Lauren Cook

Lauren Cook

A self-confessed national park bum, Lauren grew up "in the shadow of Yosemite" and now frequents Teton, Yellowstone, Glacier and Waterton National Parks, where she leads trips for Backroads. She spends her winters leading in Costa Rica, and in her off-time she comes home to her family in the Bay Area. Before Backroads, Lauren spent eight months cycling across the U.S. and around Southeast Asia. She's happiest of all when her whole life fits on her bicycle. Some of Lauren's favorite aspects of trip leading? Cycling through the most stunning landscapes, sampling from the best breweries and coffee houses, tasting local cheeses and artisan baked goods and falling in love with new cultures. She also loves watching a group of strangers turn into great friends on trip--this happens all the time! Prior to uncovering her bicycle obsession, Lauren wrote for a weekly newspaper, managed two blogs and fostered her love for English Literature.

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Cafe sua da, Vietnamese coffee

In Vietnam, coffee culture is as deep and rich as just about anything else. On old brick sidewalks and in old colonial shops adorned with art deco...

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Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

Welcome to one of the most fabulous cities on the planet and one with darn good food. San Francisco is a wonderland of exceptional restaurants and...

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Fresh Chopped veggies, herbs, spices and limes from the Pun Pun farm in Thailand

Much like the US, Thailand has dramatically changed the way it grows food with the introduction of modern agricultural practices. And in northern ...

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Brant Haflich on the Katy Trail rail trail, Missouri

When people ask me about my cross-country biking adventure, they almost always ask, "Where was your favorite place to ride?" Perhaps it was becaus...

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Lauren Cook with a water testing kit

Cycling in the ridiculously hot region of South East Asia for months on end with no support, camp assistant Brant Haflich and I figured we'd be sp...

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Biking touring in New Hampshire

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 spe...

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Chiang Mai Thailand

If you’re planning a Backroads Thailand trip we’ll be picking you up in the old Lanna Kingdom capital, Chiang Mai. We highly recommend you spend a...

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