With summer on its way, we’ll be leading hundreds of families to destinations around the world in the coming months and we thought it would be a great time to introduce you to some of our family trip leaders. They are responsible for making sure adults AND kids have fun (not an easy job!), learn a lot and have an opportunity to get an authentic view of the culture they’re visiting.

In today’s post, we’d like you to meet Rebecca Sorensen. Rebecca left her job as a film/TV production coordinator in LA to travel the world! After spending four months traveling, including biking in Thailand and biking in Italy, she decided she didn’t want travel to be a hobby but a lifestyle. Enter Backroads!

These days You can find Rebecca leading families on a variety of Backroads family bike trips and family hiking trips, including our Yosemite Multisport Tour in California. On that tour, she’ll take you rock climbing, walking through the giant sequoias, hiking past waterfalls and alpine meadows, and to a visit of the Ansel Adams Gallery. You can even enjoy a family game of bocce ball or ping pong!

Rebecca also leads the Hawaii Big Island Multisport trip where families get to walk through a rain forest, ride horses, snorkel, visit a coffee plantation and bike part of the Kona Ironman Triathlon course. Of course, we work in plenty of swimming and beach time, as well.

“I think families really bond on an active vacation, because they are out there every day experiencing new things together. There’s nothing like biking and hiking together as a family—exploring a national park, being able to smell the trees, pick up rocks and pine cones, and really appreciate the nature that surrounds you,” says Rebecca. “It’s beautiful, challenging, and in the end, it’s something you’ve accomplished together.”

Want to travel with Rebecca? Give us a call daily 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific at 800-462-2848 and we’ll answer any questions you have and get you booked!

From India and Peru to Bhutan and Morocco, you submitted some fantastic photos of your Backroads journeys for our annual Backroads Photo Contest! You covered walking tours, biking tours, multisport tours, family adventure tours and more, and we must say, your photography skills aren’t too shabby!

Every year, Backroads invites our travelers to submit their best photos from their Backroads trip for a chance at a credit toward their next adventure tour with us! First place receives a $3000 trip credit; second place receives a $2000 trip credit; and third place receives a $1000 trip credit.

We’ve picked the best of the best from all of your submissions and have now opened voting. Anyone is welcome to vote for their favorite picture, and by voting, you’ll be entered to win a $200 Patagonia gift card. Not a bad prize for viewing some jaw-dropping photos!

Here’s just a sampling of the 2012 best Backroads adventure tour photo submissions:

Taken by C. Jennings on our Dalmatian Coast Family Multisport Tour:

Taken by C. Michel on our Bhutan Walking Tour:

Taken by K. Mills on our Loire Valley Biking Tour:

Taken by M. Sloane on our Canadian Rockies Multisport Tour:

Taken by D. Patton on our Death Valley Walking Tour:

This is just a handful of the beautiful and creative photos you submitted to Backroads for 2012! Take a look at all the adventure travel photos from our tours here and vote for your favorite.

Are you inspired yet? We are! We’re ready to strap on our hiking boots, oil up our bike and head to the nearest airport to experience a Backroads adventure.

If we can help you schedule your next Backroads tour please give us a call 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848. And don’t forget your camera to enter the 2013 photo contest!

When Backroads put this new Panama multi-sport trip together, we wanted to offer an amazing trip that would evoke “oohs” and “ahs” from even the most seasoned traveler. We think we did it, but most importantly, we want to know what you think! J

This 6-day, 5-night adventure tour gives you plenty of incredible biking and hiking with highlights that include seeing the epic Panama Canal. You’ll get a special look at the canal from your seat in a motorized dug-out canoe as you cruise up the Chagres River, the chief source of water for the Canal.

You’ll also venture into the jungle, where you’ll see some magnificent wildlife (green iguanas and capuchin monkeys, anyone?). You’ll hike in the realm of the tallest mountain in Panama, Volcan Baru, a dormant, but potentially active volcano. In addition to the hiking and biking, we’ve also thrown in a little snorkeling on the second largest coral reef in the Pacific Ocean that’s sure to cool you off after your jungle walk.

The dining options on this trip, of course, make the most of local cuisine and culture. For example, on our first night, you’ll enjoy dinner overlooking the Panama Canal, where you’ll likely see the busy locks in action. You’ll also visit a lush coffee plantation, where you’ll tour and taste, and savor gourmet cuisine at the Panamonte Inn & Spa.

The lodging we’ve lined up ensures you’ll be able to rest, relax and recharge. First stop is the Gamboa Rainforest Resort (formerly the residence of the Panama Canal’s administrators), Panamonte Inn & Spa (highly rated by Condé Nast) and Cala Mia Boutique Hotel, an incredible eco lodge located on secluded Boca Brava Island.

For more information on this and other Backroads trips, please visit our website or call one of our representatives at 800-462-2848 to request a catalog.