts.”
• Be Chatty – Learn a few basic phrases and practice them with the locals. Don’t be shy. Ask questions and share your excitement and you’ll be surprised by the enthusiastic response! Check with your Trip Planner for a list of commonly used words and phrases.
• Get Educated – Read up on the region before you get there. Backroads provides a list of travel-inspiring books for recommended reading for each of our bike trips and hiking trips.
• Take a Picture – Photographing new places is one of travel’s most rewarding gifts. Be sensitive when shooting local peoples and religious or ceremonial sites by asking permission first. Show your appreciation by thanking them. You could also ask for their name and address and sending them a copy of the photograph.

What tips do you have for immersing yourself in the local culture? How did you strike up a conversation with a local on an active vacation? We’d love to hear!

For more advice on how to enhance your cultural experience before you depart, check with our Trip Planners 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848.