Imagine someone with the ultimate entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for the outdoors and you’ve got Tom Hale, the leader of Backroads, the No. 1 active travel company in the world.

Back in 1979, Hale, a competitive runner in high school and at the University of Oregon, was inspired in the middle of the night to start a bike touring company. That “bright idea” led him on a 5000-mile solo bike trip throughout the West to plot the beginnings of Backroads, which has become the largest active travel company in the world.

His first tour, a Death Valley bike tour, took just four people, including his mom. Today, Backroads leads some 1800 trips each year to 36 countries around the globe.

Hale’s spirit of exploring the world through the “back roads” and up close and under one’s own power resonates throughout every bike tour and walking tour we offer today.

When not planning Backroads adventure tours or traveling the world, you can usually find him exercising so he can stay as fit as all of his Trip Leaders! His regimen includes the unique sport of skate-skiing during the winter months, as well as biking, core work and the occasional hike.

You can also find Hale with his family, including wife, Liz; daughters, Avery and Georgia; and son, William. He recently celebrated his daughter’s high school graduation with a Private Trip for 40 to Czechoslovakia!

We’re glad he couldn’t sleep that night and hope you are, too! We look forward to having you experience Backroads. Just give us a call at 800-462-2848 7 a.m.-5 p.m Pacific for more information or request our 2013 catalog.